Is it a GTAM or not?

[Citroënbender]

This is a great read; lots of trivia to soak up. Nice to see someone has done better than they expected, and without avarice.

[Cool Jesus]

Hey Scott, it must be an omen, look what just popped up on an Alfa group I'm following on FB. Some poms are are digesting it. Its the Alfetta that was on the shop line before yours.
I've always been curios about its front apron. I think it also has the GTV side grills too. Not true GT panelling but the front may have been replced after an MVA and the side grill may have been an aesthetic addition by an owner. The GTV side grill does look good.

[Scott Farquharson]

Old race harness fitted with single mounting point for shoulder belts.

[Scott Farquharson]

Can anyone decode engine numbers?

[Cool Jesus]

Engine is out of a 74-75 1.8L Alfetta.

Here's a short thread on engine casting markers to confirm capacity
http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=10019.0

The casting mark on the front of your engine looks like its for the 1750 series 2 (ie 1.8 ) engine block.

[Paul Newby]

Can anyone decode engine numbers?

AR01608*S is an early Alfetta 1800 engine with the 10548 cams - would be early 74-75 Alfettas and 75 Alfetta GTs only.

While we are decoding, RHD Alfetta shells are 116 11. And according to the reference books, the last RHD Alfetta GT was 00003258. So 3207 was definitely a RHD shell, the chassis number on the body starts with 11611. I just don't think they would have gone to the trouble of using LHD shells and converting them to RHD - easier to put a Spica engine and fuel tank in an original RHD shell.

American Spica engines are AR01629 - I've seen the CAMS logbook of Bill Magoffin's Group C GTAM and the Alfa Romeo logbook of 00002496 - they both show AR01629 numbers. A regular Alfetta 2.0 engine starts with AR01623.

There were only three GTAMs that raced at Bathurst 1976 and only the Foley car is unaccounted for. Other Alfa racers like Ray Gulson and Tony Niovanni persisted with the 105 2000 GTV and Foley went back to its old 1973 2000 GTV for 1977 Bathurst before building a new Alfetta GTV up for the 1978 Bathurst race.

[Cool Jesus]

Yep, all 25 Alfetta GTAms were Aus spec 1.8L Alfetta GT shells. I have someone's opinion (cursing that I haven't referenced it), however they stated that the main reason for these 25 Alfettas not being consecutive sequenced chassis numbers was the choice that they should all be Alfa Red in colour. So, the Aus bound Alfettas on the dock (or where ever thry were), the fellas ran out grabbed 25 red Alfas that were bound for delivery at the dock/yard. Swapped out the 1.8L for the 2.0 SPICA and sent them off to Aus toot sweet.

[Scott Farquharson]

Hi Paul and CJ,

Thx for that, I'd like to explore the lhd vs rhd shell.  Looking at this car, and I'm not sure about others, it really looks like a lhd shell.  I know it has a rhd chassis number but the chassis number designation may not go to the shell, but to the end market/configuration. Ie it doesn't matter what the shell is, the chassis number is allocated based on how it ends up say rhd for a particular market.  Ive compared it to my standard 1975 GT, and there are differences.

How about you other GTAM pundits, for your own or other cars you've seen lhd or rhd shell?

[festy]

I wouldn't get too worked up with sequential chassis numbers - I've seen GTAM compliance plates for #1949, #1954 (on Alfa forums) and a logbook for #2496 (sold by Foleys in Dec 76) and someone else (on a forum) said they had #3505. A 1900 chassis was most likely built in 1975, but all these cars would have been Australian Compliance 06/76 - the last month before ADR27A came in and the last month for GTs.

#1954 is still around, waiting for a donor GT nose to be tracked down to replace the GTV sheet metal that was grafted on at some time in the past. If you google 'Alfetta GTAm' it's the one with the white nose.

The compliance plate shows it as a 7/76 Alfetta GTAm, and it still has the original Spica engine #AR01629-003505.
I believe this one was originally sold by Ray Gulsen. LukeC used to service it the 90s and remembers the owner well, but it's been off the road for 20+ years now.

[carlo rossi]

yes I have made 3 offers on in last 3 months on this car
havent heard a whisper if you know the guy can you pm me please
or is it that add that pops up in the UK site

[festy]

I've just seen that ad, it's not legit.
My uncle bought #1954 in Feb 2015 and has no plans to sell it. I'll let him know you're interested though, just in case he ever changes his mind.
He was looking to buy the GT(Am?) that Scott recently acquired too, but was hesitant because of the compliance plate.
If anyone knows of a GT shell being scrapped, please let us know. A reasonably neat GT was bought as a nose donor a while ago, but turned out to be too good to cut up

[Davo416]

PM sent Festy -  I have a 6/76 parts car build 2556 but blue with no GTVAm flavour unfortunately  just lots of rust, but the nose might be salveagable??

[Scott Farquharson]

Can anyone decode engine numbers?

AR01608*S is an early Alfetta 1800 engine with the 10548 cams - would be early 74-75 Alfettas and 75 Alfetta GTs only.

While we are decoding, RHD Alfetta shells are 116 11. And according to the reference books, the last RHD Alfetta GT was 00003258. So 3207 was definitely a RHD shell, the chassis number on the body starts with 11611. I just don't think they would have gone to the trouble of using LHD shells and converting them to RHD - easier to put a Spica engine and fuel tank in an original RHD shell.

American Spica engines are AR01629 - I've seen the CAMS logbook of Bill Magoffin's Group C GTAM and the Alfa Romeo logbook of 00002496 - they both show AR01629 numbers. A regular Alfetta 2.0 engine starts with AR01623.

There were only three GTAMs that raced at Bathurst 1976 and only the Foley car is unaccounted for. Other Alfa racers like Ray Gulson and Tony Niovanni persisted with the 105 2000 GTV and Foley went back to its old 1973 2000 GTV for 1977 Bathurst before building a new Alfetta GTV up for the 1978 Bathurst race.

Hey Paul, which car is 2496?

[aggie57]

Scott - if you're wanting to see what US cars were like BaT is a good reference point, with all the photo's sellers are required to include.  Here are a couple of links:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-alfa-romeo-alfetta-2/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1976-alfa-romeo-gt/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-alfa-romeo-alfetta-2/

[festy]

PM sent Festy -  I have a 6/76 parts car build 2556 but blue with no GTVAm flavour unfortunately  just lots of rust, but the nose might be salveagable??

Thanks - I've just sent you an email. A rusty blue nose would look better on the car than the current rusty white one