[Alfajay]

This what the car came with, and the holes in the bumper look factory made.

Interesting. Most Duetto B.U. light housings that I have seen look like the ones in velocewhippet's photos. The mounting points on the bumper would be at the same locations. But since housings like velocewhippet's take through screws, there are threaded inserts in the bumper. I assume that the studs on your housing require you to mount nuts & washers inside the "U" of the bumper.

Is your Duetto an early model? Perhaps the assemblers on the line complained about having to position little nuts & washers inside the bumper (impossible with the bumper mounted) and Alfa made an engineering change to use screws + inserts instead.

 

[otteud96]

you could have the guides made with an over size outer diameter. might be better than getting a new head. looks great

 

[otteud96]

Also I believe that your back up housing isnt alfa use as there is not a drain hole. That housing you have is for a top mount type. Many italian classics used these lights for several applications. Good work!

 

[trahanm]

It is a very early car I believe as it does not have power brakes.

Marc

 

[ossodiseppia]

Here's what the mount on the bumper should look like. There are two nuts welded to the bracket. If that light you have is for a top mounted light, the lens will be upside down when mounted on the roundtail bumper.

The replacement lens sold by all of the vendors is also wrong as it mounts up side down. I wish Franjo would make the proper lens.

 

[Alfajay]

It is a very early car I believe as it does not have power brakes.

The lack of a brake booster doesn't define early/late 1600 Duettos. No 1600 Duetto came with a booster - they didn't arrive until the 1750.

If that light you have is for a top mounted light, the lens will be upside down when mounted on the roundtail bumper.

That's interesting. I think you mean that the lens will attach to the housing OK, but the pattern in the lens will direct the light in the wrong direction.

Given that these lights put out about .0001 candlepower, does it really matter that much? Well, maybe with the right lens, they'd put out .001 candlepower!

 

[ossodiseppia]

That's interesting. I think you mean that the lens will attach to the housing OK, but the pattern in the lens will direct the light in the wrong direction.

Given that these lights put out about .0001 candlepower, does it really matter that much? Well, maybe with the right lens, they'd put out .001 candlepower!

Yes, the pattern and lettering will all be upside down. The amount of light that is put out is not relevant.

The right part matters to me and it may or may not matter to the OP. Some folks, like me, prefer to have the right part on their cars.

 

[Craig_m67]

The lack of a brake booster doesn't define early/late 1600 Duettos. No 1600 Duetto came with a booster - they didn't arrive until the 1750.

Not so sure about that..... perhaps a US specific thing, like the headlights. Mine has a booster

 

[Alfajay]

Not so sure about that..... perhaps a US specific thing, like the headlights. Mine has a booster

Ah, OK - I've learned something. As far as I know, all US-delivery 1600 Duettos were booster-less, but I guess other markets got power brakes.

 

[ossodiseppia]

Ah, OK - I've learned something. As far as I know, all US-delivery 1600 Duettos were booster-less, but I guess other markets got power brakes.

The parts manual only shows the Dunlop brakes. The supplement to the parts manual 002-1251 lists parts for cars with power brakes.

 

[trahanm]

Mystery relays and switch

Hello Folks,

I have not made much progress lately on the Duetto. However, ironically due to an Achilles tendon injury I now have lot's of time to work on the car on my trusty scooter.

I am getting ready to install the dash and trying to sort out the wiring. Previous owners had installed separate additional toggle switches to replace the non function light switch. I have removed all that.

What puzzles me are the two things: The interior light wiring does not match the diagram. The switch that should control this has many more terminal and wires (pic attached). This switch is wired into a one of two additional relays in the left firewall of which I do not know what they are for. They are not the flasher of the horn relays. I have locate these and they match the diagram.

Any ideas on what this switch and two relays are for. Could this be a Euro car that has modified wiring for compliance.

Marc

 

[otteud96]

the relay and flasher on the fire wall are for the hazard switch, that mounts below the heat levers. If you need a pic I can see if I can find some. You can look on the US 69 wiring diagram for info. Good luck

 

[IRONBLOCK]

I am sorry about your Achilles tendon issue; hopefully it will help you concentrate on getting your car together. The switch on my '66 Duetto to the left of the dash controls the dash lights -no relay necessary. My car does not have the silver cylinder or black rectangular box as shown in your photo.

I noticed that Classic Alfa lists fan and wiper switches for our cars with either two positions (on/off) or three positions (low/high/off). I suspect your car may have been upgraded to newer, three position switches.

