Calling all ARNA's

[colcol]

Alfasuds and 33's online in the UK, have emailed me that the Alfa ARNA, which used a series 2 Nissan Pulsar body with Alfasud / 33 Mechanicals are setting up an ARNA club known as the Arnafisti.
The Alfa ARNA was also marketed as the Nissan Cherry Europe, was built between 1983-1985 in the Alfasud/33 Factory at Pomigliarno De Arco in Southern Italy, using Alfa Mechanicals in an Italian made Nissan Cherry body.
Only 5 examples of this dismal failure are known to exist in the UK, if you know of any, please let Peter know at Alfasuds online, are there any in Australia?.
When Fiat took over Alfa Romeo this marriage ended, the Nissan body panels still rusted, must have been still using that Russian steel, had a distant relative who had one in Italy, she was pleased to see the end of it, Colin.

[Ray Pignataro]

Colin I saw one about ten years ago in Bendigo the people were poms and brought it in with them, they are a pulsar in every way except for the single carb sud motor and gearbox, just didnt look right

[colcol]

Ray, i am sure they used Alfa Romeo suspension, because they had to change the suspension pickup points to get it to handle like an Alfa Romeo, not a Nissan Pulsar, it was Alfa Romeo's way of making a car that didn't rust, [it did], and it was a way of Nissan getting into Italy's protected open market, like with General Motors getting into the Italian market with their Benzina Engines powering Alfa Romeo 159's, Colin.

[Ricky Ricardo]

[Ray Pignataro]

Colin I think you are right steering rack and struts were sud , I think but it was a long time ago

[Evan Bottcher]

We talked Arna in another thread recently, so I looked it up.  All the front suspension including the front crossmember was from the Sud/33.  I believe they added a box section in the engine bay like the Sud.  Rear axle remained Nissan.

[colcol]

I do remember having this conversation with Alfasud driver Stephen Thomas, that he told me about, when it was Nissan and it became Alfa Romeo they changed the pickup points on the suspension, and when the Pulsar in 1983 become the Holden Astra, they left the suspension pickups where Nissan put them, in Italy they got an Alfa 33 motor and gearbox, in Australia, the Nissan Pulsar and Holden Astra got the Family 2  Camira motor, then about 25 years later the 159 got the 2.2 petrol motor that was developed from the Camira, Colin.

[colcol]

With the Nissan - Alfa Romeo ARNA experience being a total failure, due to it having poor quality control and [still] rusting issues, i wonder how the Mazda MX5 - Alfa Romeo Spider project will go?
With the MX5 being a great car and it being built in Japan, it should tick all the right boxes, but will Alfa Romeo drivers accept a Alfa built in Japan, its a pity they couldn't have arranged CKD assembly in Italy, as the build quality is much better now, than in the days of shipshod days of the ARNA, but you have to remember, in the days of 83-87, Alfa Romeo nee the Italian Goverment were broke.
Alfa Romeo Dealers must be hanging out for some added product to sell along the MiTo and Guilietta, Colin.

[Garibaldi]

Colin, rusting aside did the Alfa Romeo ARNA drive ok?

[colcol]

It was like a series 2 Nissan Pulsar or 83 onwards Holden Astra, not a bad car at all for its day, they didn't rust like the Italian cars, in Australia we got the Camira engine for local content, missing out on the Japanese Nissan engine, the ARNA was actually a little quicker than the same Alfasud or 33 with the same motor as the ARNA was a little lighter than the Alfa's, having the boxer motor would have been better than the Family 2 motor as it has a nice beat and engine note to it, some say it was the worst Alfa Romeo ever, i would love to see one in the flesh, or see one turn up at Spectacolo in November, Colin.

[Evan Bottcher]

[Garibaldi]

The people in the commercial were very excited about the ARNA even if no one else was.

[L4OMEO]

Colin, rusting aside did the Alfa Romeo ARNA drive ok?

In a word, no. I drove one in NZ, while it might have been lighter than a 33 it felt heavier on its feet and didn't handle as well with none of the brio or precision, just felt soggier. Yet it looked like a Pulsar. Worst of both worlds, it was a bad idea executed badly. Engine was still Alfa flat-four zingy though.

And another oddity - I'm prepared to accept I'm wrong here, but I'd swear that it had Sud column stalks 

[Evan Bottcher]

Interesting piccies in this thread: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/boxer-engined-alfa-romeos/183489-last-arna-1-5-ti.html

[colcol]

L40ROMEO, i looked at an interior picture of a ARNA, and it looks like it has SUD Steering wheel and combination switch, steering wheel good, combination switch, disaster, the switches start to give trouble after about 12 months, i used to recondition the Sud switches and always had a changeover one ready to put in mine, they should have used 33 switches, reliable and well built, but the Sud didn't run relays and the switches would carry the load and the contacts would burn and spark, you could tell when one was on the way out....by the smell, Colin.