I’ve owned 13 different Alfa’s and they were all addictive to drive. The amazing sound of my 1986 GTV6 is something I will remember on my deathbed. Some Alfa’s are more problematic than others, it often comes down to each individual car. When they’re well maintained they’re Heaven. One BIG problem is owners who don’t take care of them like they should. FOLLOWING the owners manual to the letter makes a huge difference. I always changed my oil before it needed changing. Alfa’s are like marrying the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen, who also is a lot of fun and very interesting to talk to....and after a while you discover she is bipolar. An Alfa can be an ordeal to own, but you can’t imagine your life without it.
@@drg6161 Thanks! I’m a mechanic who only works on European cars, and I drive Alfa’s in dry weather, otherwise I drive Toyota’s. I live in Connecticut which means that most of the year I drive my Toyota 4-Runner. If I could drive Alfa’s daily I would, but I would’ve burned through a lot more of them by now. I have owned BMW’s and Porsche’s, and as great as most of them were to drive, none of them come close to Alfa’s as far as looks feel and character. It’s amazing how much like Italian & German cars are like Italian & German (not the American ones) people. Italians are lively and love beautiful things, Germans tend to be boring and orderly. Germans will show up to your house for dinner on time, but the Italians are the ones that will be fun and talkative. A good way I describe all the Alfa owners I’ve done work for is that they all gripe about problems they’ve had, then turn right around and start talking about buying another Alfa. Another great Italian car that we work on are Lancia’s, and again, it all depends on the model and year on how good or bad they are. They’re usually beautiful and amazing to drive. The main concerns are rust and electrics, all of which can be easily fixed. On older cars the electrics should be stripped and replaced with modern components. THE most incredible car I ever drove was a 1971 Maserati Ghibli that my grandfather owned. It cost $22,000 in 1971, now it would be worth $500,000 or more for a really good one. It was also the most beautiful car, right up there with the Ferrari 365gtb/4 (Daytona) or the Lamborghini Miura. I had it up to 130 on the German autobahn and it was rock steady. Even if I could afford one now, I wouldn’t buy one simply because of its age and the parts supply. For instance, if something happens to the massive rear window, there are no replacements available.
@@Mike-rk8px it´s true but in the 30´s of the last century, much more cars were perfect to drive in the 70´s or second alf of the 60´s where some models were upgraded and my favorite cars you refer to the daytona and the miura ,about the back window i can give you a contac in Italia where they still make back windows for most of the sportive italian cars
When I was a teenager I always hoped for a GTV of this generation that I could afford. Unfortunately that was never the case. My Dad owns a 67 Duetto Spider since the Seventies. It is mechanically a sibling of the GT of this generation. My Grandma owned several Giulias of those years. Great and well balanced cars. Most cars of today do not have a gearbox that shifts as perfectly as those fifty years old Alfa Romeos. Alfa Romeo started this engine style in 55 and put a 5 speed to their cars. Absolutely unheard of in those times. My grandfather used to drive Alfa Romeos his whole life. Som special bodied prewar cars as well. But the last car he bought was a second hand Maserati 3500 Granturismo. But it did not come with a five speed. When I was two yeras old we drove to Modena to put a five speed gear box in it. At the Maserati factory!
@@machtschnell7452 Well it is possible that you are right. Were those engines put in street cars that time? I only know that the 1955 GT had that kind of engine. I own a catalog with all the cars of 52. Unfortunately I do not have it in hand. I gave it to an italian friend who is reading it for a few days. He comes from a Lancia family while mine were all Alfa Romeo guys. I will try to find out more as soon as i get the book back.
@@machtschnell7452 I found the wikipedia article "Alfa romeo twin cam engine".: "The Twin Cam's predecessor appeared in the 1950 Alfa Romeo 1900 and was an under-square inline four cylinder with a cast-iron block, an aluminium alloy crossflow cylinder head with double overhead cams and a 90° included angle between intake and exhaust valves. Development of that engine was overseen by Orazio Satta Puliga who would also helm development of its successor. The 1952 Disco Volante had a 2-litre DOHC four cylinder engine with an aluminium block and sleeves, but this seems to have been a custom version of the 1900 engine rather than a prototype of the forthcoming Twin Cam. While the Twin Cam shared some features with the 1900 engine, it was a new design by Giuseppe Busso.[1] The Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine debuted in the 1954 Giulietta."
I bought a 2000 GTV in 1973, and owned it 11 years. It steered and turned like nothing else- it felt like it was on tiptoes. It needed lots of TLC and special tools, but it hated my wife. One of my all-time favorite cars.
Early in the video was a quick mention that the 105/115 cars are basically the same car- and then a focus on the GT chassis specifically. But it should be noted that SO many of the parts are swappable across the entire line. One quick look of the engine installed in that specific GT is a great example- that engine came from a mid 70's Spider. The small plastic things riveted to the cam cover is the giveaway- those used to be plastic "brackets" to hold a hot air cross over from the exhaust to the intake. (and the reason I conclude the entire engine vs. just the cam cover- why would you swap a clean cam cover to that w/o the rest of the engine?) And there's nothing wrong with doing that, too- the only real difference between the later 70's engines and the early ones- cam timing and the SPICA set up (not counting the warm air crossover and the air pump). So if you can't rebuild the engine, getting a replacement to rebuild isn't that hard. Same goes for the rear axle- if you are going to cruise for a long time, there are some late 80's Spider axles that are great to swap in. As long as there are not holes poked into the aluminum castings, the powertrains are incredibly rebuildable.
I'd say that the Swiss license plate on the front hints that this is likely a Euro spec car (with fender lights added when it was imported) and the engine seems correct for this car to me. The car has some slight modifications, including replacement of the air intake box that would have taken that missing hot air cross-over by open air filters. The yellow Koni dampers will also provide a much stiffer ride than factory - I prefer the red ones myself. But yes, a lot of the technical parts can be sourced from a lot newer cars meaning that they can be acquired fairly cheap.
This car came fromLucca, Tuscany,the dashbord take too much sunshine,the original gear lever is not that long, maybe the non-original knob makes it longer
Some of the best modifications can be easily undone, too. We had our car set up for motorsports play, and now that we are done, changing back to stock will be very simple.
@@doorgunnerangel4105 And VW owns Porsche and Audi...don't drink the German Kool Aid DAWG...when these cars were made, FIAT had NO HAND IN ALFA ....Even in the recent past, when FCA funded the development of Giulia and Stelvio and ultimately the Giorgio platform, Alfa hired a FERRARI SKUNKWORKS TEAM.....Peace DAWG !! FORZA ALFA BABY !!!! THE KING IS BACK !!!!
First review I’ve seen by someone who knows these cars intimately. The soft rear, positive views on the Spica injection, rust, gearbox, handling, engine of the 1750 being smoothest, etc. were all spot on. Kudos.
An intuitive and well balanced critic of the 105.. Out of interest the 101 Guilia was basically used for the mechanical development of the 105.All the tips this lad gives on care warming up etc is spot on.Have used my 101 now in Europe for half a century. Still sound and turns heads even today. Forza Alfa 🇬🇧
It's so much fun to drive that car. Literally everybody smiles at you when they see you, young people, old people, everyone, even though it's actually pretty loud.
The word “FUN” sums up Alfa’s perfectly. I own a 1972 GTV coupe in electric blue with a black interior. I’ve never owned a car to impress others, or to attract women, I buy cars that I love. Alfa’s are just like Italy: incredibly beautiful, full of history, endlessly fascinating, lots of fun, full of romance. If a car to you is just a mode of transportation, buy a Toyota Camry. If you want to have your mind blown, get an Alfa or something else Italian. They require dedication to proper maintenance, but they also reward you for it in spades.
When I was a young man I was offered a good one in Germany for a very good price in 1983. About 4.000 DM back then, maybe 2.000 $ at that time. I didn't buy it. I am such an idiot.
