I drove a 1982 GTV6 for eight years and some 130000 miles, never , ever let me down. The gear change was transformed by an Alfa mechanic, David Lai of Chadwell Heath, who put new bushes in the linkage and unusually for the 80s synthetic oil in the gearbox, a revelation. Was fast enough for me, London to York in two hours fifteen, early on a summer’s morning. Would have one again without hesitation. Great video, brought back so many memories.
Had the 2.0 litre one of these as my first car. When the needle said it was almost empty it really was and ended up driving it into my mum's garage door. What a noise though.
I drove a red '82 from 90-98, then replaced it with an identical one for 98-2007. Loved them both. My modern fiesta is almost as fast, but the ride, handling and the sound were all glorious! Miss them still. Thanks Harry!
Something for me to pursue - my '81 GTV had the 2nd gear synchro replaced about 4 years ago, but is a bit crunchy again - only it sounds and feels like its coming from the base of the gear stick (ie linkages) and not from the gearbox down back.
@@johnphaceas7434 worth getting the linkages looked at John. If anything breaks at speed, it can wrap itself around the prop shaft and things might get a bit messy.
Dear Harry, I cannot thank you enough for this video. The GTV 6 was my last “real Alfa” that I owned before switching to “normal” family cars. Should have never sold it, though. I can well remember all it’s quirkinesses, which you mentioned. And that was what I loved it for ;) It wasn’t the fastest one out there but had the most lovely engine sound, almost like a Dino.
Awesome. Mr. Clarkson’s pride and joy. Thank you Harry for finally doing a review of one of these. And a very special example indeed. Soon, very soon, these will be worth silly money, as features like these and the fact that Jeremy Clarkson has one will make people more aware of how special these cars really are. For years now classic Porsche 911’s have been going up in value tremendously, well, to be honest these are every bit as special, and its time people appreciate it for what it is. It certainly makes me appreciate my ‘84 GTV6 a heck of a lot more. Thanx Harry.
Never thought I’d hear Jeremy Clarkson being introduced as a farmer up the road 😂 Actually quite humbling that he didn’t slap Jeremy Clarkson across the title for clicks!
lel it really is Clarkson's ... "a farmer up the road" :D ... thought it was just a coincidence, but this is rad - so cool that it was not used as clickbait -> chapeau :)
About time! I have 2 of these: A 1979 2 litre 4 cylinder and a 1983 2.5. Most of your criticisms are a product of ageing. I have never seen this dash board arrangement. It looks "aftermarket" to me. The fans make a huge noise because they get dirty. If it HAS a "cutout" that is because someone has done that "aftermarket" also. You can rev them to they blow up! Double clutching helps. These won the European TCC 3 or 4 times. It was the last RWD car to win the Australian Rally. The softness in the suspension is a product of good design. It is a car made for real roads, not the Nurbugring. The steering should be setup with 3.5 deg of castor which helps tracking. It loads up the steering and removes the vagueness. It is not a car for everyone... you have to DRIVE it. It takes skill, familiarity and confidence. A Golf Gti it is not! Look at David Cironi's review ruclips.net/video/vCHzuCeojgo/видео.html Turn on the CC for the translation. But who cares just listen to how he drives it. He gets the GTV6. Most people don't.
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH I am indeed lucky. If it wasn't for that gear change they would be triple the price! The gear change requires a bit of care and skill. Once you learn then it is fine unless you are drag racing.
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH Unfortunately they have only survived in places like Australia, California and South Africa as they were manufactured with rust inviting flaws. The early cars rusted on the showroom floor and the later ones were designed with electrolytic rust prone areas. Essentially they used aluminium rivets to attach steel shields to the body in the front wheel arches. 3 metals in a hard to see place... also had issues where panels met and so they dissolved. I drove a GTV6 in London in the mid '90's. It was riddled with rust but still on the road. It was so far gone that I was amazed it even ran! It was less than 10 years old... Your Capri is no doubt a monster. It has nearly double the output of the average stock GTV6. We have a lots of cars here like that... small body: big engine. They tend to be show cars and drag cars. Alfa's go round corners... :)
Irrespective of the car's ownership - farmer or not - Ha! - we all know who it is - it is really great to hear Harry, the proper experienced car-enthusiast's entertaining expert detailed commentary on this charismatic old car. And interesting that it has just passed an MOT 3 days before Harry published this video today. Many thanks Harry, and best wishes.
Wonderful. I had a 1985 GTV6 back in the late 90s. Absolutely loved it. It constantly went wrong, driveshaft, double plate clutch, bearings, but on a good day when it was working it remains one of my faves. The noise and the character of the thing. Wonderful.
Harry helped launch the original Top Gear by loaning them his Pagani for the very first episode. Without that first supercar, TG may not have been as popular. Harry definitely doesn't need Clarkson for more views.
As a 15 year old I worked at an Alfa repair shop in northern italy. The owner was a shady dude, who paid me an apple and an egg. But.. he had a GTV racecar for hillclimbs and I would put up with everything so I could get my hands on it, rev it and come watch the race on monte Bondone. That Engine sound. Great video, Harry as always... Off topic, but important: If anyone should be allowed to do a video on the Aston Martin "Victor" one off, it HAS to be you.
Absolute favorite car of all time. Couldn’t afford one when they were new when I was in College but made sure to buy a Giulia QV as soon as they became available in the states.
😂🤣Ditto twice.. The Sud is still the only car I've ever bought new in over 40 years of driving, even though its probably in a few bins at the bottom of a garden somewhere now, I loved it.
Great to hear the Alfa sing. It’s got bucketloads of character. It’s fantastic that Harry’s able to get hold of such cars and do these video reviews for us. A very nice touch to be able to look back to the period reviews, such as Car’s GB&U. Brings back memories of that fantastic magazine and the poetic writing of the much-missed LJKS.
