Letters from the Equator

My alfa is back… well, it was back almost a week ago, but I was too busy to blog about it. The repair cost me over 1k, but they fixed my condenser clutch (I didn’t even know condensers had clutches) and regassed my A/C with new R13A.

I’ve been driving it for a few days now, and I don’t have that overheating problem anymore. Plus, Dino gave me a brand new cooling fan, which is larger than the old one. He says my front brakes need replacement, which will take place during the 120k km service interval coming up soon.

The car hasn’t dissapointed me since the day I got it. It is an absolute dream to drive, despite the fact that it looks like a brick. I don’t understand how these engineers do it, but the transmission and drivetrain is absolutely silky smooth.

Compared to the Kelisa, this car really loves to roll. There isn’t a hesitancy in moving forward. The engine doesn’t drag back when you cruise, the gears don’t grind and kick, and it dances along corners and curves.

The only thing missing is rear-wheel drive for cruising effortlessly at maddening speeds on the highway, which is what beemers and mercs are well known for.

Alfas aren’t known to be sluggish, either. The top speed for the 146 1.6L is 215km/h. I have barely touched 130km/h, which means there’s a lot more room for enjoyment.

The picture beside is a classic thoroughbred 1953 Alfa Romeo 6C… as you can see, it’s a happy thing on roads. And more than 5 decades later, they still haven’t lost that lovely feeling.

Tagged as 146, alfa romeo, cars + Categorized as discoveries/cars