Bleeding Brakes

[breganzane]

I had a 1985 Alfa 33 4x4 wagon ( an evolution of the sud). Being in Australia, and Canberra at that (dry and no salt air of the coast) it was still almost entirely rust free when I had it from 2000-2005. Bought it for $400, sold for $1200 after five almost completely trouble free years. And for such a crude, basic car, it was an absolute hoot to drive! There is definitely something special about Alfas, even the crappy ones are still fun.

 

[piranha-bro2]

Mt brother had a 1600 Junir - one of those classic Alfas. Like driving a go kart. Rust City, as it came from the UK, but so much fun.

 

[Dellortoman]

I have a mate who's keen on Alfas, don't ask me why. He's passed the disease on to his son, so now the front of his house looks like a classic Alfa sales yard. They have some interesting design features, but I don't think susceptibility to rust is one of them.

I read somewhere that during the 1970's Alfa used recycled steel of dubious quality that they got cheap from USSR. It would rust if you looked sideways at it. Apparently driving a 70's Alfa can leave you breathless. Not from the exhilarating performance, but because the steel oxidises so fast it sucks the oxygen out of the air.

 

[T.C]

There ya go......

 

[helicopterjim]

The Alfasud was a hoot to drive, just rev it to 8,000 RPM and don’t slow down for corners. A major issue with the external boot hinges, which rusted until the boot lid came off in your hands...

Never had them here in Canada .....that I know of ..... but I do like the Wikipedia description.

"Developed by Austrian engineer, Rudolf Hruska, the Alfasud was noted for its boxer engine configuration, low center of gravity, aerodynamic profile, class-leading handling, styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign, and a conspicuous susceptibility to rust."

Jim

 

[iis_iis]

Now now, no need to feel a major life event has passed you by, in not owning a Sud... super Beetle with engine in wrong place...( owned a 69 beetle too...it used to only need three wheels...true )... legend stuff is the Sud, owned three... tear to the eye, or was it the headlight/blinker stick going up in smoke when we went to drive away in the night.... still the VW connection was skilled based...drove home one night on the parkers...it was the same light output as the 6V headlights... Alfa Sud on parkers was the same.... blessed are the Laverda owners whom ride through the character.... classic quote from a famous UK Laverda lad.... ( my ) loaned Laverda to him when visiting... "...its not a weaver is it???.... it was....much grinning from me... mans bike... weaving man as it may happen...j

 

[bobsotto]

I have a mate who's keen on Alfas, don't ask me why. He's passed the disease on to his son, so now the front of his house looks like a classic Alfa sales yard. They have some interesting design features, but I don't think susceptibility to rust is one of them.

I read somewhere that during the 1970's Alfa used recycled steel of dubious quality that they got cheap from USSR. It would rust if you looked sideways at it. Apparently driving a 70's Alfa can leave you breathless. Not from the exhilarating performance, but because the steel oxidises so fast it sucks the oxygen out of the air.

I read another explation to the rusty alfa; it was not bad steel quality but due to long storage of the sheet coils from the steel mills in the open exposed to rain and not properly cleaned before manufacturing of body parts and painting. The manufacturing start was delayed several months, hence the long storage time of the coils.
Arne

 

[Laverda1000.de]

I read another explation to the rusty alfa; it was not bad steel quality but due to long storage of the sheet coils from the steel mills in the open exposed to rain and not properly cleaned before manufacturing of body parts and painting. The manufacturing start was delayed several months, hence the long storage time of the coils.
Arne

Next tall story: The first batch of cars wasn't painted when the factory (in - gasp! - southern Italy, hence AlfaSud) went on strike forever. After they finished striking, the rusty bodies were painted without further prepping. I personally like the crap steel story because many european manufacturers had huge rust problems in the mid 70s.

 

[piranha-bro2]

I didn't go into detail about my brother's Junior. So much rust that one day he put his foot on the clutch and the whole pedal assembly (brake and clutch) disappeared through the floor. That was the day it was retired - but sold and restored after much sheetmetal work.

 

[Dellortoman]

Next tall story: The first batch of cars wasn't painted when the factory (in - gasp! - southern Italy, hence AlfaSud) went on strike forever. After they finished striking, the rusty bodies were painted without further prepping.

A mate of mine has a Fiat Ducato van that suffers a similar problem. The fiat workers went on strike while a bunch of vehicles were in the paint shop. They'd been primed but hadn't been prepped for the finish coat. When they returned to work, they just picked up the spray guns and chucked the top coat on over the un-prepped surface and whatever greasy dust and moisture that had accumulated in the meantime. Now the paint is peeling off in sheets. At least it's not exposing the bare metal because the primer underneath is still good.

 

[Vince]

hey must have had the same problems with 1970s HQ Holdens, the dash would rust and leak under the windscreen where a patch was Imposable to be got at.

