Preparing GTV for Active Service.

[Ascari32]

Well, The Q4 JTS had an oil and filter change, plus fourwheel alignment and although a little nervous something else may burst the bubble, moved on the 3.0 GTV.

The bumpers have been resprayed and were stored in a spare bedroom until I was ready to refit. The front one is going to take quite a while as it took about half a day to get all the plastic elements off, some of which were "pop - riveted".

But it was going to take more than one pair of hands even to get the rear back on and fortunately our Daughter and partner arrived for a weeks break and our Son popped down during a break in the project he is involved with. So yesterday, the rear bumper went on a treat.

Prior to this, some time had been spent "T - Cutting" the Boot lid and the rear quarters where the bumper would attach. The purpose being to determine if the paintwork could be pulled - back, to match the newly sprayed bumpers. If not, there was going to be a big bill in the offing, the bumpers left of and the car delivered down to the spray shop.

I need not have worried. Lee, my Daughters partner had done an appreticeship with Jaguar before moving on in the world so he knew the ins and outs about bodywork.

It is not with any sense of pride that I say I have never been one for "polishing the life out of my Alfas". Indeed, my wife has always taken care of that aspect of owning them. No, it was always the mechanics that interested me, so if my wife didn't do it, they would have been dreadful.

But although having the GTV from almost new, aside from summer holidays on the continent it has lived in our garage virtually all its life, coming out to be checked over every now and then in preparation for a long Trans - European drive. The consequence of the lack of attention to the paintwork has virtually left it with a skin of paint, which has not suffered from "Thinning", due to constant washing and buffing. With very little effort, Lee was able to restore the finish on the boot lid and rear quarters to that of the newly sprayed bumper which is superb.

So the three of us were able to refit the bumper in about an hour yesterday. I was quite suprised at how exposed the inner skin behind the bumper is. Although completely free of any rust, it did carry a bit of dirt which clearly comes from the road and the mounting posts have a little surface rust which brushed off easily. I suppose Alfa could have tried to "Box" the area off a bit - the area below the rear light strip - but I suppose leaving it as it is allows any water ingress to quickly drain away.

So now the process is to slowly T - cut small areas, working forward to the engine bay and the front bumper, by which time she should be gleeming like a new car. The newly resprayed inlet runners; in Charcoal Grey, rather than chrome, look quite subtle. Clearly although deviating from the original, I am coming to like them and importantly it was intended to cure the flaking chrome issue and surface rust. At £150 they are beautifully finished and considerable cheaper than the nearly £600 rechromers were asking for the job.

I have a new oil cooler to fit, but paused on that job as I do not want to risk the flexis which are really tight - to seized onto the cooler. I will give some further thought on that task and make some provision for alternative just in case it gets damaged in the process. To be fair, it is not so much leaking as weeping - oil levels never having dropped. But I have a new one and would not want to risk it failing and suffering from a massive loss of oil.

It will probably take a couple of months to steadily get finished - too many other projects on the go to concentrate on just one. That is going to be too late in the year so she will go back into the garage for winter - just coming out on dry days to keep on top of the finish and the engine running. Hopefully, she will be ready to go for sale in time for next spring. 

And it can become a bit tedious just concentrating on one thing. In contrast there is so much going on with the 3.2 JTS, I never get bored with that. But again, I have ignored the bodywork of that too.

However, with the GTV, if it all gets too much, I can simply open the drivers door, get in and just drink - in the smell of that lovely Tan Leather, along with the superb interiour styling, which makes this car, even to this day, something really special.   

[Alfatango]

Post some pics up.

Yeah alfas have a very distinct leather smell which is more italian than a bmw or mercedes. I remember I drove a 360 modena and gallardo once and the smell is different to the german leathers.

[Ascari32]

Will do, as soon as I master the art. Always seem to screw that aspect up, but will find some time to "Master - it" - Ha, Ha!

[Ascari32]

Got the rear bumper on - better fit than original. We "T - cut" the rear boot lid and the hind quarters to gauge the degradation of the bodywork paint against the reprayed bumper. Not too bad really. But a lot of work will need to be done to bring the two together.

I vaguely remember the car had some kind of paintwork treatment/protection - cost about £400 at the time. Plus the fact that I neglected to polish her, so there is still a lot of meat/depth of paint on the car. This has worked in my favour really as opinion is that it will polish up and there is no need for a respray of the body proper. A few minor touch - ups really!

To properly T - cut and polish the back of the boot, I removed the badges. I had taken the 3.0 24v V6 badges of soon after I got her. I am not a fan of  all that bull - S--t. However, I left the GTV badge and added a Pininfarina logo and Badge.

However, removing them, to polish out the boot lid, I was really chuffed at how understated it makes the car look. I will leave them off and any buyer can choose to refit them should he wish.

I know it is only mind games but, removing them does a lot to hide the fact this is a "Fat - Arsed" design. So fat arsed, it would have hidden a mid - mounted engine and there would have been justification in that case. But front wheel drive? It should have been more like the original sketches. Actually, having the bumpers off for respray made me realize how easy it would have been to stick to the original and more to the point, for me to have done it as I always said I would.

That said, for a 25 year design, she is achingly beautiful. Nothing detracts from her purposeful stance. Even the 2.0 Litre looks like it means business. I can tell you, all the miles I have driven across Europe, Calais to Florence, Nice, Venice, Bordeaux, etc, could never be more enjoyable in any other car than a 3.0 GTV. Sublime in every way.   

[Alfatango]

Looks great in red