Re: New alpine owner

Russell Maddock (rmaddock(at)petrie.starway.net.au)
Tue, 25 Aug 1998 21:38:08 +1000

I have to agree with Jarrid. I've owned Rootes products for my entire driving life and they have rarely let me down, be they weekend only or everyday use cars. On the few occasions I have been stranded, it has usually been my fault or the DPO's or just plain wear and tear, not British engineering.

Incidentally, I'm developing a phobia about electronic ignition, because every time I get into a Rootes car with this modification it breaks down. Of course, the quality of the conversion has a lot to do with it!

Russ Maddock

-----Original Message----- From: Jarrid Gross (Yorba Linda, CA) <GROSS(at)UNIT.COM> To: Cornett <MCORNETT(at)prodigy.net> Cc: alpines(at)autox.team.net <alpines(at)autox.team.net> Date: Tuesday, 25 August 1998 2:46 Subject: Re: New alpine owner

>
> ----------
>From: Cornett
>
>>Sounds like an excelent idea but I would make the exchange as soon as
>>possible or you may miss out of owning a truly reliable and fast auto.
>>
>>
>>the V-6 supporter
>>T.C.
>>SI V-6 five speed halve finished
>
>
>Not wanting to escalate the current originality/updated camp
>skirmish, let me put in a few pence.
>
>
>The alpine engine is a very robust powerplant, its is the ancilliary
>components that are the pieces that give us the most grief.
>
>Getting a fresh set of carbs, with unworn throttle shafts, getting
>a new distributor with unworn bushes, elliminating the points
>on the electrical system, and replacing everything that wears
>out with time "like the old lucas coils with rivet on terminals".
>
>You do all that, and you will have a 100,000 mile alpine for sure.
>
>The rootes blocks are a very hard iron.
>Ask anyone whose ever had a 100,000 mile engine apart, and
>pushed the pistons out the block sans ridge reamer.
>
>My car still has all lucas electrics. I even run a Lucas Sport
>coil, with aftermarket electronic ignition.
>
>I have new webers to replace the worn downdraft zeniths that belong
>on the car.
>
>Bewteen the carbs, and electronic ignition, 90% of the reliability
>griefs that I hear about on this list would be history.
>
>As with any car/engine/component. 30 years of use, abuse and
>outright neglect, will result in loss of performance or outright failure.
>
>Yes, there is a such thing as entropy.
>
>
>Thats not to say you should'nt put another engine in an alpine.
>I'll tell you that my alpine is very fast, and getting more reliable
>by the day.
>I'll also say you'd be hard pressed to stuff more horsepower
>in an alpine shell for less $$$$ too.
>
>Alpine engine components are rather inexpensive.
>
>
>
>
>Jarrid
>