 

[stevepm2011]

Well, I had a 1973 Lancia Beta 1800. These were so rust-prone that they made the Alfasud look like a paragon of durability.
One night, leaving the local pub after a couple of pints, I drove over the speed hump at the end of the car park.
There was a crash from underneath the car, the engine stopped and the gearshift went all floppy.
It turned out the box section holding the front subframe (on which the engine and transmission sat) had rusted through, and the whole lot fell out
Took me a while to live that down!
Steve

 

[Davo]

Well, I had a 1973 Lancia Beta 1800. These were so rust-prone that they made the Alfasud look like a paragon of durability.

Steve

My Italian BIL had one. More rust and holes than body within a couple of years from purchase new.

 

[Tippie]

Well, I had a 1973 Lancia Beta 1800. These were so rust-prone that they made the Alfasud look like a paragon of durability.
One night, leaving the local pub after a couple of pints, I drove over the speed hump at the end of the car park.
There was a crash from underneath the car, the engine stopped and the gearshift went all floppy.
It turned out the box section holding the front subframe (on which the engine and transmission sat) had rusted through, and the whole lot fell out
Took me a while to live that down!
Steve

And that happened between the regular compulsory roadworthy checks?

 

[CLEMTOG]

A few years ago here oin the Uk, the Lancia importer was instructed by the manufacturer to buy and destroy as many beta's or was it Fulvia's that they could get there hands on, there were eight car transporters spotted all lover the country heading for the crusher, so everybody who owned one advertised it at a high price, a rep would call, barely look at the car, pay cash and take the paperwork, a day or two later and an eight car transporter would turn up and take it away, a motoring magazine got wind of it and was trailing them all over taking many pictures, the cars were barely three years old, it destroyed Lancias reputation in the UK, and robbed us Laverdisti of use dash boards for our RGS bikes.

I cant remember when this was but you would have to be 70 to remember it, the story was that the Italians traded something with the Russians for sheet steel which was very low quality, I think it might have been the rights to build an Italian car, maybe the Fiat 124 which turned into the Lada,for that to be correct, lancia and Fiat would have to be linked, probably got something wrong there did I, maybe,
CLEM

 

[The Sock]

A few years ago here in the Uk, the Lancia importer was instructed by the manufacturer to buy and destroy as many Beta's or was it Fulvia's that they could get their hands on, there were eight car trabnsporters spotted al lover the country heading for the crusher, so everybody who owned one advertised it at a high price, a rep would call, barely look at the car, pay cash and take the paperwork, a day or two later and an eight car transporter would turn up and take it away, a motoring magazine got wind of it and was trailing them all over taking many pictures, the cars were barely three years old, it destroyed Lancias reputation in the UK, and robbed us Laverdisti of use dash boards for our RGS bikes.
I cant remember when this was but you would have to be 70 to remember it, the story was that the Italians traded something with the Russians for sheet steel which was very low quality, I think it might have been the rights to build an Italian car, maybe the Fiat 124 which turned into the Lada,for that to be correct, lancia and Fiat would have to be linked, probably got something wrong there did I, maybe,
CLEM

You don't have to be 70 and it was the Beta that they recalled.
The Fulvia was a thing of beauty. I have many fond memories of hooning around in an HF, the quickest 1600 of its day, better by miles than a Lotus Cortina.

I'd love to have one now but they fetch silly money.

 

[Andy]

dash boards for our RGS bikes.

Can you elaborate on this bit please?

 

[chrisk]

Use a vacuum bleeder, works very time, I‘ve never had a problem.
Child’s play compared to bleeding the 5 master cylinders on a Piper PA28 aircraft!

Huh, WTF. I thought airplanes used air brakes?

 

[Laverdalothar]

Can you elaborate on this bit please?

Not Lancia, but Auto Bianchi (which belonged to Lancia) used the same dashboard as Laverda (or the other way around...) in the 1984 Model called A112. You can see pics of the car and the dashboard here:

Autobianchi A112 Abarth, 1984 - Classicargarage - DE

Autobianchi A112 Abarth, Jahr 1984. Farbe Rot kombiniert mit einem schwarzen Vinyl-Interieur, einem dunkelgrauen Teppich und schwarzen Gummi-Schutzmatten. Dieser prächtige …

www.classicargarage.de

Even the red looks a bit familiar... Not sure if the design company that was involved in the RGS design also was involved in the A112 development...?! Could well be, knowing that in Italy, very often cooperations happened between the companies (Auto Bianchi f.e. used Fiat engines partly). Who knows, don't want to start a rumor. Just can see similarities in the color sheme (almost same red with black plastic parts) and the dashboard.

 

[Davo]

Could well be, knowing that in Italy, very often cooperations happened between the companies (Auto Bianchi f.e. used Fiat engines partly). Who knows, don't want to start a rumor. Just can see similarities in the color sheme (almost same red with black plastic parts) and the dashboard.

Could well be that a fair number of manufacturing companies were owned and operated by the government at the time and made to share bits and bobs to keep costs down. Even Ducati from the 50's to late 70's. The famous green frame was that colour allegedly as they used the green paint pinched from the government casting factory that was used for gate valves to save money.