Popular Post Grey the Floydian Sergal Posted August 22, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 22, 2018 Hey folks, this is my thread on my project car, my 1985 Talbot Alpine Minx which I have christened Annie. I received the car last month & since then I've been gradually working to get her on the road & attempting to document the project on Youtube. My main reason for the Youtube coverage being that there just aren't enough Alpine videos on there. So, the to-do list. Well, I got the engine to go, tweaked the carburettor. Still not perfect but she now runs quite well, even if the exhaust pops a little, adjusted the rockers so she doesn't sound as tappety now as she does in part one. The wiper spindles were seized so I freed them off. I also found she had no water in her but thankfully, I haven't done any damage so frequent changes with plain water & she can now hold temperature better. I'm going to give her a proper flush next time I'm up there to get rid of all the crud in the system. To date, here's what needs doingClutch Master Cylinder (refurb or replace?)Temperature gauge sender (for one, locating the damn thing & hopefully getting the temperature gauge to read accurately)Oil & filter changeBrake/Clutch fluid changeWelding to floor & tailgatePainting (by gun, can or roller? I haven't a clue which way to go)maybe source a replacement N/S door mirror (I know a chap in Germany with a NOS item for 93 euro but apparently, speedy spares in Brighton have one but they're just messing me around at the moment)Work out why only the screen & O/S vents are functioning properlyI'm sure more jobs will appear over time but by the looks of things, I'm well on my way to getting back on the road after a year without a car & I can't think of a better car to return to the open road with. What are my thoughts on the car so far then? Well I've pedalled her around on private land, namely around the industrial estate where I'm working on her & I've got to say, this car is the comfiest car I've ever driven. Certainly in terms of ownership, my previous car being a Mk2 Fiesta popular plus, the car goes over the severe speed bumps & potholes like they aren't even there. The 1.6 Poissy engine certainly has plenty of poke & the retro power steering is joyous to use, certainly a damned sight better equipped than the fiesta with five speed gearbox, PAS, remote driver's door mirror, an actual glove box & cigar lighter. I also appreciate all the space & the huge glass area, make the interior such a pleasant place to be.But on the flip side, i have big feet & I'm not fond of the Steering Column UJ scrubbing my foot when I have the clutch depressed & I'm turning to full lock, the gearshift is a little like stirring porridge, it's pretty vague but I may get used to it when I'm driving the car more regularly, however the lock for reverse isn't ideal given the size of the knob, even with my lanky hands, it's not an easy or comfortable ordeal.Working on the car is an interesting experience, it would be handy if I had double jointed knees at times & I have no ideal what the previous owner was doing on the car, but everything seems so half-arsed. Everything from draining the cooling system only to leaving it to leaving the gear change rod bracket bolts not even finger tight! My haynes manual is helpful at times & effin' useless for the majority. Otherwise though, the car's a joy to work on, with plenty of little touches that make working on the car almost effortless. All in all, good all round fun working on a car that's a rolling mystery. Why was the previous owner so half hearted? Why was she off the road for nearly eight years? Why didn't these cars sell when new? What exactly is the answer to the great question concerning life, the universe & everything? Oh wait, the last one's 42. Anyway, looking forward to getting her legal, should be one fun adventure. PhilA, Sudsprint, Datsuncog and 47 others 50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Longbridge Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Welcome, and great purchase. There are a couple of Alpines on here already, so you’re amongst some fans. As for popularity, they sold well early on, and were decent cars; my father was impressed with his when it was a couple of years old and a new design. I just don’t think they moved with the times enough, and by the time the basic design was almost ten years old, and still in production, Peugeot were offering more modern design alternatives. One thing re the coolant - get some in with the water PDQ and let it run for a bit to mix it around. The waterways are going to corrode if left with no protection.Looking forward to updates. RayMK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsuncog Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Holey moley, another new face with a fantastic car... a rare survivor there, and looks like not the worst to-do list imaginable. Can't wait to see how this one progresses! The internet definitely needs more Alpine action. johngarty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep Shepherd Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Welcome! Just the kind of car which I like to see and read about on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Bo11ox Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Did Wuvverine previously own this? ******EDIT****** yes he did! http://autoshite.com/topic/32751-ebay-tat-volume-3/?p=1357549 JeeExEll and wuvvum 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Excellent!! Great to see this back in the AS fold and being got back up together - it's not had an easy time of it since I sold it, poor old thing. Uncle Jimmy and johngarty 