GTV2000.com
1974 GTV
UPDATE: February 18, 2009. I recently heard from the new owner of my old Alfa. If you’ve been following this site for a while, you’ll be interested to know the GTV is alive and well. In fact, the new owner has been able to do all those things I had wanted to do but never managed to pull off: respray, new interior, new exhaust, new wheels. It looks great and I’m so happy it’s in good hands.
| Before I owned a MINI, I owned Alfas. This is an archive of a website I started back in 1998. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, but I’ve held on to the domain ever since. This was before blog software greatly simplified the weblog process. This site was all typed in a text editor and HTML 3.2. It’s fun to go back and read some times. And since I’ve kept the URL, I have it redirecting to this page. I doubt all of the links are working any longer.
As Alfa owners, we all have several characteristics in common: We probably know our mechanic better than our barber, doctor or accountant; the good people at International Auto Parts probably know us on a first name basis; and we all appreciate a really good source for that hard to find quality used part.
To the uninformed, our cars appear, well, as works in progress (we prefer the term “project” to junker). Whatever the state of our present cars–and if you are reading this, chances are you either own more than one, have enough parts to put more than one back together, or have owned more than one in your lifetime and still regret having parted with it–we are always on the lookout for good information. That’s how this site got started. |
| This site started with my quest to maintain my 1974 GTV, named “Ollie” in good working order. I was just trying to keep ahead of the rust demons and SUVs which are conspiring to get me whenever and wherever possible. It’s about trying to find a decent steering column tree so I could have reliable headlights again and it’s about finding that elusive 1/43 scale model of my car. But it is also about sharing.
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George’s History Page
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You are what you drive. OK, maybe not, but as you look back on the cars you’ve owned, what does that say about your life? For some people, their car is just about transportation — a means to an end. Maybe it’s just the Californian (or as Ahhnold says: Kaleefornian) in me, but I think your car tells the world about who you think you are and what’s important to you at different stages of your life. Imagine who you were in college: would that person drive in a mini-van? Remember searching under the seats to find change to buy gas when you were in high school? Try to do that and fill up your SUV. With that in mind, Here’s a quick run-down of the cars in my life. Remember, life is too short to drive a boring car.
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1969 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe: It met a most untimely demise thanks to an uninsured, unthinking, non-driving, unemployed Chevy Nova driver back in ‘85. (Sorry Dan, no color photos.)
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1974 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000: “Old Reliable” (aka “Ollie”) was sold in November 2003 after almost 20 years of faithful service.
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1979 BMW 320: Big Mistake Wagon. Bought in Germany in ‘88. No compression, run-away accelerator. Fun for a while, but achieving an unrequested 60 mph in the parking lot is a bit scary. (I think I still have the leather jacket, and after all the weight I lost in Afghanistan in 2003, it fits again.)
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1982 Alfa RomeoGTV (Euro): Rust Bucket Wagon. Second car I bought in Germany. Being the California kid I am, I didn’t do the math: Italian car + German winters = rust in the Spring. You could literally see this car rotting before your eyes. I do have many fond memories of this car: spinning out every time it snowed; losing a muffler on the Autobahn; losing a rubber bumper strip on the Autobahn; blowing a piston head on the Autobahn (the remains of which is now a paperweight in my office). This was the car that convinced me to start buying new cars.
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1989 Volkswagon Jetta: The Jetski. Honest reliable transportation. Bought in Germany. I put 60,000 care-free Autobahn miles on this one. This car took us to Berlin the week the wall fell. The two events are not directly related. If I could have had air conditioning installed in Texas in ‘92, I’d still have it today. Oh, and it hated my wife. Maybe not. Go figure.
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1992 Honda Accord: What can you say about an Accord? Simply dependable and well built– they just don’t have a soul. This was an excellent car for surviving a New England winter, it just never became part of the family.
