Ever have one of those days?

Okay, I'm pretty stoked because I got some work done on the Alfa project this week. Hydraulic timing belt detentioner (don't ask, unless you're Italian) rebuilt, radiator flushed out, and got the new timing belt on (skipped a tooth first try, it took me a lil' bit to figure out how to set the "detensioner"). Rotates without interference now, and all three timing marks like up.

So, I'm a little bored. I take the battery out of the autocrosser, and hook it up to see if the electrics are OK.

They ain't.

After doing a little research, it seems that the guys I bought it from actually replaced most of the GTV6 instruments & switchgear with that from the US market "Alfetta", her 4-cylinder cousin. No lights. No turn signals. No hazard flashers. No wipers.

Sigh. What's the line from those old Carfax TV ads? "People do some strange things to cars.."

OTOH, the starter still works. I cranked it over and the belt still didn't skip a tooth. C'mon...y'all would have done it too!

You know, rewiring an old car from scratch isn't that difficult. I mean, it's a hell of a lot easier than rebuilding an engine most of the time, especially if the interior is of no concern.

petegossett wrote: You know, rewiring an old car from scratch isn't *that* difficult. I mean, it's a hell of a lot easier than rebuilding an engine most of the time, especially if the interior is of no concern.

Yeah, I guess I'm just a little bummed to realize it's going to be a little more of a project than I'd planned. My g/f has (had? She really seems to enjoy watching me work on it..) a bigger problem than I thought with it after I actually brought it home. I was hoping it'd a running driver by next spring. I sometimes think I shot myself in the foot with this one. She enjoys driving, but is new to the gearhead culture. She likes the autocrosses & car shows, but hasn't been exposed to the "dirty" side of the hobby, I guess.

After a second look, it seems most of the Alfetta controls are there, I just need to hook them up to the GTV6 connectors. It also seems to have a GTV6 speedo & tach, although I haven't asked about it on alfabb.com yet (so many of those guys seem to be angry that I don't know these cars inside & out yet).

I smell a PITA..the power window switches on the GTV6 are on the dashboard, but on the Alfetta console in my car, they're beside the shifter. Time to buy a box of wiring connectors & buy a better soldering iron!