Introduce yourselves

The injectors you need are 0 280 150 100 and theyre available from any Bosch dealer, approx £80...but I dont think its your injectors. The likelyhood of 2-3 injectors failing is nearly impossible, and if you had them cleaned, then they are plugged electrically into a flow bench to allow the cleaning fluid to go through them, so they have to work to enable them to be cleaned. The fuel injection on the Alpine is grouped, ie 2 banks of 3 so three injectors fire simultaneously. Sounds more like a common earth problem. The terminals on the injector plugs commonly corrode so give them a clean with emery paper, and then check they are working with a multimeter.

Who’s who?.

I’m Paul Goldsmith, 37 yrs old working in Poole, Dorset for Siemens as a Export Tendering Manager - I sell traffic systems, lights (red/amber/green), etc mainly overseas but occasionally in the UK.
Own a 1991 GTA Turbo light metallic blue, unmodified completely original – mainly because I cant afford to spend any money on it yet (3 children and a wife at home !!) (
I’ve had my car for just over two years now, bought from a chap in South Wales who could no longer afford to run it (he lost his weekend job and the trade insurance that went with it).
So far I’ve had the radiator split, the rear brakes and all the discs replaced (they where all worn and the callipers had seized up), the Renix unit changed, the TDC sensor replaced, steering rack boots renewed and then some twat decided to trash 16 cars in our ‘so called secure’ car park here at work, the windscreen was smashed, the scuttle, wing mirror and part of the bodywork chipped…. Only third party insurance so I had to stump up the cash to repair it myself hence it’s been a drain on the cash resources!
I use the car everyday to & from work and sometimes over the weekend.
Fell in love with the car when a mate of mine bought his back in 1989, a black Turbo one, modified, chipped, lowered etc , he still has it and did promise to sell it to me but alas he just couldn’t part with it.
So I gave up and looked for one myself.

Paul.

Hi,

Peter from near Edinburgh.

as well as a few Matras I own the A610 used in Eldorado ( great car, crap show )

I work for multi-national as product manager responsible for telephone monitoring systems - you send an SMS and we know about it Make a phone call anywhere in the world and it's odds on we measure it !

Don't get enough time to play and work on my cars as I want to.
Especially as I blew the head gasket on the right bank and awaiting time to repair it.

Sounds a good idea for the Scots Alpines to get together sometime

Hello Everyone

My names Ben and I don't own an Alpine but my brother and father do.

My brother Nathan (natman) has had a GTA for over a year now and features on this site. He drives his everyday but unfortunately his car has a number of on going problems which I'm sure he will be discussing with you all in the coming future.

My dad picked up his GTA last Wednesday and was not impressed when it broke down after just half an hour due to radiator fan failure.

Luckily for him though I'm good with car electrics and with some good advice from Steve Dell and Andrew Jones the fault was soon traced to a poor earth connection, which is a common fault with plastic bodied cars.

I also had my fist chance to drive this car and was very impressed with the performance and sound. Apart from this initial hiccup this car is in stunning condition, the former owner having spent thousands of pounds on it. It has - ABS, leather interior, Air-con, ECU chip, Hybrid turbo, group A dump valve, Samco hoses, custom wheels, custom exhaust, £1000 Hifi, Cat 1 Alarm etc. All the work being done by Prima Racing. I will post some pictures as soon as we have re-badged it.

It will be very interesting to compare our two GTA's when Nathan brings his up in two weeks time. We will just have to make sure he doesn't drive home in the wrong car by "mistake".

Look forward to seeing some of you at the Oulton Park race meeting.

Bye for now.

COME ON....theres more of you out there....every post gets a minimum of 25 views.....own up!!!!! I will think youre all accountants who drive Vectras, Mondeos or BMWs otherwise!

