Re: red line thread

[Matthew Killick <m.killick@domain.elided>]

John Hertzman comments, quoting Lee:

>Lee Scanlan, in Perth, mentioned that the carburetted and basically
>European 1750 GTVs and Berlinas delivered in Australia have the red zone
>commencing at 5700 rpm, rather than the 6000 which I attributed to the
>European Veloces on the basis of the illustration in the parts book.
>Double-checking the parts book I found that while the illustration of the
>GT Veloce tach shows the 6000 redzone (Tav.134, pub. 1387) the Spider
>Veloce tachs (Tav.178 for roundtail, 215 for squaretail) both show 5700,
>so I assume the 6000 was an incorrect illustration and that there is not
>a redzone difference between the carbureted Eurocars and the injected USA
>cars.
>Lee went on to say that the 1300 Juniors "also has the redband starting
>at 5700, possibly simply because it was the Junior to the 1750 and
>therefore shared most of its parts. 5700 rpm is a point a twin carbed
>1300 would easily exceed. I think it might be a case of one tach fits
>all, I don't know what the redband really means." This is indeed
>interesting, as the Junior has its rated horspower at 6000, suggesting
>that Alfa didn't take 5700 terribly seriously. The 6000 rpm horsepower
>rating point is the same on the short-stroke GTA Junior (78 x 67.5 mm) as
>on the standard GT 1300 Junior (74 x 75 mm), suggesting that piston speed
>is less important than other factors.
>Fun n' games-

Interesting that the 1300 Junior has a red zone starting at 5700 rpm.  My
Giulia 1300 TI's red zone starts at 6200 rpm, supporting Lee's suggestion
that "one tach fits all" for the Coupes.  That it is different (and
correct?) for the Giulia also supports my belief that Alfa Romeo paid much
more attention to the detail and development of the saloons compared with
the Coupes.

A slight digression.  When I was courting my wife, she learned to drive in
my Fiat 128 3P.  After we were married, and she was able to return to the
UK, reduced circumstances had forced replacement of the Fiat with a Renault
14 (flying banana).  Her comment on being presented with the Renault was
something like "It doesn't have a tacho.  How will I know when to change
gear?".  With the Fiat, she had, of course, scrupulously observed the tacho
and red-lined it before every up-change.  I suppose it's a matter of "Marry
a physicist, and get someone who drives by the instruments".  I'd love to
buy her a Honda S2000 8*)

Cheers
Mat

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End of alfa-digest V7 #1202
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