Peter Becronis' 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super
Not many people get their dream car at age 14. Maybe it's actually a good thing they don't. Take for example Peter Becronis, he got his dream Alfa Romeo GTV two years before he could legally drive. Coming from an Alfa family, which has owned at least nine, Peter was accustomed to working on and restoring cars, so it was no surprise that the GTV was quickly being modified before it was even driven by its new owner. After two years full of modifications it ended up being a little extreme for driving back and forth to high school. The GTV was relegated to track duty and the hunt began for a suitable daily.
Obsession Z Famiglia Di AlfistiBecronis decided he needed something more practical than the GTV but something just as fun and equal in character. While Alfa was best known for its sports cars and GTs in the '60s, it also manufactured some of the best sport sedans in the world. The Giulia Super may have had four doors and a roof, but was as equally at home commuting as it was tearing up the roads.
Becronis' car is a '66 Giulia Super; it's actually his second. The first one didn't last long being the victim of traffic accident. His current car has significant history behind it. The car was first used by Alfa as a company car for their U.S. operations. When executives would fly over from Italy they would use this very car. At the end of its working life with the company it was sold to a longtime Alfa mechanic who had connections with the factory. Becronis' family had known about the car for years but thought it was unobtainable because the mechanic had vowed to keep it for life. An unforeseeable financial situation forced the mechanic to sell the car and Becronis received the ideal Alfa for his 16th birthday/early graduation present.
Being a '66, Becronis' Giulia came equipped with a 1,570cc, twin-cam, four-cylinder engine. Not necessarily powerful by today's standards, but a real screamer back in its day. Both the block and head are aluminum, the engine is still mostly stock but power has received a healthy bump with GTA cams and higher compression pistons. The 9.75:1 pistons are an Alfa factory performance part that were common upgrades, but have become rare over the years. The twin Weber carbs are as reliable as any modern fuel injection and have an amazing sound familiar to any vintage car fan.
The suspension on the car is mostly refreshed stock. The front end uses an A-arm setup while the rear is a live axle, common to even the fastest racing cars of the '60s. Handling is better than what the boxy sedan's looks project. Supers are capable machines on twisty roads and would give '02s and Triumphs a real run for their money.
The Supers also came equipped with four-wheel-disc brakes from the factory, something not that common in the mid-'60s. Becronis has upgraded his brakes with ATE units off of a later car for more reliability. While he was at it, he also upgraded to the ZF steering box, which was also a factory piece. The wheels were sourced from a '79 Alfa Spider and are wrapped in Pirelli P6s. While the wheels look right on the car, Becronis is on the lookout for something closer to the original wheel, while still being a performance upgrade.