Common Problems with the
1990 Alpine Renault Alpine GTA

Although the Alpine GTA features lightweight polyester and glassfibre composite exterior panels that do not rust, it is built over a tubular steel backbone chassis with structural outriggers. Trapped road salt and moisture beneath the bonded composite body cause severe structural corrosion, particularly around the rear suspension turrets, chassis outriggers, sills, and front bumper mountings. Because the body is permanently bonded over the metalwork, extensive rot can progress unseen until suspension alignment shifts or structural failure occurs at MOT inspection.

The Alpine GTA relies on a front-mounted radiator fed by an essential plastic cooling scoop beneath the aerodynamic nose cone. On many surviving examples, this cowl was discarded, damaged, or omitted during maintenance, severely restricting airflow to the radiator. Furthermore, the cooling pipes running through the central chassis backbone rust at their entry and exit points, while mid-mounted radiator unions cause lower-core silting. These cooling deficiencies trigger rapid coolant temperature spikes in traffic and risk cylinder head warpage.

The all-alloy PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) V6 engine utilised across the GTA range features wet cylinder liners seated on figure-of-eight base shims. Inadequate antifreeze renewal or thermal overheating causes the cylinder liners to subside or move relative to the engine block deck, compromising the cylinder head gasket seal. Once breached, combustion gasses pressurise the cooling circuit, producing emulsified oil in the crankcase, chronic overheating, and potentially terminal block distortion if driven while breached.