When I was stationed in Germany in the early 1980's I saw this interesting little car on the lemon lot on base and it was a 1968 Alfa 1300 GT Junior. It had been restored years earlier in Italy by a US Naval officer. Painted brown, probably my least favorite color, w black interior. No apparent rust (I didn't really look that hard). I bought it and absolutely loved the way it drove and the manual gear box. Down on power for sure but it sounded like a race car going through the gears. I installed a back window with defogger option from a later car, a set of ATS Mag wheels, Bosch driving lights on the front bumper, and some later GTV bucket seats and really loved the car. When swapping the seats I discovered air where the back of the bucket seat was supposed to bolt to the floor (pretended I didn't see it). Brought my newborn son home from the hospital in it (wife still hasn't forgiven me). I dragged that little car around my apartment parking space by a lug nut trying to get the wheels off before I finally snapped the lug off and realized the wheels on that side of the car were reverse threaded (nope I didn't replace that lug with an original but did tell the next owner about it). Only sold it because reassigned stateside when father passed and didn't have the time investigate shipping the Alfa. Probably my favorite little sports car and I had a few.
I had a 1972 GTV2000 and almost nothing was plated... it is almost all stainless steel... I did a complete restoration on mine costing many MANY thousands of dollars. But I never re-chromed anything... what are you talking about Sam Smith?
They're not that fragile, not sure why he made such a point of that. The dashes crack, but interior isn't "fragile". They're around 50 years old, so yeah, let it get up to temp before you beat on it, but they like being driven hard. If something does break, parts are plenty available and reasonably priced. Research well and inspect thoroughly so you know what you're getting into, but it's not like it going to be falling apart or breaking if you buy a good one and don't do everything "just so".
I own one. Restored it top to bottom. It is not fragile. The engine is a blast and has plenty of robustness. Sheet metal is typical from the 70's and they do rust, as do all European, Japanese, and US cars from that era. The car is light and handles very well. After market is the best it has ever been. The 2.0 litre, in my opinion, is the best option.
I owned a 1972 GTV2000 and they are not fragile... also almost all stainless steel not sure what he's talking about re-chroming... can't think of anything that is chromed in the first place. They are very high quality cars for the era.
Fabulous review of a sports car we enjoyed in 1963 1300 ,1966/7 duetto 1600 and a 1971 1750 spider. Pretty close mechanically of the GTV...we cheered on in trans am during those years. My dad always loved his alfas .. Really great review and insights!
Back in the early 70's I bought a 69 Alfa Spider 1750 with SPICA mechanical fuel injection. I love how he talks about the light touch on the shifter. The comments about how revvy that engine was is so spot on, too. Everywhere at 4 grand but, warm it up first! Easiest top to work. Loved the look of the dash more than that of the GTV. The gauges canted towards the driver. Boy, I wish I still owned that car and it has little to do with how much it might be worth today. Just a fun car to drive!
Got Alfa? Check. I've owned two- a '79 Spider 2000 and a '62 Giulietta Sprint. You owe it to yourself to drive a well set-up 101 or 105 Alfa. Then you'll understand.
I have seen these cars many many times, and each time I can't see any flaws. They are perfect. Good looking, nice size, great from any angle. They are in the short list of perfect cars.
A guy in South Africa put a Ford Essex v6 in this body 106kw with no tuning problems; the engine can be tunned up, to 3,3, new crank, and triple webber double carburators; then the South African Alfa dealer took the GTV6, Alfa engine from 2,5 to 3,0 so that he could race against the Fords and BMW.
1971 1750 GTV. The trick for the head gaskets was to re-torque the head bolts about every 6k miles. Add some 10mm camshafts, Some Bobcor headers, replace the Spica injection with 40mm Webers, bigger front sway bar, new shorter length stiffer springs all around, pin the rear bushings, remove all excess weight, get some 205 Pirelli's mounted on 5 spoke Italian wheels, and have your transmission personally rebuilt by Horst Kwech. Oh yeah.... build custom front and rear spoilers, mount 4 Alfa curved velocity stacks to your Webers inside the Alfa ram air box and put a duct to the front grill......some parts compliment$ of Ausca Engineering. Then drive the whole shebang over to see the races at Road America, Elkhart Lake. Fairly easy to do 140mph and corners were nothing but shits and giggles.
Rusted panels are easy to replace on these cars,,,don't let this guy talk you out of one of these cars,,,and those filters cause "rich condition" get direct flo filters .
This was the ONE car of this era that I'd wanted since childhood. Sadly at the current prices there are a lot of other cars I'd much rather, and do currently, own. I really wish a decent driver's condition 105 like the one in this video could still be had for 25k, as it would be in my garage if that were the case.
when I was a kid maybe 13 years old around 1983 or so a man a block or two away had one of these cars parked in his car port. I knew that that car was special . There is something about the size and lines of this car that just makes it classic . I would love to have one . It would look perfect parked beside my 240z.
Honestly I don't understand why foreigners have This stereotype about Alfa Romeo being supposedly "unreliable". Here in Italy, and I speak as an Alfista son of an Alfista and brother of an Alfista, I have never had any mechanical issues, always treated her Well, Constant revisions, checking the enging, regular cleaning etc.... Now there Maybe 2 options: 1) Mechanics abroad don't have appropriate spare parts or are simply not familiar with Alfa engineering, Which can be complex varying on the model (in particular for 70s models) 2) People don't treat them well or drive them as a Cadillac or a Nissan expecting them to behave as something that these cars are not. Ps. Option 3: Is the Good old Protestant prejudice towards Italians being immensely stylish, highly Intelligent, elegant, flamboyant but unreliable, simply extended to cars.
Probably there are many check points for buyer. However, most important point is whether you like Alfa Romeo or not. If you like, the classic Giulia is the best Alfa. I’ve been driving Giulia 1750GTV for 35 years and I really feel so.
That's an excellent, very informative video. Congrats to the team. My first car would have been a hand-me-down 2000 Berlina with the Spica injection, except that 3 years in Canada and another 5 in Scotland had turned the frame into Orange dust. That made me very very sad.💔
It's funny that you assume the people who buy alfas don't WANT to work on them constantly...lol...the worse it is when you get it the more you GET to work on it. People who buy alfas are not concerned that they will have to get hands on with the car, they are excited to do so.
I wonder why Hagerty chose this example with oversized wheels and alternator issues - the wheel arches in the back are not original…smh - the sills have work on it they dont have the groove - why Hagerty why?
My grandfather ALLOWED 🤣me to drive his one ...same red colour.i have only driven alfa since.sometimes painful and expensive, but always a pleasure..like a beautiful woman really
a guy asked me if i knew the diferencies between the spyder and the GT 1750 veloce, i explained that as some similarities but it´s a diferent car, then he replyes saying my spyder is just like the one in the video but without top ,anyone knows a GT without top? or confusing the rallye car that was called GTA but a totally diferent car , i have a lot of ALFA´s because i paid around 500€ for each and some were ofered ,a junior paid 100€ for it in mint condition but needed a clutch, i drove a GT2000 from 72 to 98 and now they call it a GTV ,there´s a confusion with the rallye car but that isn´t a road car , and GT model for one reason there´s the GT junior
One more thing- about the rust... The massive warnings and horrible stories and scary info is 20-30 years old. These cars are pretty much 50 years old now- so if you can find a running, driving, and reasonably used car- rust is not likely to be that big of a problem. Middle and outer sills and under the window would be the bad spots that would still be seen on a usable car. Other areas would be floors and spare tire wells. Pain to fix, for sure, but the common rust areas are also available from some shops to be welded back in. If the rust was so bad that the bulkhead/ A pillar section is ruined- you'll notice that as soon as you move the car. These cars are NOT SPIDERS- they are stiff, and not flexible. If massive rust was a problem 20-30 years ago, the car would largely be part of the soil now. Not saying you can't find cars like that- but IMHO, they will be clearly projects or abandoned cars- something that will be really hard to take for a test drive.
