Excellent Job
Hooray for you, Dugga Dave
Your car looks absolutely beautiful, and the switch to RHD done well. A couple of notes, however, involve the paint. (1) 102/2000 Touring spiders have black motor compartments when they come from the factory, not the outside color. (2) 102/2000 Engines are black, not bare metal. The cast iron block itself painted a flat black, but the head, the valve covers and the cold air box black crinkle finish. (3) The dash on such cars are semi-flat black (and perhaps wisely to prevent sun refection) rather than the outside color. .
But, regardless, and who cares? The car is absolutely stunning and clearly well done. It will last now a long long time in Australian Alfa circles and generations in the future will always be referencing it by your name.
As for the problems of carburetor interference with the steering column I remember in my readings about older Alfa models somewhere how at least one of those earlier style engines were switched as to how it rotated while running, the exhaust and carburetor sides switched. The first mass produced series of Alfa with left had drive (LHD) was the 1900 after WWII. All previous were RHD. It must have been someone wanting to switch to LHD back when he switched the rotational direction. Might also have been because of the solid steering shafts of those days. At least on the 102/2000 spider there is no longer that terrible solid shaft pointed right at the drivers chest. While a 102/2000 engine is not all that complicated and could conceivably be modified to run with carburetors and exhaust switched (and the "pumpkin" in the rear differential turned over to still allow the drive train to have five forward gears as it should) just think of the work of creating a suitable cold air box etc. that would entail. It just makes us marvel all the more at the skill and great sense involved how you managed to switch from left hand drive done in this spectacular triumph of yours. Hooray again.
Incidentally, I once put my third member differential "pumpkin" upside down in my spider and had to take it back out and turn it over when discovered I had five reverse gears and only one forward. In the early days working on my Alfa was always a learning experience without dealers or even parts books. I've had my beautiful spider for over fifty years, and it always seemed to be work in progress to keep it in shape. Yours look ever so much better. It was my daily driver up to 1990, and I still haven't put all the pieces on it since the last paint job. I can only comment to you, Dave, that wire wheels are nice, but come at great price and take some modification of front axle stubs if you finally rob some 1900 to get them. The ones with shiny polished rims are even more noticeable, but all 102/2000 spiders are already beautiful without them.
