Projects

Pino’s Passion

 

Starting as an 8 year-old mechanic in my father’s garage, the GTV, a new car at the time had major appeal for me.  I fell in love with the Bertone design, the sounds the GTV made, the smells!  Instead of working I would sit in any GTV and pretend to drive.  So, I thought to myself, when I am older I will get myself one.

 

One day a special edition (edizione speciale) GTV with brown leather seats and silver metallic paint came into my dad’s shop.  It had been involved in a fender bender and the owner agreed to sell it to my dad.  This special car was repaired and papa had promised the car to me when I was old enough.

 

I remember the car when my dad drove between my mothers and our village in Calabria on very twisty, winding roads. 

 

I would look at his feet on the pedals and after a down-shift and the apex of a curve I would always encourage papa to push the car harder.  I especially liked it when my dad would take the air cleaner off and let the Solex carbs roar.

 
Project GTV  
Scott from the FIAT club saw this car in a used car lot and told me about it.  I immediately went to look at the car and discovered that the previous original owner was 70 years old and had traded it in for a new set of wheels.  The car remained in the dealer’s hands for about 2.5 years but he never really knew what to do with it and finally decided to sell it.

I started out intending to simply get the car running and in decent shape to enjoy on a day-to-day basis.  Little by little as I dismantled the car it turned into a full restoration.  I took the car completely apart the body shell was acid dipped, all mechanical components were rebuilt or replaced.  I loved doing the reassembly, the car becoming whole again was like magic!

 

One and a half years later, I had the car of my dreams.