Hi. I live in New York and I drive a 1969 ARO M461. I bought it in Romania in 2004, drove it across Europe and shipped it from Germany to America that summer. I've driven it thousands of miles since then with few problems, and I often get questions and comments from people curious about my "cool" truck. Few people I've met have ever heard of ARO, and fewer have ever seen one in person. I've never seen or heard of another M461 in America...does anyone know of another out there? In any case, I love my ultimate Romanian souvenir--and my Romanian wife is proud of this great Romanian automotive relic. If you're ever in northern New York or Vermont and see a purple M461...you'll know it's me!
Jason
hello from America
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- Jason T
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- talyban99
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Re: hello from America
WELKome !!!
- tarzy
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Re: hello from America
Hello Jason T
Welcome to our forum
If I am not wrong I saw your car on internet
There is some mistakes in presentation of your, the original cars had never diesel engine, for example the diesel engine you have on your car (3,1 liters) was produce after the the factory close the production of M461.
Please post here more pictures and your impressions about the car
Welcome to our forum
If I am not wrong I saw your car on internet
There is some mistakes in presentation of your, the original cars had never diesel engine, for example the diesel engine you have on your car (3,1 liters) was produce after the the factory close the production of M461.
Please post here more pictures and your impressions about the car
Eu cred ca o tara care incearca sa prospere prin stabilirea de taxe mari este ca un om care, stind intr-o galeata, incearca sa se ridice tragind de miner.
(Winston Churchill)
(Winston Churchill)
- alex
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Re: hello from America
hi jason, mind if I ask which method u use in winter to start your engine?
or is it just a summer toy?
where from do u get spare parts for the truck?
or is it just a summer toy?
where from do u get spare parts for the truck?
happily mending an Aro 320 D127
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Re: hello from America
Hi Jason, and WELCOME!
I've seen your truck on the Internet long before I had one of my own, and I absolutely loved the perfect condition it is in! Kudos for that!
What tarzy wants to say is that the 3.1 litre Diesel engine you have on your M461 was not originally equipped by the factory. This engine first started to power ARO's in 1978, when the M461 was no longer produced. However, being a diesel (and hence a lot less thirsty than the petrol), and having plenty of torque, a lot of private owners just swapped the petrol engine on their M461 with this Diesel.
This engine is actually a farm tractor engine with just a small modification to the fuel injection pump - and it's not very advanced. One major disadvantage is the presence of only one glow plug instead of four glow plugs for each individual cylinder. The injection pump is also not keen on delivering lots of diesel in the winter - and all this adds to the large size of the engine - winter starting could become problematic.
Do you have any troubles in the winter?
I've seen your truck on the Internet long before I had one of my own, and I absolutely loved the perfect condition it is in! Kudos for that!
What tarzy wants to say is that the 3.1 litre Diesel engine you have on your M461 was not originally equipped by the factory. This engine first started to power ARO's in 1978, when the M461 was no longer produced. However, being a diesel (and hence a lot less thirsty than the petrol), and having plenty of torque, a lot of private owners just swapped the petrol engine on their M461 with this Diesel.
This engine is actually a farm tractor engine with just a small modification to the fuel injection pump - and it's not very advanced. One major disadvantage is the presence of only one glow plug instead of four glow plugs for each individual cylinder. The injection pump is also not keen on delivering lots of diesel in the winter - and all this adds to the large size of the engine - winter starting could become problematic.
Do you have any troubles in the winter?
- Werner
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Re: hello from America
Hi Jason! Wellcome ti our Forum!
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- Jason T
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Re: hello from America
Thank you for the warm welcome. I did realize that the Brasov diesel is not original to the 1969 Aro. When I was looking to buy an M461 in 2004, I couldn't find one which still had the original gas engine. Diesels are very rare in America, so the current engine makes the truck even more of a novelty. It does have its issues, though. It is a loud, smelly, beast of an engine. And I have had problems with it in winter, even though I keep it garaged. This past December, I tried a little too hard to start it and killed my thermostarter plug (the single intake manifold heater that it uses instead of glow plugs). I have one due to arrive next week from Romania, so I'm hoping to have the Aro up and running again soon. Other than this thermostarter, I've only needed a clutch master cylinder in the four years I've owned it. I rely on my father-in-law to send parts from Romania.
Despite the fact that it is very slow and very loud, I love driving the Aro at every opportunity. I have won several awards at local car shows, and it is always a real head-turner. It is not the easiest vehicle to drive, but it's definitely the coolest Romanian-made vehicle I could have imported over here (since all vehicles personally imported into the USA must be 25 years or older). When I am in Romania visiting my wife's family, I have a 2000 Aro 10 Spartana that I use. It's one which was intended for export to Argentina and is in nearly perfect condition. It's a blast--and seems to be quite rare even in Romania.
The next time I take the M461 out I'll take some more photos and post them. Thanks again for the hellos!
Jason
Despite the fact that it is very slow and very loud, I love driving the Aro at every opportunity. I have won several awards at local car shows, and it is always a real head-turner. It is not the easiest vehicle to drive, but it's definitely the coolest Romanian-made vehicle I could have imported over here (since all vehicles personally imported into the USA must be 25 years or older). When I am in Romania visiting my wife's family, I have a 2000 Aro 10 Spartana that I use. It's one which was intended for export to Argentina and is in nearly perfect condition. It's a blast--and seems to be quite rare even in Romania.
The next time I take the M461 out I'll take some more photos and post them. Thanks again for the hellos!
Jason
- alex
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Re: hello from America
well, all u need now is learning bit of romanian and youll either have a good laugh at some topics or find really interesting things.
when asking how u start your engine in winter i was giggling at the idea of your truck in new york downtown, just in front of a fancy bulding, trying to lit the infamos firetorch under the engine bonnet.
although u might know, many engines of this kind are more easily started by the warm air generated by a cloth/paper soaked in fuel lit and held in front of the air filter or air intake gallery.
countryside here and many air intake galleries will have custom modifications with lids just for this purpose.
forum members will argue its not a good technique, but in reality many will start in this way.....well, not in new york downtown...yet...
when asking how u start your engine in winter i was giggling at the idea of your truck in new york downtown, just in front of a fancy bulding, trying to lit the infamos firetorch under the engine bonnet.
although u might know, many engines of this kind are more easily started by the warm air generated by a cloth/paper soaked in fuel lit and held in front of the air filter or air intake gallery.
countryside here and many air intake galleries will have custom modifications with lids just for this purpose.
forum members will argue its not a good technique, but in reality many will start in this way.....well, not in new york downtown...yet...
happily mending an Aro 320 D127