ALFA ROMEO it

ERGONOMICALLY
DESIGNED FOR
ROAD OR TRACK
You're flat-out in your Alfa Romeo, ready for that
great 90° bend ahead. Then it's off the gas, hard
on the brakes while your foot rolls over, blipping
the throttle as you comfortably shift down a gear.
Firmly gripping the leather steering wheel, you execute
a silky smooth turn-in. Now stomp the throttle
hard as you nail the apex, putting the red Alfa in a
precise four-wheel drift ... just like Fangior You're feeling
great 'cause you've just experienced that union of
man and machine.
Sportline combines great Italian style with superb design
and materials. Hand-finished mahogany, leather or
vinyl steering wheels are available for street or racing applications.
Anatomic gearshift knobs are made from natural
zebrawood or hand-stitched leather in a variety of colors.
To enhance your Alfa's classic good looks as well as your
personal driving pleasure, call Alfa Ricambi and ask our sales
representatives about Sportline.
1-800-22S-ALFA
6644 SAN FERNANDO RD., GLENDALE, CA 91201 • FAX (818) 956-5160

T he
Alfa Romeo history that concluded
last month took me out of
the "what's going on" loop for a
long time. This is my chance to catch up
with some of the news.
The 155, which good friend Harry
Newton described an issue or so ago, has
not set the European market afire but is a
good, solid car. Its American experience
aside, Fiat is one of the great companies,
worldwide, at producing good, solid cars.
I t was making them long before the
American Big Three discovered the
concept and even before the market was
flooded with good, solid cars from Japan. I
had a Fiat 1200 Gran Luce sedan which
did more than 100,000mi. for me with no
major problems. Anyone who has been in
Italy knows how bulletproof a Fiat can be.
The Fix-It-Again-Tony syndrome is a local
phenomenon that has nothing to do with
the inherent product.
New Agency
Alfa Romeo continues to hang in there
in the U.S. market. Mter a fairly extended
review process, it has selected a new ad
agency, Einson and Freeman, in New
jersey. (Hi, guys, let's do lunch.) The
latest rumor is that the new team won't
have to worry about introducing the new
Spider until 1994. There have been lots of
artist renderings of the car floating
around: very swoopy, a bit reminiscent of
the TR7, a strong wedge shape. The fun
part of it is that AIfa has always had the
4ALFAOWNER
ability to change things on a moment's
notice, so don't believe anything you see.
The number of 164 models increases,
including the all-wheel-drive, Lanciapowered
model which set a world record
at Bonneville. It is clear that the 164 has
set new standards for reliability for Alfa.
Market News
The market for classic AIfa Romeos is
beginning to tum up, very slowly. Anyone
with a spare $15-25K is crazy not to rush
out and buy a Montreal. Some of the most
desirable Alfas still have not approached
the near-$1million they were bringing a
few years ago, but the BC 2900 remains
the most valuable production model, with
the BC 2300s and 6C 1750s lined up
almost $ 1 million behind it.
One of the truly hot cars of the "price
bulge" was the 2600 Spider. It has cooled
off considerably, but the price
performance reminds us of just how nice
the big Alfa was. So, if you've already got
a Montreal, go for a 2600 Spider. They'll
never be cheaper-probably.
For years and years Americans bought
all the desirable cars away from European
collectors. Now, the flow has reversed,
the European economy being more robust
than the American. The japanese have
been even more aggressive than the
Europeans in chasing desirable AHa
Romeos and the collections in japan must
be staggering. One individual owns all
three B.A.T.s, for instance. The only two
Fun with Alfa Romeo
TZ2s left in the U.S. are the possessions of
one enthusiast in Southern California.
A few of my Alfa friends, like me, have
had to find new employment in a down
market. One of the first things to go up for
sale when you're "looking" is the car
collection, and it's clear that a number of
cars have left the country because their
owners simply needed the money. If you
want to know what the market is really
like, worldwide, take a look at a magazine
such as Classic and Sportscar, from
England. Browsing its ads reassures me
that the good cars haven't been lost. Many
have just returned to their home
countries. What's really fascinating is the
number of American companies advertising
cars to Europe.
Some of you know that I have a
collection of Alfas that I have bought to
restore when I retire. Now that retirement
seems impossible, I've been testing the
market to see what I could sell. The car
which gets the most attention is my Giulia
Super. No wonder: On my list of mostloved
Alfas, the Super is right up there
with myoId 1750 Zagato and just after the
1900 Zagato. Heady company, but if you
haven't lived with a Giulia Super, you
Continued on page 6
LAsT CALL FOR BoD
MEETING AGENDA ITEMS
This is your chance to get the ear of
the Board of Directors by submitting
items of concern to be considered at
the upcoming Board Meeting in July.
Such items should be mailed to me
at my home by April 1, 1993. The early
deadline is necessary so that the
agenda can be prepared and distributed
to all Directors and Chapters.
We want Chapters to have adequate
time to study and discuss the agenda in
their own meetings. This will enable
Chapter Representatives to be wellprepared
for their roles in the BoD
Meeting come July.
A brief list of agenda items will be
printed in the June issue of Alfa Owner,
and comments from you, the members,
are welcome.
See you in Baltimorel
Lorna Moore, president
9949 RichD,rdson ReL, NW
Bremerton, WA 98310

