[geh458]

When I bought my Super a couple of months ago, I had originally planned to take care of the existing rust issues this coming winter, but have decided to start the project now. I have chosen a body shop that has done quit a few Alfa's, and I like their work. They estimate it will take a couple of months. I started removing things like the lights, door handles, and chrome stuff that I don't want painted, besides, it saves a little on the labor at the body shop. We will be replacing the rockers on both sides, the floors on both sides, front and back, the trunk floor, lower door skins on the drivers side (left), the lower portion of the A-pilar on the drivers side, as well as the surface issues on the rest of the car. A complete repaint will also be done in the same color the car is now. I am also going to take this opportunity to install a roll bar, if not an entire cage, I've not thought a lot about that yet. The main reason I've decided to do this now is that I have acquired a parts car that has all the body pieces I need for less than it would cost to order replacement parts from Europe and have them shipped to the States, and the body shop can cut out what they need, instead of me possibly ordering the wrong parts. Plus I'll have extra parts that I will be able to keep for later. I'm leaving bright and early tomorrow morning with a trailer for a drive to pickup my parts car.

If I still have the Super in 4 or 5 years, I might do a complete restoration, but for now the partial will have to do. I'll try to take progress pictures along the way, as I plan to go the body shop every Saturday until the project is complete.

Wish me luck.

 

[AR4me]

So where are you travelling to pick up the (rustfree, I assume) parts car?

Best of luck with the project!

Jes

 

[manuelalfaholic]

Super Mania ! Hey Gifford I'll be sending mine too in a few weeks . All the best Manuel......

 

[Andrew]

Hey Gifford, can you give me the years, VINs, colors, on your Giulias for the Register? Thanks
Andrew

 

[Il Vecchio]

Gif, good luck! Keep us posted.

 

[geh458]

"The saga continues...."

A week later than planned, I "FINALLY" got home. After loading up the car in Anacortes,WA. at the home of George Willet, and thanks again for your hospitality George, I headed south. Since I had only exchanged emails and phone calls with Daron Walker at Vintage Customs in Auburn, WA., I thought I'd stop and meet him and his crew. Somewhere close to Daron's shop in Auburn, the transmission in the truck decided to take a dump. There was a trail of fluid down the parking area and a puddle under the truck when he came out to meet me as I pulled up. We proceeded to unhook the trailer, and Jay lead me over to the Auburn Ford dealer. After spending the afternoon there it was determined that a snap ring that holds a clutch pack together had broken and thrown a few piece through the case, and that the clutch pack was coming apart. Because the original warranty had expired, and the extended one was in place, they had to wait until an inspector came to look at everything before anything could be done. Well, after waiting for 6 days and paying a $50 deductible, I got the truck back and headed home Thursday morning. During this time, Jay took the car and trailer to has house which they said would be safer than leaving it out back at the shop, and I spent a vary long weekend at an uncle's house in Port Orchard.

I'd like to take a moment to thank Daron and the guys at Vintage Customs for their help in my time of need. If you ever find yourself in the Northwest, stop by their shop, they're a nice bunch of people.

I've attach a couple of pictures of the car I got from George, and like I said in my 1st post, all of the parts I need are undamaged.

----------------------------------

As a point of interest, if there are any of you hoping I might be selling anything off of this parts car, there's nothing to sell, as I only got the body shell. All of the mechanical stuff had been removed. I will however let everyone know if there are any useful body parts left after I salvage what I need.

 

[geh458]

Hey Gifford, can you give me the years, VINs, colors, on your Giulias for the Register? Thanks
Andrew

Andrew,

I'll send them in a couple of days in a PM.

 

[101/105guy]

Allright !!!
A local Super parts car ! ;^)
Keep us posted on what items you don't need. Perhaps we can help defray some of your resto costs.
Randy

 

[geh458]

Update: 4-15-2008

I've spent a few minutes here and there over the past couple of weeks removing all of the chrome, the lights, and the interior, in preparations for my Supers "rustectomy". I've labeled the holes that I want to have filled because I'm not putting a few things back on the car. Well, this past Sunday I loaded the car in the trailer (there were people around to help push it in), and then this morning I delivered it to the body shop. So now if they can stick to the estimate (time wise) I'll get the car back in about 2 months (I hope).

 

[geh458]

Saturday Update #1

Since it's a 55 mile drive one-way to the Body shop, I'll only be able to check it's progress on Saturdays. During the week Anthony and Santo (Santo's Italian Car Service) will keep an eye on the progress, as the body shop is close by and they have a couple other car in there.

Well, todays update is: There's no update. They haven't started on it yet, but it is closer to going into the shop than it was when I dropped it off last Tuesday.

 

[geh458]

Saturday Update #2

Well, the body shop has only been able to finish the removal of the interior stuff I couldn't finish. They plan to start the body work on Monday, so next weeks update should be more revealing. Anyway, I took these pictures today of what was uncover. I knew the hole was in the drivers foot well, but it didn't look as big from the bottom. I was unable to get to the right side of the car to get a picture of the driver side inner rocker, but here's the passenger side, and it's in far better shape. If I only had the option to replace one side, I'd leave the passenger side, I'm glad I don't actually have to make such a decision, both get replaced.

 

[Il Vecchio]

...I knew the hole was in the the drivers foot well, but it didn't look as big from the bottom...

Gifford, it's a good thing you are getting the "Fred Flintstone braking access hole" fixed. Otherwise, the AROSC tech inspectors might think it a "brake upgrade" and bump you up a class

 

[101/105guy]

Also, the car would be "under weight" for your class ;^) ! So much less road hugging weight.
I'm about to start the rockers on my Super. Going to do a home workshop job. Will post some pics as it gets going.
Randy

 

[geh458]

Saturday Update #3

Well, a lot of progress in just a week. My baby is still in intensive care, but stable. When they started into it,, there was much more rust then was known to any of us. There was rust forming on the edge of the roof just above the left side drip rail, the drivers side rocker panel was toast, the rust in the floors was starting to migrate into the drive shaft tunnel, etc. So it was decided to transplant everything from the base of the firewall back from the parts car into my Super. There is no rust at all on the car I got from George, and the only part not usable is the right rear quarter panel, and the right side doors, and the other little bit of damage can be straightened. Here's some pictures from today, and the last two in the second set are what is left of the back half of the '72:

 

[geh458]

Saturday Update #3 - continued

more pictures......

 

[AR4me]

Great progress!

So, which car do you end up with? Mostly a philosophical question I suppose.

Jes

 

[geh458]

Great progress!

So, which car do you end up with? Mostly a philosophical question I suppose.

Jes

Jes,

I suppose it's still a '72, since we kept the firewall, and that's where the VIN plate is. But I still thinks about a song by Johnny Cash "One Piece at a Time" where he sneaks parts out of an auto plant over the space of about 20 years and at the end of the song when he give a description of the car he built.

Have a listen: Johnny Cash - Jango Music

 

[101/105guy]

A possible nick-name.......

FrankenSuper ! ;^)

 

[Alleggerita]

Don't forget your handbrake

 

[geh458]

Don't forget your handbrake

There's that, and a few other things that still need to be transfered over. Things such as the mounts in the trunk for my electric fuel pump, the remote battery tray in the trunk, and the seat mounting points for the front seats. And I'm sure other thing will be forgotten, but they can be taken care of later.