The Alfa Thread

[LateFan]

Laguna Seca this week..

[M-technik-3]

New alfa looks pretty cool

[LateFan]

[ATTACH]100026[/ATTACH]

[Wschnitz]

1:44

Found the one V6 on the planet I like the sound of.

[varg]

I think your actually right about the fuel overrun, I cant find a single exhaust that doesnt feature the farting noise when shifting. Im guessing its just a necessary side effect of DCT's.

I've read in race engines they dump in some extra fuel and retard timing to keep the turbos spooled up - that's what blows the flames out the pipes. Is that right? Do street car systems do this?

They're not cutting spark and dumping fuel into the exhaust or retarding the spark enough for most of the combustion to take place in the exhaust manifold, that would never fly with modern emissions restrictions. What you're hearing is basically overrun on a very short scale, ignition timing is being retarded to reduce torque momentarily, allowing revs to drop as the clutch engages and making the shift smoother. The ignition timing and engagement of the clutches are controlled very finely to for shift speed and feel, erring on the side of smoothness for comfort and the sake of drivetrain longevity. You could reduce timing less and not have as much of that sound, but the shifts would be harsh, or you could cut spark altogether or retard it heavily like they do in race cars and bikes, but that's probably not emissions legal.

I've driven behind a 4c and the exhaust note really does sound like ass. I wouldn't buy one simply because of how it sounds. Yeah, its that bad.

I'm all for a snarling, off throttle cracking exhaust, but the 4C just sounds bad.

Will

Exactly, I have the same problem with the M235i, I Love the manual, but the auto DCT is terrible sounding.

I heard a 4C at a track day recently and I like how it sounds.

[ATTACH]100014[/ATTACH]

Is that Penn?

[BlackbirdM3]

Alfa pics from Monterey this year.


















Enjoy,
Will

[Wschnitz]

Hope Laguna stays this awesome... Keep hearing word that ownership changes could make it less accessible.

[LateFan]

Nice pics, Blackbird! I like that yellow TZ. You can see the GTO-style vents closed up on the nose.

What's the red hump on the rear deck of GTA #36? Maybe for a camera?

pic..67 Giulia sedan

[flyboyx]

Man, I absolutely love the tz. If I actually owned one, I don't know if I could see myself racing it. That is a big money car these days.

[LateFan]

Isn't that nuts?...it wasn't that long ago a really interesting guy from Vancouver BC would hop in his TZ with his wife, and they'd drive down I-5 in traffic, go to our silly Alfa club chili cook-off weekend drives, or drive it on our track day at SIR, then drive it home. Just an old sports / race car.

He also had an SZ, which is more round and short....lemme look for one....

Here...I think officially a Giulietta Sprint Zagato...

[Wschnitz]

Is it just me or is alfa all over the place with the different cars, it could just be that BMW is insanely organized with chassis, but alfa seems to lose track of models and names themselves.

[LateFan]

Part of it might be that even into the 60s, a lot of these things were custom made. A Giulietta (or later) Giulia chassis would be sent to a coach builder like Zagato to finish, or Bertone or Pininfarina would build the whole shell, and send it back to Alfa to put in the mechanicals. The TZ was a tube-frame, hand-built race car with license plates, and a body built by Zagato.

But there was basically a 750 (Giulietta) series in the 50s, 101 series late 50s into the early 60s, then the 105 Giulias that were the sedan and GTV and GTA and Spider through the 60s (I think they made the 105 GTV until like 75).

The Alfetta chassis was the rear transaxle design that was under sedans, Alfetta coupes, the GTV6, and the Milano.

The Tipo 33 V8 race car got detuned and made into the 33 Stradale (street) version.

But yeah, there were a lot of one-offs and customs and short run cars too.


Here's a pic of the Vancouver guy, Fritz Duernberger, on page 2, and some various Alfa pics..

http://www.nwalfaclub.com/media/iniezione/2012/Iniez0712web.pdf

He is a mechanical wizard, a really good guy, and had a bunch of old motorcycles as well.

[rloewy]

The engine is back in my car after a rebuild. Still breaking it in, low rpm, valves not properly adjusted etc... - about 100 miles since the rebuild, another 400 to go before everything will be addressed and I will be getting it a new set of tires (the current set is too old).

Had some pictures taken this weekend as I drove it around to put some miles on it.

[BlackbirdM3]

Nice pics, Blackbird! I like that yellow TZ. You can see the GTO-style vents closed up on the nose.

What's the red hump on the rear deck of GTA #36? Maybe for a camera?

pic..67 Giulia sedan
[ATTACH]100619[/ATTACH]

I don't have the slightest clue what that bump is. Perhaps a fuel tank vent?

Yes, the yellow TZ1 is sweet. I'd love one in black.

Will

[BlackbirdM3]

The engine is back in my car after a rebuild. Still breaking it in, low rpm, valves not properly adjusted etc... - about 100 miles since the rebuild, another 400 to go before everything will be addressed and I will be getting it a new set of tires (the current set is too old).

Had some pictures taken this weekend as I drove it around to put some miles on it.

Nice 1750 GTAM clone. I love the Melber wheels. I wanted a set of those for my GTV.

I've really been missing my GTV lately. I'm bummed I sold it rather than trying to rebuild it. (body panels weren't available like they are now.)

Will