All that problems you are referring ... it applies to all cars... I don't know a car that stays in good condition without care... basically, what you are saying is ... in Italy, rain is a big problem, it's made out of water...
Wow, I've always dreamt of owning a GTV from this era. I think you likely scared the dream outta me. Believe me, I'm very thankful for the amazing insight. I don't have the funds to mess around with a $20k (ran when parked) "cheap" 2000 GTV.
Actually they’re not hard to maintain, and there are lots of them around the world. There were over 91,000 GT 1300 coupes made between 1965 to 1977 for example. Just buy the best example you can find, never buy a cheap one that needs lots of work because it will be a money pit. There are lots of well maintained cars out there, you just have to take the time to pick the right one. Joining the AROC (Alfa Romeo Owners Club) is the a must. You can find cars for sale, parts, and lots of knowledgeable people who can help with any questions you have. Many US states have their own Alfa Romeo clubs as well. These are cars that should be garaged in the winter. Keeping them free of road salts and mud is vital to prevent rust. Obviously an older car will break down more because of its age, but they’re also far less complex than new cars. There are also lots of businesses online that sell Alfa parts. If you stick to a model that was produced in large numbers like the GTV’s or Spiders there won’t be an issue getting parts. These are not cars that you can just trust your local mechanic to fix properly. Make sure there is a reputable Alfa specialist that you won’t find too much of a hassle to drive to. The Alfa Romeo Club of American is the best source to find a mechanic near you, they will also be able to tell you who to avoid because there are some pretty bad (or dishonest) mechanics out there.
Love these videos, there use to be an older Italian gentleman here in Winnipeg that had a restaurant that drove old Italian cars from the old Dino Ferrari V6 Manitoba sounded so good at high RPM's when he sold that he bought one of these Alfas and we all immediately fell in love with it and it had the 1.7 with the 5 speed in it back in the early 80's , yes it was red with black vinyl interior and was funny had a Blaupunkt AM/FM CASSETTE player in it that was factory as far as he knew , we always wondered why he would let it warm up even in the middle of summer and we found out why quickly when he told us about then power train in it and then understood the damage it can cause by driving it cold he had the Dellorto carbs on it, dam they sounded so sweet and your right once it got to just about 3000 rpms it started to sing right up to over 7000, i think they had a company design the engine sound it was just so sexy like watching a woman in dark dress in high heels sashay past a group of guys leaving their jaws on the floor, he never parked the car in the direct sun always under the tree behind his restaurant and always in his garage at home, so many great memories just admiring that car , it brought a ton of business to his restaurant we use to kid him about that, it was just a great place with awesome food/family he drove it for about 9/10 yrs and sold it to someone in i think Vancouver, it was just an awesome car and what got me into owning Volvos for the last 40 yrs, best decision i ever made for cars and still daily drive them , Alphas here in Canada are much harder to find than in the USA, our climate isn't too kind to them and prices for them are absolutely stupid my friend has looked for any Alpha and its like you said rust is there middle name and rough one was quoted to fix/ restore half decently was almost $30k CDN not including the purchase price , the bodyshop owner told he would do better to import 1 from the USA or Europe, 👍
Nice try, but I wish they used a better example of the 105/115 coupes. Rear fender excessively flared (non-original), seams on the rocker panel filled (most likely with lots of bondo), and things missing from the rear axle-suspension, namely limiting straps (at 14:03 he mentions to see if the straps are still there) and rear sway bar (all except the Giulia Sprint GT and early GT1300Jr were equipped with the rear sway bar).
One of the best cars I ever owned. Purchased mine brand new in 1974. Beige over tan. Being new it was unmolested and everything about it was exciting and near to perfection for a driver.
I am only 24 so take it easy, but he has made some clear to me that i’ve never thought of before.. Let the owner drive you around in the car before you take it for a test drive! Seeing how they have treated the car is super important! I can’t believe i’ve never thought of this before 😑
I had one of each engine size. Liked the 1300 best ‘cos it was so revvy and made such great noises. Talking of noises, if you sat quietly you could hear all 4 of them rust.
'69 1750 is the best. The shape of the seats were the sweetest for driving experience. But most notable among them all is the high angled shifter that fits like a glove in your hand. My '67 1600 had an automatic cigarette lighter. You pop the ring down, and moments later: "bing." In those motors, you can bury the tach! In fact, the real power is from redline to bury.
is it from that time period when alfa bought a ton of bad quality, rusty steel from russia and made cars that were rust buckets straight from the factory?
you reach the Pinnacle of being a car person when you get into French and Italian cars (that aren't Bugatti or Ferrari/Lamborghini), the beauty, the pain and the sheer driving experience is difficult to explain but once you've experienced it you know
A proper restoration will include proper rust proofing. I restored several 750 and 101 series Alfas, did them on a rotisserie. After replacing inner and outer panels and while the cars were still on the rotisserie I injected Waxoil into all the boxed areas and turned the car over several times to make sure the Waxoil penetrated every seam. Those cars will last longer than I will.
The GTV (Giulia Sprint GT Veloce) came out on 1965 and was way ahead of its time. Alloy engine, gearbox, and rear axle, four wheel disc brakes, and an aerodynamic body. The lightweight version, (GTA and GTAm) won several world championships.
Great insights... And about the real car person (petrol head/car fanatic) and Alfa ownership. I once had 3 Alfas, and my other half was looking at me in a different way! So I sold one. Currently have the Gt junior 1600 1975 and Gtv Alfetta 2.0 1982. Take care everyone. Happy safe driving!
Very informative video. It was always my dream back in the '70's-early '80's to one day own an Alfa, primarily a Spider, but you really do need access to a "guru" who knows all the pitfalls. I had no idea of the rust potential (being alot more than other makes from this era).
very nice review! In 1986 a friend of mine had one of these. He told me the lifted portion of the headliner in the back was necessary for the car to be homologized. To be a four seater the height in the back had to be of a certain height and Alfa need the extra few millimeters for the car to be allowed for racing. Nice to see this extra cut in the car driven…
if this is a sacrilege to even ask on a video for this beautiful Alfa forgive me, but at about the 11:30 mark he says that one of the iconic things about this car is how you can use “every bit of its performance” when you’re driving it… *would the modern-day equivalent be the newly re-designed Toyota GR 86?* I’m not a Toyota fanboy and, in fact, I currently own a 2021 Alfa Stelvio, just wondering what the most similar present-day car to this Alfa would be in terms of performance and market positioning.
The GTV was such a cool set of wheels. In the mid-70s I was a BMW 2002 freak -- having been exposed to them by a Master Sargent in the Army - he was a lifer back from Germany was being re-stationed in the states. I on the other hand was a draftee -- back from Vietnam -- and I could not wait to get discharged from this man's Army. Anyway, the sarg wanted to dump his 1969 2002 and I bought it. So soon I was cheering all the orange & black BMW 2002s racing in the TransAm under 2.5L class. Of course I believed in my heart that the BMW was the best but in truth they could only rarely beat the Alpha GTVs and especially the one driven by Horst Kwech. The BMW 2L 8v (Al head and iron block) was a great engine but it could not match the all aluminum Alpha 16v for HP. Of course old Horst was known to cheat a bit with oversized gas tanks! LOL
Back in the day (19 years old) I had the choice between 1969 1750 GT Veloce and a Canadian assembled 1969 Volvo 123 GT........I went a full week agonizing over which one. By the end of the week I bought the Volvo. Loved the Volvo (the 123 GT was unique among Volvos) and I always thought about that 1750 ! It is simply beautiful to drive and oh so pleasing to the eyes ! Thanks, great video ! Now, if you're done with this car, I'll take it !
Interesting video, thanks. But, with all these points to consider, and with them Alfa GT's GTV's - I question if you will ever purchase one of them old timers Alfa's. After all they are 50 years old, and have been shifting owners. Second, good luck on finding an Alfa with no rust (you said, run, don't walk). I had an amazing 1973 Alfa Giulietta GT Junior 1750, and after all the multiple previous owners, and the rust - Man, it was one tremendous fun car.... (and the addictive metal sound, and the exhilarating kick in the rear you get at 6000 RPM, and , and... ) - It is what it is. Thank you Busso, thank you Bertone.
