[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by 70Steve

Weird, only one at a time it seems.

Steve - that's a 105 series Alfa. That's what I'm looking for. Fairly plentiful, lots of character, look great as a track day car, excellent aftermarket support, etc.

Scott

[400 4spd.]

Here's a sporty one for you.

[70Steve]

I think my sisters is a 67 model...1600 GT..veloce? They're not a bad looking little car, although I never warmed to the step from the nose to the hood lol. Nice ones out here seem to be in the 30's now. Even back when she bought hers, the early single headlight models weren't that common, the later 4 headlight models were what you'd normally see.

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by Ron Landis

knowing how you love challenge...find that Gullwing with your name on it! Seriously...I'm for the "barn find" scenario. Also...my cousin was head of the Opel plants in Bochum, Germany and he drove an Opel like I have NEVER seen...think it was called Diplomat or something...so always be mindful that there are exotic cars that few have knowledge of. Good luck on your endeavor and cruise those back roads! Find something special!!!

Ron -

Am trying to figure out how to find the cars that aren't on everyone's radar, but methods I used in the states won't work here. Prices have jumped recently on a lot of cars that I'm interested in so would be nice to find something that's not on the internet.

A few that I could easily afford at 2008 prices include Maserati Merak, DeTomaso Pantera, Lamborghini Urraco, Ferrari 308 GT4, Alfa Romeo Montreal, and Sunbeam Tiger.

Thanks

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by MeanGreen71

If it was me I would get a European m3 I think a 95 has the independent throttle bodies. Don't know what else it has that the US cars don't. Sweet little cars and a lot easier and cheaper to maintain. Parts would be plentiful. Probably all RHD though over there.

I do like the M3's, but looking for something older, preferably Italian, and preferably something that I can't readily find in the states.

FYI - I did look at E30 M3's (1986-1992) but the prices are ridiculous - start out at $30k.

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

Here's a sporty one for you.

What is it?

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by 70Steve

I think my sisters is a 67 model...1600 GT..veloce? They're not a bad looking little car, although I never warmed to the step from the nose to the hood lol. Nice ones out here seem to be in the 30's now. Even back when she bought hers, the early single headlight models weren't that common, the later 4 headlight models were what you'd normally see.

Stepnose GTV? Very nice! Yeah, the nicer GTV's are $30k+ but I'm going after the less expensive GT Junior. Same car but with a 1300 cc engine. I plan to swap it for a 2 liter GTV engine, anyway.

Here's a few nice stepnoses for you -





Scott

[Bobby Goat]

Originally Posted by bulletpruf

Yes, and they're all over Italy in my price range, too! I'll post some pics right after I feed my unicorn!

OK, finding a Stratos won't be so easy. But you can settle for a Lancia Delta Integrale and have almost as much fun for a lot less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtlSeApabCw

Bob

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by Bobby Goat

OK, finding a Stratos won't be so easy. But you can settle for a Lancia Delta Integrale and have almost as much fun for a lot less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtlSeApabCw

Bob

Those are definitely on my radar. My first choice if a 1960's era vehicle wouldn't have worked out. Nicer ones will set you back $30k or more, but you can still find solid drivers for less than $20k.

On a related note, you can also buy a similar product from Ford -- Escort Cosworth and Sierra Cosworth. Both AWD turbo and powered by an engine based on the old 2300 cc from the Pinto, but with a DOHC Cosworth head. These are fairly affordable, with good drivers starting out around $10k.

Scott

[400 4spd.]

Originally Posted by bulletpruf

What is it?

It's a 1960 Borgward Isabella Coupe. I'm working on it for the widow of a man who's ancestor, Carl Borgward, founded the company. They are pretty collectible in Europe. Not so much here, so parts are hard to locate in the U.S.

http://www.motortrend.com/classic/fe...ella/photos/#2

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

It's a 1960 Borgward Isabella Coupe. I'm working on it for the widow of a man who's ancestor, Carl Borgward, founded the company. They are pretty collectible in Europe. Not so much here, so parts are hard to locate in the U.S.

http://www.motortrend.com/classic/fe...ella/photos/#2

Neat car, cool story!

Thanks,

Scott

[NeighborsComplaint]

You may want to look for an Alfa Romeo GTV6. They were a super quick 2+2. I owned a 1975 Alfetta GT which was the precursor to the Sprint Veloce, GTV and in its final iteration, (w. V6 power) the GTV6. Very comfortable leather interior also.

The Alfetta GT I owned had a twin cam 2.0L 4 with Spica Mechanical fuel injection. The drive train used CV joints for the driveshaft with the clutch mounted on the transaxle. The rear independant suspension was a DeDion' design with inboard disc brakes to reduce unsprung weight. With the 2.0L 4 and 5 speed th car was a pleasure to drive.

I drove a GTV6 and it was like an Alfetta on steroids and very smooth.

