Alfa Romeo Giulia Super. From 1300 to 2000: the introduction

Koen de Groot has been the owner of a beautiful for many years Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super. His father Frans made a lifelong work of his Alfa Romeo passion. He is going to provide his son's Giulia with a new heart: a two-litre Alfa Nordmotor with custom specifications. We will follow that motor transformation and share the stories with you online and later extensively in the magazine.

Saturday May 22. Unfortunately, the weather forecasters are right. This day is dedicated to an introduction to the sons of Frans de Groot. I have known Frans for years, and I am meeting his wife and his sons Koen and Jochem for the first time today. Later Durk Tinga joins us. I have also known Durk for a long time and, just like Frans and his sons, he comes from the Rinsma school, which was once the oldest Alfa Romeo dealer of the Netherlands. A great company, with whom I will spend more time in the near future. It's already buzzing.

The meeting has a reason. The Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super van Koen gets a new, bigger heart: a 2000 Nordmotor. We will closely monitor that transplant. So today is the start, which is immediately filled in with a series of wonderful stories and anecdotes from the professional Alfa career of Frans, who comes to a standstill when the German premiums come to the table. Alfa love runs deep. We are up to speed, and in Frans' neatly arranged garage we continue the day. It's a feast in this workshop, where you are immersed in pure Alfa Romeo passion and technique. Here it also becomes clear that the transplant of the 2000 engine will not be a question just swap a block.

Frans would like to involve his sons in the composition of the new power source. Frans' technical experience will soon be at least partially transferred to his sons. This experience is an important ingredient in the choice of engine configuration and related specifications. A choice too, which is made in consultation with Koen. Because: his car. 

This will not just get another source of power, it will be meticulous customization, the final interpretation of which is still being determined. We are among the parts that will soon turn the Giulia 1300 Super into a superior Giulia 2000. Frans explains what is possible. We do not reveal all those opites yet, but it is pleasant food. This is illustrated by the under-skin and often modified parts, which excel in variety.

A few examples. Do you opt for a crankcase plate for more engine stiffness? Do you use high compression pistons? And axles with sharp cams? These are just a few things from the much bigger picture that will soon lead to a jewel of a motorcycle. But the current stage with tech is French deliberation. And that calls for discussion with prominent suppliers of classic Alfa Romeo parts included. However, following feelings is an important indicator for Frans. In the meantime he teaches us the most intricacies of the trade. This is delicious. And the knowledge that the 2000 engine will soon have more power than standard too.

During lunch we talk about the old Alfa, which casts its shadow over the present and the uncertain future with mixed feelings. Within that shadow there are still bright spots, the new Giulia van Koen still proves the seductive power of the Milanese brand. But today history triumphs, and I triumph when Koen and I drive his old Giulia for a first impression. The sight of his classic Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super is the prelude to that feeling of victory. The Giulia design, the Grigio Medio, the beautiful brown leather upholstery and the original and very expensive magnesium GTA rims tell why a car can enchant.

The first impression of Koen's classic is accompanied by that beautiful Nord sound of the 1300 engine. That sounds even more beautiful in a tunnel and occasionally gets extra brilliance thanks to a tuft of intermediate throttle at a gear change. In a while I will be taking the Giulia with me for a longer period, so it is nice to get to know the car now. Koens' copy feels a bit liner, a bit heavier than the previously ridden Giulia van Frans, a little stiffer too. Every Giulia ripens in its own way, Frans knows that. He still has a few of these beautiful classics Alfa Romeo's owned.

De Alfa communicates like the best, there is a nice interplay between gearbox, clutch and operation of the gearbox. The suspension and damping are firm, and only in a sharper bend does the carriage lean over nicely. The steering can be operated firmly and fairly directly via the beautiful large steering wheel. It asks without electronic aids Alfa Romeo to a fine effort. You get pure mate pleasure in return. This is driving. Again I know: send in a classic Alfa is a privilege. With a 1300 engine it is already fun on board. And soon, with the modified 2000 engine, it will be a party.

This Giulia reveals the result of build quality and years of care. In everything you feel the love that was put into this by Frans and Koen for years. Without a trace of resonance and vibrations, the Giulia covers the miles. Despite the relatively relaxed throttle response and the relatively modest cylinder capacity of this Giulia, you are just at a speed above 100 km / h. And then the Giulia has a lot left, and never becomes the classic Alfa fidgety . The Giulia also shows today that it is very suitable for everyday use. It is not for nothing that Koen used the car as a lease car for a while. The car kit and the Nokia in the Alfa are the silent witnesses who tell how quickly the years go by.

The day does that too, it flies by. We have done a lot, and so much not yet, that will come. Now it is well past 18.00 pm, time to go home. It was nice to get to know people, to talk to old acquaintances again, to improve technical knowledge and to get to know Koen's Giulia. The Giulia, which will also be a bit of my car in the near future, because this impressive day is only the beginning of an illustrious series of reports. And it will be beautiful, you bet.