1979 ALFA ROMEO ALFETTA GT

Typical onset: all mileages - age-related

Symptoms: hard starting when cold or hot, severe hesitation and stumbling, black smoke under acceleration, stalling at idle

Fix: SPICA pumps are largely unrepairable in North America now. Most owners convert to Weber carburetors (40 DCOE or 45 DCOE) which requires manifold swap, fuel system rework, and tuning. Rebuild attempts run 8-12 hours; Weber conversion takes 12-16 hours if done properly with sync and jetting.

Estimated cost: $2,500-4,500

Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi, but accelerates with spirited driving

Symptoms: severe clunking on throttle lift or application, vibration through chassis at all speeds, visible sag of transmission tail, driveshaft angles out of spec

Fix: The rubber trans mount and center driveshaft carrier bearing deteriorate badly. Requires lift access, driveshaft removal, and mount replacement. The trans mount particularly is a bear due to transaxle weight and access. 4-6 hours labor for both mounts plus driveshaft carrier bearing if worn.

Estimated cost: $600-1,200

Symptoms: visible rust perforation around rear shock towers, cracking paint or bubbling near rear suspension mounts, floor pan rust-through in footwells, trunk floor deterioration

Fix: Alfettas rust from the inside out, especially the rear suspension pickup points and front frame rails. Proper repair requires welding in new metal, not just patches. If subframe mounts are compromised, this is a structural safety issue. Restoration-level welding runs 20-40 hours depending on severity; parts are often custom-fabricated.

Estimated cost: $3,000-8,000

Typical onset: 80,000-140,000 mi or with poor oil maintenance

Symptoms: heavy knocking from bottom of engine, oil pressure drop at idle, metallic rattling on cold start that persists, metal shavings in oil filter

Fix: The 2.0L SPICA engine has marginal oiling in hard cornering and suffers bearing failures if oil changes were neglected. Requires full teardown, crank inspection/grinding, bearing replacement, and reassembly. Engine-out work is 18-24 hours; if crank needs grinding add machine shop time and cost. Often combined with piston ring refresh.

Estimated cost: $3,500-6,000

Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi

Symptoms: grinding or crunching into 2nd gear, difficulty engaging 3rd gear when cold, gear pop-out under load, increased effort to shift

Fix: The Alfetta transaxle lives in the back and requires removal of driveshaft, halfshafts, linkage, and exhaust. Synchro replacement demands full teardown with special tools for bearing preload. 12-16 hours for transaxle removal, rebuild, and reinstallation. Parts availability is spotty; expect to hunt for good used or NOS synchros.

Estimated cost: $2,200-3,800

Typical onset: 100,000+ mi

Symptoms: blue smoke on deceleration, oil consumption exceeding 1 quart per 500 miles, loss of compression, fouled spark plugs

Fix: High-revving SPICA engines wear rings if driven hard. Requires head removal, honing, and piston ring replacement at minimum. If bores are tapered beyond spec, requires overbore and new pistons. Engine-in head work is 10-14 hours; full short block rebuild is 18-24 hours engine-out.

Estimated cost: $2,800-5,500