Alfetta driveshaft woes was (all sorts of other things)

[alfacybersite <acs@domain.elided>]

Trying to temporarily answer Jay Negrin's questions and comments
regarding the fitting of a later Alfetta driveshaft in an early car:

Wayne Abbott just sent me a very detailed explanation of what and where
parts were sourced and an explanation of fitting the later driveshaft
support on an early ('76) 'shaft'.

I've printed out everything all three of you Alfetta owners have sent.
Okay it's actually more owners than that, but since it seems I hear
primarily of Alfetta's being crushed or, at best, rusting in back yards,
feel we're getting awfully close to that total of three obviously
masochistic, but proud, Alfetta GT owners left in the world.

Please allow a slight editorial: They're Bloody Damn Good Cars! Perfect,
nooooo way. However the lack of perfection stems a lot from everybody
crushing their cars so that it makes it impossible for parts folk to
make any money off stocking parts. Also, ya don't really have to speed
shift. Yeah, I'd like to be able to go through the gears faster, but I
survive.

If I was rich beyond Aaron Spelling (or God?) I'd 'do' a show,
"Everybody Loves GTV's & Spiders". Of course there'd be a neat Alfetta
GT sitting in the driveway of the parent's house which often gets the
last laugh, but still, you know who really gets all the attention...

Alfetta driveshafts - good news and bad news - what I have learned in
the past few weeks:

Bad, really bad (thanks crushers): Zippo front driveshaft donuts
available for early cars. I'm a little confused at this point but
believe there were (note past tense) three iterations of the the donuts
with appropriate modifications to the driveshafts themselves.

I don't ever recall hearing of a '77 Alfetta GT and hearing of only a
small handful of 78's. It's like there were three boatloads. The first,
which I am absolutely positive my car was on but factory rep denied, had
a fire down below. A large handful of Alfettas were sold off as damaged
goods, because they were. But not all. I'm sure my car came under the
'but not all'. When I bought it in '78 I had to start replacing
virtually every rubber part on the car. Apparently rubber doesn't like
smoke and fires. The next shipment must have been replacements and the
third was 79's. Okay, this last statement is a tiny bit of an
exaggeration, but Not the fire in the hold.

Oh, but yet once again, I digress. I do believe the only choice for
sustained ownership and drivership of the early Alfettas is to switch
completely over to later (no one seems to offer the intermediate parts)
from engine flywheel to transaxle yoke.

Possibly if all three of us owners got together and cried salty tears,
maybe they'd produce the front donuts again, but wouldn't count on it.

The center support bearing shouldn't be much of a problem using a later
driveshaft with too wide holes. Having checked myself and verified by
Wayne Abbott, one can either bend the mounting bolts out (not my choice)
or ovelate (a patented Biba term meaning 'to make a hole non-round').
This assumes one is using a later driveshaft.

Except for being really poor, I'll admit to being lucky in that I have a
'79 which I swore I'd never use as a donor car. Forget that! I intend
rebuilding it's short block (when money hopefully trickles down) and
using the 'new' driveshaft. True, I want to balance the engine along
with the driveshaft (I want no excuses for excess vibration, anywhere)
($300), will need front and middle donuts, etc., etc.

Unfortunately the transaxle probably won't get done. Got an estimate
from Tom Sahines. High, but have to admit it will be money well earned.
It includes lightening.

The bummer, is that in the meantime I'm driving a vibrating, noisy, 2nd
gear challenged car. Really need all to be right by July.

Send cards and letters filled with hard cash to:

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA

Hmm, it's a clear 72 degree out there. Hear there's a sporting event
going on somewhere in the world. Back to underneath the '60 Spider.

Please, no violins, but strongly suggest you don't go into the
restoration business as a means of getting rich beyond your wildest
dreams.

Tess, how'd it go? Just 'cause your mouth is wired, shouldn't affect
your pingers. And please don't get on my case for bringing you into a
discussion of which you have no interest.

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