The Guaranteed Rust-free Alfa Romeo Page!

Friday, September 08, 2006

The Guaranteed Rust-free Alfa Romeo Page!

Please remain seated, restraint adjusted. Vehicle likely to accelerate (if the throttle linkage hasn't snapped). Thank you for visiting.

The Rust-free Hot-links Selection

My main Alfa, bike racing and general interest site. Why not visit GTVeloce.com anyway?
Big-bored? Try the small-bored Alfa Romeo Owner's Club Home Page: Just rev here!
No engine at all? The bicycle racing pages.. how did I slip this one in?
Car Stuff - philosophy and technical info: A Personal Re-collection of info on modifying, driving and understanding your car! (It may speak Italiano, after all.)
Or, speaking of engines, this is an engine... the GTV6!
You may like to check out the GTVeloce.com portal where all manner of stuff happens.

Ahhhh, this was my Giulietta. As shown here, lap-dashing with the Alfa Club in 1981. This is a reasonably high-speed corner, as you can see from the body roll! Possibly my favourite Alfa, if only because it was my first. Sometimes it understeered, sometimes it gripped, often it rolled and it managed to survive a lot of high performance driving. But that's what Alfa is all about! Only broke the throttle linkage twice, before I found better quality plastic bits. Had some electrical troubles, resolved with a new alternator at 60,000km. Replaced the rear muffler at 40,000km. (Misfire, backfire, a coincidental bolt of lightning and whammo! a very dramatic hole in the muffler. Sounded like a flat 6 after that!). No doughnut (or guibo, if you prefer) trouble in 80,000km.

No, the GTV was (and is) my favourite. (Clutch replaced at 90,000km, hydraulic clutch booster seal twice, doughnuts (guibos) far too often, oil seals, electrical bits and window winder. Oh, and rust, rear, caused by a leaking battery.)

I've still got the GTV. Still no major rust (touch wood). Recent problems have included the steering (a knock, fixed by a new replacement rack) at about 140,000km (I wonder if that isn't really 240,000km?) and new rear rotors about the same time. The biggest pain was when the lead to the pickup inside the dizzy frayed and failed. It kept cutting out (it was grounding to the dizzy case) or running rough and of course it was the last place I looked!

The parking light switch failed, too, but was fixed by contact cleaner.

Then again, maybe the 33ti? (No problems bar wearing out the front brake rotors really quickly, and the theft of a radio/cassette - slashed seats and all.) It was certainly a nice, burbly little thing...

What is this obsession with Alfa Romeos? The New South Wales Division of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Australia may be contacted by snail mail:

PO Box R23
Royal Exchange
NSW 2000

This is a highly recommended club, with a superb magazine, a great social calendar and plenty of CAMS-affiliated motor sports to pick from. Worth joining, I assure you!

Thanks for browsing! Feel free to E-mail if you have any comments or questions.

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