81, helped my brother put the aluminum Rover V8 in one. Borg Warner 4 speed Rochester carbs. Steel block cracked in NY weather. Very quick, scared me during the build when you could see the road because we cut the tranny hump out, had "ribs" holding together to keep the floor from splitting. He put that same engine in a boat tail Alfa and Europa. Worked on older Astons, Ferraris and everything down to Sprites.
I'm one of the many viewers wishing I had 3 legs. Two for standing, and the 3rd for kicking myself in the backside for having sold my '73 GTV 2.0. As much as I love my '86 GTV6 with 3.0 litre transplant, it will never be as desirable as the 105 series GTV. Parked behind my GTV6 is something you never imported into the US, is my Alfa Brera with 5cyl 2.4L diesel. BTW,, a very good video.
At 3:25 "...A great and durable motor..." No, they are not a great and durable motor...let me explain. The engine was developed prior to 1950, the first post-war design. The 6C that preceded it was developed in 1927, the new engine was for the 'new for 1950' model 1900. The 1900 which housed this new engine, they only sold a few thousand as Italy was still recovering from a war ravaged landscape....this four cylinder, not since the early twenties had Alfa made a new four cylinder. In 1950, engine designers still didn't apply much mathematics or study in design, it was more intuition, fable & a so-called "common sense", which was often wrong on a basic level. So, Alfa had included valve-angles of ninety-degrees...makes sense right?...no. This is why in 'good tune' these engines just made past 100HP...Two-liters the common displacement for four cylinders. Much has changed in the seventy-two years past, but that almost ancient design still persists in lore & hype... Want a real eye-opener of an Alfa?, graft a Honda STOCK 247 HP 2.0 liter four Honda F20 engine & transmission into this GTV engine bay....the Honda S2000 that housed this engine was an overweight pig of a car at 2800 pounds...this Alfa at 500 lbs less would be a rocket indeed.
The GTV does really exemplify what Alfa is about. Unfortunately, the Fiat management will never let Alfa return to its simpler roots. Who would have thought Mini could have thrived and established herself as a cultural identity when the humongous SUV's were all the rage? Who would have thought that the GR86 and BRZ would have developed such an ardent following? Alfa could have reintroduce herself into the market as a simpler and thus more affordable brand to reconnect with a new generation of buyers while rekindling the romance with the older buyers who actually still love Alfas (despite the scars). Do that with a Busso-like V6, a simple yet elegant analog environment without all the built-for-obsolescence glitzy digital distractions. Bring back the rakishness and dapperness of driving, and I am sure the market will reward Alfa for that effort. But, nope... Instead, we get these over-priced and overweight sedans and SUV's. At the annual volume of only around 18k cars, I'm not sure how long they can survive, especially in the new EV era.
A Get Shorty reference automatically gets you a thumbs up and a share no matter the video. Luckily for me this was very thorough and educational. I absolutely melt for Alfa Romeos and have lusted over a 1750cc 105 with those exact rims in this video. Just glorious
I owned an 1750 Alfa GTV in the late 1970s in England. A magic car for attracting the ladies. Great mechanics and lousy electrics for the damp English climate which were resolved by replacing key elements such as the distributor and starter motor with Bosch products
i earlier comented that i drove as my main car from 72 to 98 was a alfa-romeu GT2000 veloce but some are writting that i´m do not know about alfa cars when maybe i was one of the few who kept in good condition other alfas i paid cheap or were thrown to a junkyard and no one answers me why this car is a GTV, because i only knew it by giulia GT ,giulia sprint veloce or the rally version the GTA wich is famous, the only ALFA´s i couldn´t aford the Stradale from the 60´s and the Montreal from the 70´s, they ask me what today is 3.000€ for one and 2.500€ at the time(late 70´s and early 80´s)
I had a beautiful 1971 GTV 1750. It was a rust free California car that was a joy to drive. It was not fast as in the 80s I was being blown away by 16 yo girls in Civics. The issues I had were a consequence of abuse in earlier life but were attended to. The source of all these problems stem from a quality car that requires appropriate care being bought used by people wanting to look cool and driving it like a Chevette.
When you present this car it should be brought his competitors of the time like BMW,Audi,VW,Peugeot,Renault... just to show how much advanced this car was.Even the rust problems is not specific for Alfa of the day...any car rusted in that period
I’ve owned 13 different Alfa’s and they were all addictive to drive. The amazing sound of my 1986 GTV6 is something I will remember on my deathbed. Some Alfa’s are more problematic than others, it often comes down to each individual car. When they’re well maintained they’re Heaven. One BIG problem is owners who don’t take care of them like they should. FOLLOWING the owners manual to the letter makes a huge difference. I always changed my oil before it needed changing. Alfa’s are like marrying the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen, who also is a lot of fun and very interesting to talk to....and after a while you discover she is bipolar. An Alfa can be an ordeal to own, but you can’t imagine your life without it.
This is an enormously accurate statement
@@drg6161 Thanks! I’m a mechanic who only works on European cars, and I drive Alfa’s in dry weather, otherwise I drive Toyota’s. I live in Connecticut which means that most of the year I drive my Toyota 4-Runner. If I could drive Alfa’s daily I would, but I would’ve burned through a lot more of them by now. I have owned BMW’s and Porsche’s, and as great as most of them were to drive, none of them come close to Alfa’s as far as looks feel and character. It’s amazing how much like Italian & German cars are like Italian & German (not the American ones) people. Italians are lively and love beautiful things, Germans tend to be boring and orderly. Germans will show up to your house for dinner on time, but the Italians are the ones that will be fun and talkative.
A good way I describe all the Alfa owners I’ve done work for is that they all gripe about problems they’ve had, then turn right around and start talking about buying another Alfa.
Another great Italian car that we work on are Lancia’s, and again, it all depends on the model and year on how good or bad they are. They’re usually beautiful and amazing to drive. The main concerns are rust and electrics, all of which can be easily fixed. On older cars the electrics should be stripped and replaced with modern components.
THE most incredible car I ever drove was a 1971 Maserati Ghibli that my grandfather owned. It cost $22,000 in 1971, now it would be worth $500,000 or more for a really good one. It was also the most beautiful car, right up there with the Ferrari 365gtb/4 (Daytona) or the Lamborghini Miura. I had it up to 130 on the German autobahn and it was rock steady. Even if I could afford one now, I wouldn’t buy one simply because of its age and the parts supply. For instance, if something happens to the massive rear window, there are no replacements available.
@@Mike-rk8px it´s true but in the 30´s of the last century, much more cars were perfect to drive in the 70´s or second alf of the 60´s where some models were upgraded and my favorite cars you refer to the daytona and the miura ,about the back window i can give you a contac in Italia where they still make back windows for most of the sportive italian cars
I agree, but confess I might be biased. 😆
Since you have a lot of Alfa experience, would you say that a lot of this video applies to alfa spiders as well?
On one hand, it's great to see a video on this because I now know how to get my dream car. On the other hand, RIP prices
Its not that bad here in Europe, you can get an alright condition gtv2000 for 10-15k
@@Tunnel_Rat69 No way! Point me in that direction and I'll have it right now hahah
Brilliant video. Many thanks from the UK
When I was a teenager I always hoped for a GTV of this generation that I could afford. Unfortunately that was never the case. My Dad owns a 67 Duetto Spider since the Seventies. It is mechanically a sibling of the GT of this generation. My Grandma owned several Giulias of those years. Great and well balanced cars. Most cars of today do not have a gearbox that shifts as perfectly as those fifty years old Alfa Romeos.
Alfa Romeo started this engine style in 55 and put a 5 speed to their cars. Absolutely unheard of in those times.