In south africa, a 3 litre GTV was available, as it was homologated for saloon car racing (Group 1). It produced 128kW and used carburetors, not fuel injection, and a 5-speed manual. 0-100kph in 8.36 seconds and a top speed of 224kph, as tested by SA Car magazine.
I’ve had both - on balance the 2.5 is the better of the two. More refined GT. The SA 3 liter was never intended to be a road car, but rather a homologation special, for racing
Those are now extremely rare to find a good condition example Fun fact: When it came out it was the fastest South African production car until the BMW 333i
I still have my '84 GTV6, purchased around 1987 from a doctor here in Phoenix, AZ. The car went out of service around 1995 when I purchased a used 164S. So many great memories were had in my GTV6 (two tone: metallic "root beer" brown and grey, with tan Recaro-style seats. I was lucky to have an excellent mechanic (Bruce from AZ Twin Cam) who kept me on the road - no small feat for a college kid at the time. I remember at least a couple of timing belt replacements, multiple driveshaft donuts and eventually a clutch (switched to the Milano style), among other things. Rather than falling victim to rust like so many, my GTV6 is solid, but sunbaked from the desert heat. I'm dreaming about restoring it someday (but not sure if and when that will be possible), as I currently have three other Alfas in my stable: '65 Spider, '84 Spider Veloce, and '17 Giulia Sport daily driver.
@@sq1rlsqu4d How can any internal combustion engine sound worse than electric cars what make no sound at all? He was talking purely about the sound of things. And more specifically this V6. He said it as a personal opinion and not as a statement. How it should be done. I guess, you have another opinion. That's ok. But no reason to get personal.
@Lord Rupert Fair enough. That sounded more like an opinion, btw. But I'm also an middle-aged person and I don't agree, but that doesn't really matter. But I've also seen a load of electric car drivers (more specifically Tesla drivers), who behave like total pricks, because they are untouchable. Acceleration-wise, that is. At least for 100 miles, until the batteries are drained, with again and again that launching at the traffic lights towards highly illegal speeds. Not all, but IMO, since that is the cars only party trick, some feel they have the biggest knob, that illusion has to be flung around again and again. Still, there are more M3s than Tesla's, so yeah... There relatively are more idiots in the first.
@@16v15 yeah, I don’t know either. Just pointing out that OP did qualify it. I would think 911 was available though, if not 928. The vette I could see not being avail. It was mostly just in the US/NA market then. Also The US did have sanctions in place at some point.
That "farmer up the road" is the genius behind the most popular TV show ever made, THE greatest motoring journalist and one of the most talented, engaging and entertaining TV presenters of all time!! I have a feeling though that Clarkson would've requested that he not be referred to that way hahahaha
One of my favorites as a kid. There was actually an Alfa dealership in a most unlikely place in a low-income area near the Philly airport. It was in a James Bond movie once.
I get the feeling Harry absolutely loves this car. I love this car. I love the look of this car. I love the sound of this car. I love how you have to DRIVE this car
What’s not to love. Had a 1750 Alfetta traded in to new Giulietta 2L as had first child on the way and it had no aircon. Had to get 4 door due to baby capsule and interesting that it came with 6 year rust warranty here in Oz which in 24 years of ownership never used except for black metal strips below windows which Alfa replaced. Know what Harry says about gearbox rattle in Alfetta. Had thrust bearing in clutch replaced which cured it. Gearchange needed care and heal and toe mandatory. That dead spot in steering strange. It would settle into a corner then hold its line. Very different from previous Berlina. Drove a 1986 V6 GTV and it was a rocket ship compared to mine. Fabulous era for cars, especially Alfas. Sold Giulietta after 24 trouble free ownership due to health problems and regret it every day.
Lovely video, as always! I’m currently restoring an ‘84 GTV6 Maratona. It was a special trim package here in the U.S. They made 150 of them and they’re, well, to look at it, it’s peak 1980s Alfa. I must say, the version we got here in the States seems slightly more refined for some reason. For example, we got leather Recaro seats, a nicer, more intuitive dashboard layout (admittedly made of spare Fiat/Ferrari parts), and stuff like that. If you’re interested in one of these cars, I’d highly recommend you check out other markets. Also, in 1986, the last year of the GTV6, Alfa did actually fix the vague shifter issue. You can get upgrade kits for it and it makes it worlds better. Again, great video!
Thanks for reviewing the GTV6 Harry. After owning one for 5 minutes (now on 13yrs) you learn to master the gear change and enjoy the tappety raspy throaty sounds - definitely the best bits of the car. I thought the bonnet scoop was to prevent damage when the plenium popped (interesting way to get around an engine design flaw!). I also love the holes in the doors which are for the manual window winders you get for when the electric windows fail. I think the "85 onwards dashes and facia are much more elegant as is the standard steering wheel. Those period mags are cool though. Grazie
Had one of these for several years, great car, amazing handling, incredible sound, but everything else fell apart... Still regret selling it. Mine had the original magnesium wheels and that plastic trim was originally grey. A friend who also owned one kept a stick next to the seat so he could poke the fuse box when it had issues. These have a dedion rear axle with a triangle suspension and the pivot point at the center of the car, made for some amazing handling. At some point I was working on my car in a shared space and rev'ing the engine. Someone said "sounds fast" and I said "it isn't". Which kinda sums this car up, there is nothing remarkable about the stats, but driving it is a joy. Very Italian.
This GTV6 was my first ever car and I still think about buying one now, it's the only car I can remember the reg for POP799Y and regret selling it. I loved those original campagnolo alloys.... the electrics and rust were very period hence it got sold.
You hit the nail on the head with very Italian. I've had loads of Alfa's over the years and they all were an absolute joy to drive without ever being the fastest in their class.
Iconic car. Love the styling and that engine has so much charisma. You really get used to the gear change, it actually teaches you to treat a gearbox with respect. It also teaches you to heel & toe. Just love it!
Big smile on my face all through this! My memory of the GTV6 is of riding my Honda CX500 hitting 112mph and the GTV I was trying to beat wafting past me on the M20 in Kent in 1983. I fell in love with it at that moment.
