Antonio Silva
[dropcap] L [/ dropcap] contact wash, gas pump sound, tac, tac, tac, tac… tac… tac. Two stomps on the gas and I hit the black start button. Several seconds spinning at a good pace, some explosion in the exhausts followed by flares in the carburettors, coughs ... and a timid start of a couple of seconds. Total silence, the three of us in the ship look at each other really intimidated, that makes a deafening noise.
Two more stomps on the gas, pressing the starter button again, coughing, flares, explosions in exhausts, and finally, a sustained start. A simply thunderous sound echoes off the walls and ceiling of the building; It is impossible to speak, because the engine does not hold the idle (normal) and with the pedal I maintain the 1.800 rpm until it takes some temperature. 10 minutes!! then the needle of the water temperature gauge begins to move timidly.
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After 5 more minutes the engine stops. Oh surprise, what happened? I try to start it and I realize that the fuel pump does not stop ... Has it already consumed the 10 liters of gasoline that we have put in it? The answer is a resounding yes: 10 liters in 15 minutes with less than 2.500 laps. Certainly many things have to be adjusted, but the figures are becoming more and more intimidating.
A few weeks later we have the carburettors clean and adjusted, to the perfect point. The engine is finally idling and it sounds reasonably round once it has warmed up, so it's time to give it a spin and see what happens ...
In an area cut off from traffic and with all the mechanics at temperature, I step on the hard clutch and put first, a relationship located as in the rest of its brothers to the right and back. Obviously the oil in the gearbox has also been checked, and I try to start off gracefully. The engine stalls after a few meters.
I started the operation again, this time revving the engine to 2.500 rpm and sliding the clutch a little. At last I start off into the unknown but the first one seems very long, so much so that I stop and think I have the wrong speed. I test the rest of the gears and see that they are even longer.
On the almost 800 meter straight where I carry out this test I am gaining confidence in the gearbox and little by little adjusting the brakes as much as possible; But honestly, this is only in the beginning, there is still a lot, a lot left for our Z to be able to function with a certain ease on the open road.
I wonder what I want The car has been standing still for decades and the good news is that it is finally braking, although the brakes are not adjusted and are quite hard as the brake booster is not in gear. In any case, they manage to stop the vehicle with solvency from the 80 km / h that we reach.
25 minutes after the start-up, the little one has drunk the extraordinary figure of 25 liters ... and stops. My emotions are conflicting: On the one hand I know that it is a privilege and a great responsibility to maintain this car but, on the other, I realize the scope of the work that will be necessary to carry out to clean it up.
With the Z back on the lift, and trying to fine-tune the carburettors, one of the belts that moves the water pump on the left bank breaks - know that it has two pumps, one per bank.
The downside is that the engine designer didn't think too much about these contingencies; "The things of Don Pelayo", you know, as has been said in some other article referring to Ricart. The point is that to replace the belt you have to drain the water, disassemble the pump and its support, the dynamo ... Come on, you have to use a full working day. Obviously, once the disassembly work is done, we end up changing the 4 belts.
With the mandatory report to IVECO, it is agreed to move the car to its facilities to finish adjusting the brakes there and continue with the maintenance plan, the ultimate goal of which is to keep the Z-103 in running order.
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Presentation in Society
Taking advantage of a cold January day without production, we agreed to adjust the brakes and, incidentally, a photographic session with the press.
The "Pegasín" had been stopped for two months since the last set and, despite this, it starts the first time and leaves the exhibition by its own means. Five minutes to take some temperature at the door of the factory and we move inside it to the main entrance, where the invited media will take part of the photo session.
"My little one" is behaving, the people gathered there simply hallucinate with the roar and explosions of the mechanics exhaust. We cannot take it out of the factory and only I am authorized to drive it, which shows IVECO's utmost care and respect for this car.
After moving the Z-103 to a couple of locations it stops without warning. Gasoline, I think, but no, after a few minutes of mystery I discover that it is the ignition key cylinder that does not make good contact. Thus, intermittently, we managed to start it up to take moving shots, but my fit test will have to wait.
[your_quote]The chassis, the De Dion rear axle and the steering are an incredible tandem: Precise, they transmit a lot. On the bends of the factory I enjoy incredible confidence and poise. The engine, clearly, goes from less to more ...[/ su_quote]
Days later we solve the electrical problem and IVECO allows me to take the sports car to the test track. Again it starts without mercy and now it is going much better, although the change continues to be one of the pending subjects. I don't know why but the first one is hyper-long, and when we go to second at just over 2.500 laps we are almost 80 km / h. Out of stubbornness more than out of necessity I put third, fourth and fifth ... just to verify that they enter. Change is tough but reasonably accurate.