My grandfather used to drive Alfa Romeos his whole life. Som special bodied prewar cars as well. But the last car he bought was a second hand Maserati 3500 Granturismo. But it did not come with a five speed. When I was two yeras old we drove to Modena to put a five speed gear box in it. At the Maserati factory!
I believe this engine design entered production in the early fifties.
@@machtschnell7452 Well it is possible that you are right. Were those engines put in street cars that time? I only know that the 1955 GT had that kind of engine.
I own a catalog with all the cars of 52. Unfortunately I do not have it in hand. I gave it to an italian friend who is reading it for a few days. He comes from a Lancia family while mine were all Alfa Romeo guys. I will try to find out more as soon as i get the book back.
@@machtschnell7452 I found the wikipedia article "Alfa romeo twin cam engine".: "The Twin Cam's predecessor appeared in the 1950 Alfa Romeo 1900 and was an under-square inline four cylinder with a cast-iron block, an aluminium alloy crossflow cylinder head with double overhead cams and a 90° included angle between intake and exhaust valves. Development of that engine was overseen by Orazio Satta Puliga who would also helm development of its successor. The 1952 Disco Volante had a 2-litre DOHC four cylinder engine with an aluminium block and sleeves, but this seems to have been a custom version of the 1900 engine rather than a prototype of the forthcoming Twin Cam. While the Twin Cam shared some features with the 1900 engine, it was a new design by Giuseppe Busso.[1]
The Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine debuted in the 1954 Giulietta."
One of the most beautiful cars ever made!!!
Had the chance to pick one up for a steak a year ago, now they’re 80k
That must’ve been some steak 🥩....even last year a fairly decent one was North of $25k
@@robertcristando8007 18k with a clean straight body, complete. Missed out but now I have a nice 914, can’t complain I guess
I'd listen to my fifth grade teacher talk about a GTV, and I'd listen to Sam Smith talk about blenders. Good stuff here.
Really like what you folks are doing. I will definitely look at Hagerty first when my Datsun 260z is complete and ready for insurance.
I bought a 2000 GTV in 1973, and owned it 11 years. It steered and turned like nothing else- it felt like it was on tiptoes. It needed lots of TLC and special tools, but it hated my wife. One of my all-time favorite cars.
He's right annot the rust. About the only place they don't rust is the roof & the bonnet. And maybe the bootlid.
My former brother in law owned one, sweet car the doctor drove to work.
Early in the video was a quick mention that the 105/115 cars are basically the same car- and then a focus on the GT chassis specifically. But it should be noted that SO many of the parts are swappable across the entire line. One quick look of the engine installed in that specific GT is a great example- that engine came from a mid 70's Spider. The small plastic things riveted to the cam cover is the giveaway- those used to be plastic "brackets" to hold a hot air cross over from the exhaust to the intake. (and the reason I conclude the entire engine vs. just the cam cover- why would you swap a clean cam cover to that w/o the rest of the engine?)
And there's nothing wrong with doing that, too- the only real difference between the later 70's engines and the early ones- cam timing and the SPICA set up (not counting the warm air crossover and the air pump). So if you can't rebuild the engine, getting a replacement to rebuild isn't that hard.
Same goes for the rear axle- if you are going to cruise for a long time, there are some late 80's Spider axles that are great to swap in.
As long as there are not holes poked into the aluminum castings, the powertrains are incredibly rebuildable.
I'd say that the Swiss license plate on the front hints that this is likely a Euro spec car (with fender lights added when it was imported) and the engine seems correct for this car to me. The car has some slight modifications, including replacement of the air intake box that would have taken that missing hot air cross-over by open air filters. The yellow Koni dampers will also provide a much stiffer ride than factory - I prefer the red ones myself.
But yes, a lot of the technical parts can be sourced from a lot newer cars meaning that they can be acquired fairly cheap.
This car came fromLucca, Tuscany,the dashbord take too much sunshine,the original gear lever is not that long, maybe the non-original knob makes it longer
Great video. Now I just need one on a Mercedes 190 SL to see if I made a good purchase lol.
Usually when I see guys talking about these cars it’s mostly nonsense, but this guy knows his stuff, especially about the modifications.
The rear flares of that car is so wrong it kills me and i know it kills u too
Some of the best modifications can be easily undone, too. We had our car set up for motorsports play, and now that we are done, changing back to stock will be very simple.
... and we know your videos. Fine work, respect!
Doesn't he just.
no, he does not
The most important question...when can we expect the buyer's guide on the Oldsmobile Silhouette? The Cadillac of minivans, that killed me!🤣
😂😂😂😂
"Don't get a girlfriend. If you want problems, I'll buy you an Alfa Romeo." - My dad
FROM THAT POINT FIAT WAS THE OWNER OF ALFA YOU ARE RIGHT. SAME STORY WITH LANCIA.
If you really want problems, buy ANY BMW DAWG !!
@@doorgunnerangel4105 And VW owns Porsche and Audi...don't drink the German Kool Aid DAWG...when these cars were made, FIAT had NO HAND IN ALFA ....Even in the recent past, when FCA funded the development of Giulia and Stelvio and ultimately the Giorgio platform, Alfa hired a FERRARI SKUNKWORKS TEAM.....Peace DAWG !!
FORZA ALFA BABY !!!!
THE KING IS BACK !!!!
your dad is my dad now
@@モカッチ紙袋にいる猫www GATTO! "G" 👍
That review caught me by surprise at just how good it was. A great car given the time and considerations deserved. Cheers!
First review I’ve seen by someone who knows these cars intimately. The soft rear, positive views on the Spica injection, rust, gearbox, handling, engine of the 1750 being smoothest, etc. were all spot on. Kudos.
Head to the vintage customs channel to know every detail about these
Agree. Great reviewer.
I owned mine from 1976 until 2013. I wish I still had it.
Haggerty is on fire between Camisa and Farrah and this guy Sam Smith not the singer is awesome too
Farrah is that you?
True i’ve been loving this channel!
One of the most beautiful cars ever.
hahahaha
@@AlienGrade wut
An intuitive and well balanced critic of the 105.. Out of interest the 101 Guilia was basically used for the mechanical development of the 105.All the tips this lad gives on care warming up etc is spot on.Have used my 101 now in Europe for half a century. Still sound and turns heads even today. Forza Alfa 🇬🇧
Lol
@@AlienGrade ridi su sto cazzo
It's so much fun to drive that car.
Literally everybody smiles at you when they see you, young people, old people, everyone, even though it's actually pretty loud.
I was in Aspen, CO around 1990 in the summer when I saw a GTV like this tear through downtown. I was hooked. Thing was a romance on wheels.
The word “FUN” sums up Alfa’s perfectly. I own a 1972 GTV coupe in electric blue with a black interior. I’ve never owned a car to impress others, or to attract women, I buy cars that I love. Alfa’s are just like Italy: incredibly beautiful, full of history, endlessly fascinating, lots of fun, full of romance. If a car to you is just a mode of transportation, buy a Toyota Camry. If you want to have your mind blown, get an Alfa or something else Italian. They require dedication to proper maintenance, but they also reward you for it in spades.
no one's complaining about the noise if it's a good noise
When I was a young man I was offered a good one in Germany for a very good price in 1983. About 4.000 DM back then, maybe 2.000 $ at that time. I didn't buy it. I am such an idiot.
Alfa Romeo.......#1 Italian exporter of iron oxide. I still want one!
When I was stationed in Germany in the early 1980's I saw this interesting little car on the lemon lot on base and it was a 1968 Alfa 1300 GT Junior. It had been restored years earlier in Italy by a US Naval officer. Painted brown, probably my least favorite color, w black interior. No apparent rust (I didn't really look that hard). I bought it and absolutely loved the way it drove and the manual gear box. Down on power for sure but it sounded like a race car going through the gears. I installed a back window with defogger option from a later car, a set of ATS Mag wheels, Bosch driving lights on the front bumper, and some later GTV bucket seats and really loved the car. When swapping the seats I discovered air where the back of the bucket seat was supposed to bolt to the floor (pretended I didn't see it). Brought my newborn son home from the hospital in it (wife still hasn't forgiven me). I dragged that little car around my apartment parking space by a lug nut trying to get the wheels off before I finally snapped the lug off and realized the wheels on that side of the car were reverse threaded (nope I didn't replace that lug with an original but did tell the next owner about it). Only sold it because reassigned stateside when father passed and didn't have the time investigate shipping the Alfa. Probably my favorite little sports car and I had a few.
