This 1982 Alfa Romeo GTV V6 looks like an awesome driver, kept in decent condition overall and equipped with a variety of upgrades that should make a fun car even more enjoyable to drive. The GTV V6 is a seriously underappreciated 1980s performance car and a serious bargain compared to the likes of a BMW E30 M3. The seller lists out the various maintenance projects and modifications for this ’80 GTV V6 here on eBay where bidding has reached $5,100 with the reserve unmet.
When it comes to cars that get their values pumped up by rabid fans of the brand, “Alfa-holics” are somewhere middle of the pack. I see BMWs and Porsches get seriously over-valued in the heat of the moment, but your traditional Alfa buyer seems far more measured. This is not a bad thing by any means, but it does mean you don’t typically see wild price fluctuations when it comes to the sale price. This Alfa has some cosmetic flaws but not the kind that cost a lot of money to fix.
The interior is in fair condition, with the awesome sport seats showing some wear and tear. The sport bucket seats that came in the GTV were either manufactured by Recaro or at least inspired by them, as the overall design is very close to some of the options offered on the aftermarket at the time. The seller has clearly focused his attention on making the GTV a great driver rather than a pristine example, an approach I can certainly behind. However, should the next owner wish to make some immediate improvements, reupholstering the seats would be a good place to start.
Now, let’s talk about upgrades. The seller mentions that he has “…serviced the heads with new larger SS intake valves, Colombo and Boriani cams. and installed heavy duty springs.” The timing belt and head gaskets are new, and among the few flaws the seller mentions is that the transmission can grind from 1st to 2nd if you shift quickly. Other new parts include the shocks (lowered to European spec ride height), a clutch, tires, rebuilt driveline, and rebuilt brakes. Overall, there’s a lot to like here, and it looks like a hoot to drive.
They are a hoot to drive. Note: you don’t lower a car with the shocks. Good power and excellent driveablity.
Yup, the front suspension uses torsion bars, so you can pull and reinsert them rotated by a tooth or two to lower the front. Lowering the rear would take a change of springs, unless US models just added spacers to raise the ride height? I’ve seen some with a raked stance where they just lowered the front. The lift was added for US models to meet minimum headlight-height regs without spoiling the front-end styling to mount the headlights higher.
The seller is in Burbank.
I’ll bet a dollar to a donut this has more than a few trips on PC 1-it’s a perfect car for it!
GLWTA
Back when I owned Alfa Milano’s both the 2.5 and 3.0 liter models I don’t think there was a time that I did not take the Busso to its redline during the drive. The GTV6 is much prettier to look at but I loved the quirky Milano just the same. The transaxles with their Porsche design synchronizer are not very robust and did not hold up well to the uninformed. Driven properly they lasted a long time. Same can also be said about the Porsche 915 transaxle.
Yup, the gearchange takes a patient, gentle hand to avoid grinding or wearing out the syncros prematurely. Do not speed-/power-shift or force it but, rather, take a casual, nonchalant Italian attitude towards it, holding it lightly against the gate entry you want until it naturally just falls into gear. Rev-matching and/or double-clutching can also help.
My observation … and I might be wrong … but, all GTV’s grind from 1st to 2nd. At least mine did
My Ferrari 348 – and all of them – have the same problem, but it is cured with a switch to Red Line gear oil.
Funny, the identical car is sitting near my house after being dragged out of a barn a month ago. People driving by are putting their business cards on the windshield to try to buy it.
Located in: Burbank, California
First time I drove on I fell in love. A sorted GTV6 is a great thing to own and drive. A bad one ypu won’t get to drive too much anyway…
Most Italian cars’ shape/lines really are flattering. I have always liked the Alfetta/GTV6 shape as it looks to be in motion, even when not moving. Combine the good looks with neutral handling and the wonderful howl of the Busso V-6 at full cry, and it moves the car to the top of my want list.
My local Alfa dealer was a friend and I was able to take anew one home over night. (I lived about 65 miles away and used selected “fun roads” for my commute. I loved the car, but was a little disappointed with the body lean. Upon returning the car I mentioned this to my dealer friend. He said “come back next week”. I did and he gave me the car back, but it now sat about 2.5 inches lower. WOW! what a ride! I did not want to give it back! I had recently driven a Posche 924 and was happy with the ride and handling. But not happy with the engine/lack of horsepower. IF, I had not recently bought a new VW Scirocco, I would have bought the Alfa.