Catalogo rapido and other manuals

[L O <alfetta82@domain.elided>]

Hi. Replying to John (thanks for inquiring) let me say
it's very hard to find the "catalogo rapido" (short
spare parts) and also the workshop manual (manuale
d'officina). This is for modern cars and, of course,
it's + hard for older cars. The cause is because the
dealers and the workshops, especially in the past,
trashed them when no more useful or kept them away
(some dealer has yet all the manuals) and don't sell
it or give them to you to copy.

I asked many times to have manuals to copy or offering
money for buying. I found something in the usual
markets for vintage cars and automobilia, but or the
prices are too expensive or there's nothing to buy.

The "catalogo rapido ricambi" was a typical manual
used by the parts' dealers until the '80s. I remember
weel (I saw it) the manual also about the Giulietta
(new Giulietta launched in 1977). I own a 1978 edition
of the "Alfetta and Alfetta GT" catalog, of course in
italian: I saw at least 3 different editions of this
manuals. Giulietta's manuals was, instead, more
"manual" having size as the owner's manual. Noone of
these manuals is yet available new. It was until two
or three months ago. Just two days ago a friend living
in Milan phoned me and told me he asked for manuals at
"Afra" in Settimo Milanese. They answered there was no
problem (except time of delivering) on ordering the
workshop manuals of some of the '80s ALfa directly to
the printer (as "Tipolito Maggioni" or "Amilcare
Pizzi" and so on). Then it's no more possible. I
tryied to rebuilt the history of this disappearance.
And I thought to the annual Padova market: I saw the
"libreria dell'automobile" stand offering many new
manuals about Alfa: parts catalog, workshop manuals,
brochures, owner's manuals covering the last '70s and
the 80s and the 90s. The prices are expensive, even if
something is surely new. So I think (am I correct?)
this enterprises bought (at low price, surely) the old
stocks directly from the printers, knowing there are
request of Alfa manuals. 
The history of the "catalogo ripadi" start falling in
the '80s when the "microfiches" replaced the papers.
The microfiches (I have a good quantity of them) are
still available for most of the '80s and '90s models,
no for the oldest model even if I found the Spider
Junior microfiches about the 1978 model year. They
cost about $2 each, but it's difficult to have the
correct number to order them because there isn't a
catalog showing the corrispondence to the model/type
of the car.My usual dealer has many microfiches and
sometimes I receive them for free, but the only way to
find old microfiches is to find to some old dealer
(being friend). Ah, NOTICE I'M LOOKING FOR A GOOD USED
MICROFICHES READER. 
So, I can only suggest to check to the "libreria
dell'automobile" availability of manuals, but don't
believe to find many interesting manuals. 

About USA models I rember I saw (and my friend in
Milan has it) the Alfetta USA catalogo rapido, I saw
also the same manual for sale in the usual Imola
market last september but the price ($50) seems to me
too high.

Notice there are also other interesting manuals named
"manuali della scuola assistenza" (manuals of the
working school) that were printed on every launch of a
model for the personal training in Milan. They are
useful because explain very well the utilities and
functioning of every part (I bought a manual for my 75
turbo so I could learn a lot more about all the
electronic equipments).

I'll be in Milan probably the last sunday before
christmas to go to the "libreria dell'automobile". If
everyone is interested in manuals, please make a list
and send so I could check directly. I would prefer to
see the list on the digest, I don't use my e-mail too
often in this days cause viruses. 

Other info: now the spare parts catalog are on CD rom
and cover the "after 1988" production. The Alfa Romeo
disc contains also the Lancia and Innocenti models. 
There are also workshop manuals on CD (I received from
my usual workshop the Cd about the 156), they are out
of selling. 

I hope I was usueful with my scripts.

Regards

Leo

'89 75 Turbo America
'82 Alfetta 2000 sedan

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