New Owner of GTV

2488 Views 16 Replies 12 Participants Last post by cliffordh, Mar 30, 2011

palito

Discussion Starter · Mar 29, 2011

Hi I purchased a GTV two weeks ago, is a blast. I got a couple of questions about the car. The vin number is

AR3020828

1.How do I find out what year is the car? Is titled as a 72, but the previous owner says is a 71.

2. How do I find out the original color of the car? Previous owner mentioned that the gold color is the original, I tried to find the sticker on the trunk or information about the color, but nothing.

3. The engine is a 2.0 with fuel injection recently engine was rebuilt, runs good, smooth, but transmission does have a small grind, once in a while when I try to shift to 1st, is this normal for these cars?

4. How is the suspension for these cars supposed to feel? It feels a bit shaky, every time I hit a small pothole, feels a bit loose and unstable, currently has some wide tires Campagnolo Magnesium wheels (205/60R14). I have the original ones, and I am not sure if I should change them to the original ones, it takes some hard work to move that steering wheel when I am parking.

5. Is the car supposed to have a 2000 logo emblem on the dashboard?

Apart from that is an awesome car, I come from early Porsche 912's background, and the experience from this car is so different from 1965 912 porsche. So I am not sure what to expect in terms of handling and suspension with these Alfa's GTV.

Thanks in advance, here is a picture of the car next to my 912.

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1 - 17 of 17 Posts

papajam

· #2 · Mar 29, 2011

Welcome, palito. Nice pair!

Your GTV is indeed a 1972 model year vehicle. Production of the 72s began in 11/71 so it may have built in 1971. The factory affixed a plastic data plate on the left door jamb which will have the month/year it was built (if the plate is still there).

For the exact date the car was built, and for the original color, send an email to Mr. Marco Fazio at the Alfa Archices in Italy. The email address is [email protected] .

ad8n

· #3 · Mar 30, 2011

Palito,
Welcome to the BB! That looks like a nice car, and personally I love the color!
Jim (Papajam) is the resident expert so I will just add that you might want to check the condition of the shocks, bushings and ball joints since these typically dry out and wear over the course of 40+ years. This will probably make your suspension nice and tight again.
Changing to a narrower tire will definitely reduce steering effort when parking. Personally I like running narrower tires since the cars were designed for them. Others have different opinions, and it's a matter of personal preference.
GTV's and 912's are certainly complementary cars. I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Cheers,
Antoni

paulsle

· #4 · Mar 30, 2011

2

Hello Palito,

I'd agree with Jim that your's is a 1972. My own GTV is #3020813, so that's just 15 cars earlier than yours
My door jamb tag indicates a July 1972 build date, although the factory archives have it as August 24, '72. Whichever is right, seems like you have a '72 there. Yes, there's usually a 2000 script on the dashbd. As you may suspect, your suspension shakiness is likely due to worn bushings...replace them all and it'll ride like new. A bit bouncey yes, but she'll feel much more solid and will be quieter.

Enjoy!

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fangio8c

· #5 · Mar 30, 2011 (Edited)

Congrats, nice GTV! FYI... lots of people run 205s (and like them) but the closest size tire available to the stock size of your car is 185/70/14. If your steering feels heavy this could be a factor. The GTVs were/are known for their nimble, toss-able, yet very confident handling. Enjoy your new ride (and don't tell/show all your Porsche buddies

)!!!

fangio8c

· #6 · Mar 30, 2011

ad8n said:
GTV's and 912's are certainly complementary cars.

IIRC, the GTVs performance numbers actually gave their "911" contemporaries a run for their money

.

cabikefreak

· #7 · Mar 30, 2011

Mine had a sticker under the rear deck (not trunk lid but forward of that) showing the original color code. Even though the guy that repainted it did a lousy job at least he left the sticker in place. Maybe yours is there also!

On the trans make sure to search the threads to find the right trans fluid and change yours to make sure you have the right stuff. Some of the threads indicate this may actually improve your shifting. I've noticed my first gear synchro isn't as good as the others but downshifting into first isn't really something that I ever do (except when pulling into my driveway, which is when I have to make sure to double clutch). Lots of folks (me included) notice a grind into second if you rush it, particularly when cold. I guess these boxes need a little pause between gears going both directions, which is all right for me because I'm not really racing around anymore anyway!

Good luck and welcome to the forum. You will find the people here are really, really helpful and it is amazing how much time they put in to help us newbies save time and get it closer to right the first time!

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Little Italian

· #8 · Mar 30, 2011

Looks like a Peach ! ! !

..............No a Plum ! ! !.........

Congrats

yvesmontreal

· #9 · Mar 30, 2011 (Edited)

Alfa synchros aren't the strongest... they're the Porsche type (!). You learn to live with them.

