Re: Giulia coupes, GTAs, GTVs & The Best Bits

["Joe Garcia" <corsanostra@domain.elided>]

Hm. I seem to have opened one of Pandora's better boxes with this thread.

Scott Fisher stated:

<<Short answer: Don Baker's car.  If you were there at the ARA tech
session last Saturday, you know what I mean... if not, keep reading.>>

Seeing as how 99.99% of ARA activity is exactly one continent's width 
away...

<<Long answer: It depends on what you consider best, what you want to use 
the car for, and what you're willing to do or have done.  I'm working on 
exactly such a car, answering exclusively to myself about what I want.>>

The (probably) vague response to the long answer: I'd like--who 
wouldn't?--the fastest car possible while keeping every shred of docility 
intact. That means no GTAms nor replicas thereof. Also, for some weird 
reason, I am rather averse to having stuff machined to fit. Mind you, that 
doesn't mean I won't do it...just means that I'll feel weird. But those are 
a series of issues I need to work out on my own.

As far as interiors go, I am absolutely, resolutely, Helvetic in my 
neutrality to any one year over the other.

On more road worthy matters, I marginally prefer the 4.11 to the 4.56, since 
the bulk of my driving (business or pleasure) does not involve quite that 
degree of acceleration. If it did, of course, then 4.56 would be the ratio 
of choice.

Les Singh points out a sad bit when he says the GTA head won't sit quietly 
atop the 2000. (Although, in thumbing through Pat Braden's AROB, I got the 
distinct impression he implied the GTA head would work with the 2000. Then 
again, I may have horribly misread that. Comments form the peanut gallery?) 
I am fortunate to have very strong contacts in Argentina, and when I attend 
the PRI show in Indy I'll ask Ballestrini about "GTAing" a 2000.

<<Induction: my personal opinion of the Spica is very high right now. I love 
its responsiveness, its absolute absence of flat spots, its
>relatively easy cold-starting, and its out and out performance.  Yeah, the 
>Webers on my '67 GT Junior are cool -- in fact, at one point I said that I 
>specifically bought that car because it *didn't* have Spica on it.  I 
>recant, and the hot-rod motor I'm planning for it will have Spica (with a 
>stop at Wes Ingram's to get the fuel cam set for the other internal mods I 
>make to the engine).  All Alfa race cars since March 1968 used Spica, so it 
>even has historical provenance.>>

My views have similarly done a 180 deg. about-face. In my raw youth when I 
was doing all manner of experimentation upon my '76 Alfetta GT, the change 
from the SPICA unit (which I now realize was just a shot-to-Hell SPICA 
unit...mea culpa) to 40DCOEs was akin to having, after 18 months finally 
uloaded the crate of anvils the car had in the back seat. My views changed 
after speaking with Dave Kane (of RML Racing) who has done some mighty neat 
things with the aforesaid SPICA.

<<Brakes: I don't plan to put power brakes in my '67.  I like the pedal feel 
of the unassisted brakes, but then my family tends to have thighs like 
mature oaks so I don't generally need any sissy power-assist, at least not 
on cars like the Alfa which have superb brakes in the first place.>>

For reasons which shan't be adequately explored here, I have come to view 
power-anything as the ultimate in sissiness, possibly even wussiness. I have 
however, recanted on the matter of air conditioning. While in my raw youth 
it seemed acceptable to sit in traffic during South Fla.'s periodic 90 deg 
F. + 90% humidity days, now I am not so keen on the concept.

Yes, I know. It limits my pool of potential vehicles.

<<Wheels: mostly subjective.  I like the look of the turbina wheels on a 
GT>>

For some reason, some of the newer Zagato aftermarket wheels methinks) look 
mighty dandy on this shape. I agree with you that the Bertone shape is among 
the very best that has ever been made to glide along pavement. While there 
are others I'd rank with this shape, for the life o' me, I can't think of 
any now. Oh, wait. NART Spyder.

<<In short... you can't really go wrong with any of these cars, especially 
if you're willing to mix and match (and if your state's smog laws permit it, 
of course).>>

I'm lucky as in FL (unless someone changed something and didn't inform *me*) 
only 1975 & later cars have to undergo any scrutiny at all. Which means that 
whomever currently owns that 1976 Alfetta has had SEVERE headaches getting 
the car to pass inspection. Tee hee. (Caveat emptor, I guess.)

- -Joe in SoFla, between Alfae

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