DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Saw this and thought of you!

Alfa in hill climb action:

https://youtu.be/nvPyzv5jpts

I’m now 3 months into Alfa ownership and so far, so good. I did some initial miles, gave the car a good clean and came up with a list of jobs I wanted doing on the car. I sent it down to Ian Ellis (Alfa 105 Specialist) who did a big service and went through my list. Some work to set the suspension up has resulted in much better low and high speed handling plus it’s now very stable on the brakes. The engine was a little hesitant at sustained high revs and it turned out to be a kinked fuel hose. All the hoses were replaced and the fuel system cleaned out thoroughly. It was then set up on a rolling road and is now running beautifully. Better drive from low down but it really comes alive from 4-7k rpm and snarls beautifully.

The car is set up for fast road use and ride on the Yokohama Advan AD08R can be a little harsh if the road surface isn’t too good. On smooth roads though it is a delight to drive and feels very well balanced. It would be perfect on track and I might get a spare set of the Alfaholics wheels and put some road tyres on it as it rode much better on those when I first drove it.

I’ve changed a few things to make the car more user friendly, most noticeably a slightly larger Momo wheel (370mm), new seat belts and some wing mirrors. One thing I do miss is the classic Porsche network - I need to find a good Alfa Specialist near me and the equivalent of DDK. Plan is to do a couple of track days and a tour of Wales this autumn but until then, I am enjoying some weekend drives with friends and getting to know the car.

Great looking car Feroz

Good to hear that you're enjoying the car Feroz - & glad the suggestion of Ian Ellis worked out.

Unfortunately the best forum for older Alfas is the US-based Alfa BB - it's great for advice/technical info but obviously not much use for meetings/get-togethers for UK 'alfisti'.

The AROC might have some local groups but I haven't been a member for many years ...

.

What a good-looking car

Thanks guys. It’s very pretty and really good fun to drive. Power / weight is just right for U.K. roads and there is plenty of drama.

I have tried Alfa BB Andy but as you say, it’s very US based and I would ideally like to meet a few owners, go on drives etc. I was planning to go to the AROC event at Bicester Heritage but didn’t get the car back from servicing in time. Will keep an eye on there too.

DDK Alfa meet anyone?

yoda wrote:DDK Alfa meet anyone?

Yup

I had a GTV from 1986 to 1996, then another from 1998 till last year ... well familiar. They are superb, rewarding and inherently friendly; one can see how, when new, they were peers to Porsche as driver's cars are of real breeding that one could cane hard all day long without any diminution of performance. No coincidence then that were (and still are) effective racing tools. I think that if one lived someplace without much rain or bad weather, a GTV could make an effective daily driver: extremely reliable and easy to use. Yours is a splendid example and I'm glad you're enjoying it. John

one-two wrote:

yoda wrote:DDK Alfa meet anyone?

Yup

Sorry for the delayed reply Robert ..... I was thinking perhaps a trip to C&M if we can find a decent break in the weather? Could take the Alfa’s or whatever you fancy (even an old Porsche!). If the weather is unkind, maybe early in the Spring.

jjeffries wrote:I had a GTV from 1986 to 1996, then another from 1998 till last year ... well familiar. They are superb, rewarding and inherently friendly; one can see how, when new, they were peers to Porsche as driver's cars are of real breeding that one could cane hard all day long without any diminution of performance. No coincidence then that were (and still are) effective racing tools. I think that if one lived someplace without much rain or bad weather, a GTV could make an effective daily driver: extremely reliable and easy to use. Yours is a splendid example and I'm glad you're enjoying it. John

Thanks John. I am having quite a lot of fun with it and now that I have been through the car, it is running very well and reliable. The initial workshop bill was more than expected and there are a few cosmetics to tidy up over the winter but so far so good. The main issue I am having is I am not plugged in to the Alfa specialists / community and there is no “Alfa DDK”. It’s a great car to drive and makes a nice change from a run of 911s but makes you realise it’s the people / friends that make the difference.

yoda wrote:

jjeffries wrote:...It’s a great car to drive and makes a nice change from a run of 911s but makes you realise it’s the people / friends that make the difference.

Just back from a little road trip through Wales with a few mates. Had heavy rain Friday and sunny blue skies Saturday. Great fun.

My ride in the hypothetical DDK Alfa Romeo run

DSC_0014 by robert barrie, on Flickr

That’s lovely Robert, look forward to seeing it.

Point taken! I will organise something in the spring as the weather has been very grim and I’ll be done with rugby duties so have a few more weekends free.

What rugby duties Feroz?