Future Alpinist-cooling Q

heja,
I just viewed a sexy '88 GTA atmo which was nay-on perfectamundo (windows not really working, doors AWOL from inside, mirrors AWOL, replacement cd AWOL, paint needed to tops of doors) BUT last but not least, the problem that at tick-over, the water temp slowly but surely progressed towards the red. "Does'nt it have a fan" was the Q asked. "NO, if it aint moving it's gonna get hot"
Well I've found the answer I think here : http://www.renaultalpine.co.uk/PHPBB/ph ... highlight=
but I would be gratefull if you guys could give some comments also.
There should be a fan(s) working on the rad (when stationary) to stop overheating in traffic right? and if its AWOL then is it an expensive job?
Also are the other items mentioned fixable cheaply??
I have been coveting a GTA for some time now but will need to use it as a daily driver. I can live with the absence of storage, but i do sense an undercurrent of un-reliability on the posts on this site. Honest answers please.
p.s. I am also warmed by the fact that the number plates bear the X of ARR!!
regards
MTGTA

If its a healthy car it should not overheat at idle while not moving. I can sit for 1/2 hr without problem. It may be head gasket trouble and thats an engine out job.....avoid it!!!! At standstill 2 fans will cut in to cool the engine bay and one to cool the radiator. Electric door catches are no problem.....just do without....as for electric mirrors. Just make sure youre not paying too much for the car. A good Atmo seems to be fetching between £3750 and £4500 at the minute.

The fans at the front should switch on, it could just be a faulty fan switch, relay, wiring etc...or an air lock in the system causing the problem. How quick did the temperature rise from say 80-110 degrees?

It could be a head gasket problem as Peter said, and you have to consider, that if the owner said the fans dont come on, that at some time sitting in traffic or idling, there must have been times where its been overheated, especially in Summer.

It may be a good car with minor faults, it may have head gasket trouble....difficult to know. It sounds like a gamble. If youre unsure wait. There are 2 atmos on Ebay at the minute and they regularly come up for sale. I get the impression that atmos are more reliable than turbos as they are a simpler car. The cost of Alpine only parts can be eye watering, so unless youre getting a faulty car cheap be careful.

Have you seen this one. Looks tidy and sounds good.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... RK:MEBI:IT

[Alpineandy]

What's your budget?
You may be better off (in the medium-long run) with the car ARR have for sale, or Tony Smiths etc.

Hi guys
thanks for your response.
It took about 5 mins to rise towards the red at stand still but was fine while moving.
Fans on the engine were working but nothing at the front.
The Hereford car looks and sounds good as you say, but I am not going to be able to view it before the auction ends
My budget is 4kish, this one is at £3750.
I am going to take a mechanic over to preassure test it before I leap in. Do I need a specialist piece of kit to do this?? and is it for hire anywhere?
regards
Mark

Speaking from bitter experience ,I'd leave well alone if the fans haven't
been operating for some time.Overheating has bound to have caused
some damage and this could lead to some hefty future bills , in my case
head gasket ect £1200.My previous turbo also developed an overheating problem and ended up costing over 2k before it was fully sorted .Unless you can get a good deal I'd look at a few more before taking the plunge.

The engine bay fan you can here is an anti-perc fan which doesn't stop the car overheating. The radiators in the front and the fans are thermostatically controlled. If these haven't been working then there's a good chance the car may have overheated at some stage and would carry out tests to check head gasket is ok before you buy. I have listed a red car on E-bay for Alpine Renault Restoration. Its not perfect but is excellent value for £2400 - leaves you plenty of money in the kitty tp play with.

Even without fans the car shouldnt be heading towards the red after only 5 minutes. £3750 isnt that cheap either, especially as it has a load of electrical faults too. Dont jump in.......wait, there are always atmos for sale...as Tony says you could have his for £2400 which would leave money for things like wheels, resprays, tuning parts and goodies.

An unbled radiator can cause both of these symptoms (quick to heat up and fans not cutting in when they should) - been there!

The problem is that the radiator hoses go into and out of the radiator half-way up and so any air that gets into the system collects in the top half of the radiator. The result is a radiator that only does half the cooling it should. Add that to the crap that accumulates in the bottom of the radiator over the years and you can see that the rad may only be working at a fraction of its efficiency as there's not much water getting through it.

If you get a mechanic to do the pressure test, get him to look at the radiator and on the driver's side, there's a bit of rubber pipe that comes off the top of the header with a plastic bleed screw on the end. Loosen that bleed screw while the raditor cap is off and you'll soon hear the air escaping if the rad has not been bled for a while. If water comes out at first - let it run for a short while as there is normally some water in the pipe.

That said - I'd also agree with previous posts about the likelihood that it's been overheated a few times and therefore susceptible to head gasket problems so make sure the pressure test works OK. I also believe that a test can be done that will detect the presence of exhaust gasses in the coolant - another indicator of head gasket failure.

[Alpineandy]

In My Opinion, This is your answer:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 21120&rd=1

MT, don't know if you are the chap that mailed me looking for a cheap atmo with a full history!!!, but IMHO, mine's a much better buy than a car with a cooling system problem.

As a first timer, you need a car you can get in & drive, not be removing the engine to replace gaskets.........

Good luck.

[Alpineandy]

In My Opinion, This is your answer:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 21120&rd=1

Someone got an excellent deal...

Hi Guys,
thanks for your help and advice.
Sorry I did'nt get to see the car in London (someone certainly got a bargain!)
I ended up viewing the car in Hereford and due to the timing on the auctions had to decide to miss it and view the London car or bid.
Anyway, I'm now an Alpinist!
Its a full service history '89 model in great condition bought for 3.6k.
I've spent the weekend visiting everyone I could think of and finding myself bursting into hysterics at the sound of the horn, the wobble of the wipers and mostly, the georgous, growling burble that comes from the back!
Look forward to meeting you all soon.
Mark

ps I need a plastic rim for the small door speaker and a new "stay"?? for the drivers door (the bit that stops the door flying open too far)
Where is best for those items?