Re: V6 swaps to 105/115

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

In AD7-1229 Kevin Trent , intrigued by the idea of V6 or V8 swaps to a 
105/115, discusses Hans Milo's 1973 GTV-6, and adds "Finally, it is my 
understanding that the Digest's regular contributor John Hertzman made the 
trek to Milo's shop in Georga and has seen this car, but I'm unaware if he 
discussed it in this forum."

I did indeed discuss it, several times; I lost the earliest ones in a 
computer disaster but still have one from AD3-0017 on 23 July 1996. In 
addition to the details KCT mentions, (flywheel, bellhousing, ZF box, 
rack-and-pinion steering, tight headers, etc) a key is that Hans used the oil 
pan from the Alfa 6, which clears (just!) the suspension crossmember of the 
105/115 chassis. The GTV-6/Milano pan will not work.

Hans worked with a severe self-imposed limitation that there was to be no 
cutting of sheet-metal which would interfere with later restoration of the 
car to original condition, and he made it-just; some of the clearances would 
be measured with a feeler-gauge, and in a few places he had to dimple 
sheet-metal or bend a flange 1/16". The 115 brake-booster and left valve 
cover, for instance, is below-zero clearance without one discrete 
hammer-ding. It was a masterful tour-de-force, carefully studied beforehand 
with templates and then meticulously executed. Was it worth doing? In my 
opinion, only in the "Why do you climb Mount Everest?" sense; because a 
question is there, the curious and brave will respond to the challenge and 
either prove themselves masters or die trying.

There have been Montreal engines in GTVs, and Don Black sold a brand-new 
"Tasman" V8 to a southern Good Ole' Boy who stuffed it in a GTV. In the same 
batch of old digests where I dug up my Milo posting there was one from Les 
Singh, the same day: "we built a 550 HP Alfetta GTV powered by a Milodon V8. 
The engine sat roughly where the gearlever pokes out, totally inside the 
cabin and the driver sat in the left rear. Drive to the Alfetta transaxle - 
yes! it was strong enough - was by a driveshaft with VW cv-joints replacing 
those troublesome rubber doughnuts. The car won the Sports Sedan championship 
and the 5-Litre championship and was the fastest, loudest big-banger of its 
time."

Engine-swaps have been around almost as long as cars, certainly as long as 
sports cars; the swap-of-the-month was a regular feature in Road & Track 
during the early days, (most of them Ford V-8 60s into MGs) and seven of my 
first nine cars had engine swaps. Engine swaps come in for some criticism, 
much of it justified, because they are often undertaken by people who butcher 
nice cars to shoe-horn in an inappropriate engine with little concern for 
integrating the entire system. I remember a Giulietta Spider which had a 
Willys F-head six, which involved cutting away one of the most critical 
structural parts of the hull, the boxed section of the firewall which is the 
principal connection of the left framing members to the right. But there have 
been many relatively good swaps, often starting with "I have this nice 
engine, what can I put it in?"; these include beautifully executed 
installation of a Bugatti engine in an MG TC, a Duesenberg in a 1934 Ford 
roadster, a Ferrari V-12 in a Willys station-wagon.

The nicest thing about an Alfa of the late sixties/early seventies is, 
arguably, the engine, followed by the rest of the generally well-matched 
chassis, and probably the best place to put them is in an Alfa hull. KCT's 
bottom line - - "I'm beginning to think I could pour the same monetary 
investment into a tweaked 2000 engine and have a better balanced car with 
near the same HP, and without headaches I can't even imagine"- - seems sound. 
Before the tweaking, though, I would try for optimized stock; people who have 
not experienced a new GTV, a new Berlina, a new Giulia Super, may not 
understand just how satisfying such a car can be.

Cordially,

John H.
Raleigh, N.C.

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