Owning an Alfetta GTV

‘The early cars are hideous rotters, even by the standards of the Seventies,’ says ‘transaxle’ Alfa specialist Alex Jupe, who ran GTVS as daily-drivers for 15 years, covering 250,000 miles. ‘The bodyshells weren’t primed, seam-sealed or rustproofed and you can’t buy repair panels, so everything has to be handmade nowadays. If you buy an Alfetta GTV that turns out to be full of filler, it could end up costing between £15,000 and £30,000 to put right. ‘Because of this, it’s actually increasingly common for owners to customise them with parts from later GTV6S and 75 saloons. The suspension on these early GTVS is much better, but the gearbox is very vague and they drive better with one from a 75. The velour seats wear out fast too, so you’ll often find them fitted with leather items from a GTV6. ‘Over my time with GTVS, the only problems encountered in regular running were electrical, because of their open connectors corroding, but the mechanical parts are very reliable if properly maintained. But if they were subjected to daily use the rot always got them in the end. If you buy one, treat it with Dinitrol as soon as possible!’