Any other fans of Alfa Romeo GTV coupes - Off Topic, but related.

[scottevest]

I have always loved Alfa Romeo GTV Coupes from similar time period as e9. They seem to sort of resemble the e9. I clearly prefer my BMW, but wondering if others share my love of early Alfas and if they are prone to rust as easily as our coupes?

Thoughts?

See e.g. https://bringatrailer.com/alfa-romeo/gtv/

 

[Gransin]

Definitely a fan, I'm actually planning (subconsciously) to restore/restomod one of these as my next project, whenever that might be.
And yes, they are definitely as prone to rust as our coupes..

 

[deQuincey]

this is off topic

 

[scottevest]

this is off topic

You are correct. I would call it a related not off topic, but let me know if I should delete this post and start over in Off Topic. I need to get better at staying within proper thread. I am sorry. I don't think I can easily move it there.

 

[jmackro]

Here's a shot of mine. Yea, I think of it as about a 7/8ths version of my e9. They share a lot of details in their construction and parts sources (lots of ATE and Bosch). Alfas do rust, thought I think e9's are worse.

 

[scottevest]

Here's a shot of mine. Yea, I think of it as about a 7/8ths version of my e9. They share a lot of details in their construction and parts sources (lots of ATE and Bosch). Alfas do rust, thought I think e9's are worse.

Gorgeous. How do they compare?

 

[Belgiumbarry]

i do also like them ! great cars with sporty look. But yes, they also rust ....
A bit smaller than our E9's ? of which we love the space inside....

 

[autokunst]

I am a fan. I find myself watching the auctions of these closely.

 

[Ohmess]

Here's a shot of mine. Yea, I think of it as about a 7/8ths version of my e9. They share a lot of details in their construction and parts sources (lots of ATE and Bosch). Alfas do rust, thought I think e9's are worse.

View attachment 40626

That is a very pretty car.

 

[gkb]

I have always loved the lines of the GTV. Many years ago when I was buying my second car I was trying to decide between a 2002, a Porsche 914 and the Alfa GTV. I went with the BMW but loved the Alfa except that with only 30K miles on it the seats were already splitting. Most GTVs I saw had low mileage because they were frequently in the shop. And rust, yes rust (but 2002s do too). Beautiful lines though.

 

[Mal CSL 3.0]

Both prone, but earlier Alfas don't seem to suffer from rust as badly as E9's.
The 105 is a fantastic car. I have owned 3. All have been such a pleasure to own and are reliable. Although of course the E9 feels much more solid and is a smoother drive being a GT car rather than a sports car.
Bringing this topic back to BMW E9..... The Alfa 105 and E9 share DNA as the E9 predecessor, the BMW 3200 CS, was actually a Bertone commissioned design.
Also they were great rivals on the European circuits in the 1970's.
Here is a photo of mine, not as pretty (or valuable) as Jmakro's step-nose but this is the GTV 2000 so has the biggest production engine in the series. The Mono rims were a factory option btw.

 

[Stevehose]

I've always wanted one but can I fit in one if I am 6'5" ?

 

[Mal CSL 3.0]

I've always wanted one but can I fit in one if I am 6'5" ?

I am nearly 6 3" and no problem at all to fit. These cars have plenty of headroom and seats can go way back. The seat are very low, basically mounted on the floor pan. Excellent driving position.
Much more room surprisingly compared to same era Ferrari's. My head hits the headliner in a Dino.

 

[HB Chris]

Steve, I have sat in Jay's, I am way too tall, you have long legs like me as well. Scott could probably fit though.

 

[jmackro]

How do they compare?

Without writing a long treatise, Mal CSL 3.0 summed it up well when he wrote: "E9 feels much more solid and is a smoother drive being a GT car rather than a sports car." Expanding on that, the e9, with it's 6 cylinder engine, is a sedate, grand touring car. On the other hand, the Alfa has a high-revving, lower torque, 4 cylinder, is lighter, has a shorter wheelbase and less sound insulation.

I've always wanted one but can I fit in one if I am 6'5" ?

Well, try before you buy. I know that Mal CSL 3.0 fits in his, but a lot depends on your leg:torso ratio, and what you consider a comfortable driving position. Many say that Alfas were designed for orangutans; you need long arms and short legs, as the pedals are close to the steering wheel.

Most GTVs I saw had low mileage because they were frequently in the shop.

The myth of Italian car unreliability is partially due to the cheapness of Fiats and the complexity of Ferraris. It also stems from prejudice against Italians. Alfas and BMW's are built with the same components that come from the likes of Bosch, ATE, Lemforder and other major European parts suppliers. Consequently, reliability isn't very different.

I will concede that back in the 80's - 90's, when they were just cheap used cars, Alfa tended to be owned by impoverished students and musicians, while the more expensive & prestigious BMW's were owned by doctors & lawyers. So the levels of preventative maintenance each marque received tended to be quite different. Today, they are both highly collectible, and I doubt that gap still exists.

 

[Brungie]

Love the 105 series alfas. My favourite being the Sprint GTV.

My father owned a couple of the 105 series cars when they were new. I remember him telling me how they used to fit 2000gtv front grill and taillights on their 1750s to make them look like the 2000 hahah. Fast forward forty years and everyone prefers the looks of 1750 and even more the “lesser” scalino bodies.

Never driven one but certainly on my radar as it is the definition of italian design, revvy and nicest sounding four pot ever in my opinion.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JMinPDX]

I love the 2600 Sprint 6 cylinder coupes of the early sixties.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-alfa-romeo-2600-sprint/

Though no as refined as the GTV's, I think they're closer to the GT category like e9's.

I've always considered GTV's to be closer to 2002's rather the e9's

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/h...fa-Romeo-2000-GTV-vs-BMW-2002tii/3749948.html

They've all see a huge raise in values over the last 5 years.

 

[craterface]

I owned a 69 GTV 1750 until recently, and my current closed Alfa is a 1970 Junior Zagato, which is also a "105" series based car. The GTV is MUCH smaller than an e9 in every dimension. Interior room is decent, but the seats are on the floor as noted. I really liked my GTV, and it made good noises and handled well. To me, there is just no comparison between a GTV and an e9. An e9 is much better screwed together. Every GTV has a cracked or mis aligned glove box door, gauges often break (almost never on a BMW), etc etc. Dash cracks are very very common. The GTV was practically worthless at the nadir of their value so most of them suffered from neglect. That said, the GTV is more exciting to drive and throw into the corners. GTV's have no power steering and the 69 has floor hinged pedals (which take a little getting used to). Brakes are very good. And the Junior Z is even more exciting! I love the way the Jr Z drives, even though the 69 GTV is a prettier car, as is Jay's earlier stepnose above.
All these cars have variable amounts wear in the steering box, which affects the "feel" and precision of the steering. You must drive a few before you buy. Many also have aftermarket suspensions, so again lots of variability in road feel. Lots of performance parts are available through Classic Alfa and Alfaholics etc, which is awesome. Classic Alfa has amazing service. Ultra fast shipping from the UK at reasonable prices.

 

[G]

I drive a GTV 1750 and agree with everything said above. The e9 is for cruising the Alfa is a hooligan and you just want to throw it in EVERY corner, at least I do !
The intake and exhaust sound is spectacular .It also feels much more vintage than the E9 and the 2002. If money was no object this is the GTV that would reside in my garage.
https://www.topgear.com/videos/chris-harris-drives/chris-harris-drives-alfaholics-gta-r-290

 

[Ohmess]

Somebody told me there was a GTV in this picture but I am having trouble locating it.