1977 Alfa Giulia - chapter closed.

I told you I'd wash it!


























Hi there



Ladies and gentlemen, the horrors:

































I thought it'd be much worse under that black tape. I took it off because it was trapping moisture, which clearly won't help things. The paint looks good doesn't it? Well it isn't that great, really. Lots of scabs, dents, surface rust, etc. The wheels are also pitted, one pretty heavily, but they soon will stay in a place safe and warm

Washing it allowed me to have a look at things underneath and around the car closely, these are the conclusions:
- the paint seems "brittle": the slightest impact will make a scab, and the high-pressure water jet is then enough to lift more paint off!!
- the underseal is rubbish, it's a a thin coat of grey rubber and lifts off the body everywhere
- surface rust has gotten much worse since I bought the car, the front valancer especially!

Tomorrow I'll sand all the surface rust and the paint scabs, and put some black rust-preventing paint on it. If I'm feeling brave I'll put the car on ramps and do the underneath as well, and maybe have a look at bushes here and there.


I'm wondering what to do with the paint in the future. I'll have lots of small patches to do where there is surface rust right now, but painting the whole car would be a waste of money and time, and it would mean not driving it for up to ten days or something!!!
I don't care driving a patchy-looking car, and since the paint hasn't faded too much perhaps I could even protect it under a coat of varnish once it's patched, and painted only where it really needs it?

I like having scratches here and there on the paint, but I don't want to worry about rust all the time like I'm doing at the moment.

Cheers for reading all that!

Patina would come back by driving, apparently I've done more than 7,500 miles since I bought the Giulia so it'd be back pretty swiftly

You're right, the current paint is just old I guess, but apart from where it has chipped, it's surprisingly in the same (good) state throughout the car. It's all slightly faded but still pretty shiny, like when you see a 50 year old women and you think that she must have been a looker a few years back

Wheel-wise, well, no news for the moment, I'll email the guy asking him to hurry up a bit. Although the reason why I needed new wheels was that one of the steelies isn't holding air well, but I discovered today that this is because of a faulty valve, I'll get that changed during the week.

Lows will come when I refurb the whole suspension of the car, and take it all apart to clean/repaint/polybush/cut springs/fit thinner spring cups/etc. This will be a big job, especially since I want to do the rear as well!

I do realise that I'm not doing much to the car, and only posting pictures of boring stuff, but please believe me I've got ideas, I just don't know where I'll be in two months so I can't really start the bulk of the work.

I'm a good boy so I started immediately




















The indicator/sidelight housing is broken on the LH side, I think I'll source another one. It was a pain to get off the car, I actually had to cut the wires! Any other way might have further damaged the housing, which I want to keep as a spare. At least I know how to solder the wires, or even better, put some connectors so I can take the housing off he car again if necessary.

I've got rust "transformer", anti-rust primer, and dark blue paint, all from the same brand, so things should improve tomorrow. The front of the car is the trickiest part, and the valance is the reason why I wanted to do this job in the first place, the rest is mostly on the doors sills.

Nice work mate. It's always the worst bit getting stuck in on day one, and doing the 'destructive' bits. Once the first bits start going back on looking better it's a nice feeling.

Is it worth giving those wishbones and front spring pans a once over? if I remember right from when I almost bought a 105 those spring pans can be a rust point?

Cheers guys!!

goldnrust> yeah, I'll paint it all when I get the whole front suspension apart to renew basically everything

totti> that's exactly what I told people who were saying it was miles better than the Cortina, they wouldn't believe me! Although there is a fair bit of work, I know I have a good basis and I should be able to turn the car around within a few months... at least that's the plan

Mr Vulgalour> I'm always a bit wary about stonechipping, because rust can creep underneath and you don't see anything. But then I guess this only happens when it's dried up with age, and with a good anti-rust primer it might be safe. I'm wondering whether I shouldn't then paint the wheelarches black, and just repaint them every couple of years? It'd take an afternoon and at least I wouldn't care if the paint match isn't that great!



Last update for tonight! I had to use the Dremel three times, but the bumper is off the car, and so are all the lights and indicators, etc.





Didn't use it here though, the screw just sheared nicely on its own



Feeling stupid time : I didn't have to cut the wires on the LH side, there was a plug but it was in the engine bay. Too bad, although I've contacted a guy who sells parts to get another one, so I don't really mind.











I was trying to get the grille off, but those Italians mad men used rivets and screws to attach it securely. There are nuts in the wheelarches that are between sizes 6 and 7mm (but apparently neither of those), so really tiny, and they're rusty, difficult to get to, and I'm not sure I'll be able to replace them if I just cut them off. Sweet.

Blimey!!! You've really got stuck in there sir...

I think that what you're doing is for the best as it'll only get worse and although this part is a ball-ache you'll have a solid, shiny car afterwards!

Those last nuts look ruddy awkward to get to but I'm sure with a little lubrication and tapping with a hammer they'll loosen up enough to be done without having to resort to cutting...?!

This is looking good and I cannot wait to see the end result...

By the way, paint-wise, I pretty much have to do the whole "face" of the car. How about a paint scheme like this?



I have white antirust primer, I could simply mask the fenders and the bonnet, it'd be much easier, I wouldn't need to do a top job, and it already would be in primer if I want to paint it dark blue again.

Haha cheers! I shouldn't have looked at your thread with the psychedelic themes, you have a bad influence

Inspiration time :




Another Nuova turned into a pre-'74 model, I like it but I think the Dolly lip wouldn't work as well

And those are here just because.






In the end I'm still glad I got this car. I just have to sort it out really!

Just received these...



They do have to be refurbed, but I figured out something. I'll separate the two parts, paint them in the same white primer, then paint the rim part silver and leave the center white to go with the front of the car. I was considering gold centers, but this way I can just decide to change whenever I feel like it!

I also contacted someone on leboncoin regarding a Dolomite Sprint front spoiler, he's asking €87.50 for it which is way too much right now.

Off to collect my new cell phone (an Asus FonePad, I won't be taking pics with that!), and then wheel refurbishing time to get the mojo going.

After that I might try to finally get that grille off, it's depressing.