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Marvellous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcars Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Welcome, i really like these. Some crackers on here just now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tadhg Tiogar Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Is that a Peugeot steering wheel on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain_70s Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Nice project! Hopefully it is a touch less rusty than the Fiesta transpired to be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dozeydustman Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Welcome to the fold. Nice to see another unloved car saved from the bridge. Wish you best of luck with your new toy. Owned a Horizon 20 years ago, which wasn't a bad old beast, a bit heavy - in essence it was a shortened Alpine. Few things I recall from working on the Simca engine. Being a late model it should already have hardened valve seats for unleaded and should run fine on regular 95 octane but you may need to retard by a degree or 2 at idle if it pinks. Can't remember the timing info for the 1.6 (the 1.3 is 2o @ 650rpm) IIRC the valves should be set to 0.25mm both in and ex - to stop the rattle I used to set them to 9 thou which is ~0.23mm. It's not too tight that it gives running problems and makes the engine pretty quiet for a Poissy lump. They're pretty long lived but do like a regular service. Massive Allen key required for the sump plug. If you get emulsion in the oil, before you diagnose OMGHGF check the core plugs in the cylinder head. There are 3 of them under the rocker shaft. Had one that had the most minute of pinholes in it. I really recommend pulling the rotor arm off the dizzy and adding a couple drops of oil down the centre of the shaft. From what I understand these were supposed to be "no service required" units but remembering when I looked for a replacement dizzy for my car the amount I found had deaded in breakers with a jammed distributor shaft proved they will seize and wreck the drive gear on the camshaft if they get dry - I think they have felt washers and bushes in them. Worth doing every month for a while. The electronic ignition module mounted on or near the bulkhead is normally bulletproof and very powerful but can give grief if the potted resin starts to break down and damp gets in. Big cast aluminium thing with a 5-pin plug on it. Make sure the case is well earthed. Peugeot 309 ignition modules are totally different so not sure if the wiring can be modified to suit. The baggy gearshift is often caused by a nylon ball and cup in the one of the rods that runs from the base of the gear lever to the engine bay. The nylon ball can disintegrate leaving a very loose feeling lever. If you need to change anything in the gear linkage, you may need to adjust the reverse gate cam at the bottom of the gearstick under the rubber/leatherette trim/centre console from inside the car. The BE-1 box was always a bit sloppy so don't expect perfection! There are a couple of other Alpine owners on here that I'm sure will answer questions. Best of luck! Dick Longbridge, Uncle Jimmy, eddyramrod and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 What, more furries? Looking forward to more updates on this one, particularly enjoyed the updates we've had on other Alpines on the board. This one looks like a really good starting point. There must be half a dozen Talbots this shape on the forum now. Shep Shepherd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Cracking looking car! Welcome aboard sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Jimmy Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Welcome, find the couch and tell us everything from the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Good to see an ex-Shite car returning! Well found, young man, and the best of luck with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Wolseley Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 The Hat's thoughts in the negative column would surely be in the green box with a tick if getting an Autoshite review Lovely to see one of these salvaged they were indeed quite a well regarded and popular model when I was a lad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey the Floydian Sergal Posted August 22, 2018 Author Share Posted August 22, 2018 wow, so many posts. Thank you all for the kind comments, it's amazing to have both a previous owner & a Youtuber I greatly respect reply to my little thread. I think i'll celebrate by purchasing a Hubnut sticker. Excellent!! Great to see this back in the AS fold and being got back up together - it's not had an easy time of it since I sold it, poor old thing.Glad it's got your seal of approval. I hope you'd be willing to give me more of your history with the car, give her a little story so to speak. Is that a Peugeot steering wheel on it? Yes that is a Peugeot steering wheel. Given that the Talbot items are ultra rare, i think I may have to track down a decent, affordable aftermarket item. Nice project!Hopefully it is a touch less rusty than the Fiesta transpired to be...I hope so too. wouldn't it be totally ironic if this car didn't rot? Welcome to the fold. Nice to see another unloved car saved from the bridge. Wish you best of luck with your new toy. Owned a Horizon 20 years ago, which wasn't a bad old beast, a bit heavy - in essence it was a shortened Alpine. Few things I recall from working on the Simca engine. Being a late model it should already have hardened valve seats for unleaded and should run fine on regular 95 octane but you may need to retard by a