RE: [alfa] steering boxes in GTVs, Berlinas

["Watry, Andrew (LNG-SFR)" <Andrew.Watry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yup, all the first really big safety regs (shoulder harness, headrests, side
lights, etc), really hit in the US market in the 1968 MY, while Alfa was out
of the market.  Loss of Austin Healey and lots of others has been attributed
to not being able to meet the regs that year.  Not to mention tighter smog
regs.
 
Andrew

-----Original Message-----
From: Gwynne W. Spencer [mailto:gwynnes1@domain.elided]
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2004 2:56 PM
To: Watry, Andrew (LNG-SFR)
Cc: alfa-digest@domain.elided
Subject: Re: [alfa] steering boxes in GTVs, Berlinas


DOT Standard No. 203 is listed under a date in 1971, but I saw a document
while searching the web that listed a date in 1968.  That may account for
the switch on the spiders to a dished wheel in 1969 ??

Gwynne Spencer


At 05:05 PM 6/1/2004 -0400, you wrote:



I think the U-joint steering box was phased in on Berlinas, and probably
GTVs too, over a long period.  I don't think it was purely from 1974
legislation.  The earliest Berlina I know of with the non-solid, U-joint
steering shaft, is my old car, AR*3001046*, a 1973 MY car built in 10/72.  I
have a lot of UJ cars on my list starting around that month. Conversely,
AR*3002172*, a 1974 MY car with rubber bumpers, built 10/73, had a solid,
non-UJ steering shaft, which I replaced.  Granted, it could have been
replaced at some earlier time, but I doubt it, given that the person I
bought it from knew its history from new.

My 74 GTV built 4/74 has a UJ shaft.  Did Spiders go through the same
transition?

All US Spiders, GTV, Berlinas from 1969 on have dished steering wheels
(until much later Spiders), so I don't think that in itself is a substitute,
from a safety regs perspective, for a collapsible steering column.

Andrew Watry
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