For me, the dream car was the GTA. With the Montreal a close second.I suppose I may never have another opportunity to own a GTA, but lookingback I came
across this one almost by accident. Not sure if i told you the storyor not. Here it is anyway.

I'd recently totaled my 74 GTV. After pouring thousands of dollars,countless hours, etc. I was still sitting on the insurance check. Hadn'tdecided what I wanted
to buy next, I'd heard from a buddy in the Monterey area of a GTA inthe local newspaper for $4500. He thought it was a misprint or hoax, buthadn't checked it
out, wasn't that interested anyway(!) It sounded crazy to me also,I just filed it away.

I'd been checking the ads in the San Jose Mercury News, when one morning,this ad appeared. It was about 8:30 in the morning, I figured every Alfistiin the
Bay area new about it by now, but I called about it anyway. No onethere. I left a message. I was at work, but didn't seem to be able to stayfocused so I paced
all around telling my buddies what a GTA was all about. Being a bunchof Chevy motor heads, none of them were particularly interested. EventuallyI was left
muttering to myself.

To my surprise, when she called back at 9:30 I had been the first oneto call. She didn't know very much about the car, but confirmed that itwas a real GTA, an
old race car, w/ all the goodies. Her soon to be ex, was a collector,and this was part of the "settlement". My heart immediately went out toher ex, as I further
queried about the car. "Yes, it runs" she said.

I told her I'd buy it, and arranged be down on Saturday to pick it up.This was Monday morning. Man, I'm thinkin divorce SUCKS! I just made adeal w/ the
devil incarnate, come out a winner, and was going down to meet herSaturday, to buy some poor guys soul, for $4500 US.

Nevertheless, for me the next week was like a dream. Like a 6 year oldwaiting for Christmas. Alas, even the wife was unimpressed. Not surprisingly,we were
on the verge of break-up anyway. I was just grateful we were able tosplit on more amicable terms. I wasn't going to lose the GTA to some sillydivorce.

It was the most beautiful day Saturday. Not a cloud in the sky. Withmy buddy Dave as co-pilot, we arrived somewhat early. They were just rollingthe car out.

My face paled as I viewed the ugliest Alfa I'd ever seen. The car wasblack and orange , where it shoulda been red and white. The big fenderflares, fat
tires........ ...minimum ground clearance, there were those funny littledoor handles. AND The car had the 8 - 9 x13 campys! Probably worth theprice of the car
right there. I felt better. We popped the hood. There was a motor w/lots big wires on the top. Big ol' 45ís on the side.......Thingsare getting even better. Even
had plates! But it was still ugly. AND the brakes used the later style"hanging pedal" w/ booster (shoehorned in somehow), the clutch was floormount. Bummer.

We fired it up. Definitely not the soothing purr of of my street machines.A snarling Wench (in a bad mood after waking). My kinda gal.

But it was a bit rough. Nevertheless, the car ran and was all she promisedme and more. I handed her the check, and prepared for the drive home.

Car stalls in the driveway before I get to the street. Yes, I know howto drive, thank you Dave. Give it considerably more gas this time, andwe're off. Cruising
back to San Jose, I decided this is more gutless race car than I couldhave imagined. Struggling w/ 55 mph. I was in no hurry. (hard to be subtlew/ big numbers
on the side).

Finally the loop onto 101, no other cars around...............MAN! Whatwoulda been almost scary in the GTV, didn't squeal the tires on this car.This was
gonna be FUN!

Finally we got the car home, angled carefully up the driveway, and intothe garage. There was much rejoicing. (Dave shook my hand and slapped meon the back
a couple times, I grumbled thank you, scratched an itch and got useach a beer). We exchanged the ceremonial peace pipe several times.

Suitably inspired, I began to theorize about the engines lack of vigor.Whip off the cam cover.........flat lobes here and there, followers bad.But HEY, those are
the gun-drilled autodelta cams! COOOL!

Further exploration revealed weird (but good) distributor, points, rotorand cap.

We can't have that. Lets destroy the rotor trying to set the dwell w/the distributor on the car. (the rotor is a pain to get off). Oh well,as it turns out, for a measly
200.00 I can get a cap AND rotor. (this was ë84?)

Well the only obvious thing I hadn't broken or checked were the carbs.

Next. 2 45 DCOEs each w/ different jets and venturies. That explainsa bit. This thing needs a rebuild.

And so over the next few months I took more and more apart. The camswent off for a regrind and heat treat. New bits and pieces on order.

My own divorce was proceding and by then the wife was no longer opento my living w/ her. tho she was only hostile if she could SEE the car,it was time to
move on.

I needed someplace to live. California's luster had faded and the parentswere living high back home in Oregon. Back I went. I just had to arrangestorage for all
my stuff. Which I did, save one item. The GTA.

"You're not going to store that old junk car in our driveway." Mom wasn'tfond of cars either. Cared not about how many were made, ignored my speculationof
its worth. I was free to live elsewhere if I brought "that car" homew/ me.

Actually I was already free to live elsewhere, I just didn't have themeans. It was free living there, and I could afford that. Being unemployed,living w/ the folks,
goofing off much of the time, my word didn't have the needed credibility.

The wife stored it till she sold the house. Then it was time to closemy business in San Jose. The wife had been contacted by a local Alfas regardingthe car and
we made arrangements to meet. I made the journey w/ a heavy heart,as I was not just selling the GTA but, this was my last chance to workthings out w/ the
wife. They were both painful losses. In a last ditch effort, (only2 days of looking) I landed a job in San Jose. After surprising the wifew/ the job and my desire
to work thing out............it was too late. Divorce Sucks.

The only thread of hope I've carried all these years, was the casualpromise of its new owner for "first right to buy back". I contacted himlast week. He'd lost
interest in the project and sold it 5 months ago.

Mom passed away quite suddenly a couple years ago, poor Dad finallywent in April. After years of saving and careful investment, all the moneygoes to us
kids. I know, I should be a 'dult. Be responsible and all, but I'mgonna blow it on a car.

Women will leave ya, family will disappoint ya, and promises will bebroken. So what else is new. I shoulda pissed off mom and brought it home.

So this is my story, every word true as the day is long. But, if i wereyou, I wouldn't believe it either.

Any basket case GTAs out there?