Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jun 20, 2013 14:43:23 GMT
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Hi all, Here's my new car, that I'm collecting tomorrow evening:  I can't really express how excited I am. 2-owner 77,000km car, that I paid €4300 for. There's a little work to do on it: - rust on both lower LH doors and rear wheelarch lip - needs four new tyres (gutted, the ones on it are beautiful Vredesteins with good thread but more than ten years old!) - needs headgasket changed, oil is weeping down the sides of the engine - a valve stem seal is gone - needs a bit of geometry done (car goes straight but steering wheel isn't) That's about all that is obvious for now. I want new wheels for it, but the new tyres are going onto the stock ones for now. As for wheels themselves, it seems that the Alfa is a bit of a pain because it doesn't like anything less than ET35 and more than 6 inches wide. One option I really really like is this:  but they're 5-hole, and stuff to change the PCD is too expensive for now. Other I'm considering:   I'm open to suggestions, I'm actually thinking of buying some wheels in the UK and get them shipped here, the choice is better and often cheaper. One good cheap improvement will be to lop half a coil or one coil if I'm feeling adventurous. I have no idea how it's done though, but yes it will be done with the spring off the car  The rust repairs shouldn't cost too much, sections will cost about €150 plus delivery, and I have a friend who knows how to use his brand-new welder. That's it for now, You should have news sometime next week, as I'll be driving the car 600 miles between tomorrow 8pm and Sunday 9pm. Thanks for reading! edit : stupid as I am, I forgot to ask the question I wanted to ask: Cooper CS2 or Uniroyal RainExpert? Leaning towards the latter but I'd appreciate some input. |
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Last Edit: Sept 27, 2020 19:09:03 GMT by Clement
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Jun 20, 2013 15:04:34 GMT
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Nice car. Can you get your original steel wheels banded?
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jun 20, 2013 15:23:53 GMT
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Thanks  Well, it's an option, but it's not very common here and it would actually be more expensive than a set of alloys. It might even be easier to find a set of steel wheels in 14x6J ET35 and 4x108  |
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Jun 20, 2013 15:53:06 GMT
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Wow! That seems like a pretty reasonable price for a Giulia! Very jealous... I'd love a Giulia.
How about Peugeot 205 GTi alloys? I reckon they could look ok on it and probably not to hard to get hold of.
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jun 20, 2013 16:45:39 GMT
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 It works surprisingly well!! I've been thinking about 106 or 405 rims, respectively:   etc. Cheap and plentiful! |
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,617
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Jun 21, 2013 10:12:56 GMT
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Wow, surprised they were still making them in '77. Amazing how much newer the metallic paint makes it look when you are more used to seeing them in solid colours. Very exciting buy.
I remember the Giulia 1300 coupe ride thread on here, with Saab steels looked good. But must admit dads GT Veloce has alloy wheels that look like steel.
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Jun 21, 2013 14:12:30 GMT
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A good friend of mine had one of these and it was a gem of a car so you are one lucky chap indeed...!!!
How about some 1970's Italian alloy wheels (goodness knows what ones!)...?! I think they'd be far more in keeping with this motor. Whatever you do I am sure it will look tremendous...
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***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,889
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Jun 21, 2013 15:38:44 GMT
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Looking forward to more pics once you've picked the old girl up I'd have thought you could push for lower offset than 35? I remember reading similar when I was looking at 105s, but none of the sort of guys on the forums saying that seem to have heard of an arch roller, and also are the same guys posting on the 50 page long thread about making sure they have all the original warning stickers and making sure the washer bottle hosing is the factory colour.... I'm gonna go against the grain and say, can you fit 13s over the brakes? Alleys cats or something would be different and an Alfa. Plenty of that sort of wheels in 4x108 with it being ford fitment as well. |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jun 21, 2013 23:52:53 GMT
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I just drove the car home. It is the most fun I ever had in a car. Plus absolutely everything works. I can't believe how much care this car has received. It will receive much more. We'll talk about wheels later, I have to get some sleep before driving the car to the Alps tomorrow morning. Although I'm not sure how I can possibly sleep right now... Thanks for the kind comment I'll try to meet the expectations the best I can |
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I am jealous as hell, gorgeous car...  |
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Bicycle x1
Alfa Giulietta (now wife's)
Alfa 156
BMW 630i
Honda rc36
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jun 23, 2013 13:43:04 GMT
