Re: buying a GTV6

[George Graves <gmgraves@domain.elided>]

On Tuesday, October 29, 2002, at 01:51  PM, alfa-digest wrote:

> Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 12:40:29 EST
> From: Pottree@domain.elided
> Subject: buying a GTV6
>
> In a message dated 10/28/2002 6:02:34 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:
>
>
> > Well, Dennis, while I don't blame you from putting a Mini Cooper on
> > your short list, I do have to disagree about the availability of 
> > really
> > GOOD GTV-6's.  I have seen MANY since I bought mine. ...  Anyway, if 
> > you
> > look around, you can find real fine GTV-6's, They flourish because
> > parts are abundant and relatively inexpensive compared to many exotic
> > (and some not so exotic) cars.
> I have to agree with everything George has to say about searching out 
> an
> adoptable GTV6.
>
> One thought I'd add: there are cars, as he said, that are pretty bone 
> stock,
> but also a lot have had an "upgrade" to a Milano-style clutch, as mine 
> has.
I don't consider GTV-6s with Milano clutches and mechanical tensioners, 
and one-piece head gaskets to be modified cars. As far as I'm 
concerned, these are just stock repair options. When I talk of upgraded 
cars, I'm referring to engine mods and swaps (like to 3-liter), 
replacing GTV-6 tranaxels with Milano Verde units (for the limited-slip 
differential) and shifters and extensive suspension mods.


> I am not even sure if there are any well-tended GTV6s around that have 
> had a
> new clutch in the old, original configuration, put in.
Well, I know of one and I have driven it, and both I and the current 
owner agree that a one-piece clutch is in order on the next clutch 
change. Its real 'grabby.'


>  When I bought my 84
> GTV6 about 14 years ago, the transplant had already been done by the 
> PO (who
> was reluctantly selling the car to buy himself a GTV, which absolutely
> confounded his dad, with whom I had to transact the actual money 
> deal).  A
> GTV6-owning friend told me at the time this was a very good thing, and 
> that I
> would "never" need a new clutch again.
>
> So far, so good!
>
> The later GTV6s (I think 85 and 86 as sold in the USA but I could be a 
> little
> off on the dates) came with hard and costly to-fit metric size wheels.
> Another OEM attribute I would go out of my way to avoid.
Hmm I've never seen a later GTV-6 with metric wheels. My '86 has the 
15" so-called wine-glass wheels and I've never seen an wheel that looks 
better on a GTV-6.

> George also mentions a SF car with a nice $5k paint job.  This sounds 
> like a
> lot of money (reality check: it IS a lot of money) but for a 
> reasonable,
> professional job, this is within the range.  Several years ago when I
> repainted mine, I had about half a dozen estimates and even at that 
> time $5k
> was right in there; I think the highest estimate I got was $6.3k. And 
> this
> was for a car which required no bodywork prior to prep and spray, and 
> for a
> one-stage paint (no clearcoat, which I don't like because it's too 
> hard to
> maintain).
Yeah. I had mine painted for a lot less and even though the car looks 
OK, I'm far from happy with the paint job. When the economy returns to 
some semblance of normal in Silicon Valley, I'm going to put a new 
metal-up paint job at the bottom of my 'to-do' list.

> Charlie
> LA, CA, USA
George Graves
'86 GTV-6
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