Classic Alfa Forums

Hi folks,

I've posted photos of the Madame elsewhere, but first time on here... It's not a pretty car, and actually not particularly fast, but we have a lot of fun together.

Hi Evan

What mods have you done to the sud looks a fun drive

i think madame is fantastic!

Johnboy wrote:What mods have you done to the sud looks a fun drive

Thanks Johnboy,

Sure is a fun thing to drive. The Sud was my wife's when we met, and was our daily drive for a long time as well as occasional track days. It went away for a while when we lived in the UK for a few years, and then was resurrected and has been dedicated track car ever since. Slowly we've developed the car although never gone after horsepower, that's about due.

A summary of it's current state:
- balanced and lightened 1500cc
- upped compression (I can't remember, but nothing silly)
- standard 105hp cams
- 36 weber IDFs, but with slightly enlarged chokes
- heads ported roughly
- same engine was built in 1999 as a road car, has had the heads off only once, has done dozens of sprint days and endurance relays, a couple of proper race meetings, and spins to 7500rpm all day long without missing a beat. Admittedly it's under-stressed, but these engines are TOUGH.
- gearbox is standard 1300 (I think), mostly stuffed and no synchros left luckily I don't use them much on the way down.
- full six point cage, braced forward to the strut tops
- braces from the 33 16v added to stop the front end falling off
- koni yellows in the front, and an old tired set of reds in the back (must replace those)
- custom wound springs front and rear - can't remember but I think something like 600lbs rear / 400 front
- no front swaybar, an old 33 front swaybar mounted in the rear
- outboard front ventilated discs/calipers from 33 16V
- perspex side and rear windows
- fibreglass bonnet and boot

Very predictable and fun to drive, and mostly bulletproof.

Plans:
- 16V
- 1.2 gearbox.
- seam welding and more bracing in the front end, as it's still not strong enough
- put me on a diet, to lose some more weight out of the car!

I keep a journal with event photos here:
http://alfa.bottch.com/category/madame-sud/

And there's some videos in my youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/evanbottche ... =0&sort=dd

Here's some highlights from our 6-hour relay back in October last year. It's a team relay, we have four cars in our team and have to match a nominated time in heavy traffic for six hours - it's like Le Mans for our little club cars down here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox3JU-WazVk

There's also some videos from our VRA racing back in 2012 which was my first 'proper' race meeting (grid starts etc.). Great fun with 20+ Alfas on a small track at once - my car isn't fast enough by anyone's terms, but local knowledge adds up...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mx-Q1sdXY8

Sorry for the long update - but once I started...

cheers,
Evan.

Hi chap

So the sud was your wife's , no wonder you married her
Sounds like a great setup to me! But we always want more power ah .your love the 16v when you do it
Will check out the vids later as I'm at work and better do something while I'm hear
Keep the photos coming

I should bring this up to date... The old 1.5 8v engine was quite sick after a sprint day in March, so we started to build the 16v in earnest. It came together last month, just in time to run in our all-Alfa challenge at Wakefield Park in NSW.

Specs:
1.7 block with a 1.5 cranks (makes 1.6, to keep me in class)
Cat cams 288deg/12.1mm lift + valve springs, retainers, buckets
Everything lightened and balanced.
10.2:1 compression
Standard valve sizes etc.
Dellorto 45 carbs.

No rocketship, but a good power upgrade. Surprisingly wide flat torque curve, really easy to drive. Not angry and peaky at all, with a nice idle and everything.

Here's my first test day at Winton raceway - still running in only using 6500rpm and with no brakes or tyres but still matched my personal best with the old engine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHCdDxTc-_M

Here we are at Wakefield Park last weekend. This is an all-Alfa category, and we managed a new record of 38 Alfas on the starting grid for the first race. My first time at this circuit and I qualified 26th/38 but struggled in the races to get off the line and use the superior handling of the Sud to make up many places. The 1600 16v was easily able to keep up with some of the modified 2-litre cars which was great.

I have some video if you're bored:

Race 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss06X4sANSU
Race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYp4H12XDy4
Race 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au7nJjiZN2g
Race 4 was red flagged due to a start line incident which unfortunately destroyed one Sud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG3O4ZXBr2o
Race 4 restarted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSnSr4-4KcI

Nice upgrade chap. Will have a proper read up later , as I'm off out to a barbie now

Just watched the videos . Well done chap I can your getting more comfortable with the 16v, just remember they like to be revved ! They don't have as much bottom end as the 8v's great racing and it didn't surprise me that gtv spun out in race 4. He seemed on the edge
Have you got anymore mods to do to the Sud ? Or are you not a loud anymore?