RE: A Road Map to Alfa Mods

["Joe Garcia" <corsanostra@domain.elided>]

From: "Brian Shorey" <bshorey@domain.elided>

>Of course it matters.  The first thing you need to do is determine how your 
>going to be driving the car, only then can you figure out what to >do with 
>it.

I would think the general outline of a modification plan would be roughly 
the same for a track car as for a street car. The SPECIFICS, naturally, 
would vary--even vary wildly--depending on whether the Alfista in question 
wants a faster street car, a car competitive in Solo 2, IT, etc.

>There are no absolutes, and no right/wrong answers.  The rate at which you 
>can pour money into it is a major factor.  It's cheaper in the
>long run to rebuild an entire engine with new cams, pistons, valves,
>etc, than it is to replace the cams, then pull the head to do the
>valves/ports, then take things apart again to do the pistons..

I'd agree with that. In the case of my late Alfetta GT--which died an 
untimely death before I could fully modify the engine to my liking--the mods 
were (meant to be, anyway) undertaken in "groups." I started with full 
Shankle/Ansa exhaust (my car was a "49-state" 1975 and had never been 
catalyzed), Webers to replace the poorly running SPICA (today I'd probably 
Ingram-ize it), and "euro" cams. The next phase would have been valve/head & 
pistons.

If I were to do an Alfetta GT over again, I'd probably find an appropriate 
"spare" engine, do ALL of the mods and then swap engines.

>In general, for any kind of performance driving, I'd start by learning how 
>to drive.  Spend money on a decent driving school.  It will make
>more difference than any single modification you can do to your car, >and 
>it will work in every car you drive.

I'd also agree with that. One would think this an obvious, no-brainer sort 
of thing, but I guess that Brian does well in reminding of this.

>My only other recommendation would be to come up with a plan.  Then start 
>with the safety related mods, or the ones that will 'minimize
>risk'.

In the case of my Alfetta, I started with brake pads (Repco, IIRC), wheels 
(Turbinas, which I have always considered hideous, but they are amazingly 
strong and light) and tires (Phoenix Stahlflex 30011s, for those who can 
remember that far back!). Next went Konis, Shankle Sport (not SuperSport, I 
forget my reasoning at the time for making this decision) torsion bars and 
springs and (anti-)sway bars.

>For example, I'd do suspension/wheels/tires before engine mods,
>because it's safer to have an underpowered car that handles really
>well than it is to have an overpowered car.

Another, purely selfish, reason to go last with the mods to the engine (at 
least for me) was that I didn't wanna get jaded too fast. If I went from X 
hp to X+40 hp at the outset, I just might get bored easily. I wanted to get 
all the fun out of the stock HP first.

>Finally, overall it will be cheaper to sell what you have and buy something 
>that someone else has already modified.  If you have a nice, >stock 
>example, you might even be lowering the value of the car by
>modifying it.

That's probably true, although in the back of MY mind I'd always wonder 
about mods made without my supervision.

-Joe in reasonably sunny SoFla

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