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1992 Volvo 245: “Helga” Helga had one advantage the previous cars didn’t have: my wife selected her. Helga was an excellent choice as a “dog-wagon”– the beagles loved riding in the back. Helga was getting up in miles so we decided to trade her in on a new Volvo wagon before we made the drive West. We will always have fond memories of Helga and the faithful service she provided.
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1989 Mercedes 300e: “Hans-Otto.” I had a real love-hate relationship with this car: My mechanic loved it; I hated it. Having spent a year of my life in Stuttgart, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Mercedes cars, and in this case I definitely let my heart overrule my head. I had this car for about 18 months, spent over $5,000 in repairs (about the same amount was made under the warranty,) and decided to cut my losses.
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1998 Volvo V-70: Named Agatha, (in honor of the Dame of mysteries, Agatha Christie–because that’s all my wife listens to on her commute: mystery books courtesy of her Mom). It has had a tough row to hoe, but has shown its versatility and perseverance, most recently serving as an anchor in the high winds for our tent at the beach. Agatha provided two years of faithful service, but for reasons which we still don’t fully understand, Volvo had to replace her (at no cost to us) with an new 2000 model. (See below.)
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1997 Ford Ranger (aka Ranger Bob): Ever since I hauled 1,600 lbs. of concrete in Helga while building a deck off the back of our old house, Pamela has been telling me I needed a truck. The Ranger proved to be the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned. After six years and 92,000 miles I sold it to make room for the new MINI. I think during the entire time we owned Ranger Bob I spent a grand total of $200 on non-routine maintenance. I give Ford a lot of grief for the quality of cars they produce, but you certainly cannot knock Ford trucks. It was nice for trips to Home Depot, but the 18 MPG fuel consumption was getting expensive. Bye Bob.
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2000 Volvo New V-70. Volvo got in hot-water with the State of California when they sold us a new car which wasn’t certified for sale in the Golden State. It took them almost a year to figure out what they were going to do about it. At one point, we offered to turn in our old car and walk away, but they were determined to get us in a new car. First it was to be a 1999 model, but they took so long to make their decision that they were all gone. Finally it was to be a 2000 model, but when they looked at the inventory all that was left were the fully-loaded models. So, painful as it was, we turned in our base model Agatha for a top of the line, leather-clad, sunroof sporting new car (at no additional cost to us.) Twist my arm, go ahead…
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2004 Mini Cooper S. It’s been over four years since we changed a car. Now, in the spirit of less-is-more, we’ve gone and traded two for one. Gone are the truck and Alfa. And in their place, we now have a brand new 2004 MINI Cooper S. Better performance, better gas mileage, more smiles to the mile too. This little car has traction and stability control, dual sun roof, leather, and a roots-type supercharger. As Tim Allen would say, “Ho, ho, ho ho.”
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1987 BMW 325i Convertible. It’s one of those conversations that I’m sure every husband can appreciate. One day, wife says, “I’d like to have a convertible some day, but it needs to have 4 seats…” There it is: license to shop. With a birthday just around the corner, it was the perfect time to buy her a convertible. She gets to drive around in the wind and sun, you get to tinker with another car. Win-win.
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1/31/07: It looks like what will be Alfa’s least expensive model, the 2008 Junior won’t be heading to US shores when Alfa returns to US in
the near future. Or so write the good folks over at Winding Road.
There are additional rumors and a new rendering for what is expected to become the least-expensive Alfa Romeo upon introduction, the 2008 Junior. Already green-lighted for production, the diminutive hatch will take on the BMW 1-Series and Mini Cooper range, along with the upcoming Fiat 500. [more] |
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1/30/07: I was doing some maintenance on my web hosting account the other night and I came upon this site which I hadn’t updated in over 3 years. I started to read through the entries and realized I was blogging in my own sort of way as early as 1999. This site is still based on html 3.2 standards and all hard coded. There’s no Wordpress or blog software in the background, just old reliable text. There’s still a lot of good info here. I’ll spend some time over the next few days and update some of the links. I hope you enjoy it still. As you scroll down this page, many of the links are dead and long gone. Such is the transitory nature of the medium I suppose.
