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Modifying the Alfetta is where the real fun is to be had. If one decides to make changes to the car, the first thing to settle on is exactly what you want to do. There is little point in spending money to mildly tune the engine for example, if you really want to highly tune it at some later time. This is the quickest way to loose money because in both cases the engine builder will have to strip the engine anyway.
It is absolutely essential that you decide what you want to do and only make those changes or the cost will sky rocket. As an example, I have resisted the temptation over the last two years to add larger cams or install a larger exhaust because I always intended to add a turbo which requres a complete engine rebuild and specialised parts from the ground up. |
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The Alfetta body shell, especially the larger one, is beautiful. Unfortunately, as standard Alfa made a few shocking errors such as the massive gap between the tyre and guard which gives the car an almost "tractor" look about it.
The two Alfettas pictured below show the differences in styling mods one can make. Unfortunately the first picture is not very clear but there is a difference between the two |
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cars. Apart from the unnecessary rear wing (and the overkill of red) I think the red Alfetta has the best panel work I have seen on this model.
There are two key areas to note. Firstly, the bottom chrome strip under the doors has been removed and replaced with extra body work and secondly, a small front spoiler has been added on the red car. This is a massive improvement over the original design as the car now "hugs" the road much better. This is a |
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| Modified large shell Alfetta with the original chrome strip and front end. |
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smart way to artificially lower the ride height without having to worry about scraping the exhaust when the dreaded speed humps are encountered.
The Alfetta is a tough car to choose a colour for. The mix of black plastic and chrome makes it tough. A dark colour looks great and is more "adult" in appearance but it lacks the contrast with the black bumpers, |
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Modified large shell Alfetta with added
front spoiler and side skirt. |
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door handles and gills on the rear panels. On the other hand it contrasts well with the chrome of the "heart" and bumpers. If chromed rims are going to be used a dark colour should look better.The brighter red really stands out and contrasts well with the black bumpers but it just screams of "boy racer" and anyone over the age of 25 will look a little strange driving it. |
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| Engine mods require the most thought of any changes made to the car as the cost varies wildy between the different options and the power of the engine will determine the level of drivetrain modifications and possible body mods that will need to be made. |
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The first option is to recondition or mildy tune the original engine. This will be rather expensive for a negligable gain in power.
A better option would be to replace the old engine with a much younger "Twin Spark" found in the "75" (Milano in the USA). This engine has more power, is smoother, more reliable, runs on unleaded fuel and most importantly it is injected. Carburettors are prehistoric technology and tend to either starve or flood the engine, if the chance comes to replace them with injection i'd take it. Mild tuning of the twin spark should result in approx 150 Hp.
The next option is to fully rebuild and highly tune either engine to it's naturally aspirated limits. This is extremely expensive (A$ 9,000) and whilst the gain in power is reasonable (185 Hp) it's still not too spectacular.
The next step is force feeding the engine. A turbo will require a complete engine rebuild from forged pistons to copper head gasket, nothing will be untouched. The 1.8 is often the preferred engine for high level turbo tuning but again I lean towards the 2 litre twin spark. It's a much stronger engine, especially the bottom end. Never underestimate the stress a turbo will place on the componants of the engine. A well tuned turbo will yield 280 - 300 Hp at approximately 18 psi. For the engine, gearbox and exhaust the cost rises to over $20,000!! It's frightfully expensive but the Hp per dollar may be worth it compared to the naturally aspirated tune. |
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A beautifully detailed 2 litre and engine bay with full naturally aspirated modifications. |
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A 1.8 litre with a very mild factory turbo |
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A large shell Alfetta with a highly detailed and tuned (250Hp) 2.5 litre V6 from the GTV coupe. The only sedan I have seen with this engine. |
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Unless importing a factory turbo as seen in the blue Alfetta above, a mild turbo (low boost, standard pistons etc) is a touchy excercise. It will still cost $11,000 for a neat 200 odd Hp but reliability becomes a big issue. One wonders how long the engine will last without forged pistons or a copper head gasket for example. Be sure to speak to your builder about a warranty in this case.
There are some other unusual options. One I am looking at right now is to supercharge the twin spark. This should be cheaper with a smoother power delivery though Hp will be down on the turbos numbers.
My ideal engine is a supercharged 3 litre V6 from the "75". This would produce enormous power with very smooth delivery but the V6 will only fit in the Alfetta's engine bay with a large ugly bonnet bulge which ruins the appearance of the car. The
re-engineering required will also soak up some funds unfortunately.
Whatever decision is made, remind the builder to look for extra torque rather than Hp. Torque is what accelerates the car and provides smoother driving, extra Hp has a larger impact on top speed which can't be used on the street. |
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| If only small mods to the engine are made then the rest of the drivetrain won't need too much attention. I'd still be tempted to relace the old gearbox with an as new as possible box from the "75" (pictured below). It's still not great but it's better than the Alfetta gear change. If the engine is making 200+ Hp the whole drive train will need to be replaced. |
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The V6 gearbox from the 75 (don't touch the GTV6 box) will need to be installed to handle the extra power. The rear drive line doughnuts will need to be replaced and small mods to strengthen the differential may be needed. See "Links" for detailed information on drive train modifications. Essentially, as many of the V6 parts as possible will need to be installed to hold the extra power, |
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A modified "75", the Alfetta's
mechanical donor car. |
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| especially the clutch which will need to be either a double plate or brass button to avoid slipping. The exhaust will again be determined by the engine power but an after market three inch version is probably the way to go though care needs to be taken if the ride height will be lowered. |
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| Brakes and suspension are often over looked aspects of car modification. If the engine is producing 160+ Hp the brakes from the "75" V6 will be needed. Anything over 200+ will either need these brakes cross drilled or after market pads will need to be installed. |
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| The largest impact on the cars appearance will be what wheels are chosen. The Alfetta looks great with huge rims given the naturally lipped guards. Chromed wheels always look better but are rather expensive. 235 x 40 x 17 would be a sensible size though power steering will be needed if wide tyres are used. I was interested in a way to get an 18 inch rim under the guard, as you can see below someone beat me to it! |
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| Filled in guards look amazing and 18 inch wheels do the job beautifully. |
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The right style of wheels are important. The best I have seen belong to the dark blue Alfetta towards the top of this page.
If low profile tyres are used then suspension is crucial in attaining reasonable ride comfort. Koni adjustable shocks on all four corners should provide the options needed to suit individual tastes in ride comfort.
Note: All mods and prices quoted are for jobs done correctly and without cheaper and less reliable "short cuts" taken. If one is prepared to spend money on modifying the car then it has to be done to the highest quality or problems arise, especially if force feeding the engine. |
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To "My Project" |
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