Not another GTA replica!

[alfagtv58]

Colin Goundrey's RX7 I believe.  I drove that once.  It was pretty boring though because he had the power turned down to only 400bhp, from it's usual 500.

Chocolate fish for Sheldon!

[branko.gt]

I just remembered, Stuart Thompson has a Junior with a twin spark and I'm pretty sure it used to have the standard FI.  Stuart, if you read this, how did you shoe horn it in?

Stuart's junior is 115 series, 1600 with a late body (smoothnose).

I am very concerned with this development as i have a TS that is inteded for a stepnose junior. I'll need to measure and compare the differnece between the two engine bays.
Probably tomorrow or Friday. I'll report back.

Nick's biggest problem, as far as i can see, are the hanging pedals rahter than transversal width.

[njh1964]

I am very concerned with this development as i have a TS that is inteded for a stepnose junior. I'll need to measure and compare the differnece between the two engine bays.
Probably tomorrow or Friday. I'll report back.

Nick's biggest problem, as far as i can see, are the hanging pedals rahter than transversal width.

Hi Branko,

Your point is well made... the Alfetta hanging pedal box that I installed subsequently did cause an impediment from a length-wise perspective. However, I only decided to go down that path after I found that I couldn't fit the Twin Spark with the stock Bosch intake plenum into the step-nose engine bay width-wise. For the sake of others trying this transplant, I hope I've just made some fundamental error. As I say, I know it would all fit width-wise, if I was prepared to relieve the driver's side wheel well... but I couldn't see any other way to do it. Best of luck.

Also, I recall that one of the Alfabb threads detailing the fitting of a stock Twin Spark into smooth-nose 105 required welding the plenum to the intake manifold (ie removing the rubber couplings). Based on the photos provided, it was still a very tight fit in the smooth-nose engine bay (ie between the plenum and the wheel well).

Regards,


Nick

[pep105]

Nice stands Phil  

I dont think it's a bad thing to run a Twinspark on carbies. The twinspark benefited from a more efficient twin plug head design
and theres definitely gains to be had as long as its set up properly. The EFI setup is ideal if say your car was a daily driver, but those
who run carbs do claim decent driveabilty, with good power and economy. So plenty of reason to consider it, especially if you don't have many options as Nick has highlighted. Then there is the period look and sound if its any consolation. Usually it's twin 45s on a custom manifold like Alfaholics sell or Vin has a rubber mounted version if memory serves me correct.

It is a tight fit even in the smooth nose engine bay, another thing apart from the plenum is the second exhaust cam mounted dizzy sits really close to the radiator, which mounts a good case for a single 8 point dizzy conversion.

Good luck with the resto Phil hopefully you'll end up with two cars one with a Twinspark the other with an original Twim Cam (Nord)    

[cjheath]

... the fitting of a stock Twin Spark into smooth-nose 105 required welding the plenum to the intake manifold

That wasn't necessary with my smooth-nose conversion, but I did have an issue with the throttle pulley being too high for the bonnet to shut properly, using standard engine mounts. Of course, if you lowered the RHS mount, you would tilt the engine into the wheel-well, and there's already almost no clearance there. I suspect the best solution is custom engine mounts both sides, but in my case, we just modified the bonnet frame a little to make it fit.

If you're in Melbourne and want a close inspection of a successful conversion, just PM me.

Clifford.

[Evan Bottcher]

And carbs do sound fantastic 

How about something like this?

[hammer]

Andrew Wilson in Qld races the old Alan Lewis Alfetta, which runs a twinspark on 48mm Webers and it flies. I realise this has nothing to do with shoe-horning a twinnie into a stepnose, just a comment on twinnies on carbs. Andrew's twinspark engine on carbs has mountains of torque and plenty of top end power.

Cheers,

Brent

[AikenDrum105]

How about something like this?

Those mag cam covers they do for twinsparks are fantastic.  or should I say fanta$tic

what a great looking donk !

[Sheldon McIntosh]

That's a great looking engine, love the cam cover.

Are they trying to make it look like this...?

[Evan Bottcher]

More like this:



(from here: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/gt-1965-1974/22458-gtam-engine-sale.html)

[njh1964]

Now, that's what I'm talking about. Who ever did that build seems to have sourced a slightly "curved downwards" intake manifold, which lifts the carbs higher up in the engine bay... perhaps to gain a little bit more clearance relative to the driver's side wheel arch. He also seems to have used an Alfa 75 Twin Spark thermostat housing (ie the bypass variety) in the top radiator hose assembly. Very interesting.

[Evan Bottcher]

In case it wasn't obvious - that's a real GTAm engine, described by Jim K in that link.  The long curved intake manifold I expect was cast by Autodelta?

Apols for the off-topic, Phil.

I think the Alfaholics cover is aluminium.  It has a very modern CNC preciseness about it, I think it'd need to be bashed around a bit before it'd really look period.  Bloody nice though.
http://www.alfaholics.com/2010/07/alfaholics-gtam-twin-spark-cam-cover-129/

[alfagtv58]

Apols for the off-topic, Phil.

No dramas, I'm enjoying the conversation. And I agree with AikenDrum, nice but $$$$$, think i will try the black crinkle finish on the std.

I have spoken to Hugh Harrison who has built a step nose with TS and std FI for a customer, he assures me it is possible.....with some modifications.  So I will take that path.

BTW - Last night I read the article that Gully refers to in an earlier post, it was from C+S September '04.

[branko.gt]

i looked at the difference between the two engine bays and the new body is defintely more accomodating on the driver's side.
Btw i have a stepnose junior with the late body which is destined for scrap so i will use that pannel and transplant it into the good body with the early panel.

this differnce is quite big and i have doubht that you coudl sucessfully bash it to shape.

Phil, check with Hugh if the build he did was possibly on a late stepnose junor which woudl explain why it did fit.

[alfagtv58]

Definitely an early one