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11/28/03: CiaoAlfisti. Welcome MINI-Madness. Ollie was sold to a very nice Austrian fellow from Seattle. I know he has found a good home and I was much relieved to hear he made it back to Arkansas where he is currently working. I went through major withdrawls until I picked up the new car, and now I know it’s all for the best. It’s a hoot to drive and it gets very good gas mileage. And everywhere it goes, it makes people smile, including me. Let everyone else drive; I’m motoring… Read more about it at our new site. |
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10/27/03: The end of an era: I’m selling my GTV. It’s been a crazy year. I just got back from a six-month tour in Afghanistan with the Army: That will sure put your life in perspective. Don’t listen to the media — we are making a real difference in Afghanistan and it is worth our time to see the job through to the end. You can see it on the faces of the Afghan people, many of whom are experiencing stability and security for the first times in their lives. OK off my soapbox…. One of the many things I realized while I was away is that I need to spend more time with my family and that I need to simplify my life. This is one small step toward that goal. I hope the next owner will have as many wonderful years with this car as I did. |
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8/27/02: It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of a legend in the Alfisti community. I received word today that Pat Braden has passed away. I never met Pat, but knew him from his writings and email exchanges we had as I started to prepare this site. Anyone who has taken a wrench to an older Alfa, probably has read one of Pat’s books. His “Alfa Romeo Owner’s Bible” remains THE book to have if you’re stranded with a broken Alfa. During his lifetime, Pat forgot more about Alfas than many of will ever hope to know. (There is a complement in there somewhere.) We are lucky so much of what he knew is available to us in print and online. Pat, you will be missed. |
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7/27/02: Fresh from the shop with new springs and shocks, I had the opportunity to read about other people’s Alfas while I waited for mine to be fixed, such as the 8C2300 or the cutting edge Brera which is starting to grow on me the more I see of it…. |
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6/21/02: I finally got around to installing those IAP springs and Konis I bought last year. What a difference — I should have done this years ago. The front is lower, the sagging rear is higher; making the car level without being so low as to catch the oil pan. The ride is stiff without being harsh and virtually no body roll. I think for highway driving this set up is ideal, but there is a bit more push. Someone wanting higher performance might want to consider making some roll bar adjustments. |
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4/12/02: Made the move to a new server so hopefully y’all had no problem finding us again. Autoweek continues to have sporatic Alfa coverage. Be sure to also read the cover story article on the Brera. (Free registration may be required.) |
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1/21/02: Now you have no excuse. If you have been thinking about getting into vintage racing, but have been putting it off because of the time it would take to prep a decent car, well look no further… Jim Hayes is selling this one. Now you know what to do with that tax refund.
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8/25/01: It is good to see an increase in general news reporting about Alfas. Speedvision features an article about the Besic brothers Alfas at the 2001 Bonneville Speedweek. Darren Besic also posted this report on the Texas Hill Country Chapter’s website. Did you catch the FIAT quote at the end of this week’s Autoweek? (BWTM):
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| “At our first big meeting, GM’s head of public relations tells us they have about 600 people working PR. Well, once we finally included all of our secretaries and delivery people, we came up a padded total of 50 on our side. In reality, we’ve only got five, maybe six for the whole world.”– FIAT’s Gualberto Ranieri, vice president of corporate communications, when asked how the American and Italian systems work together. (Autoweek, pg. 48, August 27, 2001 edition.) |
I’m still having nightmares about an Alfa SUV with a Buick engine…how do you say “Aztec” in Italian?
