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 Post subject: Alfa strip down
PostPosted: September 21, 2015, 2:40 pm 
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Joined: July 27, 2015, 5:12 pm
Posts: 6
Well I finely got the Alfa striped of all the bits that I will need for my build , and an now getting rid of all the useable body parts ( sounds a bit suspect .... body parts ) , the Alfa lads in Vancouver are interested in hopefully most of the bits . Then the rest of the shell will .....be ... scraped.
I have all the greasy bits in my trailer ready for steam cleaning . Then clean up the work shop , make the lay out table , and with a bit of luck start to build by mid October . I will post photos as the build progresses . At 6ft 3ins and 2010 lbs. is there any consensus as to what frame is best ,at the moment it will be McSorley 7+442 . That I'm going to make fit my Alfa Spider back end and my bod, and size 11 pods.
Cheers for now,
Steve


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 Post subject: Re: Alfa strip down
PostPosted: September 21, 2015, 6:21 pm 
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Joined: December 17, 2010, 1:24 pm
Posts: 1580
Location: Gainesville, Mo.
Quote:
At 6ft 3ins and 2010 lbs.
You may want to go to a 3/4 ton Chevy for your donor! :shock:

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 Post subject: Re: Alfa strip down
PostPosted: September 22, 2015, 6:26 pm 
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Joined: September 5, 2006, 11:00 pm
Posts: 769
Location: Columbia SC
The Alfa will work better with a more "Book" size frame. The rear is too narrow for a +4. Maybe a +2, but it is just right for a book frame. The Book frame is big enough for up to about 6"3-6'4 if you push the seat all the way back. I'm 6"1" and 220. I fit fine in a tight book frame. I even have a 1" spacer behind the seat. It's tight, but still comfortable. When I was uhhh 185 there was LOTS of room.
Being a former Afisti (owned 4 alfas) I wanted to use a rotted spider for my build, just couldn't find one at the time.

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 Post subject: Re: Alfa strip down
PostPosted: September 25, 2015, 2:34 am 
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Joined: November 11, 2013, 4:47 am
Posts: 1617
Location: No. Nevada
I too have all the important bits from a '74 Spider to use in a build.
It's been mentioned many times that the stock front upper arm angle is "wrong".
Alfa apparently made the later spindles taller to correct this.
It seems to me that it should be possible to get the same result lowering the inside mount with a new frame.

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 Post subject: Re: Alfa strip down
PostPosted: April 10, 2017, 11:19 pm 
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Joined: November 11, 2013, 4:47 am
Posts: 1617
Location: No. Nevada
Finally got a chance to play around with my Spider front suspension.
If you swap it L to R it's almost like it was made for a custom car build!
That puts the steering arms on the front and the calipers at the rear, so R&P steering becomes easy.
Remove the original spring pan and there are two convenient holes for mounting a coil-over shock mount.
All that without having to fab suspension arms so a repair would be stock parts.
Perhaps not as light as custom arms but much more convenient.

Spider live axle already has the lower mounts for a Four-bar setup, just add the top brackets.
53" wheel face to wheel face so fairly close to the 50" track early Seven's want.
Stock wheels place most of the rim over the axle so track remains narrow.

This is working out so well I may just break down my running but rusty "78 Spider for a Locost type build.
Would have to go with a classic 30's style Alfa grill though, along with a few other Alfa inspired bits.

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