Rob's rust-free alfa page - guaranteed

The Alfetta GTV rear transaxle

2008-03-28T23:21:00.001Z

GTV_a006
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

Another Alfetta feature is the diff and gearbox in combo with the clutch. Yes folks, this is a production sedan, yet it comes with in-board discs and rear mounted gearbox, like an F1 racecar from the 50s, or a front-engined Porsche from the late '70s. The rear mounted gearbox gives 50:50 weight distribution and the resulting 'weight at each end' polar moment of inertia gives a very controllable feel to sideways driving. Nothing sudden here.

You can see the in-board discs on either side of the transmission. Yes, they are out of the cooling wind but for road applications the rear brakes don't do a lot of work anyway. And this arrangement lessens unsprung weight in the suspension.

Underneath the rear end

2008-03-28T23:14:00.001Z

GTV_a008
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

Alfettas aren't just pretty faces with lovely engines, they are technically interesting underneath as well. In this shot you can just see the rear wheel (by famous bike component maker Campagnolo), the coils, the de Dion tube, the Watts linkage and the inboard Brembo (or is it ATE?) disc brake. An expensive solution that lightens the unsprung load on the rear wheels, so the wheels track the road much better. And keeps the rear wheels perpendicular to the road at all times for maximum grip.

Most cars compromise with rear wheel movement, mounting brakes on the hubs and allowing wheels to easily lift off the deck or go to extreme angles to the road surface, compromising contact with the road surface. This Alfa solution (used in Alfa's earlier 159 GP cars and several other road and race cars from the 50s and earlier) does result in a bit of understeer as the rear end can be hard to break free.

Top Gear GTI W12 650

2008-03-28T22:12:00.001Z

Obscene yet amazing, it's barely able to lap faster than a 147 GTA.... but it's a bit of fun, eh?

Alfa GTA vs WRX STI

2008-03-28T05:15:00.001Z

That sinking feeling... and then "my brakes are gone... nothing...". Hmmm. A hot road car at twisty Wakefield Park... not that surprising, is it?

Alfa Romeo 159 GTA - maybe?

2008-03-27T10:41:00.001Z

Is it, or isn't it? It's not exactly hiding, is it? It's rough around the edges... and has no plates?

Ahhhh, the twists and turns

2008-03-27T01:58:00.002Z

Of global car manufacturing, I mean. I just read this: The ongoing international saga surrounding Jaguar and Land Rover may be gaining an Italian player in the not too distant future. Italy's Fiat, one of the automakers approach by Ford when it first put its British luxury brands on the block, is interested in collaborating with Tata-owned Jaguar/Land Rover.

I had just written this, elsewhere: An iconic powerhouse like Ford is dumping its prestige brands one by one, raising cash for a last gasp attempt at survival, or just getting rid of failing brands. Does this say anything about the US economy, or US car companies in general, or US car company management vision? Probably a yes in all 3 boxes. From Fairfax: US automaker Ford has agreed to sell its luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover to India's Tata Motors for more than $US2 billion ($A2.2 billion), a source familiar with the deal says. So what does this say about India's economy, or the growth of Tata (a company that has fingers in many pies and plans to sell a super-cheap small car around the world)?

So Ford sells off its prestige brands to an up-and-comer in India, who presumably sees profit in the deal (hoping to buy street cred and brand awareness, perhaps?). Ford shrinks back to core competencies, like building gas-guzzling fat cars that will sink like a stone when global warming really kicks in. And FIAT? Well for starters they could do with a big real-wheel-drive platform like the big Jag's, and a 4WD platform like Landrover's for Alfa. Maybe.

Maybe what they really want are dealerships in the US, through which to sell US-bound Alfas? And maybe it ties in somehow with this idea: According to the Financial Times, Fiat Group's chief executive says the company is discussing potential build of Alfa Romeo cars in North America with GM, Ford and Chrysler but as yet, no partner has been selected.