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I've driven it pretty much all week-end, and it has been faultless. Impressively so. There is not one single electrical problem. The engine pulls well, linearly, it screams nicely and destroys many things on the road I drove the cars through some little passes in the Ardèche and the Alps, and I just love it. It's quick, but comfortable, a real B-road blaster. Pictures by the side of the Lac du Bourget coming next week Niggles: - that worn valve seal is annoying - the carburettors and timing could do with a bit of tuning - surface rust has to be erased and treated as soon as possible - tyres are dry Solutions: - I've got a mechanic friend that could teach me how to solve that valve problem, and change the dried out head gasket - there's an oldschool Ferrari specialist in my town, who's very well-known (called Auvergne Moteurs), they sometimes have an F50 or an Enzo in the shop... - there's a firm called Restom near my hometown, I'll go raid their stock - I'll change the tyres this week although the grip is still quite good even in the wet It's the most fun car I've ever driven. I'm in love with it, to the point that I don't want to lower it because having it at stock height means I can push it like a madman on very small pothol-filled roads... I'll still change the rims though, stock items are beautiful (for steel rims) but I want oldschool alloys I've got one question though: yesterday, I witnessed the oil pressure drop to 20kg/cm2 at 3000rpm, and then in the evening it was at 40 at the same rpm! I have to regularly top up the oil, I put in some 10w40 semi-synthetic Castrol GTX (the owner's manual says 10w50) but there's a sticker on the door jamb saying the last oil change was done with 15w40. Today it seems to stay at around 37kg/cm2 at 3000rpm, which seems pretty spot on to me. Sorry for the lack of pics, I'll go and make sure I've got everything covered and upload them this week. Thanks for the nice comments!! |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jun 23, 2013 20:01:48 GMT
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,889
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Jun 23, 2013 21:47:08 GMT
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Looks tidy and that colour suits it so well It's interesting to hear you say about the suspension. That's kinda how I felt about the Fulvia to begin with, it's odd to drive something you don't immediately feel the need to modify! I hope your run of electrical luck continues |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Thanks It might still be comfy if I lower it, the Alfaholics suspension kit is still something I want to have on the car, but I'll have to be somewhat subtler than expected. The Giulia is my dream car but I didn't think it would be that good... By the way, the yellow emblem you see on the side isn't a Ferrari logo, it's one of these:  I talked to my mechanic friend, he's OK to try and sort out the head issues over a beer-fueled week-end. OK, that's the introduction over. WHEELS! It's frustrating so far. I found these babies, nearby enough (120 miles), and cheap (€60).  Yes, there's only three of them. These are the same rims, equally awesome:  but 13" and wrong PCD. Adapters are financially out of my reach just yet, spacers are affordable though. I found this as well:  Peugeot 504 rims, which should fit, but I don't care about the steel wheels I want that alloy... of which there's just this one. While I'm writing this I'm looking at other 504 rims, well I found this:  4 rims for €60, the right size & width, offset should be good, but the PCD is 4x140. Gutted. These look good, and should fit, but €200:  Well... I'll keep looking. |
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Jun 24, 2013 10:53:51 GMT
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The Alfa is looking stunning sir, just stunning...!!!
It is crazy to think how small this once 'family' sized looks nowadays especially compared to the Peugeot 207 that is parked in front of it...! Comparisons like that are just mind-boggling.
As for the wheels there are some choice rims there. The gold coloured alloys are just magic and that singular 504 wheel is pretty slick too!!! What decisions to make...!!!
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***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jun 24, 2013 12:22:08 GMT
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Thanks mate!! Well, so far I have no decision to make because one way or another, none of these wheels can make it onto the car. I called the seller of this set this morning:  but they're 7x15 (ET38) which is just too big. Goldnrust mentioned rolling the arches, but at the rear it won't help at all because of the way the wing hugs the wheel : the arch lip doesn't stick out further inwards than the wing above it. I saw these wheels too, 4x108, 14" diameter, but I think the width will be huge. I'd have to change the colour too. But they rock.  €150 isn't too bad for this kind (they're PLS, which is well-known in historic racing circles here, like Fagix, Mad'in, and Gotti). Other pics of the car that my mate just uploaded:    With the mate's father's Mini:  In the third pic you can almost see the black tape that's been put over the rust on the doors to hide it, which is still incomparatively better than a bodge. |
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Last Edit: Jun 24, 2013 12:23:04 GMT by Clement
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Jun 24, 2013 19:03:46 GMT
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If the Audi ones are ok (ET35 and 6J), you should be able to get away in the back with 185/60R15.
Blu hollandaise, btw?
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 Click picture for more |
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Felix
Part of things
Posts: 324
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Jun 24, 2013 21:31:23 GMT
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Lovely car! How about Porsche 924 tarantulas? 14x6, plentiful and cheap.  |
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Thanks for the kind comments 924 rims are often around €200 here, but some do come up cheaper. They could look immense in gold! By the way, what do you think of the Cooper CS2 tyres? I'm hesitating between these and Uniroyal RainExperts. |
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Jun 25, 2013 11:06:27 GMT
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Those 924 alloys would look absolutely superb on the Alfa... Belisimmo!!!
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***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
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Well, it's an option, but it's not very common here and it would actually be more expensive than a set of alloys. 
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