degree or 2 at idle if it pinks. Can't remember the timing info for the 1.6 (the 1.3 is 2o @ 650rpm) IIRC the valves should be set to 0.25mm both in and ex - to stop the rattle I used to set them to 9 thou which is ~0.23mm. It's not too tight that it gives running problems and makes the engine pretty quiet for a Poissy lump. They're pretty long lived but do like a regular service. Massive Allen key required for the sump plug. If you get emulsion in the oil, before you diagnose OMGHGF check the core plugs in the cylinder head. There are 3 of them under the rocker shaft. Had one that had the most minute of pinholes in it. I really recommend pulling the rotor arm off the dizzy and adding a couple drops of oil down the centre of the shaft. From what I understand these were supposed to be "no service required" units but remembering when I looked for a replacement dizzy for my car the amount I found had deaded in breakers with a jammed distributor shaft proved they will seize and wreck the drive gear on the camshaft if they get dry - I think they have felt washers and bushes in them. Worth doing every month for a while. The electronic ignition module mounted on or near the bulkhead is normally bulletproof and very powerful but can give grief if the potted resin starts to break down and damp gets in. Big cast aluminium thing with a 5-pin plug on it. Make sure the case is well earthed. Peugeot 309 ignition modules are totally different so not sure if the wiring can be modified to suit. The baggy gearshift is often caused by a nylon ball and cup in the one of the rods that runs from the base of the gear lever to the engine bay. The nylon ball can disintegrate leaving a very loose feeling lever. If you need to change anything in the gear linkage, you may need to adjust the reverse gate cam at the bottom of the gearstick under the rubber/leatherette trim/centre console from inside the car. The BE-1 box was always a bit sloppy so don't expect perfection! There are a couple of other Alpine owners on here that I'm sure will answer questions. Best of luck!Wow, a wealth of information, I'll be sure to come back to this when i need it. i adjusted the rockers to 0.30mm as per the Haynes manual, sounds a hell of a lot better. What, more furries? Looking forward to more updates on this one, particularly enjoyed the updates we've had on other Alpines on the board. This one looks like a really good starting point. There must be half a dozen Talbots this shape on the forum now.yep, Furries & shite go hand in hand, at least in some of the chats I've been in lol johngarty and Shep Shepherd 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilA Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Wait, it's possible to make one of these engines quiet*? I thought they came with noisy valves from the factory. At least, that's my memory of them.. Keep going, should be fun to putz about in. Phil *not counting switching it off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faker Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Welcome to the fold, from one talbot nut to another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Love these, ‘Buy a set of Michelin CrossClimates because I’m on commission from them’ John has a point, these were completely unwanted when they were bangers. I think that’s what makes them so appealing now, quite a clean tidy design. I think there was a load of sheds at what was RJ Grimes full to the rafters of Talbot bits, abandoned, I’m assuming it all got skipped as it was perceived as of no value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel bickle Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Hiya. I’ve got one of these, sitting in the queue, awaiting its turn - so will be interested to see how you get on. I’ve experience of the lil 1100 engine, which was a monumental pain, so I’m not really looking forward to mine. Good on you though - well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Longbridge Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 There’s another C plate bouncing around the Internet, which started life the same colour as yours. It was notorious on RR for a while. Yours is a new one to me - first time I’ve seen photos of it. NJM (Before, during and after) WHP And to finish, I’m undecided on whether this one is NJM or WHP... Edit: Grille looks different to yours, so I’m going to guess NJM. Looks as though both cars would have been pretty much identical when new, regardless. oldcars and Skizzer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey the Floydian Sergal Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 There’s another C plate bouncing around the Internet, which started life the same colour as yours. It was notorious on RR for a while. Yours is a new one to me - first time I’ve seen photos of it. NJM (Before, during and after)EF8F101D-0FA5-4373-8B95-A6C4E30A7039.jpeg F193DFB3-FE1F-45D2-AEB2-0303FCFDFDA9.jpeg 20167E27-5BF6-4619-9309-C1982029F3B8.jpeg WHPA2B0BCDF-9B55-402B-B737-0768A90981A2.jpeg BE7F2B7E-42FF-4BA2-B52E-37FAC53DB53A.png 5AE12AD4-129E-4917-8CF8-203AD628BDAD.png And to finish, I’m undecided on whether this one is NJM or WHP... 5CCC15B3-8A0A-4FA9-8A4D-A305EAF4CF7F.jpegEdit: Grille looks different to yours, so I’m going to guess NJM. Looks as though both cars would have been pretty much identical when new, regardless. I do have the original grille, don't know why someone took the time to buy an older grille, considering the older one is a much better fit. they have painted it with black louvres though which I'm keeping because it's a part of the car's history & I think it adds character. As for that last minxI'm guessing it's this one which served as