I’m the second owner of the GTV6 but it’s been a none-runner for about 15 years. The Sprint belongs to my Wife and has been a long drawn out 18 year renovation project! We bought it back in 1987 and it already had repair work done on it! After running it for 10years the dreaded tin rot had well and truly set in so I decided it was worth the effort to get the body sorted so I stripped it down and got a local body shop to do the work.
Half way though the rebuild we started a family and moved house! The rebuild was put on hold until earlier this year when we decided something should be done about it so I contacted a local garage who had good reviews renovating other classic cars and asked them to do the rebuild.
Before the pick up date I mistakingly thought I could get the engine started, I turned the car over by hand all seemed OK but what I hadn’t figured on where the activities of mice over the years….at some point the little devils had taken a liking to one cam belt!
The car started and then started making a very loud clack clack clack sound. The cam belt had jumped and #3 piston had hit a valve snapping it off. Somehow the broken valve stem embedded itself into the piston top square on causing minimal damage to the head and valve seat!
This little lesson cost me more than we had budgeted for and once the rebuild was fully under way we went a little mad and the cost spiraled somewhat! Anyhow, she’s back on the road, engine rebuilt, new clutch and bearing, carbs, brakes, master cylinders, servo and wheels etc all overhauled….I also had to drop the fuel tank, clean it and the pickup plus replace all the fuel hoses, quite a messy job as everything was clogged up.
A of Alfa have just replaced the o/s front hub bearing which was making a heck of a noise (well done Paul!) and all I have left to do for now is fit some trim parts and sort out the rattling gear leaver! I have a 33 replacement to try…
Once my bank balance has recovered I’ll turn my attention to the GTV6…..Some Pics:
Stripping @1997ish!
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/Alfa8.jpeg)
Rot in the usual places:
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/Alfa15.jpeg)
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/Alfa10.jpeg)
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/Alfa9.jpeg)
Repairs underway, we also had the sills replaced at the time…
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/Alfa3.jpeg)
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/Alfa4.jpeg)
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/Alfa13.jpeg)
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/Alfa11.jpeg)
Valve meets piston!
![Image](http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l82/_NRG_/other/ALFA/IMG_2274.jpg)