Which do we prefer?

I have been toying with the idea of repainting my GTV6 ever since I got it!  Those who have seen it in person can attest to the fact that the paint is...to use the technical term--fucked. I keep debating between keeping the gray rocker panel or going with a simpler cleaner look by eliminating the useless rub strip along the flank of the car. Or keep the rubs trip but still eliminate the gray. What do all of you out there in the internet think?

Comments

[Nicholas]

Two. It is a clean look and adds a nice clean flow to the side of the car. The 3rd is to much, might I saw 80's.

[motoringconbrio]

2 > 1 > 3. That said, I would not be disappointed if you went with 1.

[motoringconbrio]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the wheels transformed the car. Holy wow.

[Flavio]

I have to say that the first option looks both the most elegant and the most unique to my eye. I love it, and have never seen a GTV6 in that look. Somehow it strongly references the 1960s for me, in a very, very good way.

[alex]

I like #2. the rub strip mimics the door crease nicely and provides visual balance.

[F1 Tommy]

The first 1981 cars came without the molding from the factory. Some dealers added molding to the door line between 1981-1983 before the facory decided to add it. The cleanest version is the 1st option, the way the car was meant to be. I bought a 1982 Balocco and 1983 normal version because I did not like the later cars trim, suspension and gearbox ratios. Maybe blank out the US side marker lights and add European bumpers also. By the way, I saw one of your dads Jaguars last month at a concours sitting next to a Maserati A6 2000 Zagato.

Tom Tanner/Ferrari Expo 2014-Chicago late March 2014-Carrera Panamerica 1950-1954 art and model display

[Darrell]

I think #1 makes the car look a little shorter and fatter, at the same time it is the cleanest look. I like #2 the best.

A technical consideration: If the moldings are removed are there holes which need to be eliminated? This will create problems down the road whether they are welded or filled.

[off-camber]

Option #1 with a matte black stripe down the side of the car - maybe the thickness of the door handle, or at very least integrating the door handle.

[Swade]

3>1>2

I'm biased, though. I just sold mine and it had the '3' look. 1 is nice and surprisingly clean. Like it.

[Alex B.]

the one on the top, the less molding and bumpers on these cars the better, it really brings out the shape of the body so much better.

[peter]

amused by the lack of consensus here -- not sure that any of this advice isn't just going to confuse the issue further! no. 1 is obviously the cleanest, and closest to the spirit of the original alfetta design. i think that there's a period aspect to no. 3 that merits preservation though, and personally i've always thought the two-tone did a nice job of disguising the big bumpers. (but then i drive a saab SPG, so maybe i'm just biased towards '80s tropes and contrasting lower body cladding in particular!) anyway i'd say if you wanted to go full-measure and source euro bumpers (and prefer the look of the earlier cars) then go 1, otherwise keep it as-is. 2 just seems like a best-of-neither-world compromise imo.

[Mario Carneiro Neto]

I dig 3 the most.

[Bradley Price]

Thanks for all the comments fellas. Clearly you are all echoing the conflicting voices in my own head! Darrell, you are right that there are holes in the door from the trim which must be welded closed.

[Rik]

This is just my opinion but I think you have to be very careful with the Alfetta/GTV6 shape as it is quite delicately balanced.

With the heavy US bumpers you need the grey lower door/sill to balance them, as per option 3. If you go with Euro bumpers you'd get away with option 1.

I have a 1975 Alfetta in White with the Euro stainless bumpers, I'm going through a dilemma as to which wheels to get for it. Ronals, Alfaholics GTA's, or something else as yet undiscovered.

Your Ronals look great by the way, the only after market wheel that really "fits" the GTV6.

[Bradley Price]

I am leaning towards doing option 2, but then adding the gray lower as a vinyl film so that I can peel if off if I decide I dont like it. My heart says option 1 because that is the most Alfetta-like and pure. But Rik is right--with the heavy bumpers and plastic trim, it does throw off the balance of the car.

[Bradley Price]

Rik, you can get Ronals or you can have a range of other wheels because the Alfetta has the 4 bolt pattern common to the 105 chassis. To me the Ronal A1s or the Ronal Turbos are the coolest rims on these cars which also feel period correct.

[Rik]

Bradley, The Alfetta is a 4 x 98mm bolt pattern whereas the 105 cars have a much larger PCD.

Glad you agree on the balance of the car regarding the bumpers. A good friend has a sliver GTV6 as per your option 1 above. He went further and colour coded the bumpers and front splitter. He also has Ronals fitted. To my eyes there is now too much silver. I'm trying to convince him it needs a thin pinstripe along the crease line to break up the surface area.

My own car was "slammed" when I got it, riding very low on polished MOMO 5-spokes. It looked very slab sided. Running the correct ride height fixed it, but it needs wheels with more class and less bling. Photos on Motoring Con Brio's Flickr page - user Kiwialfisti. Would love anybodies opinions on wheels for it...

[BiTurbo228]

I agree with Rik. With the US bumpers you need the black/grey low down to balance them out, but with Euro bumpers (better looking anyway) option 1 looks the best.

Or, you could go with even smaller bumpers and get something closer to the early Alfettas: http://i.imgur.com/nL9PRnF.jpg

Also, I rather like the 5-spokes on yours Rik. They suit the Alfetta quite nicely. Have you thought of Campagnolo 5-spokes for it?

http://www.drivecult.com/uploads/campagnolowheel.jpg

This one's not in a good way, but it's the one that gave me the idea: http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CC-17-013-800.jpg

[Daniel]

I suggest either #2 or #3 and then go out and get an Alfetta with Euro bumpers to satisfy your cravings for the clean look. Or travel from the 80s, up the Taconic to the Berkshires and sample the 70s in my clean Alfetta.

[Pilote]

#1, with red lower front and rear valences. "Less is more." Euro bumpers would help, if they're in the budget. The Lime Rock track map stays! ;-)

[Jason]

I like #3 the best - that's how mine looks. Suits the period and accentuates the sleek lines.

[jamon]

last one

[F1tommy]

If you look at the 1996 picture section you will see a 1982 Balocco with Ronal's wich I think looks great. I can see why Alfa put the strip, to block door dents. I think without the molding the car looks more late 1960's-early 1970's wich is an era I like. The 1980's black add on parts look cheap and plastic to me other than the spoiler wich does help the car move thrue the air.You need bumpers, and the European bumpers are alot better. I have to say the Alfetta Euro steel bumpers were not that good looking either. They look strange on a GTV6 wih the front spoiler.

http://www.alfagtv6.com/gallery.htm

[Ernesto Rosa]

Clean look!!!!!

[Rob S]

Going with the number 1 option from the paint shop still leaves you the tasty option of doing a dark gray vinyl wrap to re-create the two-tone, but with the added benefit of stone chip protection and reversibility.