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| Italian Curves |
As of today, the number of cars that I've driven so far have been three. Yes, you read that right! The guy who's writing about cars for your pleasure, in this blog, has yet to get his FULL driver's licence. Anyways, the three cars I've driven are: a Peugeot 2008 rental car (Americans should probably prepare their search engines), a 2007 Mazda Tribute (one of the earlier "crossovers") and... a 1971 Alfa Romeo Guilia 1300 Super. So, without further ado, I present to you, my fellow readers, theturborocket's first, genuine car review. Lets get crackin'!
Today, our relative, Dimitri, came with his wife and little girl at my grandparent's place in Greece. The weather is perfect, with clear skies, warm temperatures, combined with the smell of pine and flowers. Dimitri's kind of an uncle and a fellow car enthusiast, owning a few more Alfa's, Porsche's, Merc's and a Greek-made Citroen Mehari ( known as the Pony). I was listening to the cars approaching my house. I was thinking "That's a new one" when one was about to pass. Suddenly, I hear a more distinctive, mechanical noise in the distance. As it was arriving at the house, the brakes squeaked and I said to myself "The Alfa is here". The chrome grille and the bordeau paint job gave a sudden rush of excitement. We greet our guests and almost instantaneously, Dimitri and I start talking cars. Five minutes after our guests' arrival, I'm putting my bag in the back of the Guilia for a drive with Dimitri. We fired it up and off we went.
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| Twin-Cam Alfa Sweetness! |
I'm serious when I'm saying this: from the first 200 metres, as a passenger in the Guilia, I could feel the nimbleness of the chassis and linearity of the power delivery. It makes a melodic, carbed 4-pot sound. This particular Guilia was a one owner car, with a refurbished light brown interior, a wooden Personal steering wheel and a larger, 1,6 lt, twin cam motor. At 115hp, the car is obviously not face-melting fast. Nevertheless, speed is not everything. First of all, you can't be driving at warp speed on public roads, kickin' the ass out on every corner. Secondly, the thing that really matters the most, in my amateur opinion, is the way the car delivers the power. The featherweight Alfa, with it's short gearing and smooth engine, felt peppy and brisk. So, driving along at 60-80 kph with a car so small, you certainly feel more connected to it. It's a fun experience!
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| Blends Right In! |
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| Beautifully simple interior is all you need |
Dimitri and I drove along the craptastic Greek backroads, discussing a few Alfa facts. The cabin is like a green house. 80% of the cabin is surrounded by glass. It's also amazing how small this car is. You put it anywhere on the road because of it's size. At some point, Dimitri does a U-Turn and we start our way back to the house. I let Dimitri know that I've had a taste of what driving's on the road... in Belgium. That I've driven my mom and my little sister and even our three-month old cat, Miles while being in surreal concentration mode. Dimitri's answer to all of that was "Man, get your real licence and then we'll talk about it". I was a little disappointed for a second. You see, my fellow bloggies, I was determined and ready to drive the Alfa. It was an excellent candidate for a first, classic car experience. It's predictable, not powerful, light and small. If it was, let's say, 454 Chevelle, I wouldn't have proposed driving it. I know I don't have experience in saving it when the ass'll kick out. And then I'll crash and it'll be embarrassing as fuck! So, I really wanted to drive to it. I asked a few more times, Dimitri telling me that nobody has driven it except him. We arrive at an opening and he decides to hand me the wheel to the Guilia. Great Success!
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| Aerodynamic Booty! |
There are four things to keep in mind if you ever drive an old Alfa. One: The handbrake doesn't hold very well. Two: Second gear has always had faulty syncros, so you have to grandma-shift the car into neutral and then to second. Third: You have to baby the gears; don't force'em or they'll grind. And Fourth: The oil pan is quite low, so if you don't have a skid plate (which is the case with this Guilia) and you take a bump a little quicker, the car bottoms out and you're Facked! With these small guidelines in my mind, I was in control of the Guilia.
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| Driven, Not Babied |
Before I started, I ran through the gears to get a feel for them. The throw is long and pleasantly knotchy. Then, as the key is turned, the 1,600 twin cam sparks into life and settles in a sweet, carbed hum. The clutch is light and very easy to engage if I, as a novice can take off. for the first time, without stalling. The little Alfa starts to move without hesitation and then I successfully granny shifted into second. Dimitri told me I can now drive Alfas since I can pass this small hurdle. Calling the Guilia direct would be an insult: it is telepathically direct. In the beginning, being used to a freakin' 2 ton Mazda jeep, I was flabbergasted in the way the Alfa reacted to the slightest steering input. For comparison's sake, it felt bicycle-steering direct. As I mentioned earlier, the power delivery is silky smooth. And when you do manage to baby the Guilia into gear, slowly and patiently, you get a small satisfaction. When I watched videos of Chris Harris driving older cars, he often said that you have to take your time with the long throws of the gear lever. You have to savour the car the engaging, followed by the slightly faster propulsion that the higher gear offers. That's the pleasure of driving old cars, especially ones with quirky gearboxes. You drive for the sake of the serotonin filled experience. I barely went over 70 kph, but there's no need to rush in the little Guilia.
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| Steelies And A Figure Eating Snake! |
After barely five minutes of driving, I stopped on the side of the road to pass the wheel back to Dimitri. We had arrived on the tight, bumpy part of the road so it was safer for the chief to go back in charge. I was amazed by how predictable and easy this 50 year old car was to drive. I finally understood, after almost 20 years of being obsessed with cars and countless hours watching Top Gear and other car shows, why we love cars. The freakin' Mazda and Peugeot, have no soul, look like the car equivalent of a dishwasher and are absolutely numb in driving ( especially the newer Peugeot). Another thing to keep in mind is that both cars aren't meant to last. After some time, they'll start breaking down and then sent for scrap or to Africa in the Mazda's case. They're A to B automobiles. But, the Guilia, will live on forever. It's simple, easy to repair and the polar opposite of the previous cars mentioned. It's oozing with character and has a calming effect on your soul. You stop thinking and enjoy the ride. Jeremy Clarkson once said that you're not a real car guy if haven't ever driven an Alfa. Well, I hope I've made you proud Jeremy!
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| The Guilia philosophising about the future of gasoline |
A million thanks to Dimitri for letting me drive this magnificent Alfa and for starting my career as a car journalist. You've let me experience what I've dreamed of trying for as long as I can remember. These five minutes of driving were one of my top two dreams: to drive proper enthusiast car. And not any enthusiast car, but an Alfa! You have launched what I'll want to do for the rest of my life basically: drive cars and get to know the stories behind them. This honestly was
one of the most ultimate best days of my life, a milestone that I'll never ever forget. Thanks again for the ride!
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