Glorious as that V6 is, I'd much sooner have a CX500 in my garage. Always loved the way they sounded, and believe it or not, looked. Hardly ever see an unmolested one nowadays yet the roads were full of courier bikes once. My first big(ish) bike was a GT550. It was either this or the NTV for me as the CX had largely disappeared by then and I wanted a newish bike. That was mid 90s. Shame there are no shaft drive middleweights around now.
I did many miles in my GTV6 in the '80s and '90s, a great car! The sloppy gear change was easily fixed by putting new bushes in the linkage, it's a long way back to the transaxle but it's an easy fix. I miss that car, especially the exhaust note! Before the Fiat takeover, Alfa was a small company and sometimes compromises were made on details, but they got the design right!
15 minutes and 15 seconds is what this car is all about. I could listen to that exhaust note all day. Love these old 80s classics you bring to the channel. 10/10
Not only that, the note doesn't overwhelm the actual engine / mechanical noise of the car. Not many people get it these days. The last classic car meet I went to, the cars had all lost their character after being fitted with bigger bore stainless pipes.
This had one of the most beautiful V6 engines ever created! It was like jewelry set in the engine compartment. Subsequently I just spotted one of these in the back of a foreign car garage rusting away.
When i passed my test as a 17 year old i got to drive our family car - an Alfa Romeo Alfetta - lovely wooden steering wheel - heavy steering and dual Webbers !!! what a blast !!
My first car was a sprint green cloverleaf 1983... bought in 1993.. i still own it today... i always thought i might upgrade to the gtv.... but in many ways now I'm glad i didn't.... driving my sprint makes me feel 18 again.
Harry absolutely one of your best videos..spot on facts, great car, well driven and just completely agreeable to watch. Arguably the best serious car enthusiasts channel on your tube..superb stuff...
Can we not? There's plenty of Clarkson out there for people who want it. Harry's channel is the antidote to TG nonsense, it's simple, factual and enthusiatic.
This bought back memories.... As a teenager this was my first car in 1989. I loved it, and yep.... It pulled the girls. I still have the original spare set of keys. Great video mate. Rob from Australia.
😍😍I remember the first generation GTV in the late seventies. A pre-teen me was just madly in love. I just kept drawing them and trying to make GTV sounds with my mouth. Always promised myself to get one. At 54 now, I think I may be running out of time and my lotto numbers still not coming up. Fingers crossed 🤞 though. Thanks for the memories.
Had the 2.0 litre.....shooting off to Scarborough in the early 80's. Howard Jones and Thompson Twins in the cassette player.......Nearly got a year out of it b4 the rust.
I never went to scarborough in my GTV6 but yes I remembered playing the thompson twins often as well... such a great car second syncro was just like the 308 of the time useless, but I loved it, my first ever car.
bugattieb110ss first of all I said XR3 thick head not XR3i. Second I didn’t say acceleration I said on the motorway, dumbo, and finally the XR3i was my next car which didn’t come out until 1983, you dense prick.
How on earth did that just pop up? I'm in Alfa fever right now. Watching everything I can find on the gtv6 and as if Harry knew, here I have even more to watch😍
I remember sitting in the GtV6 when it was Launched at the motor show in Birmingham! It was charcoal grey but still looked magic!! That was actually the same show that Jaguar debuted the XJ220which was a bit special too, never got a seat in the 220 though!
bdb studio yeah it was the preproduction concept car which if I recall was actually significantly longer in length than the production model. Gorgeous!!
@Lord Rupert Maybe I should have worded it better with "help make up for" haha. I find a joy and sense of accomplishment in getting to row through an Alfa box as smoothly as possible. 182,000 mile 84 Spider owner here.
It’s not very fast you say. Maybe not, but give me that over a lot of today’s modern hyper hatches. Looks the part and sounds great. Another great video.
Interesting that Harry didn't comment on the SZ gearshift although its the same transaxle as the GTV6. The linkage was updated to the 'isostatic' in '85. It does improve the shift quality.
Pre 84 gearshift direct to transaxle, post is isostatic, a perfect gearbox on pre isostatic linkage can be 90% as good as 105, problem is transaxle wear will quicly detract from the change.
The isostatic is alright IF in good condition. It is full of rose joints and plastic bushes etc that wear out. If worn it can be worse than the basic original design. I have a TS box with isostatic in my '85 and it is not bad... i can actually shift faster than in my 105! I also lengthened the bottom of the gear lever pivot by 8mm to shorten the throw, which helps. Look up the motorweek 1985 GTV6 review in-period. They describe the isostatic gear change similar to a 'good fwd gearbox shift'.
Sounds epic that car. And actually, with the lower power (compared to modern day cars) - you get all the theatre and sound without the speeding tickets. And its looks stunning!
With this review, I'm sure Harry is the best autojournalist today. With his stable, he can still be excited about such a motor. We appreciate his perspective!
The fan turning on 2 first is to protect the motor. Buy starting the motor at it's highest power setting it prevents stalling and wear on the motor. Many household fans are arranged this way to this day. You will also find industrial motors set up the same way.
sean patrick I didn't know that, interesting! You don't happen to know what the blank switches could have been for, do you? Sorry, nerdy question but got me wondering when Harry mentioned it.
8:29 actually thats the proper way to be. The fan motor goes 0 to 100 instead of 0 to 50% in order not to ruin it Its more complex than this but you find that curiosity in older fans.
I owned one for 6 years in the late '80's to early '90s. It died when I was rear-ended by a dump truck. One of my favorite cars ever, adequate power and great steering, in a sedan! I would also love to see one in Harry's hands.
Besides of the video and the car, which is bizarre and hilarious, harry you’re proving so much passion and devotion for the car in general, just speechless. Instead of getting bored to review another car, you deliver something else just you can do. In Regards the car, well 160BHP back in a day were quite a bit. Handling is its strength. Cheers from Majorca.