Or maybe not: Fiat SpA could choose BMW as partner to produce its Alfa Romeo model in the US as of 2011, the daily MF said, citing sources close to Fiat.

What a prospect. The Alfa Mi.To is launched into head to head US sales competition with the BMW-built MINI... and Alfa team up with BMW to manufacture cars in the US. Maybe even the Mi.To...

Is the Mi.To for real?

2008-03-19T10:32:00.003Z

Wow. Now that's a classy small car.

I thought it was a joke at first. Mi.To? As in "me-too"? You have got to be kidding me! Oh dear. Name aside, at least the car looks good, and it's the right size (at last - haven't I asked for a REAL small ALFA for years!?!). But that name! It apparently stands for Milan.Torino, reflecting Alfa's heritage location as well as the more recent reality of production at FIAT's works in Turin. But dear oh dear, please change it before selling it. (Interestingly slashgear.com got a bit confused about all of this foreign geography and said: "The name, Mi.To comes from the two designers for Alfa Romeo, their names being Milan and Turin". Hmmm, does it really?)

Autoblog praised the styling: If you tried to morph an 8C with a Fiat 500, you wouldn't be far off, but the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo appears to have bridged the gap with considerable finesse.

Caradvice.com said this about the platform and engines: Using the same platform as the Fiat Grande Punto, it will be available with a variety of engines from an entry-level 1.4-litre unit to a 171kW turbo adaptation for the GTA.

Z-cars has the press release on its post, and said this on dimensions:Sporting a compact yet curvaceous and dynamic shape, the Mi.To measures in at 4.06 metres long, 1.44 metres high and 1.72 metres wide thus making it a direct competitor with the likes of BMW's MINI.

Fullboost said nice things as well (although they must stop printing gushing press releases as copy - or is it just a bad translation from Italian?): The Alfa Romeo Mi.To’s family heritage can be seen in the grille, headlights and LED taillights, along with the frameless side windows endowing it with a coupe appearance. It could genuinely be called a mini-Alfa Romeo 8C. Technologically, the Alfa Romeo Mi.To promises to be highly innovative with the debut of the Alfa Romeo DNA system, the next generation of electronic stability control and a first in this class. Controlling the engine, brakes, steering response, suspension and gearbox, the Mi.To can be set to offer a super-sporting dynamic range of responses, a normal setting for city use and a special high grip setting for snow, ice and mud conditions. This remarkable new technology will set a new safety standard when allied to VDC, ABS brakes and a design developed to achieve the highest EuroNCAP crash test rating.

There's more here at Fairfax: Alfa Romeo is taking the fight to BMW and its successful Mini, showing pictures of its Mi.To, a compact sporty hatch that the company is billing as a mini-Alfa 8C.

And yes, Alfa have a blog on the subject as well. And carscoop have more pics.

8C Spider star of Geneva show

2008-03-11T23:04:00.002Z

Well so says the press. It looks OK, but I prefer the coupe myself. But I always prefer the coupes!

So it's not just Alfas then...

2008-02-12T05:36:00.001Z

The GTV is running fine... it did a massive 10km today in fact, purring like a large grey kitten. But in the (now distant, let's keep it that way) past it has on occasion failed to proceed. Typically this would happen in dark confined places like the tunnel under Sydney Harbour; or famously after a long trip to Queenland and back. It ran faultlessly for almost 4,000km and then refused to start once back in Sydney. Sigh.

So here's a similar quote from an Aussie pro-bike-racing Tour de France green jersey winner and Maserati owner, Baden Cooke: "It kept losing power. I was coming into Milan, on the freeway. I know what to do when it happens; you have to turn it off and turn it back on again," he spoke with some concern. The issue was his dark green Maserati, but the automotive ailment is similar to the leg problems he has had for the last two seasons.

