72 GTV Restoration

["David & Jane Emerson" <david.jane.Emerson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Guys and Gals,

    I'm new to this Alfa Digest thing and have been having much
trouble getting this posted. A friend managed to get it on but I'd
like to be able to post for myself so here goes again.
I'm currently in the middle of a comedic redo of my 72 GTV. The
mechanicals are super, she sports a Wes Ingram built motor with a
Sperry stage 5 head. Unfortunately the last person painting the car,
who was also the third, didn't do much prep work. No glass or even the
door handles were removed and believe me no old paint got removed. So
to stop rust in its tracks I decided take the car back to bare metal,
the old fashioned way by hand striping it. Don't ask why but I've
completed about 95% of that job. The good news was little other rust
than what was visible prior to stripping, the bad news was evidence of
poor quality body work in her past. She had gotten a nose job at some
time and the welds were filled with plastic. Someone had once drilled
holes in her side to mount a door guard strip, etc. Well all that will
be put right.
Now if your still with me here are my question/needs. I never liked
the rectangular side marker lights and want to convert to the older
round "Euro style" lights. I've located red ones for the rear but
haven't been able to find amber or clear for the front.
My tail lights have lost the reflective foil coating but otherwise
seem OK, what's the best way to clean them up and enhance their
reflective ability.
What sort of lights were original for the driving lights, amber fog or
some sort of halogen?
Any comments on trunk mounted batteries?
Her entire interior had been raped with cheap silver vinyl glued over
the original panels and what couldn't be conveniently covered was
painted either silver or blue. I'd like to go back to black and
already have some nice seats, 72 bottoms and rails with '69 seat backs
done in good quality black vinyl with a charcoal fabric inset. Anyone
know how to remove vinyl paint from dashboards and contact cement from
vinyl? Failing that I'll need black interior panels for a '72.
I also need a windshield preferably clear and the gasketed in style,
including trim since I assume the trim from my broken glue in won't
work. Anyone have experience in converting from glue ins to gasket
style?
I'm going to need a full carpet set any advice on how to go about that
one?
She looked so much more spacious without the console I'm thinking of
doing away with it. Its purpose in life seems to be to hold 3 toggle
switches and the heater controls and oh yes an ash tray and lighter.
It seems like Alfa just followed early 70s style and threw that thing
in there. The toggles should go on the dash OK and I've seen heater
controls mounted under the dash in early models. The ash tray and
lighter can just go away. Any comments on that conversion?
For all still reading thanks and for those who help double thanks in
advance.

                                 Ciao,
                                       Emmo
'72 GTV stripped and ready for TLC
'76 Spider quite happy, being driven a lots and thinking she's an only
child again

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