I know the GTV is fantastic, but the most Alfa Alfa to me has to have a Busso V6. That soulful engine is everything. I miss my 155 V6 so much...
I had a 1972 GTV2000 and almost nothing was plated... it is almost all stainless steel... I did a complete restoration on mine costing many MANY thousands of dollars. But I never re-chromed anything... what are you talking about Sam Smith?
True, the bumpers were stainless and what was it was aluminum.
This is my favorite car. I can’t imagine owning something I loved this much that was this fragile.
They're not that fragile, not sure why he made such a point of that. The dashes crack, but interior isn't "fragile". They're around 50 years old, so yeah, let it get up to temp before you beat on it, but they like being driven hard. If something does break, parts are plenty available and reasonably priced. Research well and inspect thoroughly so you know what you're getting into, but it's not like it going to be falling apart or breaking if you buy a good one and don't do everything "just so".
I own one. Restored it top to bottom. It is not fragile. The engine is a blast and has plenty of robustness. Sheet metal is typical from the 70's and they do rust, as do all European, Japanese, and US cars from that era. The car is light and handles very well. After market is the best it has ever been. The 2.0 litre, in my opinion, is the best option.
I owned a 1972 GTV2000 and they are not fragile... also almost all stainless steel not sure what he's talking about re-chroming... can't think of anything that is chromed in the first place. They are very high quality cars for the era.
I own a 64 Step Nose....the most attractive version of this car....Not fragile at all.....
Very robust car. Just do not let it get wet. Corrosion is the enemy.
Fabulous review of a sports car we enjoyed in 1963 1300 ,1966/7 duetto 1600 and a 1971 1750 spider. Pretty close mechanically of the GTV...we cheered on in trans am during those years. My dad always loved his alfas ..
Really great review and insights!
Back in the early 70's I bought a 69 Alfa Spider 1750 with SPICA mechanical fuel injection. I love how he talks about the light touch on the shifter. The comments about how revvy that engine was is so spot on, too. Everywhere at 4 grand but, warm it up first! Easiest top to work. Loved the look of the dash more than that of the GTV. The gauges canted towards the driver. Boy, I wish I still owned that car and it has little to do with how much it might be worth today. Just a fun car to drive!
I had a 1972 1750 Spider also with the mechanical fuel injection. Another youthful mistake to sell it.....
Got Alfa? Check. I've owned two- a '79 Spider 2000 and a '62 Giulietta Sprint. You owe it to yourself to drive a well set-up 101 or 105 Alfa. Then you'll understand.
From a style perspective this ranks right up there with a Hakosuka in my book. Beautiful!
I have seen these cars many many times, and each time I can't see any flaws. They are perfect. Good looking, nice size, great from any angle. They are in the short list of perfect cars.
A guy in South Africa put a Ford Essex v6 in this body 106kw with no tuning problems; the engine can be tunned up, to 3,3, new crank, and triple webber double carburators; then the South African Alfa dealer took the GTV6, Alfa engine from 2,5 to 3,0 so that he could race against the Fords and BMW.
1971 1750 GTV. The trick for the head gaskets was to re-torque the head bolts about every 6k miles. Add some 10mm camshafts, Some Bobcor headers, replace the Spica injection with 40mm Webers, bigger front sway bar, new shorter length stiffer springs all around, pin the rear bushings, remove all excess weight, get some 205 Pirelli's mounted on 5 spoke Italian wheels, and have your transmission personally rebuilt by Horst Kwech. Oh yeah.... build custom front and rear spoilers, mount 4 Alfa curved velocity stacks to your Webers inside the Alfa ram air box and put a duct to the front grill......some parts compliment$ of Ausca Engineering. Then drive the whole shebang over to see the races at Road America, Elkhart Lake. Fairly easy to do 140mph and corners were nothing but shits and giggles.
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Rusted panels are easy to replace on these cars,,,don't let this guy talk you out of one of these cars,,,and those filters cause "rich condition" get direct flo filters .
Unless the rot is well into the structure
Then your "easy" angle goes out the window..
This was the ONE car of this era that I'd wanted since childhood. Sadly at the current prices there are a lot of other cars I'd much rather, and do currently, own. I really wish a decent driver's condition 105 like the one in this video could still be had for 25k, as it would be in my garage if that were the case.
when I was a kid maybe 13 years old around 1983 or so a man a block or two away had one of these cars parked in his car port. I knew that that car was special . There is something about the size and lines of this car that just makes it classic . I would love to have one . It would look perfect parked beside my 240z.
Honestly I don't understand why foreigners have This stereotype about Alfa Romeo being supposedly "unreliable". Here in Italy, and I speak as an Alfista son of an Alfista and brother of an Alfista, I have never had any mechanical issues, always treated her Well, Constant revisions, checking the enging, regular cleaning etc....
Now there Maybe 2 options:
1) Mechanics abroad don't have appropriate spare parts or are simply not familiar with Alfa engineering, Which can be complex varying on the model (in particular for 70s models)
2) People don't treat them well or drive them as a Cadillac or a Nissan expecting them to behave as something that these cars are not.
Ps. Option 3: Is the Good old Protestant prejudice towards Italians being immensely stylish, highly Intelligent, elegant, flamboyant but unreliable, simply extended to cars.
Like the English who eat only fish and chips, the Italians only spaghetti, and the French only baguettes while listening to accordion.
Banal vulgate
Probably there are many check points for buyer. However, most important point is whether you like Alfa Romeo or not. If you like, the classic Giulia is the best Alfa. I’ve been driving Giulia 1750GTV for 35 years and I really feel so.
Buy a Alfa that lived its entire life in Phoenix Arizona. 😜
That's an excellent, very informative video. Congrats to the team. My first car would have been a hand-me-down 2000 Berlina with the Spica injection, except that 3 years in Canada and another 5 in Scotland had turned the frame into Orange dust. That made me very very sad.💔
It's funny that you assume the people who buy alfas don't WANT to work on them constantly...lol...the worse it is when you get it the more you GET to work on it. People who buy alfas are not concerned that they will have to get hands on with the car, they are excited to do so.
I wonder why Hagerty chose this example with oversized wheels and alternator issues - the wheel arches in the back are not original…smh - the sills have work on it they dont have the groove - why Hagerty why?
The wheels looked terrible.....
My grandfather ALLOWED 🤣me to drive his one ...same red colour.i have only driven alfa since.sometimes painful and expensive, but always a pleasure..like a beautiful woman really
a guy asked me if i knew the diferencies between the spyder and the GT 1750 veloce, i explained that as some similarities but it´s a diferent car, then he replyes saying my spyder is just like the one in the video but without top ,anyone knows a GT without top? or confusing the rallye car that was called GTA but a totally diferent car , i have a lot of ALFA´s because i paid around 500€ for each and some were ofered ,a junior paid 100€ for it in mint condition but needed a clutch, i drove a GT2000 from 72 to 98 and now they call it a GTV ,there´s a confusion with the rallye car but that isn´t a road car , and GT model for one reason there´s the GT junior
One more thing- about the rust... The massive warnings and horrible stories and scary info is 20-30 years old. These cars are pretty much 50 years old now- so if you can find a running, driving, and reasonably used car- rust is not likely to be that big of a problem. Middle and outer sills and under the window would be the bad spots that would still be seen on a usable car. Other areas would be floors and spare tire wells. Pain to fix, for sure, but the common rust areas are also available from some shops to be welded back in.
