[GregTV]

Well, I did it again: 1971 GTV on the way!!!

I couldn’t stay Alfa-free for very long. I just purchased a PROJECT 1971 GTV...sight unseen (I know, crazy, but the car was such a remarkably great deal that I had to act fast). In some of the pics it looks Ochre and others it looks Desert Beige (the owner called it "Butterscotch"). The car won't be delivered for a few weeks so until then, I want to do a little research. I emailed [email protected] and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for the return. Got my fingers crossed for Ochre.

In the meantime if anyone can tell me more about my car based on the VIN # 1532931 I would appreciate it.

Lastly, the car is equipped with Ward and Dean suspension. Anyone care to shed some light on this suspension set up?

As always, thanks in advance.

 

[GregTV]

Yes! I just heard back from Marco Fazio at Alfa in Italy: Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce USA (105.51), manufactured on the 1st October 1971 and sold on the 4th October 1971 to Alfa Romeo Newark, U.S.A. The body colour is ochre yellow, with black tex interiors.

Now I just have to wait for the truck to arrive in a couple weeks. Eventually a full restore... for now, I'll certainly be getting rid of the molding and pin stripes and replacing the mirrors and antenna. More pics and plans once I see her in real life. By the way, its likely I'll be selling the BWA's in favor of Minilights. Let me know if you're interested in buying them.

Cheers,

Greg

 

[gprocket]

Greg:

Looks like a it's going to be a great project! How is the interior? I love the 1750's dash - think it's the best looking of the GT's.

Not a fan of the BWA's? You might want to look into the Rota minilites. They are far cheaper then mini's or panasports and the quality seems to be quite high. I love mine...

 

[Zunige]

Ward and Deane...

Ward and Deane Racing of California was a very well respected outfit that specialized in Alfas (especially 105s and 115s). In the 70's, 80's and early '90s it was pretty cool to have a car with performance options by W&D. It was founded by Alan Ward, who was also a very successful SCCA and vintage racer in his own right. Alan provided suspension components for both track and street. His springs are yellow, and the difference between the track and street versions is just the height. (The track springs are shorter and lower the car about 2.5 inches, while the street springs lower the car no more than 1.5 inches.) W&D also sells heavier rear sway bars, which work well on a street car. His much heavier front sway bar is typically only fitted to race cars, as are the panhard rods.

A few years back Alan moved from CA to NV, but he's still preparing engines and selling his parts. I can tell you that his suspension, at least for the street, works very well and gives the car a very nice balance. It's impressive, particularly when one considers that the design dates back many years. I have his springs in two of my Spiders, and one of them has his sway bar.

Best regards,

 

[italcarguy]

Looks like your car will be celebrating a b-day in a couple days. Congrats on the new purchase. Keep us posted on it's progress.

 

[turbolarespider]

To follow up on Enrique- I'm pretty sure that the front springs are 1200lb/in- which is a very good racing set up for these cars. That may seem super stiff, but with the motion ratio as it is, it's not all that bad.

The rears are stiffer, too.

You'll have to inspect what the sway bars are- some people include the W&D's in the set up, some don't.

With real street tires, you'll be "ok" with the set up, with race tires, it will be a fast track/autocross car. It's exactly the set up I have on my gold GTV.

Eric

 

[GregTV]

Thanks for the info guys!

I'm hoping that the W&D springs will be ok for street as I won't be on the track very often. However, they may come in handy on the curvy mountain roads. The PO mentioned that the car is only lowered 1" so I'm assuming he installed the "street" set of springs and not the racing set. Not sure about the sway bar.

I found out this morning that the trucking company will be picking up the car in Southern Ohio tomorrow so Hopefully, it will be here in Denver early next week. I'll have more detailed pics then

 

[Zunige]

The W&D street springs are a joy - the ride is much better, more comfortable, than stock. Then, you have the added bonus of having improved the handling as well. You will be very pelased...

Best regards,

 

[GregTV]

New Pics

By request, here are some pics of my new project. I have some major rust repair ahead of me but for under $1000 I think I did pretty good.

I am currently garage-less so I decided to focus on a few mechanical repairs for now. So far, rebuilt front and rear brake calipers and turned rotors, replaced clutch flex hose, battery, fuel filter, plugs & wires. Runs like a champ and drives awesome!

That’s it until spring when I tear the whole thing down for a major rebuild. BTW – if anyone in the Denver area has a garage for rent please let me know

Happy Turkey Day!

Greg

 

[GregTV]

A few more...

 

[gprocket]

I would be very concerned - I notice what looks to be some bubbling of the paint along what we call the "rockers". These cars are prone to rusting in these areas and you might want to keep your eye on it.

 

[GregTV]

Good eye! Thanks for the advice.

Believe it or not, compared to the last GTV I rebuilt, this one's a beauty! I don't have any plans of making a show car, just a fun weekend driver. Luckily, I'm a pretty good welder/painter and enjoy bodywork (I know! I must be one of the crazy ones!). However, I’m sure to have a pretty hefty bill at Wolf Steel.

 

[Max Banks]

Great project car! For full and comprehensive spring setup discussion read "British vs Yankee Spring rate" thread - you'll see my opinions there, but 1200 lb is slick racing tyre territory, not for street use by a huge percentage! The ride will be unnecessarily rough.

 

[Bill S]

Hey Greg,

Glad the calipers worked for you. Yeah, you've got a bit of welding ahead of you but you know what you're getting into. Less than $1K? That's parts car prices - you did alright. If you decide to get rid of the BWAs let me know. They may just grow on you though.

 

[GregTV]

The car was "rust proofed" at some point in its life so the important parts are solid; trunk, undercarriage, floors, etc.

Bill, The BWA's are growing on me. They're way cooler in real life AND super light! We'll see. I really love Panasports too...

 

[Zunige]

Don't mean to get this thread off topic, but Alan Ward has told me many times that his springs are yellow... He's always said that he sells sport springs for the road and race springs for the track. The only difference between the two is that the race springs are shorter. I started buying his springs many years ago, and have stayed in touch with him... (Shankle springs were silver - I also have a set of those.)

Best regards,

 

[GregTV]

Well, the springs are rusty colored ... I'll take a closer look and let you know. Interesting topic. I can tell you that the car does ride firm, a little firmer than I expected but it corners amazingly well.

I just checked. The springs, like everything else under the car, is covered with rust proofing.

 

[101/105guy]

Mine were bought in the 80's ! So they could be shankle.