Volksy Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 The blue alfa isn't their version of the renault 8, it was their own design called the Typo 103, Front engined and front wheel drive. Had a 900cc version of their DOHC four. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Tipo_103 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrett Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 This is brilliant! I had no idea they built these things as well as the Dauphine and Ondine. Sounds like an absolute disaster from start to finish. I know it's a bit of an obvious point to make, but the Italian motor industry in those days really seems like something out of a bad movie. All shady characters in dark glasses and thinly veiled threats. Sounds like the R4 was the victim of production line sabotage reading that list of faults, given how nicely screwed together most Italian cars of the era were. Keep up the translations Reg, it's appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMC Rebel Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 That test made a Motoring Which? Test read like an LJKS column.No wonder we didn't really do diesels in this country until the 90's.I had no idea what a Perkins 4108 was so looked it up, basically a diesel B Series that was thought a bit underpowered for cars in 1958 , obvious choice for a large family car in the 1980's.Seems most in canal boats or as auxillary engines for sailing boats- not powerful enough for a main engine!https://sites.google.com/site/perkinslongserviceclub/heritage-snippets/the-story-of-the-4-99-4-107-4-108-engineMy old ex-Royal Mail Commer was fitted with a 4108. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I knew about the Alfa Romeo built R4s and actually owned one in a previous life.Mine even had an Alfa badge at the front and Carello lights like so: The article says the Italian versions had orange side repeaters.This is not entirely true. The orange lights on the front wings were the front indicators,the clear ones below the headlights were merely sidelights.Needless to say this required alteration to pass a German TÜV. Alfa built Dauphines and Ondines were badged as such: Here is a photo of R4s being assembled alongside Alfa F12s: egg, wuvvum, cros and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cros Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 ∆∆∆ Superb stuff both of the above. Italians seem particularly accomplished when it comes to showing distain. My mate witnessed a tarmac laying machine applying a new layer straight over the top of plastic cones put in place by a different company. They sprouted battered from the black stuff and remained there for months. Junkman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artdjones Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 If they were built at Pomigliano D'Arco they probably suffered from the same problems the Alfasud did when built there.Apparently organised crime controlled the recruitment process, meaning that the workers didn't have to be competent to get a job. Junkman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMC Rebel Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Keep up the translations Reg, it's appreciated!Agreed - translations are class - I always buy Gazoline when I am in France but my attempts to read it using my lazy franglais are frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMC Rebel Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 This has just reminded me - Vespa had a car factory in France back in the day - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa_400 I had a chat to a fella who was restoring one (in my crap French) - he was filling a rust hole in the floor with wob and said the CT man would pass it no bother. Junkman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Saw a Vespa 400 at a car show in France last year. First time I'd seen one on the move! Utterly gorgeous. Knew nothing about Alfa Renners, so this has been educational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 If they were built at Pomigliano D'Arco they probably suffered from the same problems the Alfasud did when built there.Apparently organised crime controlled the recruitment process, meaning that the workers didn't have to be competent to get a job. Has nothing to do with organised crime. The issue of being surrounded by unskilled labour was clear when the factory was built and actually one of the reasons. So yes, someone who swung a hayfork last week was now doing a simple, monotonous task at an assembly line, thus could pay for his children to go to college. This was considered progress in Fascist Italy. By the time the Renaults were supposedly built there a quarter century later, there was a well established and educated workforce. However, since the plant was only ever used to make military equipment and fighter planes and actually didn't belong to Alfa Romeo after WWII, until it was razed and replaced by Alfa's new car factory in 1972, I seriously doubt any Renaults, or cars at all, came out of it at the time the Alfa Renault love affair was a thing. Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercrocker Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Great work, this thread. Much enjoyed. Thank you. AMC Rebel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Bo11ox Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 Is there any way of fixing the fucked-up text earlier in the thread? Took me ages typing all that out and it rankles to see it made semi-unreadable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 GR9 translation skillz Bo11. Gazoline can't be the easiest magazine to translate - it has a tendency to be a little pompous at times. I'm another one who was completely unaware of the existence of the Alfa 4L - what a fascinating story. Having driven a 3-speed R4 I agree with the owner about the gear ratios - first (dogleg) is flat out at about 15mph (and non-syncro so whiny), second will do about 30 tops and then there's a yawning chasm to third. Not quite as bad as a 100E Ford but not far off, and the Ford sidevalve has more torque than the little Cléon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddeliveryboy Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Two good articles back to back - good stuff! I found it interesting reading it wasn't just little England Citroenistes who didn't take the Gs totally seriously - there existed a sort of benign lack of recognition in both big and little Citroen club circles, a sort of pompous superiority for one lot, blinkered obsession for the other. Remarkable given the engines and suspension. It did mean that back in the 90s GS(a) drivers were a cracking bunch, even if they were in the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlo Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 Is there any way of fixing the fucked-up text earlier in the thread? Took me ages typing all that out and it rankles to see it made semi-unreadable. Good point just noticed that, not that I have any suggestions unfortunately. Might this have happened somehow in the changeover last year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk2_craig Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 Is there any way of fixing the fucked-up text earlier in the thread? Took me ages typing all that out and it rankles to see it made semi-unreadable.I reckon its only a few symbol characters that are causing the problem eg inverted commas, apostrophes, pound signs etc. I can't think of a quicker way than to copy the text into Microsoft Word, do a Find-Replace on all instances of each bit of corrupted text, then edit the affected posts and copy it back over. Probably still needs an entire evening that you could be using to weld up and red-oxide a couple of sills though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleon-Fonte Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 Is there any way of fixing the fucked-up text earlier in the thread? Took me ages typing all that out and it rankles to see it made semi-unreadable. It's a fault caused by the failed update KAOS of 2016 that Davenotdave disn't sort out as he said he couldn't be arsed, and nobody's tried since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddeliveryboy Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 It's a fault caused by the failed update KAOS of 2016 that Davenotdave disn't sort out as he said he couldn't be arsed, and nobody's tried since. In fairness he did ask whether it should be rectified and the concensus was to leave things given it wasn't a big problem and the forum was forwards rather than backwards looking, despite our affection for unloved older cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Bo11ox Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share Posted February 3, 2018 I might see about doing a 'find and replace' on it if I find myself in hospital or whatever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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