If the rust was so bad that the bulkhead/ A pillar section is ruined- you'll notice that as soon as you move the car. These cars are NOT SPIDERS- they are stiff, and not flexible. If massive rust was a problem 20-30 years ago, the car would largely be part of the soil now. Not saying you can't find cars like that- but IMHO, they will be clearly projects or abandoned cars- something that will be really hard to take for a test drive.
It's one beautiful car, always will be.
My dad had a 1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTV and I learned how to drive a manual transmission on that car I loved Alfa Romeos ever since
All that problems you are referring ... it applies to all cars... I don't know a car that stays in good condition without care... basically, what you are saying is ... in Italy, rain is a big problem, it's made out of water...
"Gearbox needs to be warmed" - they couldn't design a gearbox properly, just a fact.
Certeza que o Barata veio ver esse vídeo....
Great video, wonderful Alfa, would prefer it without the annoying music though
I learned how to drive on a '71 GTV. 💕
This video made my day. In sum "never buy an Alfa Romeo (GTV) ha ha ha lol
Wow, I've always dreamt of owning a GTV from this era. I think you likely scared the dream outta me. Believe me, I'm very thankful for the amazing insight. I don't have the funds to mess around with a $20k (ran when parked) "cheap" 2000 GTV.
You want to avoid the poorly restored ones at all costs. And about 75% of our poorly restored..
It sounds like a nightmare to find and maintain, yet I still want one
Actually they’re not hard to maintain, and there are lots of them around the world. There were over 91,000 GT 1300 coupes made between 1965 to 1977 for example. Just buy the best example you can find, never buy a cheap one that needs lots of work because it will be a money pit. There are lots of well maintained cars out there, you just have to take the time to pick the right one.
Joining the AROC (Alfa Romeo Owners Club) is the a must. You can find cars for sale, parts, and lots of knowledgeable people who can help with any questions you have. Many US states have their own Alfa Romeo clubs as well.
These are cars that should be garaged in the winter. Keeping them free of road salts and mud is vital to prevent rust. Obviously an older car will break down more because of its age, but they’re also far less complex than new cars.
There are also lots of businesses online that sell Alfa parts. If you stick to a model that was produced in large numbers like the GTV’s or Spiders there won’t be an issue getting parts.
These are not cars that you can just trust your local mechanic to fix properly. Make sure there is a reputable Alfa specialist that you won’t find too much of a hassle to drive to. The Alfa Romeo Club of American is the best source to find a mechanic near you, they will also be able to tell you who to avoid because there are some pretty bad (or dishonest) mechanics out there.
@@Mike-rk8px Thanks for the info!
5:07 yeah, you know that seal he's talking about ? It's missing on this one, it should be right below that door gap...
Yeah, that's been patched with Bondo.
Love these videos, there use to be an older Italian gentleman here in Winnipeg that had a restaurant that drove old Italian cars from the old Dino Ferrari V6 Manitoba sounded so good at high RPM's when he sold that he bought one of these Alfas and we all immediately fell in love with it and it had the 1.7 with the 5 speed in it back in the early 80's , yes it was red with black vinyl interior and was funny had a Blaupunkt AM/FM CASSETTE player in it that was factory as far as he knew , we always wondered why he would let it warm up even in the middle of summer and we found out why quickly when he told us about then power train in it and then understood the damage it can cause by driving it cold he had the Dellorto carbs on it, dam they sounded so sweet and your right once it got to just about 3000 rpms it started to sing right up to over 7000, i think they had a company design the engine sound it was just so sexy like watching a woman in dark dress in high heels sashay past a group of guys leaving their jaws on the floor, he never parked the car in the direct sun always under the tree behind his restaurant and always in his garage at home, so many great memories just admiring that car , it brought a ton of business to his restaurant we use to kid him about that, it was just a great place with awesome food/family he drove it for about 9/10 yrs and sold it to someone in i think Vancouver, it was just an awesome car and what got me into owning Volvos for the last 40 yrs, best decision i ever made for cars and still daily drive them , Alphas here in Canada are much harder to find than in the USA, our climate isn't too kind to them and prices for them are absolutely stupid my friend has looked for any Alpha and its like you said rust is there middle name and rough one was quoted to fix/ restore half decently was almost $30k CDN not including the purchase price , the bodyshop owner told he would do better to import 1 from the USA or Europe, 👍
Nice try, but I wish they used a better example of the 105/115 coupes. Rear fender excessively flared (non-original), seams on the rocker panel filled (most likely with lots of bondo), and things missing from the rear axle-suspension, namely limiting straps (at 14:03 he mentions to see if the straps are still there) and rear sway bar (all except the Giulia Sprint GT and early GT1300Jr were equipped with the rear sway bar).
One of the best cars I ever owned. Purchased mine brand new in 1974. Beige over tan. Being new it was unmolested and everything about it was exciting and near to perfection for a driver.
Fun, but always flawed. 50+ cars later, I still have a soft spot for the 4 Alfas I owned.
You got the JONES 😅
To me this is the most beautiful car ever produced
Sam is one of my favorite journalists. Great to see him and hear his analysis.
I am only 24 so take it easy, but he has made some clear to me that i’ve never thought of before.. Let the owner drive you around in the car before you take it for a test drive! Seeing how they have treated the car is super important! I can’t believe i’ve never thought of this before 😑
Curious - Is that the Hudson River in the background during the walk-and-talk, and Harriman State Park for the driving segments?
Looks like walk around is in Nyack, Mario Cuomo Bridge in background.
@@Fordham81 It is 100% for certain Nyack. The roads are local too.
In the background when he’s talking you can see a Cadillac driving by with what’s clearly a New York license plate so it’s definitely New York
I had one of each engine size. Liked the 1300 best ‘cos it was so revvy and made such great noises. Talking of noises, if you sat quietly you could hear all 4 of them rust.
Hilarious comment about the Olds. Great review, thanks. I have a Stelvio, and while it's not as Alfa as the GTV, I love it. Go Alfa !
'69 1750 is the best. The shape of the seats were the sweetest for driving experience. But most notable among them all is the high angled shifter that fits like a glove in your hand. My '67 1600 had an automatic cigarette lighter. You pop the ring down, and moments later: "bing." In those motors, you can bury the tach! In fact, the real power is from redline to bury.
is it from that time period when alfa bought a ton of bad quality, rusty steel from russia and made cars that were rust buckets straight from the factory?
NO nononono my friend, It gets worse when the 80s starts rolling in :D. Look up the Alfa Arna and the Lancia Beta to have an idea of how bad it got
you reach the Pinnacle of being a car person when you get into French and Italian cars (that aren't Bugatti or Ferrari/Lamborghini), the beauty, the pain and the sheer driving experience is difficult to explain but once you've experienced it you know
Why not Bugatti and/or Ferrari/Lamborghini?
Had my fill of Italian sports cars with a 1976 Fiat. It rusted away structurally in 1988.
What took it so long? You must live in a desert! 🤭
Yes, the Oldsmobile Silhouette IS what I really want.
Just chat them up on social media and RUclips and soon cardiologists will be bidding $180k for one on BAT.
If you are running from rust then you will never own a 105 Alfa…love it or hate it…ten minutes after full restoration it will be rusting..
A proper restoration will include proper rust proofing. I restored several 750 and 101 series Alfas, did them on a rotisserie. After replacing inner and outer panels and while the cars were still on the rotisserie I injected Waxoil into all the boxed areas and turned the car over several times to make sure the Waxoil penetrated every seam. Those cars will last longer than I will.
The GTV (Giulia Sprint GT Veloce) came out on 1965 and was way ahead of its time.
Alloy engine, gearbox, and rear axle, four wheel disc brakes, and an aerodynamic body.
The lightweight version, (GTA and GTAm) won several world championships.
