Alfa Romeo Archives - Page 4 of 8

January 3, 2009March 25, 2019

Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT

Giugiaro's original sketches for the Alfetta GT prototype — Giugiaro’s original sketches for the Alfetta GT prototype

Thanks to my friend Kenny, I have an Alfetta Sprint Veloce.

Thanks to my friend Steve Fields, purveyor of automobilia, I now have the book, Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT by David Owen. Owen is the author of numerous Alfa Romeo books.

Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT covers some of the history of Alfa Romeo, the Alfetta’s family tree, Alfa Romeo racing and the Alfetta GT through the GTV6.

The Alfetta GT chapter outlines the design ideas and engineering solutions to problems such as weight distribution and rear axle design. The result being a clutch-transmission-final drive unit, DeDion rear axle and in-board disc brakes.

I’ve read that Giorgetto Giugiaro‘s original design for the Alfetta GT had retractable headlights, but I’d never seen any images. Owen’s book illustrates that with some of Giugiaro’s original sketches.

For the illiterate crowd, there are eight pages of color photographs plus black and white photographs of Alfettas and its predecessors throughout the book.

September 28, 2008July 10, 2019

Alfetta Cooling Fan

Flex-a-lite model 390 10-inch S-Blade reversible electric fan

I think because my 1979 Alfetta Sprint Veloce has an air conditioner, engine cooling seems marginal when the ambient temperature is above 80 F (27 C).
When running at speed, the temp gauge indicates a normal 175 F. But when stuck in traffic, though the engine doesn’t overheat, the gauge goes halfway between 175 F and 250 F (79 C to 121 C).

I had the radiator checked at a radiator shop; they said there’s nothing wrong with it. I’ve bled the cooling system at the pump and thermostat and use Red Line Water Wetter in the coolant.

In an effort to help with cooling when the car isn’t moving, I replaced the stock electric fan with a new one. My reasoning was that a fan with a modern design might be more efficient. I bought a Flex-a-lite 390 S-Blade Black 10″ Electric Fan. It’s a 10″ fan that advertises 775 CFM. The space behind the radiator doesn’t allow dual fans or a larger fan. The new fan doesn’t seem to make an difference in cooling.

I also thought about using the new fan to replace the one in front of the A/C condenser but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to remove the old fan without removing the radiator and A/C condensor. I know the old fan won’t come out through the gills below the bumper. I haven’t removed the grills yet. I cleaned a few bugs off the condenser, but even when the A/C fan is on, I can’t feel much air coming through if I put my hand behind the radiator.

August 18, 2008March 22, 2019

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B at Pebble Beach

Jon & Mary Shirley and their 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta get a confetti shower after they won the Best of Show at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Autoblog has some nice pitures of the winner.

This isn’t the first time an Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B has won Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. In 1988, John Mozart’s 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Spyder claimed the title.

Sam & Emily Mann's 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Touring Spyder — Sam & Emily Mann’s 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Touring Spyder

The black 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Spyder at the right belongs to Sam & Emily Mann. They showed it at the 5th Annual Louis Vuitton Classic Car Show at Rockefeller Center in New York City in 2000.

Wikipedia has an entry on the Alfa Romeo 8C, with its various iterations through the 1930’s. About thirty 8C 2900Bs were built for road use and bodied by several Carrozzeria (coachbuilders). The Best of Show car’s body was done by Carrozzeria Touring of Milano.

Ralph Lauren has a nice Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 built for the 1938 Mille Miglia in his collection.

In 2005, Christie’s International Motor Cars sold a nice 8C 2900 for $4,072,500 USD.

July 26, 2008July 24, 2021

Fiamm Horns

For some reason, I wanted Fiamm horns. It has something to do with owning an Italian car, seeing all those movies shot on the Cote d’Azur and Rome, and for some reason, associating Fiamm with Italia. Maybe it comes from my Fellini period.

I bought Fiamm 3 Trumpet Riviera Horns. The triple horns are powered by a 12V+ air compressor. Connectors, tubing and a relay are included in the kit.

On my Alfa Romeo Alfetta Sprint Veloce, I mounted the 3 horns on the inside of the front section of the wheel well, behind the right side headlights.

Fusina Steering Wheel, Alfa Romeo horn button

To mount the compressor, I used the existing bracket that had one of the OEM horns mounted to it. I had to ream out the hole and bend the bracket 90 degrees. For power, I used the existing 12v+ for the horn and added a ground wire. There is a slight delay while the compressor spools up when I press the horn button.

What it sounds like.

June 25, 2008July 26, 2021

Ferrari Building a Smaller, Lighter, Quicker Enzo

kianet over at Digg writes about a Wired story: “The go-fast gurus at Ferrari are working on a successor to the jaw-dropping Enzo that could be the lightest, quickest two-seater ever to roll out of Maranello.Ferrari sees lighter cars as the best way to reach its goal of increasing fuel economy 40 percent and reducing emissions 25 percent without compromising its reputation for performance.“

My Alfetta’s curb weight is around 2700 lbs (1227 kg) and has about 110 hp (82 kW). I wonder what a 2200 lb (1000 kg) car that has 600 hp (447 kW) would be like.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Thomas_doerfer

(photo courtesy lozwilkes) read more