I'd check the relays, mate. By the way, when the trusty 4-cylinder engine died under the harbour I switched the ignition off and back on and started it again in gear. I was on the downhill section but nearing the bottom, so I still had some momentum. It did give me a moment's slight panic, yes.

A chorus of Alfas

2008-02-08T00:23:00.001Z

Not the most environmentally sensitive orchestra in the world but a very fine one indeed...

A racing Alfetta GTV, circa 1979

2008-01-24T23:45:00.001Z

I think you've seen this, but here it is again... Amaroo Park... nice racing GTV. Here it is apexing at what I call 'Volvo corner', the hard right into the short 'main' straight before the uphill to the blind left hander into 'The Loop'. But where is it now?

Changed the oil, oh joy. And broke the exhaust

2008-01-23T21:16:00.000Z

On the good side the GTV has been humming along, touch wood. I need to lean it out a bit but it starts and runs well, even if it gobbles the gas a bit. Not that it costs much to run - it's only done 2,000 km in 2 years. But it needed an oil change, so it got one, bless its little 2litre soul.

What was a little unexpected was the increasingly noisy exhaust. I've been taking it to local bike races (criterium bike in boot) at Wyong, an 80km round trip. It's been sounding a little too good lately and it all came to an end on the overrun down Kariong hill into West Gosford. You know that hollow pop-pop-pop sound that you get with a rich mixture on overrun? Well I was enjoying that down the hill when it went pop-pop-crack-bang-rattle instead. It proceeded to rattle and rasp with a metallic twang all the way home. Oh well, a baffle has broken, I thought.

Indeed it was the centre offset silencer. Cheap and quick to fix and another adventure for this Alfa owner. Muffla-Fit at West Gosford is a crazy Dante's inferno of showering sparks in a tiny factory unit but Steve did a good job and - gasp - it sounds like new again. Well like a GTV4 with a slightly bigger diameter exhaust, anyway.

Alfa Bertone GT vs. Audi 100

2007-04-27T08:52:00.001Z

Catch that Audi! And try not to spin next time...

Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 great sound

2007-04-27T08:49:00.001Z

Yes, it revs when prodded... but does it bite?

Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Racing OnBoard

2007-04-27T08:46:00.001Z

I find going under larger-than life Dunlop tyres strangely fascinating. It's getting harder to justify using scarce resources like this but they are small cars... and it's sport, isn't it?

I drove the Alfa... again

2007-02-21T06:18:00.000Z

Yes folks, it had a run... 80kms. Not bad. It's running a little rich - but it does run, and well. Pulls like a train to 6200 rpm and will potter about happily in 4th or 5th. Not bad at all for an 80's sports car. And it will carry a racing bike in the boot. What else could you want? BTW, here's a pic of the car with a bike - a broken bike. Can you pick which lightweight aluminium bit broke?

What things go wrong with 116 Alfas?

2006-12-13T05:33:00.000Z

What doesn't go wrong with any mechanical device? Anyway, here are some tips on what I have found to be true for me... speaking only of Tipo 116 Alfettas, and especially 2.0 GTVs...

