Back from the dead

[Gary Stark <redbakstark@domain.elided>]

It's been an interesting week ...

I went to the Alfa Club meeting in Concord on Tuesday
(thanx Bill - but I didn't get to see, let alone
steal, er, I mean drive, the Selespeed<g>). But I
digress.

Back in the daze of yore, before I moved to the USofA,
I used to have a 1750GTV. It was left with a friend
who drove it, and after about 9 months something died
in the gearbox. I'd long since lost track of this car.

At the club meeting I picked up a copy of the current
magazine, and found a number for Automoda, Vince
Gianetto's workshop. Vince used to work on my cars all
those years ago, and it transpires that my 1750 has
been parked in his workshop for over six years,
patiently awaiting my return.

The car is somewhat sad, and is in need of some
bodywork to deal with rust, plus the gearbox issues,
and the interior is in need of refurbishment too.

And who knows what surprises the engine will hold in
store for me ...

But I really must comment on Vince's integrity. He
could have easily disposed of the car and retained the
profits, but didn't. 

The car looks like a viable restoration project, but
will require a substantial injection of resources.
I've not yet decided, but there's no prizes for
guessing what I'm thinking.

The problem is that this will take about 18 months I
guess to bring to fruition, and I don't know that I
can hold on this long with just the Barina POS ... so
I'm thinking that an Alfetta that Vince has right now
may well be suitable as an interim vehicle.

The car came in with a burnt valve, and the headwork
has all been done. It looks like a very straight
vehicle, with no real signs of cancer. The interior is
very tidy, and for the $$$ it looks quite nice.

The sweetner here is that in about 18 months Leigh, my
elder son, will be eligble for his license. So I could
justify this purchase as being for him ... :)

But for now, the prospects of starting a project on
the GTV are both daunting, but exciting. It's been one
of my favourite cars ever, and the thought of getting
it on the road again is probably the first really good
thing I've experienced since my return.

Alfisti, tell me I'm crazy, or ... 

g.
Gary Stark              69 1750 GTV
gstark@domain.elided  99 Holden Barina
http://redbacksWeb.com  
Back down under in Sydney, Oz.









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