Re: alfa-digest V9 #270

[Will Owen <nashwill912@domain.elided>]

Giovanni Rizzo sez:

 (Quoting Eric Storhok) - "The BMW 2002 was a much better car from a technology
standpoint, but the 2000 GTV kicks its butt all over the place."

"This one puzzles me a a bit, dodn't the 2002 have a single cam head and
MacPhersons as opposed to the GTV's Twin Cam and Double A-Arm setup.
How exactly was a 2002 more advanced."

I have to assume that Eric was referring to the 2002's independent rear suspension,
which was of that dismal "semi-trailing arm" variety. It can be made to perform
adequately, but in street trim it's a sloppy, pathetic device, superior to any
well-located solid axle only in the unsprung-weight category. Now, aside from a fair
grounding in theory, I have to admit I can offer only personal, anecdotal evidence
here: I was running my '74 Berlina when I met the woman who is now my wife, who had
a '75 2002. I found the BMW to be much lighter to handle around town, and at any
speed under 55 mph or so, but as one's velocity increased so did the car's
uncertainty. The Alfa's behavior was the exact opposite of this, becoming steadily
more sure of its footing the faster we went.

As for the engine, well...the SOHC BMW is a very nice if not terribly exciting
engine, and if you replace that dopey Solex carb with a Weber DGV it really perks
right up. However, its upper-level lubrication is not all it should be, and when our
head became loose and thrashy at a bit more than 80K miles, we were told we'd gotten
a lot more than the usual service out of it.

The 2002 is a fine little car, and in most ways both more practical and more amiable
as a daily runner than the GTV, and to a lesser extent than the Berlina. However,
even though its core design is a generation newer than that of its Alfa rivals, I
can't agree that it is in any material way superior.

Will Owen
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