Early in my Alfa life I was told to, when shifting in 1st from a standstill, to first move the shift lever towards 2nd gear to stop the gears from spinning without using the 1st gear synchro. But since 2nd gear synchro already takes a lot of abuse, it's better to use 4th.

BTW gold was available on the 2000GTV, but it was pretty scarce.

gigem75

· #10 · Mar 30, 2011

a slight tap to third is the easiest and closest to first. Welcome, you'll have a blast with your car, more photos!

fangio8c

· #11 · Mar 30, 2011

Trans fluid = Redline 75W90NS

LSD fluid = Redline 75W90

palito

Discussion Starter · #12 · Mar 30, 2011

Thanks everyone for all their input and answering my questions. Papajam is amazing how fast Marco emailed me the information about my car. So this is what I have found so far.

---->the chassis number AR 3020828 originally corresponds to an Alfa Romeo 2000 GT Veloce USA (115.01), manufactured on the 6th September 1972 and sold on the 7th September 1972 to Alfa Romeo Englewood Cliffs, USA.
The body colour is metallic light beige (AR 827), with black tex interiors. < ----

I guess that clarifies some of the questions I raised at the beginning.

Antoni, The experience I get from using my 912 and GTV are so different, and so unique in their own way and I love both. I can't never get bored of driving my 912 even though it has less power than the GTV, yet my 912 is so light I can push it by myself when my battery dies

I believe they complement so well to one another. Is just amazing the experience of driving a german car and an italian car, so different and so unique, the handling, the roaring of the engines, the smell of gas is just awesome.

I will look into the suspension, as I feel it can be improved, and perhaps go back to the original wheels. I feel with the wider tires, I am putting too much force on the suspension. I ll post some more pics later this afternoon. The color of the car frankly is not my favorite, before purchasing the car I was looking at GTV's with more of a strong yellow color or blue.

I guess I can live with the small once in while transmission grind in 1st, but checking the oil or changing it would not hurt.

One thing I noticed is that whoever resprayed or painted this car before, the doors are not properly aligned, and when the windows are all the way up, the doors take are more difficult to close them. I am not sure what exactly is the problem.

Thanks everyone for their answers and fast response.

Cheers

palito

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lowmileage

· #13 · Mar 30, 2011

papajam said:
Welcome, palito. Nice pair!

.

Well, 'cept for that car on the left making the

Alfa not centered in the photo

Have fun

fangio8c

· #14 · Mar 30, 2011

palito said:
I guess I can live with the small once in while transmission grind in 1st, but checking the oil or changing it would not hurt.

One thing I noticed is that whoever resprayed or painted this car before, the doors are not properly aligned, and when the windows are all the way up, the doors take are more difficult to close them. I am not sure what exactly is the problem.

Thanks everyone for their answers and fast response.

Cheers

palito

Regarding the color: Since it's not original you can change it to your favorite color anytime

.

Regarding trans grind in 1st: Changing the oil to Redline 75w90ns has been known to make a BIG difference.

Regarding doors closing: Classic GTV issue. Could be sagging hinges or alignment but frequently it's the door rubber. ABB member "Pathung" is working on developing and selling proper door seals (do a search in the GT Forum for "door seals").

papajam

· #15 · Mar 30, 2011

Another tidbit on 1st gear; it is not synchronized when the vehicle is stopped, only when the vehicle is moving. If yours is crunching when the vehicle is stopped, it's pretty much normal. Nudging the gear selector into another gear (I use 3rd) prior to selecting 1st gear will become second nature in no time (or just depress the clutch and wait a couple of seconds for the gears to stop spinning before putting it in 1st).
There is a write up on this BB about modifying the 1st gear syncro to eliminate this hmmmm...... endearment.

Dave De Rosier

· #16 · Mar 30, 2011

Palito,

Congrats on your new car. You will have many years of enjoyment. As others have said, a rebushing of the suspension should do wonders. While you are at it, I would replace the upper arms with adjustables, if it has not already been done. This allows you to add some negative camber, enhancing turn in.

Enjoy!

cliffordh

· #17 · Mar 30, 2011

If the steering is too heavy, there are three factors which are quite easy to alter. Tyres which are heavily worn are much heavier than new ones. Increase tyre pressure; I use 40PSI/38PSI F/R. Finally, some folk increase caster to 3 degrees, supposedly to improve turn-in, but it make the steering much heavier. You might want less caster. The caster control arms run forwards from the top ball joint, but after adjusting them you need to adjust the toe-in as well.

Regarding doors closing, look closely at each hinge as you lift the door. If you see movement, you need to rebuild them.

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