105 cigarette lighter survey

[Keven]

This topic is too funny!! I was looking at my lighter the other day, and tried pulling it out. I thought to myself, damn its stuck, so I kept pulling, and nothing. Not wanting to crack the dash(more than it is), I stopped, and went away cussing.

Now this post has educated mt in the fact that the cigarette get insreted into the lighter, ha!!

Bottom line, Im not sure if it works, cause I dont have not smokes to try it

[ossodiseppia]

Check to see if you have juice at the wiper motor. Hook up your volt meter and place it so it's facing the driver. Turn on the wipers and see if you get voltage. When you turn on the wipers do you see the lights dim a bit like there is a load being put on the battery? If you're getting juice at the wiper motor and nothing is happening, suspect the motor.

If you have a spare parts car, yank the whole wiper assembley and put that in your other car. Replacing just the motor is a bit of a pain.

[magista]

I have the drop in kind. It doesn't seem to work but I'd like to make it work because I think they are hysterical and brilliant. With the drop in kind you don't have to worry about dropping the hot lighter in your lap. I love Italian engineering (most of the time).

[Farace]

I just got a copy of the May 1971 issue of Road Test magazine today, and in their review of the '71 Spider and GTV is a paragraph on the cigarette lighter (rather timely now). Reproduced here without permission:

Quote:

Alfa's idea of a cigarette lighter deserves a paragraph to itself. It should delight our Surgeon General because by the time you get it to work, the urge for a cigarette has passed. It won't work at all for cigars because of gravity. The idea is to insert the cigarette, push the lighter in momentarily and let the combination rest until you sense or smell combustion taking place. Should the slightest bump occur in the meanwhile, cigarette and lighter part company. It's something like those vacuum puffers sold back when on the accessory market except that Alfa's version doesn't puff. Thus, you end up with a charred, partially ignited cigarette that starts to smoke unevenly, creating a large glowing tip that invariably drops off onto your pants. The maneuvers that follow are better imagined than described.

[67GTV]

Keven,
If your lighter works you should be able to tell. The filament will glow down in the hole and you can feel warmth if you touch your finger to the top. Perhaps you should forego the finger touch and just try it in the dark. They do get pretty hot.

I have no trouble lighting my cigarettes in the lighter. Although I haven't hit a pothole while doing so. I usually just use my Bic because I don't want to wear out the GTV's lighter. Just knowing that it works now makes me warm and fuzzy all over.

I'll have to take some demonstration photos. Excellent excuse to try out my new digital camera.

[aussie74GTV]

Well mine doesn't work and I've never seen one that does. Pity cos most of my mates smoke and it would be worth letting them smoke in the car just to see their bemused expressions when trying to use it.

Has anyone ever fixed one? I might even have a go at it tomorrow for something to do

[AlfistiSA]

That lighter is the only thing I make sure I don't connect when finishing a restoration - the idea of an electrical element glowing red hot just above the carpeting kinda makes me nervous. All mine worked when I put power onto them though.

In the 750 / 101 Series cars, the Sprints have ashtrays & the Spiders have lighters......go figure ?

regards
Greig

might be because you can light a cigarette in a moving coupe but you can't in a moving spider, but who knows, I do remember reading an article were a journalist prasied the pop up lighter because the driver need not take his eyes off the road, but then he also felt the "correct" way was for the passenger to light the cigarette and hold it up just in the drivers peripheral veiw, Because anything in the ashtray just blows around I used to just hold the cigarette up above the windsheild,then some good old boy was convinced I was flipping him the bird. now its out the drivers side window, and only the butts go in the ashtray

[alfajim]

Original and working

[67GTV]

My lighter did not work until I took it all apart and cleaned the contacts. I agree with being hesitant to use it so close to the carpeting. There's only a thin aluminum 'shield' between the lighter and the carpet.

[67GTV]

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[67GTV]

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[67GTV]

Viola!

[Pierre Martins]

I have one exactly like this pic pappajam posted.



I took it out my Junior when we gutted it for racing. It worked. Last thing I did was light up a Camel in it before I started stripping out the centre console.

Who wants it? I don't want money for it. You pay airmail from SA.

[Threealfas]

Pierre, I am interested . That is very kind of you ? What is the next step ?


Cheers,

Phil