You can blame PeterG for this - he's asked for more input - so here goes.
I have had a lifelong association with Renaults - generally radically modified [ Dauphines with R16 TS engines, etc.] and have recently retired from designing and maufacturing replica sports cars and other speciality cars.
My business life has seen me involved with Cobra, D Type, XKSS, KX120, Porsche 356 and 550 replicas as well as a selection of one -offs and race cars.
I sold my first Alpine [ D21 DFP - still out there? ] some years ago as I needed the capital to invest in a new project. IMMEDIATELY regretted it, and so was Alpineless until last year.
With my retirement and 60th. birthday all rushing up together, when my WIfe asked what special present I wanted - I naturally said - more in hope than expectation - a GTA Turbo!
No fairytale endings here - I got a metal detector and a bottle of 24 year old Brandy! Ah, well.
Then about 6 months later whilst scanning the Autotrader - as you do - I spotted a Turbo at an extremely affordable price. I left the mag casually open at the relevant page, and later that day my Wife said -" Did you see this GTA in the Trader?" " Oh, no - which one was that dear?"
"You really should never have parted with your old one", she declared - the Alpine being the ONLY car [ of all the exotics I have owned or driven ] she really had a soft spot for. 4 hours later after a 300 mile round dash, I was again the owner of a GTA - Happy Birthday
So, back in the Alpine fold again I now find that history is repeating itself and I once more needed to raise capital - for property this time. The car was duly advertised, and several people contacted me -but no one apparently wanting to pay a fair price for an honest car.
Well guess what, the capital is gradually being raised from other sources - almost at a point of equilibrium as to whether I need to sell the car or not!
So, as I know I will again regret selling the car, I have decided to take it off sale - unless I get offered the asking price. After all, what would YOU rather have - a holiday home [ bigger ] or a GTA?
If you have seen my other posts on the forum, you will know that I retain an interest in Speciality cars by way of a Design Consultancy deal with my former German agent, who has now taken over manufacture of 2 of my cars and with whom I am working with a number of new projects.
That puts me in a very good position to be able to get very competitive quotes for speciality parts - Shox, fabrication, GRP, upholstery - in fact ANYTHING required to build a car from scratch!
I would be happy to obtain quotes for any specialised low volume parts that might be required.Quality is as you might imagine first class, whilst prices hover somewhere between East European and East German - ie VERY competitive. As a forinstance - I was paying £1200 for my Speedster bodyshells - quality varied in almost opposite scale to the delivery dates. These were being made in the next factory - but I STILL couldn't get the quality or delivery times I expected. The East Germans are now making the same item ON TIME and superb quality for £900 [ 3 years later ].
I have also had a lifelong connection with Drag Racing - my last car being a 1927 Model T ['ish] with 460ci Ford V8 power and 3 stage Nitrous assist [ giving an EXTRA 600 bhp ]. The reason I mention this, is that I see quite a number of you are interested in NOS for your Alpines. I have a selection of Alex Warlordy NOS books - the very latest available current info. on NOS. These also include info. on special electronic add ons to save your motor self destructing.
I have to say that one of the reasons for deciding to keep my car [ terms accepting ] is the EXCELLENT website we're now on. After 15 years of being out in the wilderness [ well in the C.A.R. club actually - same thing ], the site has in a very short space of time given me the answers to several little niggles I had with the car [ eg - slow window syndrome ] and access to other true enthusiasts.Hearty congratulations to the originator.
So, that's Beachcombers' potted history [ AKA "TJ"] a life full of Renaults and fast cars - can't be bad
Cheers all
Beachcomber

