Cruise control

[Berlina74]

With the projected changes in CH registration I want to make greater use of my 105 Berlina 2000A.
One of the changes (improvements) is to fit a cruise control. Has anyone aware of an "aftermarket" cruise control that can be fitted to a 105 series car?

I also plan to fit an airconditioner but that will be a new unit. With the airconditioner installation I will give the engine a "tweek or two" to balance the power loss.

Gordon Hellsten

[Al Campbell]

Gordon,

I have one that I brought years ago that used a magnet held to the drive shaft with wire and/or glue for the speed sensor (some people report glue only falling off). Though it could also utilise an electric speedo signal. The throttle was controlled via a vacuum actuator.

The  brand was APC or Command – something like that. Worked very well, better than the current factory one in my Subaru. I can't think of any reason that wouldn't work on a 105. I would imagine that most if not all on the market would be similar.

I'd suggest that you also fit a "brake light" type switch to the clutch pedal as well. I had mine on a manual VN commodore and you could change gears when coasting down hill ok, but if you didn't pay attention and pressed the clutch in whilst going up hill you woke up very quickly when the engine hits full throttle. Only did that once.

Installing it in my 116 is on the list of projects.

Good luck.
Al

[Brad M]

That is a familiar brand, my dad and I had them installed in the trust old falcons. You used to be able to buy them at K-mart, but pretty sure Super Cheap will have them also.

clutch switch not a problem in your lovely automatic berlina.

[Al Campbell]

Shows how much I know about 105's...

[Berlina74]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your input. I will see Bruno on the 11th and see what we can put in place.
Gordon H

[Brad M]

Shows how much I know about 105's...

In Gordon's case not required. But I know my uncles install into an old mitsubishi L300 manual could of done with the clutch switch, just ask my Auntie after the thing revved itself out and caused a major panic while on the weekly shopping run 

[Davidm1600]

ahm perhaps it is just me, but I am going to ask the dumb question, why would you want to fit cruse control on a Berlina ?  Afterall what is wrong with the brain, and the right and left feet. 

I have cruise control on my 156 JTS sportwagon, have never used it nor ever will, and it is my daily driver. I have to drive modern Japanese and Aussie cars for work (government), some of which are fitted with this and have never used nor will, for I see no need for it.

With a car that is on CH plates, which I assume is similar in its intention to our SI rego system over here in Tassie, means that the Berlina is only going to be occasionally used and perhaps mostly for club events.  Surely, under such circumstances the risk of exceeding the speed limits is less likely, negating the complications, costs and trouble of trying to retrofit such a system.

My mind is cast only recently to the extremely dangerous situation where a motorist had the cruise control system in his car fail, and this was a unit that was factory fitted.  I would be concerned that a retro-fitted system that was never intended or designed for an older car would be safe.

To my mind it is an inheritantly unsafe driver complication.  The AC on the other hand I do see the merits in.

Good luck to you if can fit and like such systems, each to his own I guess.  Dave

[Al Campbell]

David,

It's true that for some applications cruise control isn't needed. I'd only like to put it on my GTV6 to help recalibrate the speedo. Other than that I don't drive long distances in the ALFA on boring roads. If I do a trip like that, I'll be taking something much more comfortable. If I'm driving the ALFA, then the accelerator is never in the same spot for long.

I could imagine that there wouldn't be much need (or chance) to use cruise control in Tassie, what with all the hills and bends. I took the Subaru there and I couldn't imagine the need or chance to use cruise control on the drive from Davenport to Strahan.  But... I live in Victoria and my job too requires me to drive over much of the state. I live in Melbourne and it's 5 hours to Mildura. After you pass Bendigo (2  hours on a dull freeway) the road gets even flatter and straighter. Then there's the 120km from Deniliquin to Hay, dead flat (like a desert) and I swear there's only one bend. When I'm driving in the country I use the cruise, a lot. Both my Paernts & the Inlaws live in Bendigo & I do that trip heaps this time of year. Set the cruise and relax. (If I wasn't taking the motion-sick prone missus I'd take the ALFA up the middle route through the hills and wouldn't be bored). The trip from Melbourne to Geelong however is about 45 mins. I rarely use the cruise there 'cause there's so much traffic and there's usually someone around you doing a different speed.