Braking at various points in the factory, long and soft, they adjust the brake shoes. It seems that the car has more bite now, and I leave a couple of hard braking until the end to see the potential of the system. It is sufficient for normal traffic but clearly below what is expected in a vehicle of this category; This is not only said by me, it was and is a constant in the criticisms that are made to the "Z".
Little by little my confidence is increasing and it is clearly seen as he appreciates the kilometers. I try to stop as little as possible so as not to punish the clutch, and the factory's 90 degree curves, taken first and second, are a real delight. The roar of mechanics fills the deserted streets.
As it is Saturday, there is no production and, therefore, I neither bother nor am I bothered by wheelbarrows, trucks and other industrial devices. In addition, a beautiful day has dawned, cold, leaden, and with a light snowfall. Me with my gray work jacket, today I do miss the cap in the photos in this article.
The chassis, the De Dion rear axle and the steering are an incredible tandem: Precise, they transmit a lot. In the factory curves I enjoy incredible confidence and poise, despite my old tires, which is precisely why I do not consider it safe to perform watermarks and I treat the car as gently as possible at all times.
The engine, clearly, it goes from less to more. Throughout the process I am “hunted” several times by various people from IVECO and collaborating companies who, upon hearing the melody, come out to see it. In the innumerable passes that I give they cheer me on; I try not to turn on too much, but I admit that I am enjoying it very much. Unfortunately I know that the 35 liters of gasoline will not last, so with great regret I decide to return the machine to the exhibition.
Still sitting in the car, but with the engine stopped, I look at the dashboard. It is made by hand in sheet metal and painted in textured black. The two large clocks, with the smallest central third, I love them, they make me fall in love. Just look at the photos.
On the right side the original radio, obviously. In the center, below, the peculiar ivory gear lever and, towards the inside, the heating, which together with the depth-adjustable steering wheel are the only concessions to comfort that I can find. Returning to admire the radio, he asked me what it is for. The roar that the car expels through the exhaust makes it absolutely impossible to hear anything.
[your_quote]You can see that this machine is the work of W. Ricart. Like many of his ideas, it was brilliant and overall even ahead of its time; and of course it was advanced ...[/ su_quote]
The unfinished works of Wifredo Ricart
Having a Coke with my father in one of IVECO's rest areas, the old Pegaso, a smile emerges at the corner of our lips. We know that we have done a good job in preserving the Z-103 and that this is just one more chapter in the history of such a superb vehicle. Talking between the two of us, we come to the clear conclusion that it is an exceptional work that was not even remotely finished at the time. In reality, we are looking at a prototype, a declaration of intent that laid the foundations for what could have been the Spanish flag car of the 60s.
Its engine, reliable on paper, never showed his potential on the road and yes, serious problems due to the fragility of the tappets and the peculiar hydraulic regulation system of the valves ... On the other hand there was a theoretical double ignition system with a complex set-up, and some improved but probably insufficient brakes.
The cooling is excellent, the best of the propeller, with two huge water pumps and the downside that we have discussed above with regard to the replacement of the belts. There are some clear shortcomings such as the archaic rotary reed oil filter, which by the way - we will return to it in a moment - cannot rotate due to tripping against the chassis. All this leads us to wonder how much myth or perhaps publicity of the time the Z-103 carries.
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Below: Little by little the winged horse is recovering ...
Obviously the chassis is actually that of a modified Z-102; again "theoretically", the front track was widened by 20 millimeters. This increase was necessary to accommodate the new Z-103 engine, but you know what? Well, in this case either it was not made or it lacked another 20 mm, which are the ones required for the mechanics to enter freely and the cleaning oil filter with rotating cam can work.
In addition to this, the differences with the Z-102 at the chassis level lay in the brakes, more "fat", and the stabilizer bars, more generous. Regarding the first, I already said that I think they are the same as those of a 102 and that, perhaps due to lack of time, they were not expanded in this unit.
Returning to the engine there is no doubt that ride a Z-104 mono tree in the block, with valves commanded by pushers and rocker arms, hemispherical chambers, fed by two quadruple weber and 4,7 liters of displacement. So far the real thing ... more or less: Of the announced double ignition, nothing at all; Nothing is known about the alleged bidisc clutch - it would have to be disassembled - but seeing the rest of the elements identical to the Z-102, it seems to me that it is not there either. In any case this is a TOTAL conjecture of mine, and so the reader should take it.
In short, you can see that this machine is the work of W. Ricart. Like many of his ideas, it was brilliant and overall even ahead of its time; and of course it was incredibly advanced for the Spain of those years when it was really difficult to transform dreams into reality. In addition, like almost all the ideas of our beloved engineer, it also remained somewhat unfinished.
Thanks: Without a doubt, the one that you. learn about these incidents today we have to thank IVECO in a special way, as a company committed to its past; Within this modern IVECO, I would like to make special mention of Ana, Javier and Pedro, three simple first names without which what they have read would have been absolutely impossible.