Okay, I'm one of those who have been using this forum and reading these postings for a while now and not got round to introducing myself. So after peterg's coaxing and beachcombers epic post I thought I'd better get round to it!
Modern tin boxes don't interest me very much and I've always owned cars which I've felt have been a little less mainstream and a little bit more interesting and more rare than the norm. I progressed in a fairly logical way from luke warm to hot-hatch, to sports saloon, to 'proper' sports car. In a way I suppose a lot of people do.
These include, my first car, Mk1 Fiesta 1300 Supersport. Maybe not the last word in high performance or handling but very unique and rare (I believe only 300 were made, making them more rare than GTAs) and I loved it, being my first car!
Other slightly interesting cars I've owned include a Citroen ZX Volcane 1.9i. Again, a bit different from the hot hatch norm and quite a rare sight. A very underated hot hatch and loads of fun for FWD, with that typical Peugeot/Citroen lift-off oversteer!
Before my GTA I owned a Mercedes 190E 2.5-16v 'Cosworth'. Lots of tail-out fun also, especially in the wet when it had virtually no grip or traction whatever! Although, I admit the tryres were rubbbish!
And finally to my GTA Turbo! I've owned it since 2001 when I bought it from a Renault dealer in Rochdale, who'd previously owned it for about 13 years. Only using it occasionally, it had done only 54,000 miles and he kept it parked in the showroom. At the time it had a private plate on it and people would ask about it, thinking it was a new Renault! He serviced and MOT'd it every year no matter what the mileage. It came with every MOT, the original sales invoice, FSH, original owners manual, original radio manual, Renault workshop manuals and a spare ECU! The car is completely standard and still has the original spare and jacking tools in its cover next to the engine.
I think it's quite an early British GTA, being originally registered Jan 1987, the date of manufacture being 1986. It has the flat bonnet, the earlier style radio cassette without the column mounted remote controls, the rear seat backs don't fold and it has Renault badging on the nose etc.
It's also the road test car featured in the May 1987 issue of Performance Car magazine. If anyone has a copy of this issue, you can just about see in the pictures the seats were originally black cloth (the colour of the car is Titian Red Metallic) but at some point after this the seats were retrimmed in their current black leather.
Shortly after buying the car, the joys of GTA ownership began!
I think, partly due to having been stood for so long with relatively little regular use, things started to fail once exposed to regular use (I use the car every day as my daily driver). Faults have included: new radiator (twice!), coolant hoses, petrol pipes, indicator stalk, wash/wipe stalk, brakes, clutch, wheel bolts(had one snap), alternator, plug leads, seized steering rack, winscreen scuttle, gas struts for glass hatch, intermittent speedo, gearknob, center console lids....there may be more but I can't remember everything! I am currently waiting for a new water pump from Renault and then it needs a re-spray because the paint is flaking everywhere! It also has an appetite for rear tyres!
Despite all the problems I still wouln't change it! I love the way it looks, the performance, the way it drives, the handling, grip, traction, it's unusual rear engine layout, it's relative practicality and economy, it's unusual construction, the friendly attention it receives and it's strange whooshy engine sound!
I genuinely can't think of another car I'd rather own at the moment and plan to keep sticking the bits back on as they fall off and to keep it for the foreseeable future!
I've emailed in some pictures, so hopefully they should be appearing in the visitors cars section soon. (And I know the Renault Sport badge is stuck on the wrong way round on the back! It wasn't me! )

Hi

43 year old male and work in a Bank. (that`s all the personal stuff you`re getting as my niece has warned me about corresponding on the internet).

Owned Atmo GTA for last 13 years (127,000 miles on the clock) now fitted with 24 valve PRV from a Peugeot 605. The conversion was arranged by Laurent at Profil Tuning (who speaks excellent English) and fitted by VEC Racing in France (who don`t speak English but have carried out many such conversions - see Mille Miles, issue No 49, 1997). The cooling system was also uprated with larger capacity radiator and twin fans. This engine has given no trouble over the past 3 years and a recent rolling test at Sanspeed confirmed that it is still developing 225 hp at 6250 revs. Other modification include lowered springs, Borbet Wheels, EBC brakes – all the usual stuff.

The car has been sprinted and hillclimbed for the last 10 years including many trips North to compete in my native Scotland.

Highlight of my years of ownership must be the 3 laps of the Le Mans circuit on the morning of the 1994 race with the 1978 Alpine Renault race winner acting as pace car. A free-for-all ensued as the pace car disappeared over the horizon and it was touch and go whether they could extract all the wayward Alpine`s from the gravel traps before 4pm! The race itself was memorable that year as the A610 finished 13th.

Can`t think of anything to replace the car with as I still take pleasure in driving something which only people in the know, recognise. That said, as I get older, the suspension seems to get harder and a Peugeot 405 Coupe takes care of everyday transport.

Perhaps see some of you at Croix this weekend.

That`s all for now folks

Iain Black

PS. With grateful thanks to Paul & Cynthia at ARR for keeping the GTA on the road.

Jesus, sorry there 007, you must be a secret agent or something

Hi there.

Thought I'd join the fray. My name's JJ, I'm 36, working for the NHS, two small children. I bought my A610 from Paul at Alpine Renault Racing about 3 weeks ago. I'm French by nationality, so used to drool at A310s as a small boy. Seriously considered a GTA, but opted for the A610 after reading write-up re BEREX developments.

My A610 has a slightly odd history, having been imported from Singapore. New tach reads 870 miles (now) - has slightly less than 20k when replaced. Dash fan is weak and a hose from the coolant tank has sprung a leak, the new tach decides to let me know how fast I'm going only when it feels like it (most of the time thankfully) and it needs proper stereo/speakers.

Mine has the Magny-C wheels and is metallic red - see it at:

http://www.renaultalpine.co.uk/a6101.htm


I'm going to enjoy it (once hose replaced) before trying to figure out how to improve performance and try out hill-climbing (which I've never done !). Might consider a leather refit.......

