GO FASTER

And a decent set of brakes so you dont rearrange hedges and street furniture

There's a very interesting and contraversial article on pistonheads main page about that from an ex-police driver/instructor. Worth a look.

bigger,

Black na car on autotrader looks like it's gone.

Sleeping on the previous posts. So what ARE the true performance figures for the two cars. I can't see a na car (+10bhp) beating a scubeee some how. That's a serious motor. But if you can prove me wrong I'd be thrilled to bits.

On another point, INSPECTIONS, anyone know of a specialist in the Cheshire area?

Cheers

[stephendell]

Hi Mike,

There are always plenty of cars for sale in the 'For Sale & Wanted' section of the main site. You'll also find the true performance figures in 'The Cars' section.

I can do a 50 point check & estimate cost of parts for repair if you need advice. I'll doubt you'll find a specialist who will give you any sort of 'guarantee' for an inspection on a GTA. The cars can be a real minefield. The AA or RAC will probably just laugh at most cars for sale and tell you not to bother. If you buy a GTA you have to buy it in the knowledge that it's an old semi-exotic sportscar, things will go wrong & it won't be particularly cheap to fix unless you do it yourself.

If you are really worried I'm about to list a red atmo for Paul Sage of Alpine Renault Restoration and he will give a limited warranty with the car.

It will be fun though

Hope that helps

Stephen,

Yes I'm not mega mechanical unfortunately. I think the situation is I've only just started looking, and as I look and drive a few then I'll atleast be able to tell if I'm getting a real dog.

The thing is if I saw one now and thought it was good I'd get someone to look at it. I was thinking pay up to 5k for a pretty good car with a grand in reserve, at worst 2k and I'd have to start working harder for a bit.

If it cost more than that, other cars are coming into the frame.

My hinderence and it's just one of those things is colour. I will pass on a really good car even if it was cheap if it ain't the right colour. Silly really but that's me.

Red is very borderline, white, light metallics, purple, yellow, brown are all
out.
Not much left but any dark metallic, black, possibly silver and electric blue maybe.

I don't mind paying for someone who knows them to look at a car, and I understand there are no guarantees. If I get it wrong myself though that could be this years savings down the swaney.

Dealer stuff and show cars at 7k+ make me start to re-evaluate my choices for the money.

cheers

The nightmare of Alpine ownership has started!!!! Be afraid, be very afraid...my lovely black car is now a garage ornament! The hydraulic clutch slave cyliner is a botch of a job....the 2nd local garage who agreed to do it just changed their mind! It was going to get in the way of their day to day business too much. Looks like I'm destined to trailer it endlessly round Cumbria looking for someone to do the job! Love the car, but am seriously thinking of doing away with it and looking for something else. Anyone know a specialist in N.W. England?

Pete,

Get yourself a 911 mate. They're much more reliable than that plastic French pig.

Oh and when it's fixed let me know how much you want for it

Can you remember the last time it was a joy to be driving it. Sound of the engine as you blatted down the road, admiring glances from young, pretty, women etc etc. Well as you think about that get your wallet out and get her back on the road.

PS I will expect the same morale support WHEN the same things happen to me.

I'm sure someone else will be able to recommend a specialist.

Peter,

I've just realised you've only had it a week!

Sleeping on the previous posts. So what ARE the true performance figures for the two cars. I can't see a na car (+10bhp) beating a scubeee some how. That's a serious motor. But if you can prove me wrong I'd be thrilled to bits.

Youve really got to drive a GTA. The thing with these cars is they are so easy to drive fast, that they do it naturally. The 0-60 on the n/a's is in the 6-7 sec mark...a subaru would be faster, but the scooby would have to do a high revving, spinning start to do this, and you may only pull it off once in every ten launches. The difference with the GTA is that it will do it every single time with no effort. Other cars have so much trouble keeping with the relentless pickup and torque. The GTAs always seem to get a headstart, and other cars just have to play catch up. Even Stephen told me lately that on the Bruntingthorpe circuit, even a Noble and Esprit couldnt get past him, and that was in his n/a. Even in third and forth at low revs, just punch the throttle and it immediatelty picks up and pulls cleanly to the redline.

Yup! Money isnt the problem Ive just sold a house and have oodles of the stuff......its finding someone that will touch the Alpine!!!!!

I never take any notice of magazine figures but I do go drag racing quite alot. In my experience the terminal speed at the end of the 1/4 mile is the best gauge of how quick a car is. This takes traction out of the equation. GTA's running 1 bar with exhaust and filter usually run in the high 14's at the pod and make between 90 and 95mph. Joe's A610 at Bruntingthorpe ran 14.3 at 98 which sounds about right. A decent moderately tuned cossie will run about the same as that. Any car that can pull over a ton at the end of the quarter is a very quick road car. I can't comment on a aspirated GTA but I bet it would struggle to make 85mph. As a guide a 250bhp scooby will run high fourteens at about 95 and a 400bhp Skyline low 13's at about 110. Ferrari 355's run high 13's. You need about 300 bhp per ton and traction to run under 13 seconds

I've suddenly remembered what I decided as a youngster. You read all the mags and you believe everything they say. In the real world it usually doesn't make much difference, miss a gear, bit of wheel spin and you've lost it anyway.

The quest for extra horses is a bit like you MUST have the fastest PC, even though you just do your accounts on it.

I'm off to put my slippers on and pour my cocoa now.