Those who saw the art car post over the weekend are no doubt aware of the recent contact that our humble site has made with the Alfa Rob. Today, we are pleased to offer yet another transaxle Alfa from the Alfa Rob fleet: a 1985.5 Alfa Romeo GTV6 with a 3.0L engine swap.
Astute readers and knowledgeable readers of more average intelligence will recall that the GTV6 was offered with a sole 2.5L V6 option in North America. There was some weird 3.0L stuff happening in South Africa, but that's a story for another time. To motivate a GTV6 with a 3.0L V6 in the US, a fairly straightforward engine swap must occur. And, we do mean straightforward. While there are a number of small changes required for the swap, the vast majority of components do remain the same. It takes a bit of work, but the end result looks like it came out of the Alfa factory.
LSD transaxle, recently rebuilt (not by me, not as good as it could be)
New air filter
New fuel filler boot
New timing belt and tensioner
New water pump, all hoses, belts, Norma clamps
Converted to single high CFM radiator fan
New temp switch
Relays installed for headlights
New headlights
Narrow spot beam inboard driver headlight
Headlight adjusters repaired/replaced
Volvo 240 Turbo expansion tank
Fresh starter
Rebuilt clutch and throwout bearing
New front Giubo
New oxygen sensor (Denso)
Cosmetics/Body/Interior
No rust, never hit
Non- sunroof
Original black paint, faded and worn through
Small dents and imperfections
Alpine vintage stereo
Boston Acoustic speakers
Recaro LS driver seat, reupholstered (have original seat and extra Recaro available)
A/C all present, not charged, no belt
Sparco steering wheel and hub
Comments:
Propshaft/clutch has minor vibration at low RPM. Occasional smoke at startup, suspect oil separator apparatus.
Click to view listing
This is a clean example maintained by one of the most fastidious Alfa owners in the country. In order to drive it with confidence on mountain roads and racetracks alike, he spared no expense in maintenance. Factor in the desirability of a dry, original-paint and non-sunroof model, and this GTV-6 starts to represent a real value to those in the know.
We would buy it, drive it home from Colorado, and run it as-is. Water pump, timing belt, and clutch are all done. Now it's time to enjoy this beautiful machine of excellent provenance. Please find more photos in the gallery below, and don't hesitate to contact the selling by clicking here.
As serious investors scramble to lock their 164s in underground vaults, permitting only filtered air and a fine mist of Armor All into the bubbles encasing their 4-wheeled investments, the shrewd enthusiasts have been snatching up the 164's brother: the Milano.
It goes without saying the to buy the best example of any car, you must first shop for the best seller and then examine the car. Here, we've located the seller for you. An expert of the Milano from the transaxle to the microscopic coatings on the front brake caliper bolts, this seller can be trusted with setting a Milano right. This street legal road/track Milano art car is his latest creation, and he is seeking to sell it to a worthy buyer.
Year: 1987 Model: Alfa Romeo Milano Gold Engine: 2.5L V6 Transmission: 5-speed manual Mileage: N/A Price: $5,995 Location: Denver area Contact: Click to Email
California car till Colorado, not bent body, no sunroof
New timing belt, StayBelt Ultimate tensioner
Fresh radiator, new slim electric cooling fan, new hoses and belts
New lower ball joints, tie rods, boots, alignment (negative camber). Lower control arm bushes are a little weak
Fresh front wheel bearings
Rebuilt transaxle, 1st gear synchro updated, new seals, resealed case (Milano 4.10 final drive type), Goetze (NOS) or 5th gear OE synchros. Build sheet available.
New trans mount
Shankle "sport" rear springs
Watts link bushes replaced, poly center pivot
Rebuilt propshaft (Giubos and support and bearing)
Rebuilt shifter and isostatic parts
Rebuilt clutch
Stainless clutch slave hose
New rear brake rotors (Italian)
New rear brake pads (NOS Alfa)
Wilwood adjustable brake prop valve
All brake hoses new
Fuel pump new
Fuel filters new
New fuel hoses and clamps
New fuel tank filler boot
Team Dynamics 15x7 wheels with BF Goodrich G Force Rival tires, low miles
Custom exhaust with cat converter and glass pack
New brake master cylinder
Silicone “hi perf” intake boot
New air filter
New short injector hoses and seals (OE Bosch and Reinz)
Cosmetics/body/interior
Repainted in 80’s “Art” livery
Repainted gray trim (some not installed)
New door handle gaskets
Sparco hood pins
Stripped interior, gutted rear doors
No door glass
Legal for road – lights, horn, wipers, etc. all work
Heater present, fan not installed
Extra Recaro interior available (not installed)
Excellent black carpet available (not installed)
All exterior plastic lenses polished
NOS headlights
Verde trunk spoiler
Small rust area in rear dogleg
Rear reflector cracked
LED CHMSL
Various small dents and marks on body
Notes:
Engine is a strong 2.5. No smoke, no noise, excellent oil pressure. Run at multiple track days at altitude and during high heat, no issues whatsoever. The rebuilt transaxle and DeDion service have less than 200 miles of use. Sounds great, turns heads, lots of smiles. Clean clear title. Fun car, not perfect, very cool.