I've often wondered wether using the cruise would make you more prone to losing concentration but I seem to be more refreshed, so maybe there's less effort through not having to concentrate on controlling the speed.  Set the cruise and you also have to worry a lot less about speed cameras.

Inherently unsafe? Maybe, maybe not. In the form we are talking about here it's just an additional input to the throttle arm. Turn it off with the switch or touch the brake and it's effect should stop immediately. If worse comes to worst turn the ignition off. The poor sod on the Melbourne tollway was probably a victim of all the "safety" interlocks on newer cars that seem like a good idea when everything is working as it should. Won't  let you  turn the ignition off while the transmission is in drive? They probably designed that to ensure that you don't get out of the car unless the car is in Park. Why would you accidentally turn the ignition off while driving? Well, maybe something's gone wrong and you need to – that's inherently unsafe.

The cruise control I put on my commodore (which was designed specifically for old cars like it) never jammed on, but the factory throttle cable did stick (before I installed the cruise control). Fixed that, then later the throttle return spring broke for heavens sake!

Sorry 'about the length of that.

AL

[Davidm1600]

Cheers Al and thanks for the inciteful and excellent response. I certainly understand your situation as opposed say perhaps mine here in Tassie with not too many (thankfully) boring straight roads.

Perhaps I am ludite and/or a product of my generation, or simply to scared to but in view of that I am perfectly happy not to use it. Maybe I am missing out on something.  Oh well, my problem.

I guess the main thing is is good to be aware of, is that such systems can be retrofitted for those who may wish to and it won't affect the driver's and other road users safety. 

[Al Campbell]

No worries David,

Hope I didn't offend, but this may. I was think about the old VN  and I don't know why this slipped my mind. Here's a story from my first long trip with the cruise control fitted to the VN:

I was driving on the open highway in the sticks using the cruise control. A car pulled out from a side road, then stumbled along at something like 80km/h. When we came to a safe place to pass (a section that's dead-straight for a couple of kms). I accelerated and passed but when I took my foot off the accelerator,  the VN keep accelerating! The cruise somehow had jammed the throttle on full. Turning off the cruise had no effect. I had plenty of time to see that the side of the road was clear enough for me to switch off the ignition, then with the power steering out I could wrestle the mongrel off the road and stop safely. The vacuum actuator on this unit pulls on the throttle arm via a length of wire cable but to allow the throttle to work normally when cruise is off, a short length of chain is used for the last couple of inches. I popped the bonnet to find that the chain which had slackened when I planted it had wrapped itself around the protruding end of the bolt that connected the chain to the end of the throttle arm. A much longer bolt prevented that from ever happening again.

So – yes they can be dangerous. And I wonder if there have been many accidents caused by home installations. Probably have.

Sorry,
AL.

[Davidm1600]

No, most definitely no offense      whereas reminiscing about the VN well perhaps so !!    but hey I reckon bringing the ol VN under control with no power steering would have been a heap of fun.  Sure bet you were glad this minor problem happened out in the sticks rather than say a busy highway and that it was readily able to be identified what went wrong.  Good info for anyone undertaking a home installation to be aware of.

[shane wescott]

I remember my old 71 Berlina had a hand throttle - did nicely as a cruise control :-)

[Fast Eddie]

It makes perfect sense to fit cruise control to a vehicle that would then be used for long distance driving and highway cruising, not in the CBD.
So does the fitting of air con.

If it means using the car more often and for greater distance then, If it can be done, then i say go for it.  But then again i would wouldn't I?

So back to the original query - is there an "after market" system that may be suitable to fit to a 1974 twin carb 105 auto?
E

[dehne]

places like autobarn will fit a cruise control system into ur car i had one in one of my 90's and it was cable driven. they are a great thing for those who coment that you would not use it you really are kidding ur self im sure you have been driving up the highway and you feet are getting tired or you are moving them around a lot and hay presto the perfect reason for cruise control

[Davidm1600]

Dehne, perhaps so for all those boring long straight roads you have over there on the mainland but down here in Tassie there are actually not many such roads, and so hence perhaps in my instance, as commented on before, I have no need for it.  I actually like to be totally in control (well as much as anyone can actually be  ) of the operation of my car, hence also I have no interest in Automatics or sillyspeeds etc.