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8/12/01: Speedvision is reporting that Alfa Romeo intents to reintroduce the GTA, this time based on the four-door 156. No mention when (if) the GTA will be available in the US. |
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7/16/01: Recent news from Alfa suggests 2004 or 2005 a more likely target for a return to the US Market. |
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News about my car: I finally got around to purchasing new shocks and springs. After reading the instructions the good folks at International Auto included with the shipment, I’ve decided to let someone else install them–someone who actually knows what they are doing. No more saggy butt for Ollie! I’ll post photos after the project is complete. |
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The big news if you haven’t been following the story is that General Motors has taken a significant stake in FIAT, the parent company of Alfa Romeo. Although the press release doesn’t mention Alfa’s immediate return to the US market there have been several rumors that the most likely marque to return to the US would be Alfa for the 2004 model year. I know FIAT has been looking for a partner for some time–it’s almost a requirement in the Ford-Mazda-Jaguar-Volvo world in which we live. Hopefully, GM will take the same approach Ford appears to be taking with Jaguar and Volvo. I must admit the very thought of a Buick V-6 GTV or Alfa Romeo Sport Utility Vehicle sends shivers down my spine. Especially since for the first time since the Milano (75), I like what Alfa has been producing. (See Sportwagon image left.) |
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The March 2000 issue of Thoroughbred and Classic Cars has a nice article about the GTV 2000, which they call the “best example of Alfa’s 1960’s sports coupe.” |
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1/15/00: Volvo made us take a new car to replace our 1998 V-70. “Go ahead, make me take this new car with all the bells and whistles at no cost…”) |
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11/19/99: Pictures from Barber’s Openhouse and party on October 3, 1999. Ollie visits his pals on the streets of Sacramento. |
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11/14/99: Following a thread of discussion about electronic ignition units on the Alfa Digest, I decided to try to build one myself. I bought a kit and case from Jameco Electronics,soldered the thing together, did some quick testing, and put it in my car. So far, so good. It seems to start easier and run more smoothly. I will post more after I put some miles behind it. |
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10/14/99: I’m starting to make plans for the next phase of Ollie’s rehabilitation. Phase 1 was to stop the steady decline. That phase ended with the repair of the door on the driver’s side. After a good degreasing power-wash, the engine looks as good as new. Phase 2 is rust repair. I recently bought a spare tire well, passenger door, and passenger side rocker panel section from a 1750 GTV which looked as if it had been wrapped around a telephone pole. This will be my project for 2000–to repair the rusted out sections. Phase 3 will be in 2001: Valve repair, new seals, new distributer and new coil. (May be sooner if the cylinder head gods smile on me kindly and provide a free head…) Ollie certainly will not pass Smog next time out without the repairs (his last.) Phase 4 is for 2002, and it will be all the cosmetic stuff–new paint, headliner, carpet, and seat covers. (I better start saving for that one now.) |
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9/6/99: Ollie made it down to Monterey and back to Placerville. Except for a rather unpleasant gasoline smell thanks to the largest pothole I’ve seen this side of Boston (TH-WACK) everything is going well. Ollie got another two year extension to his life thanks to the California SMOG gods and the repainted door is looking good.
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7/15/99: As we make plans for this year’s trip to Monterey and Carmel for the Monterey Historics races and Concorso Italiano, we’ve been busy working on Ollie to make room for our baby. This Involved removing the rear seats, installing seatbelts and a bit of packing acumen to get the rear-facing infant seat into what is essentially a two passenger car. Two years ago we made a to-do list for Ollie (three pages actually.) We’ve finally made it through all of the mechanical must-do items, and most of the should-do ones as well, and can now start on the nice-to-do ones. The car appears to be water-tight, no exhaust leaks, is running great, has heat again and a blower fan. The dash has been repaired and the trunk has been re-carpeted and the rust holes filled. Rehab is going well: Hi, I’m Ollie….and I’m an Italian car…. I have to accept that…. |
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2/24/99: We took Ollie down to be with his Piazanos and to enjoy the weekend with my parents. Other than that the year has been rather uneventful summer: Pamela was rear-ended in the Volvo (only a few scrapes to the bumper); Ollie received some wind damage; and I bounced Ranger Bob off a pillar in the parking Garage after an all-nighter with our sick infant. |
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