Always a pleasure seeing an Alfa Romeo on the channel. I'm well into my 6th year of ownership of a 156 V6, has the bigger 3.0 engine and other choice mods. The older GTV sounds better and has more drama for sure but the newer cars the Busso came in were ergonomically more sensible and way more powerful. Sure they also gained weight but a 3.0 puts out around 230bhp and the engine revs to 7k rpm. I'm wondering if the Busso kept Alfa Romeo going all those years as I've been driving 20+ years and no engine I've tried has ever been this sweet, sure the Guilia QV has a monstrous Ferrari derived engine but it'll never be truly affordable whereas far more of us can savour a Busso.
Jezza being reduced to "a farmer up the road" is just funny. 😅
Hahaha came here to say that as well :D
nicebikemate, Same!
Right! 😀😀😀
@@nicebikemate ⁸8⁸⁸⁸8p
Whos jezza? Whats his channel name..
Hard to say how much I appreciate that Alfa, old Maserati and Lancia aso are loved brands around the world.
Italian brands are the only ones that i remember from my youth, they had so much character & fun. 🇬🇧❤🇮🇹
@AlanRoberts-xy4wu I agree, dear Friend. Regards from Italia
I drove a 1982 GTV6 for eight years and some 130000 miles, never , ever let me down. The gear change was transformed by an Alfa mechanic, David Lai of Chadwell Heath, who put new bushes in the linkage and unusually for the 80s synthetic oil in the gearbox, a revelation.
Was fast enough for me, London to York in two hours fifteen, early on a summer’s morning.
Would have one again without hesitation. Great video, brought back so many memories.
alfetta transaxles can be made to work perfectly, you only need knowledge and the right specialist
Had the 2.0 litre one of these as my first car. When the needle said it was almost empty it really was and ended up driving it into my mum's garage door. What a noise though.
I drove a red '82 from 90-98, then replaced it with an identical one for 98-2007. Loved them both. My modern fiesta is almost as fast, but the ride, handling and the sound were all glorious! Miss them still. Thanks Harry!
Something for me to pursue - my '81 GTV had the 2nd gear synchro replaced about 4 years ago, but is a bit crunchy again - only it sounds and feels like its coming from the base of the gear stick (ie linkages) and not from the gearbox down back.
@@johnphaceas7434 worth getting the linkages looked at John. If anything breaks at speed, it can wrap itself around the prop shaft and things might get a bit messy.
Dear Harry, I cannot thank you enough for this video.
The GTV 6 was my last “real Alfa” that I owned before switching to “normal” family cars.
Should have never sold it, though. I can well remember all it’s quirkinesses, which you mentioned. And that was what I loved it for ;)
It wasn’t the fastest one out there but had the most lovely engine sound, almost like a Dino.
"Farmer Friend" Owner is actually Jeremy Clarkson. That's the Alfa GTV6 he bought after the Grand Tour Episode...
ye same number plate from the drive tribe video
Beat me to it.
Still with the broom stick?
I was thinking about exactly that
I recall JC had a GTV ,(probably not this one ), when he used to scribe the Chattels column for Jesse Crosse in Performance Car Mag back in the 80's
Awesome. Mr. Clarkson’s pride and joy. Thank you Harry for finally doing a review of one of these. And a very special example indeed. Soon, very soon, these will be worth silly money, as features like these and the fact that Jeremy Clarkson has one will make people more aware of how special these cars really are. For years now classic Porsche 911’s have been going up in value tremendously, well, to be honest these are every bit as special, and its time people appreciate it for what it is. It certainly makes me appreciate my ‘84 GTV6 a heck of a lot more. Thanx Harry.
Never thought I’d hear Jeremy Clarkson being introduced as a farmer up the road 😂
Actually quite humbling that he didn’t slap Jeremy Clarkson across the title for clicks!
He could have said complete and utter asshole and we would have known who owns it.
That is not the Harry way.
@@uzogsi He's got way too much class for that
Harry being Harry...
lel it really is Clarkson's ... "a farmer up the road" :D ... thought it was just a coincidence, but this is rad - so cool that it was not used as clickbait -> chapeau :)
About time! I have 2 of these: A 1979 2 litre 4 cylinder and a 1983 2.5. Most of your criticisms are a product of ageing.
I have never seen this dash board arrangement. It looks "aftermarket" to me. The fans make a huge noise because they get dirty. If it HAS a "cutout" that is because someone has done that "aftermarket" also. You can rev them to they blow up! Double clutching helps.
These won the European TCC 3 or 4 times. It was the last RWD car to win the Australian Rally.
The softness in the suspension is a product of good design. It is a car made for real roads, not the Nurbugring.
The steering should be setup with 3.5 deg of castor which helps tracking. It loads up the steering and removes the vagueness.
It is not a car for everyone... you have to DRIVE it. It takes skill, familiarity and confidence. A Golf Gti it is not!
Look at David Cironi's review ruclips.net/video/vCHzuCeojgo/видео.html Turn on the CC for the translation. But who cares just listen to how he drives it. He gets the GTV6. Most people don't.
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH I am indeed lucky. If it wasn't for that gear change they would be triple the price! The gear change requires a bit of care and skill. Once you learn then it is fine unless you are drag racing.
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH Unfortunately they have only survived in places like Australia, California and South Africa as they were manufactured with rust inviting flaws. The early cars rusted on the showroom floor and the later ones were designed with electrolytic rust prone areas. Essentially they used aluminium rivets to attach steel shields to the body in the front wheel arches. 3 metals in a hard to see place... also had issues where panels met and so they dissolved. I drove a GTV6 in London in the mid '90's. It was riddled with rust but still on the road. It was so far gone that I was amazed it even ran! It was less than 10 years old...