Rust - all steel cars will rust, but especially check near the wheelwells, lifting plastic bits, mudguards and what-not to see inside, where water, mud and gunk will accumulate.
Rust again - look under all plastic bits, especially under the doors, and along the firewall (pull off that long strip of plastic that protects the edge - yes, that bit, under the bonnet)
Rust never sleeps - if your have aircon your battery is in the boot - so look for rust around the battery box as acid can spill given the way you drive...
Rust in the tailgate - yes, it can happen here too
Rust under the rubber seals around all windows
And the floorpan, just in case, as a water leak can mean a rusty pan under the carpet
Now that we have rust out of the way, check the oil level. Phew.
Now all other fluids - those hydraulic brake and clutch seals can leak, so look for leaks, drips, stains, low levels in reservoirs...
And the brakes themselves... look for wear and tear, warped rotors (especially the inboard rears) and - again - leaks
And the "doughnuts" or "guibos". Chock it safely and get under and look for cracks in these rubber couplings in the drivetrain, or drive it and feel the vibration from an out-of-balance propshaft (it's turning at engine speed so vibration is a balance issue)
And at the front we have the engine... nice... but keep watching for oil leaks
And rattly chains in the 4 cylinder, or old belts and worn tensioners in the 6
And frayed wires - I had one shorting out in the rev sensor in the distributor (which took a while to figure out)
And blown fuses
And worn switchgear - clean the contacts in the multi-purpose wand if your lights are misbehaving (like your parkers disappear or come and go on a whim)
And of course the old "my hazard switch stuck on" trick - clean it or swap it for a new one, they just stick on and flatten the battery
And the gearbox is up the back, so look for fluid leaks there too. Yes, 2nd gear always crunches, that's why we double declutch.
And anything else that looks wrong, like ride height because someone has rotated the torsion bars too far...
And if you are keen the endless winding window winders (if you have 'em) will one day stop winding and the window will drop into the door... take the inside door handle off, then the trim panel...

Stop whinging, start driving

2006-11-29T06:08:00.000Z

Well I try to stop whinging about carbon emissions but it does stare me in the face. Every time I start the 116 GTV I can smell the hydrocarbons... it's a sorry reminder of what all of these cars are doing to our planet. Even if you disbelieve that "we" are the cause, climate change is real and anything that we can do to slow it down will help. If you lived on a Pacific atoll (and I don't, but I'm on the coast) you'd get pretty passionate about it!

Anyway, on the plus side I don't drive much. I work from home most of the time (OK, so it's mostly coal-fired power stations that are powering my computers, but I do have some big trees in the backyard that have soaked up some carbon!) and try to keep my environmental footprint "small". So I can drive the damned Alfa occasionally.

What can I say about Alfas that I haven't already said?

2006-11-17T05:56:00.000Z

OK, cars are great. They get us, our passengers and our cargo around more easily and further, in less time, than either shank's pony or the bicycle (and I love both walking and cycling). It's not just time saved but a real economic benefit that cars bring to us and our society. We can get around, shop, have things delivered, get to work in a far more flexible way - and within a greater range - than we could, say, 100 years ago.

But we don't factor the "externalities" into our thinking, or take them away from the sum of the economic benefits. That's to say the costs are hidden - or simply subsidised by the community. We think we pay too much when in fact we pay too little for the convenience and apparent low cost of driving.

How so? Add it up. They spew fumes (try riding a bike around lots of cars, or open a window in a car tunnel - it's foul, chokingly foul). Who pays for that? The elderly, the asthmatic; and us - via the public hospital system. Now to make a car takes energy and iron, plastics and other materials. To distribute the resources to the car plant takes energy and resources, and to deliver it to you takes... you guessed it. Who picks up most of the tab for the energy infrastructure, the loss of environment and diversity, and the holes left in the ground after the miners move on? Mostly it's the community, or the environment itself. And who actually replaces the resources we rip out of the ground? Well no-one. They just get used and maybe a proportion gets recycled (which by the way takes more energy!). So do we factor in leaving some for later generations? Do we as a community charge a reasonable fee to the miners who take these resources and make a profit? Well, no. They pay a pittance.

So when we begin to clean up the mess, we find we have as a community subsidised the hell out of it in order to encourage companies to churn 'em out in vast numbers. Ever-increasingly so. The carbon is spewed into the atmosphere but no-one remediates that or pays a decent cleanup levy. You can look at every aspect - from the roads built and rebuilt to accommodate the volume of car traffic, to the garages that "park" a car overnight - and there are hidden costs. Often it's simply a loss of land to other uses (like parks, gardens, farming or simply left for the other living critters on our planet) but it's also in societal costs like increasing health care because people don't walk as much as they used to, or for accident victims.

