Rust has rekindled old memories

alfarally · November 19, 2011, 09:14:42 PM

Hi to everyone,
I just replaced the sill on a customers 105 GTV and the love of these old alfa's has come flooding back.
A 1968 105 Berlina 1750 was my first car 25 odd years ago and man was it a brilliant thing. Then I had a 1967 I think 1300 Giulia when I lived in Italy for a couple of years in the early 90's meaning I drove the oldest car on the road there. As I was racing cars for a living then and fuel was ultra expensive, once up to speed I never slowed down so as not to need to accelerate up to speed again and I remember that 4 tyres would be worn out in 6 months such was the way that car would drift through corners.
Just the smell of the GTV, the sound the feel has brought it all back.
I will post some pics of the sill replacement up on the tech section when I get a chance and look forward to being part of your forum.
Rob

Evan Bottcher · November 19, 2011, 10:39:36 PM

Welcome Rob,

What kind of racing were you doing for a living in Italy?

cheers,
Evan.

alfarally · November 22, 2011, 09:48:15 PM

Was there in 92 and raced Formula Ford. Went with that because I had been doing FF in Australia and went on to race in UK but the formula alfa/33? looked good too. From memory the cars were basically like FF but used the 33 boxer 16V, gearbox and numerous other components off the road cars with slicks and wings.

colcol · November 22, 2011, 11:27:41 PM

Sounds like a good project for a bloke in the club with a green Sprint, an open wheeler with wings and slicks with a 16valve 33 motor and gearbox, almost like a Formula 1 Alfa Brabham with a Boxer Motor, Colin.

Ray Pignataro · November 23, 2011, 07:47:54 AM

Colin I know a bloke in the club with a green sprint who has a similiar on going project, mid mounted alfa boxer motor, open roofed ,body kit , aerodynamics and slicks just because he already wasnt fast enough

Evan Bottcher · November 23, 2011, 08:08:19 PM

Interesting huh - Formula Boxer Europa. Here's a couple of crap photos I took last year at the Museo - they had a little line up of old Formula Boxers. They were Formula Ford chassis modified I believe.

Some data here: http://www.race-cars.com/carsold/vandiemn/1085273659/1085273659ss.htm

There's one for sale in NZ. Would be a fun thing, but what to do with it?

Anyway welcome Rob and thanks for posting.

cheers,
Evan.

alfagtv58 · November 23, 2011, 09:29:35 PM

Quote from: Evan Bottcher on November 23, 2011, 08:08:19 PM
There's one for sale in NZ. Would be a fun thing, but what to do with it?

Thats easy, the club should buy it and the class winners in the sprints should duke it out by running 3 flying laps each at the last sprint of the year for overall honors

Seriously, I rekon it would be eligible for Historic Group R. It would be great to see it running around here in oz.....and parked in my garage.

By the way - welcome Rob!

alfagtv58 · November 24, 2011, 10:09:35 AM

mmmm wings and slicks

alfarally · November 25, 2011, 04:51:20 PM

Thanks all,
Nice to talk Alfa's with fellow enthusiasts.
It looks like there is a strong racing element here with lots of alfa owners. While racing FF in Aust. in about 1990 or 91 I was invited to take part in the Alfa club six hour relay race at eastern creek. I drove a suzuki swift GTI with an RX2 and RX3 in the team. My cam belt pulley snapped about half an hour in (the car had come from the Bathurst 12hr) but my overiding memory was how much fun it all was compared to the seriousness of FF.