[kengta]

This RHD GTA was imported by ALFA INC in 1966 for the Trans Am and was raced by Joe Locario and Company.

In 1969 it passed to Steve Griswald and John Woodner.
There was a crash

In 1970 Jon Norman bought the wreck and replaced the front clip and the chassis lost its serial number

Jon Norman raced it in the 1970 TA.

In 1971 it was sold to Bob Fisher, San Francisco area of CA USA, one TA at Riverside

In 1972 it was sold to Johnny Casanti in British Columbia (BC), Canada

About 1976 it was sold to Dave Vegher as a rolling Chassis with no hood, doors or trunk.

About 1978-80 Vegher transformed it to IMSA spec with GTAm engine.

In the 1980's it was sold on perhaps to its current owner.

 

[kengta]

The BC Period

The BC era is thought to be

1972 Sold by Bob Fisher, CA USA to Johnny Casanti Owner, BC Canada Dealer, Drivers Giovanni Colletta, Tony Filetti and Vito Spinelli, crashed at Westwood Raceway

Sold to Gio Clemente, Stripped of parts (edit:1600 GTA engine sold to Stu Moss, see post #9 below)

Sold to Wayne Seivers

About 1976 Sold to Dave Vegher, CA USA

Dates, pictures, corrections, additions, comments all welcome.

BTW there was a second RHD GTA in BC but a little later driven by Dick Barwell so they are not to be confused. The Barwell GTA came (it is thought) from Quebec and sold on to Jim Brown of the USA Pacific NW.

 

[mhemsley]

I remember a GTA at Westwood in '72. Red, of course, and RHD. And the names of the fellows (see the Giulia Super thread) seen right to me. I only saw the car at one race. My Super was nearly box stock and ran in BSedan in ICSCC. I had taped the lights out and used vertical red, white, and green tape on the headlights. One of the guys with the GTA saw the Italian flag striping and asked why a guy named Hemsley would have that flag on the car. When I explained that my mother's maiden name was Giulietta Magdelena LaDuca and that I was half Sicilian, he grabbed my hand and called me piasan. He suggested that if he came past me during qualifying I should tuck in behind him and follow him for the fast Alfa line at Westwood. Well, he passed me coming up the hill toward start/finish, and I tucked in behind him...and that was the last I saw of him...LOL! I guess a prepared GTA is a bit faster than a nearly stock Super.

Mike

 

[giamba_ps]

nice post ken , by the way do you have any pictures of clementes alfa he raced at westwood ? i thnk it was a 1750 gtv in the 80s ?or any of his alfas ? My dad and i ( was a kid ) , we knew Tony Filetti well , he was good friend of Mario del pero at ital motors in edmonton and also friend of franco angelini in rome. i recall my dad took some laps in with Tony on a silver street gtv 2000 he had with gta wheels at westwood in maybe 1980 81 . we used to go with Mario to westwood when he competed , my dad never drove there. i also recall that , sort of keeping in theme with this post , The del pero racing team gta 1300 that my dad localized and bought for them in italy from franco angelini in 1980 - 81 arrived in canada at the vancouver port and was first tried and raced in west wood , it still had the italian livery and italian triple numbers 208 on the doors and hood , in italy it was used for hillclimbs but in its earlier years i have investigated it was an official autodelta gta driven by adamich and the autodelta crew. anyhow it arrived and was raced by a very young Fred del pero 16 years old. it still had the italian 13 inch small wheels they were speedline sort of a bbs mesh type and small firestone or pirelli slicks . this was the first time this car hit canadian soil . and in the next seasons went on to become canadian champion in gt3 class . for several years in a row. the car is still owned by fred del pero . it has an extensive racing history . he still uses it every year at knox mountain in kelowna .

 

[vintage prep]

This RHD GTA was imported by ALFA INC in 1966 for the Trans Am and was raced by Joe Locario and Company.

About 1978-80 Vegher transformed it to IMSA spec with GTAm engine.

In the 1980's it was sold on perhaps to its current owner.

The year as I recall was 1983 or 84 at the latest.

Actually sold by Dave V. as not even a roller unless you include the shopping cart it was mounted to.

Bare tub with body, cage and flares all done and painted 505? or 515 red (the tangerine like red) and ready to assemble but may or may not have had hood and doors, sorry, been to long and cant remember. Also a set of unmounted Alfa 9x13 wheels were purchased from Dave at that time.

I will take the liberty of mentioning the new owner was Don Gabouri of Laguna Beach and later possibly Costa Mesa. Don is a highly skilled mechanic, fabricator and race prep engineer who trained at Luigi Chinetti (sp?) and once ran a private resto shop for the guy who started Taco Bell. Recently he has specialized in track prepping the new type lotus.

The car has sat as purchased as least until 5 years ago when I had some contact with Don. I offered to purchase at that time but he was not interested.

I don't believe Don knows the chassis number as that was one of the questions he asked when he called me.

Hopefully he will post here some day and fill in the missing details.

Cheers, Paul Van Der Linden of Vintage Prep

 

[PAUGNUT1275]

Locario GTA?

I just found a picture on my computer that lists this car as Locario, Steele and Simon.
It is RHD from the mirror position and wrecked in the front, although I wouldn't think that this damage would need the firewall changed. I've forgotten where the photo came from; I found it on the internet last summer, I think. Anyone seen this photo before?
Keith

 

[kengta]

Hi Keith, that is Locario at Green Valley 1966. Also seen at VIR 1966 as #17.

Because it is a rare white one there is hope that the lost serial number may one day be deduced from a list.

It was Jon Norman that repaired the crash damage done by John Woodner at Sears Point 1969 as Norman had bought the wreck. That repair is when the firewall with serial number was replaced and serial number lost.

Ken

 

[kengta]

All the Locario GTA

1st Picture #58 Green , Steve Griswold at Laguna Seca 1969

2nd pic #58 Green, Jon Norman at Mount Tremblant (St Jovite) TA 1970

3rd pic #59, Bob Fisher (Red Circle) at Riverside 1971

BTW Jon Norman Built and wrecked a Green (in more or less the Griswold/Norman colours of 69/70) #58 GTV for the 1971 Trans Am (see beside to the right of Fisher in the 3rd pic). In 1972 he built a second Green #58 GTV for that year's Trans Am and that is the GTV he races to this day.

 

[veloce430]

In about 1976 I bought a complete GTA 1600 engine from Gio Clemente as a spare for my GTA Junior. I'm assuming that it came from the car that was wrecked at Westwood.
Stu