Cars are wonderful, and wonderfully cheap to boot. But turn that stone over and a host of nasty critters scurry away from the light. Which leads me back to why I take more than usual interest in Alfa Romeos. They too are merely cars but in recompense they have a history and a style that helps me get over the wanton destruction that is mass production and mass consumption. Now mass production and consumption have brought us wonderful economic growth, jobs and sheer convenience - but as I say - we haven't paid the bill yet, either.

Now if Alfas were Fords, or Toyotas or Hyundais in terms of their history, character or style - or if they didn't have what I think they have - then I reckon I'd lose all of my interest and just treat driving as another chore in life. As it is I've scaled back my driving (and car-buying) habits as I have realised the harm I have - in sheer, stupid ignorance - been doing. And ignorance is no excuse.

Drove the GTV - again!

2006-11-02T22:22:00.000Z

It's getting warmer outside and the GTV needed a run. So, the usual pre-flight check. Wheels, tyres: no wobble from the bearings (push/pull at top of wheel), air in tyres adequate (about 30psi). Underneath: exhaust still attached, no drips from anywhere. Under bonnet: No leaks, no wires dangling, reservoirs full or nearly so. Engine: oil OK, need to change it soon (and brake and hydraulic fluid, too).

I charged the battery the day before, so it started after a couple of turns. No choke to start but a little to help it idle as I closed the garage door. Eased it out down the driveway and revved it to 3,000 as we hit the road. All went well, no wobbles, clunks or odd noises. It hit operating temperature after about 10mins and the oil thinned out after about 20mins of steady driving. Revved it out to 5,000 a few times, nothing more and brought it back home. No problems, although it still runs a bit rich. I'll deal with that soon.

Now this is motoring. It does the job, does it without wasteful excess - and with some passion to boot.

Alfa GT police vehicle in NSW

2006-10-20T23:16:00.000Z

It's a training and transport tool, not a pursuit vehicle, folks. At least it's an Alfa!

The original article is here (thanks Alfa Australia)

Brera vs GT... why?

2006-10-16T03:03:00.000Z

Have you ever wondered exactly where Alfa is heading these days? Other than up market? We have a top-end: the luxo GT, 166 and Brera, but the bottom is wearing thin. Does the 147 still cut it? The GTA probably does, but the base 147 is neither here nor there. It's more a Type 33 than an Alfasud in a market relentlessly moving up.

Look at the Brera - clearly a GTV - and then look at the sedan-like GT. Hmmm. Trying to be all things to all people, at least at these higher altitudes, and losing the overall target? I'd imagine the the Brera is for the sports crowd (you and me, natch) and the GT is for those anxious Alfisti who don't wish to look too sporty. (It's worth checking out Italiancar.net for their comparo between these 2 Alfas.) Personally - since you asked - the GT is a bit, ummm, dull to look at for my taste; and the Brera that has arrived here is Oz is sadly watered down from the original show car. And both are a bit too pricey. (Or is that just me? I find it hard to justify that level of investment in a car.) I'll wait for a real GTV to come along, thanks - not quite practical but close enough, a sporty GT, low-slung with great style and enough ooomph to get by - at a price that's attractive. Sadly that's not likely to be an Alfa, unless the forthcoming "MINI-killer" has a Sprint derivative?

Now a true 147 Sprint - a pretty coupe with the 4 cylinder tweaked for an edge - that I could buy.

More images of Alfas and other cars

2006-10-04T01:36:00.000Z

I have many more automotive images here, but here are a couple of my favourites...

My Giulietta - circa 1981

2006-10-04T01:31:00.000Z

Before the GTV and the 33ti I had a marvellous time in the Giulietta. Effortless cruising, amazing ride and soft but reliable handling. Not as twitchy as the GTV, but then the GTV has been 'Bilsteined' and that changed its character somewhat!

My current Alfa

2006-10-04T01:28:00.000Z

GTV 840, up on stands. No particular reason - I was just admiring its engineering!