Your Capri is no doubt a monster. It has nearly double the output of the average stock GTV6. We have a lots of cars here like that... small body: big engine. They tend to be show cars and drag cars. Alfa's go round corners... :)
Irrespective of the car's ownership - farmer or not - Ha! - we all know who it is - it is really great to hear Harry, the proper experienced car-enthusiast's entertaining expert detailed commentary on this charismatic old car. And interesting that it has just passed an MOT 3 days before Harry published this video today. Many thanks Harry, and best wishes.
I heard this rumour that this ‘farmer up the road’ also owns a 600 Grosser. Would love to see a HG video of this iconic Mercedes-Benz.
his other car is the EXCELLENT that he built then bought at auction
Owned* he sold a lot after the divorce, and allegedly losing EU set aside money for the part of the farm his house was on.
Also heard that the farmer up the road owns Bentley continental gt that been turned into a off roader
Does Clarkson know harry is driving his car or did Clarkson's girlfriend say it was ok.
Nice!
Properly made me laugh. Also the only explanation I can think of 🙂
I had to immediately think about that
Probably got the keys after he purchased some cow juice and unknown vegetables
Mike only just got away with that
Wonderful. I had a 1985 GTV6 back in the late 90s. Absolutely loved it. It constantly went wrong, driveshaft, double plate clutch, bearings, but on a good day when it was working it remains one of my faves. The noise and the character of the thing. Wonderful.
Did anyone else get that "Super Excited" feeling when they seen a Harry @HarrysGarage new upload on thier feed?
More like "wonder what he's found now"...
Harry makes you watch cars you never knew or you never thought you’d be interested in before. God bless you Harry.
Love Harry. He could've easily of used Jeremy's name to get more views. How humble. Great video!
I love his videos too though I have to disagree. He all but did. Copied his work.
@@Dhhcnkk Jeremy never went into the level of detail Harry does.
Harry helped launch the original Top Gear by loaning them his Pagani for the very first episode. Without that first supercar, TG may not have been as popular. Harry definitely doesn't need Clarkson for more views.
I think Harry is doing just fine without the need to name drop for views IMO
@@rexsolomon6325 that was not the very first episode of Top Gear
Back in 1988 a guy at college had a mid 80's Alfasud Sprint, so jealous!
As a 15 year old I worked at an Alfa repair shop in northern italy. The owner was a shady dude, who paid me an apple and an egg. But.. he had a GTV racecar for hillclimbs and I would put up with everything so I could get my hands on it, rev it and come watch the race on monte Bondone. That Engine sound. Great video, Harry as always...
Off topic, but important: If anyone should be allowed to do a video on the Aston Martin "Victor" one off, it HAS to be you.
Italian cars evoke emotion like no other...i can still remember the sound of the GTV when i was a young mechanic in England 🇬🇧🇮🇹👍
Absolute favorite car of all time. Couldn’t afford one when they were new when I was in College but made sure to buy a Giulia QV as soon as they became available in the states.
I absolutely loved this Alfa in the early 80s, couldn't afford it so bought a Sud 1.5 ti instead, loved that too.
Ditto!
Alfasud was brill
😂🤣Ditto twice.. The Sud is still the only car I've ever bought new in over 40 years of driving, even though its probably in a few bins at the bottom of a garden somewhere now, I loved it.
Should have got them knees dirtier then....
Me too, took it into a car wash and came out with 3 inches of soapy water in the footwells
Great to hear the Alfa sing. It’s got bucketloads of character. It’s fantastic that Harry’s able to get hold of such cars and do these video reviews for us. A very nice touch to be able to look back to the period reviews, such as Car’s GB&U. Brings back memories of that fantastic magazine and the poetic writing of the much-missed LJKS.
In south africa, a 3 litre GTV was available, as it was homologated for saloon car racing (Group 1).
It produced 128kW and used carburetors, not fuel injection, and a 5-speed manual.
0-100kph in 8.36 seconds and a top speed of 224kph, as tested by SA Car magazine.
I’ve had both - on balance the 2.5 is the better of the two. More refined GT. The SA 3 liter was never intended to be a road car, but rather a homologation special, for racing
Those are now extremely rare to find a good condition example
Fun fact: When it came out it was the fastest South African production car until the BMW 333i
Ja ek onthou hom ook.
Hey manne 🇿🇦
@@asr1143 just go see it. Can't be the worst thing to do
Had one in my 87’ Alfa 75 (Milano) best balanced car ever.
Beautiful car, with a beautiful engine. Truly iconic.
Er no. They were crap. Badly made, horrendous gearbox and broke down about every 3 days. And they rust.
@@markgilbertson1564 usual banal vulgate...
I still have my '84 GTV6, purchased around 1987 from a doctor here in Phoenix, AZ. The car went out of service around 1995 when I purchased a used 164S. So many great memories were had in my GTV6 (two tone: metallic "root beer" brown and grey, with tan Recaro-style seats. I was lucky to have an excellent mechanic (Bruce from AZ Twin Cam) who kept me on the road - no small feat for a college kid at the time. I remember at least a couple of timing belt replacements, multiple driveshaft donuts and eventually a clutch (switched to the Milano style), among other things. Rather than falling victim to rust like so many, my GTV6 is solid, but sunbaked from the desert heat. I'm dreaming about restoring it someday (but not sure if and when that will be possible), as I currently have three other Alfas in my stable: '65 Spider, '84 Spider Veloce, and '17 Giulia Sport daily driver.
👍🏼
The sound of this car is the exact reason why I can’t love electric cars.
Amen.
You own a GTV6? Or a dull-as-fuck repmobile that sounds way worse than an electric car?
@@sq1rlsqu4d How can any internal combustion engine sound worse than electric cars what make no sound at all? He was talking purely about the sound of things. And more specifically this V6. He said it as a personal opinion and not as a statement. How it should be done.
I guess, you have another opinion. That's ok.
But no reason to get personal.
@@Paul_VanGo reading Chris Squirrel's other comments, he's sounding like a wum looking for a reaction 😏
@Lord Rupert Fair enough. That sounded more like an opinion, btw.
But I'm also an middle-aged person and I don't agree, but that doesn't really matter.