Mark

 

[Alfajay]

your car may have been upgraded to newer, three position switches.

Anything is possible over the 50+ years these cars have been maintained by people of varying abilities. If would only make sense to install a 3 position switch if a 2-speed wiper motor was also installed. The 2-speed motors are characterized by having three wires (always hot, high speed, and low speed*). Of course, that isn't to say that a PO couldn't have installed a 3-position switch while retaining the single speed motor.

*) The wiring on the 2-speed motors is a bit non-intuitive: both the "high speed" and "low speed" wires are connected to +12v at low speed. The foot pedal complicates the circuit further.

 

[velocewhippet]

Hello Folks,

I have not made much progress lately on the Duetto. However, ironically due to an Achilles tendon injury I now have lot's of time to work on the car on my trusty scooter.

I am getting ready to install the dash and trying to sort out the wiring. Previous owners had installed separate additional toggle switches to replace the non function light switch. I have removed all that.

What puzzles me are the two things: The interior light wiring does not match the diagram. The switch that should control this has many more terminal and wires (pic attached). This switch is wired into a one of two additional relays in the left firewall of which I do not know what they are for. They are not the flasher of the horn relays. I have locate these and they match the diagram.

Any ideas on what this switch and two relays are for. Could this be a Euro car that has modified wiring for compliance.

Marc

I have the same components mounted on the firewall. I’ll look at my toggles when I’m back home tomorrow.
I believe those firewall relays were added along with the hazard flasher that went on when these cars came to the US.

Jeff

 

[Dr.G]

Best Alfa, the roundtail

Hope your tendinitis heals up soon. Don't get discouraged. Keep us posted on your progress.
You will feel a great sense of accomplishment when you can actually drive it.
FYI-A very late 1600 originally sold in Germany came with a single booster right before Alfa switched to the 1750. I don't notice a braking difference between a boosted vs nonboosted, but you do have to pay attention to proper brake master cylinder bore size.

 

[otteud96]

The interior light doesn't have a switch. The doors have a pin switch, the mirror has a switch and the glove box has a pin switch. However, the dash lights are controlled by a switch. Hope this helps

 

[trahanm]

Wiring questions

Gentlemen,

Thanks for all your help. It turns out that all this is simply for the 4-way flashers, as you guys have collectively advised.

Even more surprising is the car has a simple two terminal flasher relay for the directional's, and then this separate harness with a relay and a three terminal flasher relay just for the four way flashers, and all this appears to from the factory.

Gotta love the Italians.

Again, thanks for the support.

Marc

 

[IRONBLOCK]

It turns out that all this is simply for the 4-way flashers, as you guys have collectively advised.

Makes sense; my Duetto has no provision for flashers and no brake booster. It does have a courtesy light mounted under the center rear view mirror that is controlled either by the door pin switches or by a switch on the light. My glove box has no switch and no light. Interestingly, six years later, when our Montreal was built, it also came with no flashers, however the wiring was installed but there was no provision for a flasher switch -just a 'hump' on the center console where the switch would ultimately go. When the previous long term owner (Paul Severson) purchased the car from Alfa Romeo, he requested seat belts and outside rear view mirrors but was told by the president of Alfa Romeo that "seat belts and mirrors were not macho". Paul demanded and got seat belts but so far the car has survived without outside mirrors -so far. I have purchased two complete sets of outside mirrors but can not bring myself to pull the trigger on the drill.

I noticed yesterday that there is what I believe to be a provision on the Duetto for a three point seat belt -a shoulder harness! Could this be; it has no headrests but has anchors for three point seat belts? I have been using lap belts, out of a Berlina rear seat, for most of the last 35 years. If so, can anyone recommend good three point belts for the Duetto -preferably with an Alfa logo?



The reverse light may not offer much light but it may alert others that you are backing up.



Mark

 

[Alfajay]

Thanks for all your help. It turns out that all this is simply for the 4-way flashers, as you guys have collectively advised.....Gotta love the Italians.

Well, careful - this wasn't the Italians' idea. The US DOT sprung it on car companies that they had to install 4-way flashers (and other junk) with the 1968(?) model year. Alfa had probably already contracted for the non-flasher wiring harnesses (or taken delivery of them) so had to come up with a work-around that would accommodate this change at a reasonable cost.

Sure it's a kluge, but when cost and schedules are a consideration, sometimes that's what engineers have to do. The flasher wiring was cleaned up in later year Alfas.