Baron von Headloq

Drew, she's a beauty. Sort those keys and ECU man! Quality of life rises with a Busso.

Now that is a fabulous colour combination. The whole look is just right :-)

... even more so with shorter final drive (4.11) on the 116 3 litre, and Dellortos always ready to pour buckets of fuel into the inlets . Damn! I loved that car ...

Hello all, A much-needed return to having a Busso in my life once more! I've just purchasedthe ex-Westenwind (Dutch TV series) Vela Blu GTV TB. My past includes an '82 South African limited edition GTV6 (116 series, naturally) and top of my personal pile, an '85 SA homologation special GTV6 3.0 (boy do I regret parting with this one!). Anyhoo ... it was time to re-Busso! There's a bit of a pattern here ... all 12V Bussos ... a 2.5, a 3.0, and now a 2.0. Thinks this is incurable! Some amazing-looking GTVs - congrats to all Later / Grüß / Totsiens Paul

Weeeell ... the 916 is heavier than my old '85 3 litre ... but the injected production 3 litre 12V has a little more power (quoted) - 192 bhp I think. Efficiency must be better - fuel injection and mapped ignition is great! My 3 litre sounded more visceral and raw (induction noise with the Dellortos helped I guess!). But the 916 with the production 3 litre 12V also sounds awesome (and with a Raggazoni system ... mmm... nice!). Subjectively, I find the carburetted homogolation 3 litre engine a little more responsive. But that is so subjective, and a lot depends on how things are set up. My gut says the 116 3 litre was a bit quicker ... BUT ... as said, it was lighter with nearly the same power as the 916 3 litre 12V, and with short gearing for track purposes. Of course being Rosso in colour, it was naturally automatically 10% faster too The only thing I did not like with my 116 3 litre was the 2nd gear sensitivity with the transaxle gearbox. But that engine was so responsive, with buckets of low-end torque, that it hardly really mattered.

Easy answer: The 3 litre 12V 'special' that was in my 116-series Homologation car ALL of the Bussos excite me, but the 3 litre 12V on Dellortos ... ahhh ... that was truly special. There are more powerful variants, smoother ones, more economical ones ... but none like that engine (for me).

I meant to reply to your first posting (I can read a little Italian if not speak it). Sorry!

Hi Luigi! My apologies for being so slow to reply - I have been under a GTV :-) Yes, the GTV6 you see in my avatar image was the South African 3.0 Homologation car which I owned. Sadly circumstances when I relocated from SA to Germany meant she did not come with me. I am both sad and regretful about this! I used to carry a 10mm spanner in the driver's door pocket for the inevitable smell of fuel from one of the fuel unions on the Dellortos. But she was pure emotion on wheels. I loved that GTV. Mine had some slightly longer duration cams sourced from Dawie de Villiers in Pretoria, and as far as the dyno told us, was somewhere around 210 hp at the coast. Other than that, completely standard. And those 3 piece Compomotive split rims ... I'll be in tears next ... I bought the GTV with 48.000km, and it left me with still only 72.000km on the clock ... Paul

Yup - a GT 3.2 (and previously 156 and 116, Alfetta and more) owning friend of mine moved from Pretoria to Hartenbos a few months back, and was lamenting the loss of Arnold Chatz. Of course Hartenbos is worse yet for service options. Didn't know about Auto Alfa in Wynberg. Currently going through cobalt HSS drillbits to drill out a welded-up flange hole on my TB. Some mampara got lazy and instead of using a bolt and nut to clamp the feed from the rear bank to the Y-piece on the turbo exhaust inlet ... he sommer welded a piece of plate on that side, while using a bolt and nut on the other side. For the love of mercy ... anyway, stainless allen-head bolts are waiting for once I have cleaned this up. Urgh. Debating what to do with my Teledials ... I fancy the Cup-style 'black chrome' effect. They are fine but for a little kerb rash, but do need a refurb to dazzle! Anyway, cheers for now. Paul

Môre Meneer / Saluti, I approve of the blue, and the Teledials (and definitely of the Busso motivation). I'm ex Durban and Pretoria and my recently acquired is a '99 Vela Blu GTV TB. My '85 116 3 litre (yup, one of those - see my avatar photo) and my '82 116 2.5 I miss terribly. In dire need of a 105 series ... but one thing at a time! How's the servicing scene for you these days? Fewer and fewer Alfa shops I hear ... Cheers vir eers, Paul ps - reg on the GTV has changed (still showing Dutch plates the day before it was shipped to me in DE).

Lovely colour combination there Paul

Hi Jacob, My 2.5p worth is to try someone's GTV out before committing. That said, I know a few long people who cheerfully drive 916 GTVs. I'm 5'6" - Napoleonic stature does help some. Go Busso ... I doubt you'll regret it. Ok, fuel can sometimes disappear quickish, but what's that next to a Busso symphony :-) Paul

Yes, yes, I know it's an ancient thread ... but hey ...

That GTV's mine now Photos once it's shining like new ... Paul.