But I've also seen a load of electric car drivers (more specifically Tesla drivers), who behave like total pricks, because they are untouchable. Acceleration-wise, that is. At least for 100 miles, until the batteries are drained, with again and again that launching at the traffic lights towards highly illegal speeds.
Not all, but IMO, since that is the cars only party trick, some feel they have the biggest knob, that illusion has to be flung around again and again.
Still, there are more M3s than Tesla's, so yeah...
There relatively are more idiots in the first.
The Alfa GTV6 3L was the fastest standard production car in the early 80's in South Africa at 224km/h true speed!
Sorry, not even close. Porsche 928,911, 951, Corvette, a dozen others will beat it hard at 224kMH(139 MPH). GTV6 Twin Turbo? Much more competitive...
@@16v15 …….”in South Africa”
@@seashackf1 As I recall, they were all available in SA at the time, if you had the means...
@@16v15 yeah, I don’t know either. Just pointing out that OP did qualify it. I would think 911 was available though, if not 928. The vette I could see not being avail. It was mostly just in the US/NA market then. Also The US did have sanctions in place at some point.
@@16v15unfortunately there was never a factory built twin turbo Gtv 6 and the GTV was a normal road car, why you comparing it to sport cars
We need to Harry to review a lotus Carlton.
hear hear
That would be excellent.
Got one at my work at the moment :) Insane car, especially for it's time
TheMisterpino, ask the owner to let you borrow it for Harry 😅
craig forsyth, it’s a great car to go shopping in! Surprised the Police didn’t use them as a pursuit car.
That "farmer up the road" is the genius behind the most popular TV show ever made, THE greatest motoring journalist and one of the most talented, engaging and entertaining TV presenters of all time!! I have a feeling though that Clarkson would've requested that he not be referred to that way hahahaha
One of my favorites as a kid. There was actually an Alfa dealership in a most unlikely place in a low-income area near the Philly airport. It was in a James Bond movie once.
I get the feeling Harry absolutely loves this car. I love this car. I love the look of this car. I love the sound of this car. I love how you have to DRIVE this car
What’s not to love. Had a 1750 Alfetta traded in to new Giulietta 2L as had first child on the way and it had no aircon.
Had to get 4 door due to baby capsule and interesting that it came with 6 year rust warranty here in Oz which in 24 years of ownership never used except for black metal strips below windows which Alfa replaced.
Know what Harry says about gearbox rattle in Alfetta. Had thrust bearing in clutch replaced which cured it.
Gearchange needed care and heal and toe mandatory. That dead spot in steering strange. It would settle into a corner then hold its line. Very different from previous Berlina.
Drove a 1986 V6 GTV and it was a rocket ship compared to mine. Fabulous era for cars, especially Alfas. Sold Giulietta after 24 trouble free ownership due to health problems and regret it every day.
Lovely video, as always! I’m currently restoring an ‘84 GTV6 Maratona. It was a special trim package here in the U.S. They made 150 of them and they’re, well, to look at it, it’s peak 1980s Alfa. I must say, the version we got here in the States seems slightly more refined for some reason. For example, we got leather Recaro seats, a nicer, more intuitive dashboard layout (admittedly made of spare Fiat/Ferrari parts), and stuff like that. If you’re interested in one of these cars, I’d highly recommend you check out other markets. Also, in 1986, the last year of the GTV6, Alfa did actually fix the vague shifter issue. You can get upgrade kits for it and it makes it worlds better. Again, great video!
Thanks for reviewing the GTV6 Harry. After owning one for 5 minutes (now on 13yrs) you learn to master the gear change and enjoy the tappety raspy throaty sounds - definitely the best bits of the car. I thought the bonnet scoop was to prevent damage when the plenium popped (interesting way to get around an engine design flaw!). I also love the holes in the doors which are for the manual window winders you get for when the electric windows fail. I think the "85 onwards dashes and facia are much more elegant as is the standard steering wheel. Those period mags are cool though. Grazie
Had one of these for several years, great car, amazing handling, incredible sound, but everything else fell apart... Still regret selling it.
Mine had the original magnesium wheels and that plastic trim was originally grey. A friend who also owned one kept a stick next to the seat so he could poke the fuse box when it had issues. These have a dedion rear axle with a triangle suspension and the pivot point at the center of the car, made for some amazing handling.
At some point I was working on my car in a shared space and rev'ing the engine. Someone said "sounds fast" and I said "it isn't". Which kinda sums this car up, there is nothing remarkable about the stats, but driving it is a joy. Very Italian.
This GTV6 was my first ever car and I still think about buying one now, it's the only car I can remember the reg for POP799Y and regret selling it. I loved those original campagnolo alloys.... the electrics and rust were very period hence it got sold.
You hit the nail on the head with very Italian. I've had loads of Alfa's over the years and they all were an absolute joy to drive without ever being the fastest in their class.
@@Tracertme makes me feel sick, that I had the chance to buy one for peanuts, in the late 80's.
This is actually my favourite Alfa of all time!
Iconic car. Love the styling and that engine has so much charisma. You really get used to the gear change, it actually teaches you to treat a gearbox with respect. It also teaches you to heel & toe. Just love it!
Total hero car of mine. First encountered one as a teen in Pennsylvania in the mid-eighties, as a budding enthusiast. Been a fan ever since.
Bellisimo ❤ This & the 75 3.0 V6 are two of my boyhood dream cars.
Big smile on my face all through this! My memory of the GTV6 is of riding my Honda CX500 hitting 112mph and the GTV I was trying to beat wafting past me on the M20 in Kent in 1983. I fell in love with it at that moment.
Glorious as that V6 is, I'd much sooner have a CX500 in my garage. Always loved the way they sounded, and believe it or not, looked. Hardly ever see an unmolested one nowadays yet the roads were full of courier bikes once. My first big(ish) bike was a GT550. It was either this or the NTV for me as the CX had largely disappeared by then and I wanted a newish bike. That was mid 90s. Shame there are no shaft drive middleweights around now.
