Re: What is Catalogo Rapido?

[Bruce Taylor <Bruce.Taylor@domain.elided>]

It may be worth mentioning that Alfa Romeo published a Numerical Index
(Indice Numerico) to the 2235 Catalogo Rapido as a separate 40-page
document carrying no separate DIASS No. This allows one quickly to
answer such profound questions as "How many 105.64 parts are in this
Montreal-less catalogue?" (83, mainly just shims). Or to find without a
search that John's 2105.00166 bolt does in fact appear in the Catalogo
Rapido, but only for securing a hose clamp, quantity 1.

In the same format there is also a short Supplement (Allegato) to this
Catalogo Rapido on "Varianti Alla Giulia Super 1,3/1,6" (Nuova Super
1300-1600). The rear cover of this physically separate document carries
only the print code (Pubblic. N. 2235 6/74 - 13.500) of the catalogue
itself! 

Bruce
Geneva, CH
http://www.geocities.com/alfamontreal/


"John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided> wrote:
> 
> ... 
> In AD8-0253 John Basel had ended his reply to my thoughts on sumps with the
> question "What is Catalogo Rapido?". It is the Italian name (thus as
> pretentious as calling a flex-joint a 'giubo', I suppose) for the 'Short
> Spare Parts Catalog' (or Schnell Ersatzteilcatalog) which Alfa put out for
> some models in the seventies. It has the same page size (21 cm high x 30 cm
> wide) as standard parts books of the late sixties-early seventies but
> compresses a shelf-full, perhaps a dozen volumes or more, into a single book
> of about 175 pages, less than 1 cm thick, in the cases of the two that I
> have.
> 
> How does it do this, and what does it gain, what does it lose? I will use
> the one on the non-USA 105 cars as an example.
> 
> The main catalogs, in contrast to the Catalogo Rapido, have fairly large,
> clear exploded drawings of groups of parts, with the part number for each
> part, followed by tables which give, for each part number, the number used
> and at least the name, and sometimes more, in five languages, so that (for
> instance) you can tell that part number 2105.00166, the bolts securing the
> sump bottom to the main sump, is a Vite da 6 x 1 x 20, Schraube zu 6 x 1 x
> 20, Tornillo de 6 x 1 x 20, (etc) quantity 17. The five-languages bit is not
> completely useless; it sometimes clarifies ambiguities in part names and
> functions, as well as typos and poor translations.
> 
> The Catalogo Rapido saves space by compressing the drawings (in the case of
> the main engine parts, putting those on eleven pages onto three pages),
> omitting some parts entirely (those sump bolts, for one, which is why I
> don't trust it on roll pins) and identifying the parts, on the drawings,
> with key numbers rather than part numbers. The key numbers you then take to
> a following spread-sheet with columns for part description, part number,
> quantity, and seventeen different 105 models, and notes in three languages
> (leaving out Spanish). Key number 1, for example, the engine block, is
> identified as Bassamento, quantita 1, and the different part numbers are
> given for the ten different blocks used on the seventeen most common
> different 105 cars, the specific applications identified by black dots where
> the horizontals and verticals cross. The dots are large enough to contain
> numbers; the 17 and 18 on two of the three dots in the Giulia Super column
> refer to a bottom-of-page listing of the chassis-number break-points
> 880.000-880.001; note 'A' tells which two of those blocks were without a
> breather.
> 
> The big advantages are that it identifies the ten blocks, six cylinder
> heads, eight timing covers, etcetera, and their applications, without going
> through a great pile of individual parts catalogs, and quickly tells you
> that, for example, a different timing cover was used on the 1300 cc GT
> Junior than on the GT Junior 1.3, and which other models used each of them.
> 
> A limitation is that it is not quite as comprehensive as it looks; it does
> not cover the Junior Zagatos, GTAs, GTCs, Montreals, Giulia T.I. Supers, or
> more surprisingly the original Giulia T.I., nor does it cover specific USA
> variants- no Spica, no rubber bumpers, etc.
> 
> I have just two of these "Short Spare Parts Catalogs", publication # 2235
> covering the 105s and publication #2462 covering the several Alfetta USA
> versions. Centerline offers a reprint (their #RM 128, $29.50) of one
> covering all 2000 models 1972-1972, 250 pages, in Italian; they don't say
> whether it covers the USA versions but I assume it must. (It might also
> answer the question whether air conditioning was 'factory').
> 
> And now I have a question for Leo, Luca, or any others fortunate to have an
> inside track on Alfa documentation in the Mother Country. I have long lists
> of Alfa factory publication either offered here by ARI in the seventies or
> among the holdings of the AROC technical library, but they do not include
> any Catalogo Rapido. I assume there are others beyond the two I have and the
> one Centerline reprints. If anyone could identify the models covered and
> publication numbers of any others (or better yet, has any available for
> purchase, or knows where I could buy any) I would greatly appreciate it.
> 
> Also on publications: if anyone knows where I could find a copy of 'Il
> Portello', by Duccio Bigazzi, published in the mid-nineties but
> out-of-print, I would be very interested. All my usual sources have been
> unable to produce one.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> John H.
> Raleigh, N.C.

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided