This is my brief history of my quest to refurbish the 1969 Alfa
Duetto (Boat tail Spider)
I bought the car in 1972 a day before my Birthday. I have kept
it garaged and loved ever since. For a few years it was not
running, the shift fork broke and I just did not have time to repair
it. My wife asked me to take her for a ride one day, I
painfully explained "It does not Run." With her knowing gaze
she repeated her first request. The restoration began the same
day. The photos show the car as it moved along the process to
be restored.
The color is better than the photos, they were taken in low
light. Wes Ingram
rebuilt injectors and the fuel injection pump. The car
got new oil pump, new pistons and liners. a new clutch (all were
balanced). The bearings are .10 over ground for the
reground and polished crank shaft. All the oil
galleys were cleaned with solvent. The crank is fitted with
allen bolts in the places where the original crank had the aluminum
plugs, so the galleys are easier to clean. The later Alfas
have forged--hardened crankshafts, so you cannot do that anymore. I
have replaced all the synchros and replaced the transmission
bearings. The gauges were sent out for complete rebuild. The top has
all new rubber pieces, and the rubber floor lining and trunk liner
is new with all the rubber plugs to install it. All the gaskets were
replaced thanks to Classic Alfa "New Tank". Both front turn
indicator lights are new all other engine parts were working
when I last ran the car in 2009. Fuel lines to the front
filter were replaced. the injector lines were cleaned and
plated. A new black stay fast top and leather seat covers have
been installed on the car. All the rubber pieces, sides and front
window seal are new from Classic
Alfa.
The successful restoration was finally completed 1n 2017. Some
of the photos are inside the last shop. California
Sandblasting cleaned and powder coated all the top hardware. Steering Wheel Bob
refurbished the steering wheel. The seats and headrests
were recovered, leather was used in the seating area, and perforated
leather was used in the seat inserts. A Retro Sound radio has
been installed, the car has bluetooth capability but the radio still
looks like it was installed in 1969. The Interior carpet is new and
the rubber original flooring has been replaced with materials from Classic Alfa. The original
flooring insulation was removed during the repaint. New
materiel that can be used for a heat and sound shield has replaced
the original.
Have you ever noticed that Italian cars are short on cup holders? "Ehi, fai attenzione alla strada--sei
tu che guidi la macchina, cazzo". You want an espresso? Fine stop
and enjoy one with your new friends. Cup Holders BAH!
The recent photos are at the end of the picture gallery. If
you embark on a restoration, don't hesitate to call me for help and
recommendations. As a warning, you will have to follow up on
every item, watch for missing parts. (you don't need that
cable anyway). I had to "portarlo
in tribunale!" with one mechanic who held the car for two
years and did very little work on it. I had the BAR (Bureau of
Automotive Repair) on my side. They took some enforcement
action, but the car was stored outside and the transmission had to
be re-built with new bearings etc because there was water (rusty) in
the transmission when I finally got it into a better shop. The
brilliant Judge said "That photo is just the usual Transmission
Gunk".
Gallery
Photos
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