Dream machine for the past 30 years Harry . Thank you .
My first "adult car"; still remember picking it up and how much I LOVED it sooo much.
You can tell Harry is super enthusiastic about this car. More than most others.
I did many miles in my GTV6 in the '80s and '90s, a great car! The sloppy gear change was easily fixed by putting new bushes in the linkage, it's a long way back to the transaxle but it's an easy fix. I miss that car, especially the exhaust note! Before the Fiat takeover, Alfa was a small company and sometimes compromises were made on details, but they got the design right!
One of my favourite cars ever
15 minutes and 15 seconds is what this car is all about. I could listen to that exhaust note all day. Love these old 80s classics you bring to the channel. 10/10
Not only that, the note doesn't overwhelm the actual engine / mechanical noise of the car. Not many people get it these days. The last classic car meet I went to, the cars had all lost their character after being fitted with bigger bore stainless pipes.
@Simon . instead for Harry it is not a fast car. But perhaps he prefers London cabs... mah !
This had one of the most beautiful V6 engines ever created! It was like jewelry set in the engine compartment. Subsequently I just spotted one of these in the back of a foreign car garage rusting away.
When i passed my test as a 17 year old i got to drive our family car - an Alfa Romeo Alfetta - lovely wooden steering wheel - heavy steering and dual Webbers !!! what a blast !!
One of the best V6’s on the planet ,nice one Harry 👍
Loved the coloured alfa badge in the centre of the steering wheel. Wished they did this on the giulia QV
Could'nt afford one at the time so got a Alfa Sud Sprint, delightful car.
Sud Sprint a veeery nice car indeed
Learnt to drive in my Mum’s first Alfa Sud. Fantastic little car.
My first car was a sprint green cloverleaf 1983... bought in 1993.. i still own it today... i always thought i might upgrade to the gtv.... but in many ways now I'm glad i didn't.... driving my sprint makes me feel 18 again.
restoring a sprint at the moment, got anther 4 suds under covers needing resto, first car was a sud in 1989
A good friend of mine had an alfasud sprint cloverleaf in the late 80s and I was really impressed by it and I have always rated them highly.
Drove one of these in South Africa which had beed rebored out to 2.9. Beautiful drive.
My favorite car ever
Especially the South African 3.0 version
I had one of these.. dark grey with beige velours. The sound was just tremendous... Gave me goose bumps...
One of the 5 buttons was for the electric roof
Since he mentioned it, I would love to see harry testi a 80s SAAB 900 turbo.
In South Africa we had a 3 liter.
What a Car it was
👍🏼👍🏼
Forza Alfa Romeo South Africa!!
Good of Jezza, sorry "farmer friend" to loan you his car. You could borrow some of Hammond's, but then again....
yep same number plate nice
Harry also lent his Countache iirc
Would love to see Harry review Hammond’s GT500.. or failing that, Oliver 😛
Hang on, there is a land rover here! 😎
@@apache1234657 PPP
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Harry absolutely one of your best videos..spot on facts, great car, well driven and just completely agreeable to watch. Arguably the best serious car enthusiasts channel on your tube..superb stuff...
Just pure class.
Harry, thank you, It has the most lovely exhaust note and they are rapidly disappearing. More 6 cylinder/straight 6 reviews please.
We need a Harry & JC crossover episode.
There's been an hourary appearance on TG by Harry. When Mr May was collecting the Countach and forgot to take the rear wing.
Can we not? There's plenty of Clarkson out there for people who want it. Harry's channel is the antidote to TG nonsense, it's simple, factual and enthusiatic.
Actually, I could listen for hours if Harry and James May would team up.
@@mopar7010 it'd be an interesting and possibly rambling conversation that's for sure
We do not need a JC crossover. Please no
This bought back memories.... As a teenager this was my first car in 1989. I loved it, and yep.... It pulled the girls. I still have the original spare set of keys. Great video mate. Rob from Australia.
Woah, the sound of that V6 at the end...
😍😍I remember the first generation GTV in the late seventies. A pre-teen me was just madly in love. I just kept drawing them and trying to make GTV sounds with my mouth. Always promised myself to get one. At 54 now, I think I may be running out of time and my lotto numbers still not coming up. Fingers crossed 🤞 though. Thanks for the memories.
Had the 2.0 litre.....shooting off to Scarborough in the early 80's. Howard Jones and Thompson Twins in the cassette player.......Nearly got a year out of it b4 the rust.
Snap same era 2 litre and trip to Scarborough, mine made it to 2 years but loved every minute of driving it.
I never went to scarborough in my GTV6 but yes I remembered playing the thompson twins often as well... such a great car second syncro was just like the 308 of the time useless, but I loved it, my first ever car.
Have just come from watching Jay Lenos beautiful type 49 Bugatti, and now to Harry’s Garage and this stunning GTV6.. As petrol heads, we are spoiled..
I had a 2.0 GTV in 1983 when many of my mates had new XR3’s they were all left in my wake on the motorway.
That much better? The Busso is a fabulous engine.
@@bugattieb110ss *raises handbags*
bugattieb110ss first of all I said XR3 thick head not XR3i. Second I didn’t say acceleration I said on the motorway, dumbo, and finally the XR3i was my next car which didn’t come out until 1983, you dense prick.
How on earth did that just pop up? I'm in Alfa fever right now. Watching everything I can find on the gtv6 and as if Harry knew, here I have even more to watch😍
I remember sitting in the GtV6 when it was Launched at the motor show in Birmingham! It was charcoal grey but still looked magic!! That was actually the same show that Jaguar debuted the XJ220which was a bit special too, never got a seat in the 220 though!
Wasn't the XJ220 a 90's car?
crashprune173 concept was launched in 1988. I was there too. Production not until 1992.
@@bjdb oh fair enough :)
I was there too.
bdb studio yeah it was the preproduction concept car which if I recall was actually significantly longer in length than the production model. Gorgeous!!
