[PSk]

Hi,

Reading the clear signal light thread has got me interested in the differences between the USA and Euro versions of the 105 series GTV.

I have an assumed Euro version of a 1750 GTV which is right hand drive, has floor hinged pedals and front indicator lights ABOVE the bumper and mounted to the body shell not the bumper. The indicators also have amber lenses.

I have seen earlier models in Australia and New Zealand that have indicators above the bumper but they are mounted on the bumpers.

I also have imported some second hand doors from the USA and they have linkages to raise and lower the window glass. The original doors window glass is raised and lowered by a wire cable system ... !!

Also in one of those pictures from the GTV/GTA book it shows the left hand drive ****pit with the NON-floor hinged pedals which I have never seen before ... I also loved the picture of the assembly line of COMPLETELY unrusty body shells ... could even be looking at my car!!

Due to emission laws I am aware that Spica fuel injection was used, instead of the Webers, Delortos or Solexs. My car unfortunately has Solexs which have the flat spot caused by warped housings ... I will be replacing with Webers or Delortos, as they enable more power and do not have this problem.

I also am aware that the US versions have extra bracing around the seat belt mount under the B pillar.

Thus what are the differences?. There seems to be many that I already know about, and guess that there are many more?

Pete

 

[Keven]

The US version has square side marking lights
front and rear. Euro side lights are round
and only on the front fender.

US version has 4 blade fan, Euro 6.

I dont think the Euro cars have the check
brake light on the dash. Its that stupid
little button on the dash that checks the
brake fluid level(same as the old Bugs)

I also think the US version had crappy sealed
non halogen front lights.

Water pump is differnt on the Spica cars.

Not sure if Euros have a vapor recovery system
on the gas tank in the trunk (little platic tank
hung inside the trunk)

I dont think the Euro's had bumper overiders?

Thats all I can think of now. Someone please
chime in and correct me if Im wrong on some of these.

 

[papajam]

Easier asked than answered but here goes.
To my knowledge, there are six variants of the 1750 GTV;

Type 105.44 - non-USA
Type 105.45 - Righthand drive
Type 105.51 - USA

There is also a Series 1 (up to chassis #1375000 for the 105.44, 1454000 for the 105.45 and 1532000 for the 105.51) and a Series 2 (or Mk1 and Mk2 if you prefer) within each type. The series change occured sometime in 1970, I think.

Side markers - 105.44 & 45 S1 none, 105.44 & 45 S2 small round amber-front only, 105.51 S1 small round amber in front and small round red in rear, 105.51 S2 large rectangular-amber front-red rear.

Brake hydraulics/pedals - 105.44 & 45 S1 single circuit w/standing pedals, 105.51 S1 tandem circuit w/standing pedals, 105.44 & 51 S2 tandem circuit w/hanging pedals, 105.45 S2 tandem circuit w/standing pedals. The 45 S2 also had early and late versions of the master cylinder - the late one added a small reservoir and bleed screw.

Front bumpers/parking lights - Series 1 bumpers have no over riders-Series 2 do, 105.44 & 45 S1 have the p/lights mounted to and above the bumper, 105.44 & 45 S2 p/lights are mounted to the body above the bumper. The S1 lights, doubling as the side markers, have lenses that are amber on the outside only- clear otherwise. S2 lights are all clear. However, cars exported to Austria, Denmark, England and Germany were fitted with different lenses. Maybe they were amber? 105.51 S1 & S2, which are not interchangable, are amber and mounted below and to the bumper.

Non-US cars have carbs - the US version uses Spica fuel injection and related emission controls.

All S1 cars have gear type window regulators - S2 have the cable type. The US version also uses different window crank and 1/4 window handles.

On US cars, the center switch (all three switches have labels) on the console operates the fog (driving) lights - on Euro cars, the switch (all early S1s are un-labeled) works the dash lights.

US cars have the shift pattern on the shift knob, the S1 Euros don't (don't know about the S2).

US cars have "Alfa Romeo" in big block letters at the rear, everyone else already knows it's an Alfa.

Euro cars use a Bosch distributor, US gets a Marelli.

The dipsticks are on different sides of the engine.

Heater control plates are different (US version is, of course, labeled).

US version S1 front seats have different headrests.

Gauges - English units of measure for the US, mostly metric elsewhere.

Differential ratio - 4.56:1 for the US, 4.10:1 Euro.

Steering wheel - black plastic for the US, wood elsewhere.

Lower radiator hose arrangement - Euro cars have three hoses with a 'Y' connector - US cars have a single hose.

And as far as the radiator fan goes, I think that they're both six blade (or is it five?) but the US version has wide, straight blades while the Euro has thin, tapered ones.

 

[PSk]

Intersting and thanks ...

... Kevan and Jim.

Now I understand why my USA sourced doors have different winding mechanisim ... they are from a Series 1, when my car is a Series 2.

All very interesting and an amazing amount of changes over a very short time!!!

Pete

 

[JHMAlfa]

there are a few other bits too.

US cars had hazard light switch standard, uk cars dont. US cars also had the seatbelt buzzer etc, UK cars didnt.

UK cars didnt have the massive side markers you guys have

We got more rust!

 

[py105]

Whinging poms

 

[GianniB]

US cars have "Alfa Romeo" in big block letters at the rear, everyone else already knows it's an Alfa.

The reason for the block letters is a government regulation that changed regarding license plate illumination. The block letters are on a housing with the license plate lights in them shining down on the plate vs. the earlier lights were integrated in the bumpers shining up (and continued on in non US GTV's. Don't know if it was Alfa Romeo marketing in Italy or ARI that decided to put the ALFA ROMEO on the housing.

Cheers,

 

[py105]

Thats quite interesting I didn't know that, it does look sorta funny with that housing and the lettering. It's quite common though for local branches of manufacturers to change the branding to suit how recognisable the car is in the market.

For instance in Europe a Renault Megane only has "MEGANE" on the back with the Renault diamond, while they felt that the brand's logo and image wasn't recognisable enough over here so our Megane's also have a RENAULT script badge (which incidentally looks quite out of place)...

 

[Ital_Nut]

Block script on this 105.51 is on the trunk deck lid, not on the housing. In fact...I don't see a housing or illumination for the license plate. Either missing or incorrect mod. This Alfa was repainted to a now, badly faded metallic medium blue, where it once was Ocre color. Perhaps some liberties were taken during the repainting process?

The reason for the block letters is a government regulation that changed regarding license plate illumination. The block letters are on a housing with the license plate lights in them shining down on the plate vs. the earlier lights were integrated in the bumpers shining up (and continued on in non US GTV's. Don't know if it was Alfa Romeo marketing in Italy or ARI that decided to put the ALFA ROMEO on the housing.

Cheers,

 

[py105]

Yeah it's only the Fed LHD 2000 GTVs that had the housing with the block letters.

 

[papajam]

py105 is right; the first use of the number plate housing with block letters was the 1972 US 2000 GTV. The S1 & S2 US 1750s have the block letters on the trailing edge of the bootlid. The pic below of a US 71 also shows the INIEZIONE badge was moved from the rear panel to the bootlid to make room for Alfas first use of the large taillight assemblies.

 

[py105]

and doesnt it look atrocious.. was the INIEZIONE really just smacked there on the bootlid?? Looks so horribly out of place. No mention of 1750 too which is interesting. Did the S2 1750/2000 changeover happen about the same time as the rest of the world? (i.e 1972)