[Dean Peterken]

After a seven year rest my 2000 GTV is back on the road. While many of you have completely restored cars in much less time my project was far less ambitious. I limited the work largely to brakes and suspension which were completely knackered. Work undertaken was to strip all the suspension assemblies front and rear, bead blast and powder coat all the steel members and replace all bushes and joints to get every thing back to an original spec. Work on the brakes included rebuilding the underfloor bonaldi master cylinder and both the bonaldi boosters. I also rebuilt all the calipers which included machining new pistons for the front calipers. While the work was far more time consuming than I had ever imagined, the assistance from the Alfa BB meant that nothing was too hard.
I had a little bit of panel work done on the back of the front guard which got my first ever attempt at car painting, it does not look to bad if I say so myself as long as you don't stand too close.
The only engine work was to rebuild the dellortos.
The plan now is to drive the car for a few years, doing any work that has to be done as it happens, then have a crack at the motor and gearbox followed by a professional paint job, still in the le mans blue.
Thanks heaps to everyone who answered the questions I posted along the way and everyone who has posted in the past which were a great reference. Thanks also to Alfa Holics and Classic Alfa in the UK for running businesses dedicated to keeping these great cars on the road. Now all I need is a few sunny days to get out on the road.

 

[Quietelk]

Beautiful! But where is your wing mirror?!

 

[Peter]

looks very sharp, congrats!

 

[lowmileage]

 

[evannice]

Another beauty back on the road

That's a beauty Dean, you did a great job. Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[73veloce]

Looks great but you put the steering wheel on the wrong side.

 

[ALFATONY]

very nice like the color

 

[Hans-Peter]

Cool colour Dean, is that front number plate legal? excellent size if it is.

 

[Lo Fo SI]

Looking good Dean. Did you get the front number plate made in NZ? If so, where? - I'm looking for something similar for the spider.

Simon

 

[Dean Peterken]

Yeah, the number plate is marginal, it was made by a sign writer friend, only because when I bought the car 11 years ago it didn't have one. The car has just passed a warrant of fitness test for the road in New Zealand and I have never been pulled over by the police for it. About 9 years ago my wife got a speeding ticket in the car and while officer mentioned it there was nothing done about it. I am contemplating trying to recreate the original one (like the back one) on a CNC milling machines at work. If anyone in NZ knows a supplier of the old style (non reflectorised paint so they don't work so well with speed cameras) number plates I would be keen to know of them.

 

[Damo105]

Great job! From another LeMans blue GTV owner

 

[Tubolare Zagato]

Wonderful car! Congratulations for your efforts!
I think that you need a bit of lowering though.

 

[alfavirusnz]

Car looks beautiful Dean and it makes a change from the resale red many of these cars now are. I see the interior is black-most of the cars that colour I`ve seen have had the light interior which I think doesn`t look as good a combination as yours. Regarding the plate I`ve had a couple of E Type Jaguars and a Lotus Plus 2 with the number plate painted on the nose and it has never been an issue. I think as long as it has an easily readable "plate" which coincides with a current registration sticker in the bottom left corner of the windscreen-showing the same number obviously it seems to be ok.

Richard J

`65 Giulia Ti, `69 GT Junior, `74 GTV, `76 Alfetta GTV, `77 Alfetta GTV, `81 Alfasud Ti, `84 GTV6, `90 164.

 

[PSk]

Beautiful! But where is your wing mirror?!

Optional in NZ ... mine does not have one either, but will have to to be legal in Australia.

BTW: Nice job and car!
Pete

 

[Aggie57]

Well, what do you know - I always wondered what happened to the old girl and if she'd survived. Now I know!

I owned HE4766 for around 10 months back in 1980. She had been raced in the B&H 500 a year or two before I bought her and had been completely rebuilt so drove a dream. Came 3rd too if I remember right. But even then the body was starting to rust which is why I suspected she may not have survived.

Her are a couple of pictures from then. One of me driving it at Pukekoe (and there was a wing mirror then!), one of the B&H and general shot of the car. I have a few more - pm or email me and I'll scan them for you.

Alister

 

[gpfleming]

Nice one

That is fantastic news!!

I'm sure we all wish a previous owner of our cars would come forward with a pile of old photos and history to share - I'm very envious.

Alister - nice one for keeping those old pics

you guys need to get together and make sure that a copy of all that history is kept with the car - it is priceless.

 

[Tapebaker]

That is fantastic news!!

I'm sure we all wish a previous owner of our cars would come forward with a pile of old photos and history to share - I'm very envious.

Alister - nice one for keeping those old pics

you guys need to get together and make sure that a copy of all that history is kept with the car - it is priceless.

seriously, that is just so cool.

gotta love the internet.

congrats on getting her back on the road, looks superb.

 

[Dean Peterken]

Wow, thanks so much for taking the time to post the photos and yes I would love to see more. I had been told by when I purchased the car in 1996 that is had been raced at some stage but did not have any of the details.
The car is still going with more than 200k miles on the clock now. I have had some rust repairs done over the years, one new door and both sills, and it is pretty much rust free now although the paint (repainted in the late '80s ?) is stating to show real signs of it's age. The engine is tired but still goes reasonably well. I am currently fitting a new brake mc, drive shaft bearing, universals and a door mirror. I have also recently fitted some second hand original leather seat covers. It will be back on the road for the summer, I can't wait.
Once again thanks for posting the photos, and yes you do have to love the internet and the alfabb.

 

[kpas]

Wow, now thats an awesome story.

Fantastic looking GTV too! Congrats.

 

[Aggie57]

Seems like a few people have got a buzz out of this story. Every time I saw a picture of a Le Mans Blue 105 in NZ I would check the plates but of course it was always another car. So I saw Dean's avatar in a recent post, looked at his previous posts, and opened this old one thinking "oh well, better check" and what do you know!

Over the years I've had quite a few Alfa's, from 1750 Berlina's to modified GTV6's. But I can safely say that this is the car that sold me on the marque. I only sold it to travel to the UK and within 6 months of arriving back downunder I had another identical car, which I still own 27 years later.

Thanks for the email Dean - I'll get the rest of the pictures to you soon.

Alister