a background vehicle in a few Ashes to Ashes episodes Dick Longbridge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 And to finish, I’m undecided on whether this one is NJM or WHP... 5CCC15B3-8A0A-4FA9-8A4D-A305EAF4CF7F.jpegEdit: Grille looks different to yours, so I’m going to guess NJM. Looks as though both cars would have been pretty much identical when new, regardless.WHP had the same grille as that when I owned it though - although I'm not sure it's ever had alloys. Glad it's got your seal of approval. I hope you'd be willing to give me more of your history with the car, give her a little story so to speak.Not sure how much info I can give you to be honest - it was a while ago now and I didn't do a huge amount with the car other than drive it - and there have been a lot of cars since then, including a Solara. If memory serves, I bought it from an old chap in Nottinghamshire who was selling it on behalf of his son. It was the first Alpine I'd driven and I remember being very impressed with the performance, although it did run slightly unevenly on a light throttle and also ran a little warm, with the needle consistently sitting about 2/3 of the way up the temp gauge - never overheated though, and I never had any major issues with it. I sold it to a bin man from somewhere in Lincolnshire who was apparently a Talbot enthusiast and owned a Solara - although his enthusiasm doesn't seem to have stretched as far as actually doing anything useful with the car. BorniteIdentity and oldcars 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey the Floydian Sergal Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 WHP had the same grille as that when I owned it though - although I'm not sure it's ever had alloys. Not sure how much info I can give you to be honest - it was a while ago now and I didn't do a huge amount with the car other than drive it - and there have been a lot of cars since then, including a Solara. If memory serves, I bought it from an old chap in Nottinghamshire who was selling it on behalf of his son. It was the first Alpine I'd driven and I remember being very impressed with the performance, although it did run slightly unevenly on a light throttle and also ran a little warm, with the needle consistently sitting about 2/3 of the way up the temp gauge - never overheated though, and I never had any major issues with it. I sold it to a bin man from somewhere in Lincolnshire who was apparently a Talbot enthusiast and owned a Solara - although his enthusiasm doesn't seem to have stretched as far as actually doing anything useful with the car. The Temp gauge is still like that funnily enough. Not sure where it's getting the temperature from, the old sender is on the head (exhaust side) but the connector has been bent upwards. There's also a sender on the other Thermostat housing. For some reason, she has a housing from a car with autochoke takeoff which has been blanked off with a hose with a bolt running through it, very odd. I still don't get why he drained the cooling system & left it, probably to save the block cracking in winter. I still have four of the original steels too which have been hammerited but I actually prefer the alloys. A set of centre caps with Talbot logos & it'll look mint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theorganist Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 I remember the hideous black one with the red wheels when it appeared on ebay. If I recall he seemed to be suggesting in the advert that he had improved it! Look forward to seeing the progress on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dozeydustman Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Regarding the valves, I think my measurement was for the 1.3 version fitted to the 309. I’d go no tighter that 0.27mm/11 thou if the clearance is supposed to be 0.30 These engines can suffer from soft tappets, which is why they can rattle so bady Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Amongst my many Talbots, I had one of these. Same colour, with the 1442cc engine. I was never very keen on it, as it felt even more rolly-poly and unstable than the Horizon (which was bad enough) The column UJ is in a terrible location, and I had similar issues. What I found most helpful was bending the clutch pedal about 20mm away from the column, giving you a smidgen more space. It is possible to make these engines not sound like a skeleton wanking in a biscuit tin.. If you find the specification for the valve clearances from an old 1960's simca, they are a little different from the Talbot spec. I tried various different clearances and eventually found one that would shut it up.. I can't remember whether it was more in line with the Talbot specification or the Simca one. Probably the simca one, as I remember setting them to the Haynes manual and it making not a tiny bit of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 The engine on this one wasn't particularly rattly when I had it - somebody once told me that they changed the design of the tappets for the last couple of years of production, which alleviated the problem somewhat. They do feel a bit roly poly and unstable until you're used to them (high geared steering doesn't help), but they actually stick to the road very well, in usual '70s French style. Unlike, say, the similarly roly poly Datsun Stanza, which doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey the Floydian Sergal Posted September 1, 2018 Author Share Posted September 1, 2018 Another part of Annie the Alpine uploaded today johngarty, Dick Longbridge, Braddon81 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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