Re: Alfas in the magazines

[James Montebello <jamesm@domain.elided>]

On Tue, 8 Oct 2002, George Graves wrote:
> GTV-6s aren't really all that toss-able out of the box. But then
> neither is a Ferrari Lusso, a Maserati Sebring or an Aston Martin
> DB-4/5/6 (all of which have 'similar' performance envelopes to the
> GTV-6). These are meant to be grand touring cars designed for the
> Autostrada the Autoroute and the Autobahn, not for twisty mountain
> roads. Not that GTV-6s don't or can't handle well in those situations,
> but with the body lean and heavy, slow-speed steering, they just aren't
> ideal for such driving. GTV-6s like nice two-lane roads with long
> sweeping turns and even longer straightaways.  I have found that GTV-6
> handling depends very much on the tires. Soft sticky tires (like the
> Yokohama AVS series) with higher inflation rates in the rear than in
> the front go a long way toward reducing the Alfa's natural tendency to
> push. But the heavy, relatively slow steering still makes tossing these
> cars about on the very-twisties a tiring proposition. I've heard that
> replacing the GTV-6 steering with the power steering gear from the
> Milano transforms the car. But never having driven one upon which this
> modification has been effected, I can't say for sure.

My GTV6 is hardly stock, and I've never driven a stock GTV6, so my
experience is quite different from George's.  My car was lowered about
1.25" (both ends), fitted with Koni reds, and has a *much* stiffer
front anti-roll bar.  It has the 105 caster joint modification, and
all of the bushings are (relatively) fresh.  All of this was done by
a previous owner.  It also has a smaller (350mm) Momo steering wheel,
which makes the parking-lot speed steering extremely heavy.  Tires on
the car now are Dunlop D50s, which aren't particularly sticky.

My car has very little body roll, is very neutral (perhaps the most
neutral handling car I've ever driven), and can hang the tail out at will
(trail the throttle going in to get it rotating, nail to gas to keep
it out).  On very tight switchback'd roads, it works very well, until
the brakes start to fade on downhill sections.  The steering is very,
very light once under way.  You do have to go fast enough, and use the
tail to help steer, in hairpins to keep the steering from loading up.

In contrast, my Alfetta coupe has stock dampers, appears to have stock
ride height (it *may* have been lowered a bit in front), tires with much
taller sidewalls, elderly bushings (including the caster bushings),
and the large, stock steering wheel.  The steering is much lighter at
slow speeds, but a tad heavier at high speeds, than the GTV6.   It has
far more body roll (stock bars), but where the GTV6 will quickly break
away and slide as the limits are approached, the Alfetta is much more
forgiving.  The Alfetta will only go tail out if severely provoked, but
never has serious push (so says a long-time front-drive autocrosser,
everything's relative).  Interestingly, the Alfetta never cooks its
brakes, despite the having iron calipers and smaller rotors than the GTV6.
The difference in weight no doubt has something to do with this.

In many ways, the GTV6 is a bit too serious, and not quite as much fun
to drive fast as the Alfetta.  The GTV6 is boringly planted until it's
suddenly not, whereas the Alfetta is always a bit vague and nervous,
but you never really feel like you're in trouble.

If I drove a stock GTV6, I might agree with George about it.  However,
all of this stuff is very subjective, and it really depends on where
you came from.

james montebello
'84 gtv6
'78 alfetta
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