Restoring a 2600 spider right ( hand drive) pair

FPC 66B

The good news fully rebuilt Bob Dove engine and gearbox see

(19) Alfa 2600 Veloce | Alfa Romeo Forums (alfabb.com)

180 BHP ber manifold and currently triple dellortos

The bad news bodywork fully restored in 2000 and holding up well . But paint now generally a mess and needing a full respray . Though it doesn't show in the photo.
Oil leak from gearbox
Dellortos need tuning correctly

The plan - mechanical completion , respray in Aston Blue add wire wheels from ALY666B. As photo

AYL666B

The good news

Fresh bodywork rebuild including good professional respray
New leather interior , new soft top
Fully rebuilt cylinder head

The bad news

Original engine and un-restored engine bay
Knock from engine and gearbox noise

The plan

Rebuild engine and gearbox and keep car as original as possible -originally red

Slow progress

I have found my engine restorer is still working and we plan to get the engine to him at the end of February

So first step is bonnet ( hood) off , I have done this twice this year . Both times using the wrong approach, Spending over an hour pulling the split pins and removing the pivot pins on the bonnet hinges , These are pretty inaccessible it was only my son with small fingers who could fiddle the spit pins out .

The right way ( I had forgotten) is to remove the badge from the front grill and then the front grill itself, You then have easy access to the 17mm nuts on the bottom of the bonnet hinge post, to unbolt and lift the bonnet . Takes 5 minutes.

All looks OK , Except that one of the bonnet lift springs has broken its mounts and the mount needs strengthening. All under bonnet fittings look very original , so hopefully it is just clean, polish, paint and replace

Hi Ian. That's the one - A Ruddspeed conversion. I think that Ruddspeed just moved the steering box from the left side of the engine bay - see attached photo
Good point about the hoses.
Oh and I'll probably have the radiator recored

Tony

So you will need a LHD overhaul kit , will be very expensive with Marles , search the bb for steering box overhaul , you start with a circa £900 kit from Brazil

Yes definitely replace the hoses

I have just had a 2600 radiator recored by Viking Radiators cost around £600 but an excellent job

I would also replace that dodgy balance pipe between inlets 2 and 3

rgds

Ian

Engine now out . Lifted in one piece engine /gearbox /carbs /manifolds/gearbox cross member.

At 63 I now spend the shortest amount of time under a car . Lift 18 inches at each end .Wheel myself under on one of those crawler trolleys and stay there while my son passes me tools . All done in an hour

With engine out carbs etc can be stripped from a seated position . Engine No 3 now ready for transport to rebuilder

Tony

I leave the two piece cast exhaust manifold on. Again easier to unbolt from a seat than when in the engine bay.

The sling is believe 1m , which I double up . This is a professionally made certified 2 tonne rated sling. not a piece of rope.

When the full engine is on this sling it can hang at about 45 degrees which is the correct angle to lift out , when high enough the engine is still well balanced so you can lift the gearbox to level it while an assistant rolls the car backwards, don't try and pull an engine around on the crane.

N,B Don't forget to disconnect the engine earth strap , I forgot it broke eventually.

Also cut the rubber pipe to the oil pressure gauge in half it will need repalacing anyway

rgds

Ian