Great insights... And about the real car person (petrol head/car fanatic) and Alfa ownership. I once had 3 Alfas, and my other half was looking at me in a different way! So I sold one. Currently have the Gt junior 1600 1975 and Gtv Alfetta 2.0 1982. Take care everyone. Happy safe driving!
at last a real GTV
The prices on these are ridiculous now. I love them, and I miss mine every day, but no way are they worth that much
Agree. This video is about 20 years late.
Very informative video. It was always my dream back in the '70's-early '80's to one day own an Alfa, primarily a Spider, but you really do need access to a "guru" who knows all the pitfalls. I had no idea of the rust potential (being alot more than other makes from this era).
This video is exactly what i was looking for! Just graduated school and pops gifted me a 71 1750 gtv!
When he said Giugaro, i said ah ok that's why.
Huh? That would be *Giugiaro*, wouldn't it?
very nice review! In 1986 a friend of mine had one of these. He told me the lifted portion of the headliner in the back was necessary for the car to be homologized. To be a four seater the height in the back had to be of a certain height and Alfa need the extra few millimeters for the car to be allowed for racing. Nice to see this extra cut in the car driven…
Alfa perfected corrosion with the GTV. Such wonderful cars to drive, and beautiful to look at 🙂
if this is a sacrilege to even ask on a video for this beautiful Alfa forgive me, but at about the 11:30 mark he says that one of the iconic things about this car is how you can use “every bit of its performance” when you’re driving it… *would the modern-day equivalent be the newly re-designed Toyota GR 86?* I’m not a Toyota fanboy and, in fact, I currently own a 2021 Alfa Stelvio, just wondering what the most similar present-day car to this Alfa would be in terms of performance and market positioning.
The GTV was such a cool set of wheels. In the mid-70s I was a BMW 2002 freak -- having been exposed to them by a Master Sargent in the Army - he was a lifer back from Germany was being re-stationed in the states. I on the other hand was a draftee -- back from Vietnam -- and I could not wait to get discharged from this man's Army. Anyway, the sarg wanted to dump his 1969 2002 and I bought it. So soon I was cheering all the orange & black BMW 2002s racing in the TransAm under 2.5L class. Of course I believed in my heart that the BMW was the best but in truth they could only rarely beat the Alpha GTVs and especially the one driven by Horst Kwech. The BMW 2L 8v (Al head and iron block) was a great engine but it could not match the all aluminum Alpha 16v for HP. Of course old Horst was known to cheat a bit with oversized gas tanks! LOL
Back in the day (19 years old) I had the choice between 1969 1750 GT Veloce and a Canadian assembled 1969 Volvo 123 GT........I went a full week agonizing over which one. By the end of the week I bought the Volvo. Loved the Volvo (the 123 GT was unique among Volvos) and I always thought about that 1750 ! It is simply beautiful to drive and oh so pleasing to the eyes !
Thanks, great video ! Now, if you're done with this car, I'll take it !
The only car that's bonnet open more than the doors. Still love the old classics.
Interesting video, thanks. But, with all these points to consider, and with them Alfa GT's GTV's - I question if you will ever purchase one of them old timers Alfa's. After all they are 50 years old, and have been shifting owners. Second, good luck on finding an Alfa with no rust (you said, run, don't walk). I had an amazing 1973 Alfa Giulietta GT Junior 1750, and after all the multiple previous owners, and the rust - Man, it was one tremendous fun car.... (and the addictive metal sound, and the exhilarating kick in the rear you get at 6000 RPM, and , and... ) - It is what it is. Thank you Busso, thank you Bertone.
81, helped my brother put the aluminum Rover V8 in one. Borg Warner 4 speed Rochester carbs. Steel block cracked in NY weather. Very quick, scared me during the build when you could see the road because we cut the tranny hump out, had "ribs" holding together to keep the floor from splitting. He put that same engine in a boat tail Alfa and Europa. Worked on older Astons, Ferraris and everything down to Sprites.
I'm one of the many viewers wishing I had 3 legs. Two for standing, and the 3rd for kicking myself in the backside for having sold my '73 GTV 2.0. As much as I love my '86 GTV6 with 3.0 litre transplant, it will never be as desirable as the 105 series GTV. Parked behind my GTV6 is something you never imported into the US, is my Alfa Brera with 5cyl 2.4L diesel. BTW,, a very good video.
Los Alfa 105 son coches increíbles.
Muy buen vídeo, en el que se dan unos consejos muy valiosos .Gracias
At 3:25 "...A great and durable motor..." No, they are not a great and durable motor...let me explain. The engine was developed prior to 1950, the first post-war design. The 6C that preceded it was developed in 1927, the new engine was for the 'new for 1950' model 1900. The 1900 which housed this new engine, they only sold a few thousand as Italy was still recovering from a war ravaged landscape....this four cylinder, not since the early twenties had Alfa made a new four cylinder.
In 1950, engine designers still didn't apply much mathematics or study in design, it was more intuition, fable & a so-called "common sense", which was often wrong on a basic level. So, Alfa had included valve-angles of ninety-degrees...makes sense right?...no. This is why in 'good tune' these engines just made past 100HP...Two-liters the common displacement for four cylinders.
Much has changed in the seventy-two years past, but that almost ancient design still persists in lore & hype...
Want a real eye-opener of an Alfa?, graft a Honda STOCK 247 HP 2.0 liter four Honda F20 engine & transmission into this GTV engine bay....the Honda S2000 that housed this engine was an overweight pig of a car at 2800 pounds...this Alfa at 500 lbs less would be a rocket indeed.
If someone gave me a choice, either a Bugatti or this Alfa, I would take the Bugatti - sell it and buy this Alfa. :-)
The body panels were rusting before they put them on the car
And they forgot to put your brain in before you were born.
The GTV does really exemplify what Alfa is about. Unfortunately, the Fiat management will never let Alfa return to its simpler roots. Who would have thought Mini could have thrived and established herself as a cultural identity when the humongous SUV's were all the rage? Who would have thought that the GR86 and BRZ would have developed such an ardent following? Alfa could have reintroduce herself into the market as a simpler and thus more affordable brand to reconnect with a new generation of buyers while rekindling the romance with the older buyers who actually still love Alfas (despite the scars). Do that with a Busso-like V6, a simple yet elegant analog environment without all the built-for-obsolescence glitzy digital distractions. Bring back the rakishness and dapperness of driving, and I am sure the market will reward Alfa for that effort.
But, nope... Instead, we get these over-priced and overweight sedans and SUV's. At the annual volume of only around 18k cars, I'm not sure how long they can survive, especially in the new EV era.
A Get Shorty reference automatically gets you a thumbs up and a share no matter the video. Luckily for me this was very thorough and educational. I absolutely melt for Alfa Romeos and have lusted over a 1750cc 105 with those exact rims in this video. Just glorious
I owned an 1750 Alfa GTV in the late 1970s in England. A magic car for attracting the ladies. Great mechanics and lousy electrics for the damp English climate which were resolved by replacing key elements such as the distributor and starter motor with Bosch products
i earlier comented that i drove as my main car from 72 to 98 was a alfa-romeu GT2000 veloce but some are writting that i´m do not know about alfa cars when maybe i was one of the few who kept in good condition other alfas i paid cheap or were thrown to a junkyard and no one answers me why this car is a GTV, because i only knew it by giulia GT ,giulia sprint veloce or the rally version the GTA wich is famous, the only ALFA´s i couldn´t aford the Stradale from the 60´s and the Montreal from the 70´s, they ask me what today is 3.000€ for one and 2.500€ at the time(late 70´s and early 80´s)
I had a beautiful 1971 GTV 1750. It was a rust free California car that was a joy to drive. It was not fast as in the 80s I was being blown away by 16 yo girls in Civics.
The issues I had were a consequence of abuse in earlier life but were attended to.
The source of all these problems stem from a quality car that requires appropriate care being bought used by people wanting to look cool and driving it like a Chevette.
When you present this car it should be brought his competitors of the time like BMW,Audi,VW,Peugeot,Renault... just to show how much advanced this car was.Even the rust problems is not specific for Alfa of the day...any car rusted in that period