Nice to read other's postings....same challenges !

Cheers.

JJ

Hi, my name is James and I have been a GTA Turbo owner for just over a month now and am enjoying every minute of it! I am 30 yrs old, live in Sussex and work for the computer games company Electronic Arts. Had a Saab 900 Turbo for a couple of years but a GTA is what I always wanted.
Other interests include music, I played guitar and sang in a band, released 4 ep's along the way but never quite made it, lots of de-tuned guitars and feedback so not everyone's cup of tea! Just starting a new project so I am hoping to go one better. I also love aircraft, mainly 2nd World War types, it's my geeky side that I keep quiet about.......oh and then there's the lego.......I design and build planes, cars, spacecraft etc. One of my next projects will be a GTA so I will send some pics in if it's any good!
Well not much else to say really, look forward to meeting some of you in the future. Well done and thanks to Stephen for this excellent resource and for putting up with me whilst I was looking for my car!

I'm Liam, a 25yo car sales exec from just outside Belfast. I haven't even got my GTA V6 Turbo yet, but am supposed to be picking it up this weekend. I'm buying it off a fella who's trading it in against an Aston DB7 Volante (awesome!!!!!!), and it's been his baby for 6 yrs. It has the black leather interior, and has a few tuning bits added, but unsure as to everything just yet. I've always been into cars, from the first day I went into my dad's garage as a kid. I've had my fair share of motors, including a Corsa (OH NO!), an Escort van (Yey!), a BMW 518i (sluggish), a Merc 190E 2.5, (good fun on r'abouts), a couple of 306s and a highly tuned Ibiza TDi (90 hp up to 146 hp), as well as a Fiesta RS1800 (almost as rare as the Alpines only 500 built) which I binned into a stone wall (sore). I currently drive a Citroen C2 VTS as a company car (no fooling u who I work for!) and I have a Fiesta XR2i for racing in the 1800cc class of the Northern Ireland Rally Racing Chapionship. Work has meant that I don't get racing as often as I would like, so I think to little lady has got to go to make room 4 the GTA.
Just while I'm on, I would like to hear from any owners in Northern Ireland, with the possibility of meeting up for runs out or for track days.

I've had my GTA since 1990/1991 (I forget exactly) it was hardly run-in (5000miles) and is now very "well used" having been my daily runner. It is on different wheels/tyres, Koni double adjustable mono-tube dampers and non-standard discs/pads - otherwise as was.

I also have an A110 - used as often as possible.

Between the two I still have my motorbike - Suzuki GSXR750WX - makes the cars feel sluggish

As the GTA is getting to the point where I really think I am doing it no good using it all the time, I am on the verge of getting something that sips fuel (Micra? - the money saved at the petrol station and servicing will almost make this a "free" car). Then I can lay the GTA up and think about ways to "improve" it. I don't see the GTA as a "classic", so feel no guilt about planning a tuning campaign as soon as funds allow. It's a great starting point, with a very good chassis, pretty low weight, engine in the right place and looks very good indeed.

I love the GTA - it is a helluva good car..................

As for the A110 - brilliantly mad

[BIG_MVS]

Hi,

My name's Martin, I'm 28 and from Cheshire, married with a rugrat on the way. I work in IT for a large car rental company.

Been into fast renaults for a long time really, ever since my dad had a 21 Turbo as a Company car back in 89'. I've been into 21 Turbo's ever since and have had an astonishing 12 since (still own a 91 Grey Quadra).

Thought the obvious step up was to go for a GTA and so I bought the first one I have ever seen and driven ! I had to have it tho as I'm a sucker for a bargain. It's a 92 ATMO(what does ATMO mean exactly by the way ?), needs some TLC but it has been well looked after. It has KONI suspension and a scorpion stainless exhaust, apart from that it's pretty much standard. It does need the carbs servicing, anyone know anywhere local?

It's now tucked up in the garage for the winter, probably only to pop out to have some work done for the MOT. Looking forward to next year and hopefully meeting up with some of you guys.

Thanks to Stephen who has given some useful advice along the way, the website is a triumph too! No doubt I will be in touch for some more tips along the way....

[stephendell]

Atmo short for 'atmospherique' i.e. normally aspirated.

I have a spare rebuild kit for the twin carb if you're feeling brave. You can download the carb setup instructions from the technical section of the main site (workshop manual).