A massive, if not intimidating list of recent work accompanies the car. With multiple track days under its belt and an Alfa Romeo racing heritage in its DNA, this art car should be good to go for many years to come. We won't ask why it needed new door handle gaskets - and it's really none of our business - but we wouldn't be surprised if the explanation isn't printable on our pages; seller, we salute you!
Interested parties can contact the seller by clicking here.
Please contact the owner, John, by clicking his email address here.
We are pleased to present this 1961 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder with Coachwork by Vignale as a reader classified. Sold originally in white paint by a Roman Maserati distributor, the Spyder was repainted to its current Rosso Rubino by its second owner, a Napolitana. The interior remains original to the car as delivered from the factory. At some point in the car's history, it was fitted with a factory replacement 3.5L engine, which it retains to this day.
Restoration work commenced in 2006, starting with a full-body repaint, which included stripping the body to bare metal. The chrome was restored at D&S Plating, whose reputation has led them to work on multiple Pebble Beach award-winning automobiles. Following the restoration of the Spyder, it was presented at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours, where it was the only Vignale Spyder present at the Maserati 100th anniversary celebration.
This beautifully preserved example of the legendary Maserati 3500 GT was originally delivered with its splendid Vignale Spider coachwork in white paint with black leather interior and sold new by the Maserati distributor Cornacchia Automobili of Rome, Italy, to Vasco Migliacci—renowned Italian songwriter and composer, also from Rome. It was later purchased by a lady in Naples who, it seems, had the car color changed from white to Rosso Rubino, the beautiful Ruby Red it presents in today. The interior was not touched and remains as it was when delivered from the factory in Modena. The Napolitana kept the car until 1980, when it was acquired by Pierre Honegger, a race car driver and entrepreneur in Princeton, New Jersey. Honegger maintained the 3500 GT in his collection. Correspondence with the race driver confirmed that when he received the Maserati, other than the paint, the car was totally original, without any evidence of accident or modification. He sold the Maserati in March 1997, to noted collector Peter Starr, with 29,037 kms on the odometer, believed to be the original reading. The current consignor states that when Starr took possession of the car it had already been fitted with another Maserati 3500 GT factory replacement engine - a correct 3.5-liter 6-cylinder motor exactly as the original one. It is unclear whether the engine change was at the request of a previous owner or whether it was Honegger who switched out the motor, which seems most likely.
In 2006, Starr commissioned Ayer European Auto Restorations in Gardiner, Maine, to perform a respray, taking the body back to bare metal to ensure a first-class result. At the same time the chrome was sent to D&S Plating Co., the Pebble Beach award winning specialist based in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Following many years careful maintenance and meticulous service, the Maserati was presented at the Amelia Island Concours in 2014 as the only Vignale Spyder at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the marque. After two decades of ownership, Starr sold the car to the current steward, a long-time enthusiast with a large and eclectic collection, including numerous Maseratis.
This gorgeous 3500 GT Spyder is believed to be dressed with the original top and interior, and other than a small tear in the top canvas and some insignificant paint flaking on the dash, the overall condition of the car is amazingly well-preserved with a patina of careful wear over its fifty-seven years. It has three Weber carburetors and disc brakes in the front with drum in the rear and a lovely set of Borrani steel wheels, as well as the desirable 5-speed manual transmission.
This fabulous Ruby Red Maserati is one of fewer than 250 of the 3500 GT Spyder's built, with less than 40,000 kilometers on the clock, it is a highly desirable and drivable marque icon.
1961 Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spyder interior
We do not have the skills to assess the concours-readiness of such an exquisite example. That said, we can easily place this vehicle at the absolute acme of desirable Italian automobiles. Now, we have to wonder - what will the owner replace this with? We think that a Lamborghini 350GT is the only way up from here.
Have an Italian car that you'd like to share with the readers? Email us graham@blythbros.com to arrange your reader classified posting!
