Re: alfa-digest V7 #371

[Joel Hailey <alfadoc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> So now I'm shopping for 164's and decided that I REALLY want an S- primarily
> for the body work. Which leads me to an obvious question: how hard
> (expensive) would it be to add the extra body bits to an 'L?
>

We have the side shirts (new) and the rear skirt (used) in stock. Be glad to make you a deal on them. Perhaps APE
for the front and the front spoiler?

> I've driven a well-tuned L and (so far) one S (both '93s) and I've concluded
> that the difference in acceleration is subtle enough that I can't detect it
> in the course of a short test drive.
>

I find the difference huge, primarily due to the different gear ratios in the transaxles. Without consulting my
books, I honestly don't know if it's just a lower final drive ratio in the S, or if the transmission gearing is
different too, though it almost feels like the latter. This is the thing I most prefer about the S vs an L or
base. If I ever had a chance to secure an S transaxle for my L, I'd do so in a heartbeat.

> But I love the seats and other upgrades. So that leads me to another
> question: if I leave the suspsension in Sport mode, will that help the
> shocks last longer? Is the switching that wears them out, or just driving on
> them?
>

My experience is that if you leave it in the sport mode all the time, it tends to stick there. I think it's better
to let it do its switching thing, though I find the sport mode too jiggly, and the normal mode wallowy. My
personal preference for these cars are the Intrax springs, and a set of Konis. As for the seats; while I prefer
the lower seating position possible with the S, I find the L seats much more comfortable, with very little
difference in support. The bolstering on the S seats just isn't aggressive enough to make much of a difference.
Additionally, the S seats seem to wear a little faster. Now, if you could find an S with the Recaro option...

> If I leave the HVAC controls on manual and don't play with them a lot, will
> the stepper motor last longer?
> (In other words, if I buy a car with a good original stepper motor, is it a
> given that it will go?)
>

They usually go at around 80K-100K. Yes it will last longer if controlled manually. I have installed a bunch of
stepper motors; once you've done 1 or 2, the job's really not all that bad. I'm more concerned with wearing out
the compressor, which runs all the time in auto mode. I therefore use my econ setting when I don't need A/C, but
let the HVAC computer control the stepper motor at will, as I find its machinations amusing. If I have to do
another stepper motor at 175K, so be it.

Joel Hailey
Centerline Products
Boulder CO
303-447-0239

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