Excellent episode. You should take this car for an extra long road trip.
That double-clutching action to make up for Alfa's crunchy synchros! 👌
@Lord Rupert Maybe I should have worded it better with "help make up for" haha. I find a joy and sense of accomplishment in getting to row through an Alfa box as smoothly as possible. 182,000 mile 84 Spider owner here.
I really miss the round head lights on today cars. This car has so much character, inspiring just by looking at it.
That look from the front is magical. The more recent 159 keeps the theme and I can't split them 🤔
What a beautiful car! what a great car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was! miss my first car a 1984 Fiat Uno 70S 4-door (one of his creations).
Had one of these in the late 80s. Fun car. Spent a ton of time in the shop but fun.
Saab 900 Turbo gets a few mentions, would love to see Harry review one of those!
It’s not very fast you say. Maybe not, but give me that over a lot of today’s modern hyper hatches. Looks the part and sounds great. Another great video.
Interesting that Harry didn't comment on the SZ gearshift although its the same transaxle as the GTV6. The linkage was updated to the 'isostatic' in '85. It does improve the shift quality.
Pre 84 gearshift direct to transaxle, post is isostatic, a perfect gearbox on pre isostatic linkage can be 90% as good as 105, problem is transaxle wear will quicly detract from the change.
No it doesn't! I've owned both types and they are both equally awful. Simply a dreadful design- period.
The isostatic is alright IF in good condition. It is full of rose joints and plastic bushes etc that wear out. If worn it can be worse than the basic original design. I have a TS box with isostatic in my '85 and it is not bad... i can actually shift faster than in my 105! I also lengthened the bottom of the gear lever pivot by 8mm to shorten the throw, which helps. Look up the motorweek 1985 GTV6 review in-period. They describe the isostatic gear change similar to a 'good fwd gearbox shift'.
That was a good one Harry..makes me want to think about an old Alfa now in retirement.......
Sounds epic that car. And actually, with the lower power (compared to modern day cars) - you get all the theatre and sound without the speeding tickets. And its looks stunning!
With this review, I'm sure Harry is the best autojournalist today. With his stable, he can still be excited about such a motor. We appreciate his perspective!
The fan turning on 2 first is to protect the motor. Buy starting the motor at it's highest power setting it prevents stalling and wear on the motor. Many household fans are arranged this way to this day. You will also find industrial motors set up the same way.
sean patrick I didn't know that, interesting! You don't happen to know what the blank switches could have been for, do you? Sorry, nerdy question but got me wondering when Harry mentioned it.
I sold mine in 1994. Checking on DVLA shows it was last taxed in 1997. Reg B150 XFC in silver. Lovely car.
JC does owe you a few favours as you've loaned them a few cars for the Grand Tour, but I am amazed he loaned you the car.
I had the GTV 3.0 in South Africa - I absolutely loved it, the sound of it was amazing..
Great video, J C is too busy growing spuds to notice Harry has nicked the Alfa for a couple of days, love sound of that engine cheers Harry 👍🚗
Had two of these GTV6s in the 90s. great fun and fab sound!
Harry should get his "farmer friend" to take the Alfa to Ian Tyrrell to get the gear change sorted properly. That could be a good vid too
Yes.
Excellent idea. Thats what I would do !
Indeed
Ohhhh that noise. Had a GTV6 when I was 25. God I'd love another now that I'm 50 !
8:29 actually thats the proper way to be. The fan motor goes 0 to 100 instead of 0 to 50% in order not to ruin it
Its more complex than this but you find that curiosity in older fans.
I'm glad @harrysgarage mentioned it, as I always assumed mine had been wired wrong! 🤪
Harry mate the GTV is a true motoring legend!!!! Keep em coming.....thanks!!!
I bet Clarksons on the phone every hour.. "Harry , what do i need to do now on the farm please?"
„It’s not loud, it‘s just quality“.
Exactly.
I would love to see you review an Alfa Romeo 75 in the future!
I owned one for 6 years in the late '80's to early '90s. It died when I was rear-ended by a dump truck. One of my favorite cars ever, adequate power and great steering, in a sedan! I would also love to see one in Harry's hands.
The report shows the special features of the GTV6 and also nicely the small shortcomings. It couldn't be more accurate. I love this car!
Is the farmer friend also the owner of a certain potato shop and has only two "friends"? You know The Slow one and one short and crashy.
Number plate matches 😉
Yup, same wheels as Jezza’s car, it must be his.
some say...
Be at least 3 friends then?
Looking at another video, Jeremy said that he was the only one allowed to drive it.?
Super video Harry - and what a wonderful machine. "It's not how fast it goes, it's how it goes fast".
I would like to see a Harry review the Alfa 75 Evoluzione and the Alfa 90.
My first car at 17....Alfasud 1.5ti. Have to share jezza and Harry's admiration for some alfas.
Clarkson's beautiful GTV6! 🤘
Besides of the video and the car, which is bizarre and hilarious, harry you’re proving so much passion and devotion for the car in general, just speechless. Instead of getting bored to review another car, you deliver something else just you can do. In Regards the car, well 160BHP back in a day were quite a bit. Handling is its strength. Cheers from Majorca.
Always a pleasure seeing an Alfa Romeo on the channel. I'm well into my 6th year of ownership of a 156 V6, has the bigger 3.0 engine and other choice mods. The older GTV sounds better and has more drama for sure but the newer cars the Busso came in were ergonomically more sensible and way more powerful. Sure they also gained weight but a 3.0 puts out around 230bhp and the engine revs to 7k rpm. I'm wondering if the Busso kept Alfa Romeo going all those years as I've been driving 20+ years and no engine I've tried has ever been this sweet, sure the Guilia QV has a monstrous Ferrari derived engine but it'll never be truly affordable whereas far more of us can savour a Busso.
The Busso gives great driving pleasure that those who have not tried it cannot imagine
the sound and smell of the motor is most memorable , iconic... lovely drive sir