Nice vid of a race GTV6 (Silver like the Alfetta I owned) with great Alfa sounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkrchR6XlMg

[68gtoMN]

Originally Posted by bulletpruf

Renault 5 turbo looks like a neat car, but at 6'4" and 230 lbs, I'd have to chop off my arms at the elbows and my legs at the knees to fit into a compact car...

Thanks,

Scott

Scott, Good luck with this hunt. Just saw this thread - somehow missed it all this time. Ugh.

Some advice regarding what you can fit into. I have found that leg length is the biggest hurdle in these smaller cars. I have you by 4" and 30 lbs. My inseam is 38". One just can't bend a long bone and long levers change angles of how you can reach a pedal and/or turn a wheel. One can slouch for height in torso, but the shin/thigh lengths are your challenge.

If your knee does not get pinched between the door and steering wheel, you'll be able to steer. You may need to resort to putting your right heel near the brake, turning the foot to the right to work the gas.

I've driven some alfas, Lancias and Ferrari's in my day. Not always "comfortable" but possible in many cars. Tom Selleck was 6'4" when he played Magnum and drove the 308/328.

Good luck!

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint

You may want to look for an Alfa Romeo GTV6. They were a super quick 2+2. I owned a 1975 Alfetta GT which was the precursor to the Sprint Veloce, GTV and in its final iteration, (w. V6 power) the GTV6. Very comfortable leather interior also.

The Alfetta GT I owned had a twin cam 2.0L 4 with Spica Mechanical fuel injection. The drive train used CV joints for the driveshaft with the clutch mounted on the transaxle. The rear independant suspension was a DeDion' design with inboard disc brakes to reduce unsprung weight. With the 2.0L 4 and 5 speed th car was a pleasure to drive.

I drove a GTV6 and it was like an Alfetta on steroids and very smooth.

Nice vid of a race GTV6 (Silver like the Alfetta I owned) with great Alfa sounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkrchR6XlMg

Nice car, but prefer something a bit older. Also not a huge fan of the profile/lines on these cars.

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by 68gtoMN

Scott, Good luck with this hunt. Just saw this thread - somehow missed it all this time. Ugh.

Some advice regarding what you can fit into. I have found that leg length is the biggest hurdle in these smaller cars. I have you by 4" and 30 lbs. My inseam is 38". One just can't bend a long bone and long levers change angles of how you can reach a pedal and/or turn a wheel. One can slouch for height in torso, but the shin/thigh lengths are your challenge.

If your knee does not get pinched between the door and steering wheel, you'll be able to steer. You may need to resort to putting your right heel near the brake, turning the foot to the right to work the gas.

I've driven some alfas, Lancias and Ferrari's in my day. Not always "comfortable" but possible in many cars. Tom Selleck was 6'4" when he played Magnum and drove the 308/328.

Good luck!

D@mn, you're 6'8" and 260??? I thought I had trouble buying clothes, fitting into cars, etc.

The 308 was probably do-able in size, but the prices have skyrocketed recently. The 308 GT4 is larger, but kind of fugly, and prices have jumped recently on these, too.

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Well, it's a done deal. After more searching I really narrowed it down to one car -- the 1965-1975 Alfa Romeo GT Junior/GTV. Second place was the Fiat Dino coupe, but a nice Alfa can be bought at half the cost of the Dino, parts are readily available, and there are 20 GT's for every Dino on the market.

I looked at several, but most were fluffed up turds with shoddy bodywork evident under shiny paint.

The car I ended up with is a 1972 GT Junior 1300. I picked it up for 12,000 euros, or about $13,500 U.S. It's quite original, and appears to have had only one repaint many years ago. The car will need a bit of metal work, but I don't think I will find too many surprises when I strip it down.

It runs and drives now, but as soon as my tools arrive (they're on their way over from the U.S. now) and I get the garage set up, it will be time to set all ratchets to counter-clockwise and tear it apart for a full resto.

Will be interesting working on a DOHC all aluminum engine -- will seem like a toy compared to the big American V-8s that I'm used to messing with, but at 2,000 lbs, you don't need 500 hp to get it moving.

Plan is to maintain the stock-ish appearance, but with upgraded drivetrain (2 liter engine), upgraded suspension and brakes, and restored/upgraded interior. I'll bring it back to the states when I'm done.

Thanks for all the input!

Scott

[Mr Twister]

dove e il turbo

[David Jones]

Minilites.

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by Mr Twister

dove e il turbo

No turbo needed. Just shooting for something north of 150 hp at the wheels, which can be done without too much drama. Just decent cams, 10:1 compression, mild porting, a pair of Webers and a free flowing exhaust.

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by David Jones

Minilites.

Minilites do look great on a 105 series GT, but I'm not going with "resale red." I'll paint it the original color (Amaranth Red - aka maroon) or another factory color from 1972 (Metallic Olive is pretty nice).

Thanks

Scott