The twisty track at Summit Point Is an Alfa heaven. Photos by Michael Marzullo
natural extension of the exit from Turn
One. Keys to Turn One include threshold
braking, smooth downshift, late turn-in to
avoid running out of track, immediate
throttle application after turn-in, and full
use of the width of the track during the
exit. Happily, Tum One has plenty of runoff
room in the event you misjudge your
entry speed.
A proper exit from Turn One and Two
will have the car pointed at the braking
zone of Wagon Bend, or Turn Three.
Don't follow the far right side of the track,
but take a straight path to the turn-in
point, just before the second access road
on the right. The small section of straight
between Turns Two and Three is the last
designated passing zone before Turn
Eight, so be considerate and allow faster
cars to pass. Many of you will want to
upshift here.
A left-hand, uphill bend, Turn Three
can be taken much faster than you might
think. The uphill portion of the exit will
both slow your acceleration and increase
your adhesion, resulting in a fast tum that
will be taken in third gear. Keep to the
right, downshift and brake lightly, then
turn in just before the second access road.
The apex is in a bit of rough track, so keep
your movements smooth to avoid
unsettling the suspension.
Mer touching the apex on the left side
of the track, use all of the track during the
exit, placing the right-side tires outside the
white stripe on the right side of the track.
The keys to Turn Three include gentle
braking, a smooth downshift and full use
of the width of the track during your exit.
Head for the Hills
Aim for the mountains on the horizon
as you approach the crest of the hill.
You'll want to ease toward the left as you
upshift and prepare for the most
entertaining curve at the Point.
Known as the Chute, Turn Four is a
downhill right-hander. It is the fastest turn
of the track, culminating at the entrance
of the slowest turn. Don't brake as you
approach this turn: Modulate your speed
so that you reach the turn-in point at a
speed you feel comfortable with for the
turn itself.
It is imperative that good throttle
control be exercised for Tum Four. There
is very little runoff room and many
drivers have discovered the true meaning
of drop-throttle oversteer here. This is not
a forgiving turn. Turn in at the concrete
patch on the left side of the track, keep on
the throttle, aim for the bottom of the hill
and take care to touch the apex with the
right tires on your way down. As soon as
the car is straightened out, you will need
to apply maximum threshold braking.
Aim for the left side of the track as you
brake and downshift to second.
Keys to Turn Four include proper
throttle control (DO NOT LIFT after
turning in), threshold braking and
maximizing your speed through the turn
at the expense of making a "proper" entry
into Tum Five.
There is a small section of straight
track after Tum Five, followed by another
slow curve, so exit speed is of little
importance here. Many drivers prefer to
maximize speed down the Chute and
throwaway the "proper" entrance to Turn
Five. Trail braking is appropriate for Five:
It keeps your entry speed a little higher
and helps rotate the car in a tight turn.
Complete your downshifting as you trail
brake here.
The Carousel, Turn Six, begins a
sequence of turns that, if executed
properly, will maximize your speed
between Turns Eight and 10. Tum Six has
two apexes, both of which are later than
you might think. Taken properly, you car
will take a smooth arc, under constant
lateral acceleration, almost as if you're
driving half of a skid pad circle. Take the
second apex in such a way as to position
the car to the right of the center of the
track, straighten briefly and turn in for
Turn Seven.
Keep to the left after the apex of Seven
and tum in late for Tum Eight.
Key to this sequence is fluidity of I:)
APRIL 1993 11

Restoring It Right:
and fixing a unique
driver proved challenging
but nofdaunting for this
2600 enthusiast
Story and photos by Paul Smith,
Wisconsin AROC
•
Finding
A2GOO
erlenee
Overextending myself seems to be
a recurrent theme in my life .
. Mter Mary Lynn and I had submitted
the offer to purchase a house in
1983, my mother cried after seeing our
find. The plaster ceilings were collapsing,
the kitchen was a reject from the set of
Father Knows Best, and the foundation of
the garage was a textbook example of the
damage caused by hydrostatic pressure.
Finding difficult projects comes far too
easily for me; that is why a 2600 Berlina is
currently undergoing a complete
restoration in our garage.
Wisconsin, Home of Weird AHas
Because the family is growing, I
decided that I wanted an Alfa sedan as my
main set of wheels. Wisconsin AROC is
the home for a number of unique Alfa
sedans. Carol Neumann's 2000 Berlina
looks like it was just driven off the
assembly line in Milano; Matt Tallmage
has a rust-free Alfetta; Bill Schwartz is
restoring a Giulia TI. The Milano and 164
models are also well represented in the
club. My choice was an older car, so that I
could work on the mechanicals without
running afoul of the newly tightened
regulations on emissions control testing in
this area.
After running ads in Alta Owner and
Hemmings Motor News for Giulia Supers
14 ALFA OWNER
and 2600 Berlinas, I decided upon the
2600 because I had never owned an inline
six-cylinder Alfa and I wanted a large
highway cruiser to take me to work.
My largest obstacle was the dearth of
Berlinas. I wrote to Stu Schaller, the
American contact for the 2600/2000 Club
in England and told him my intentions,
but he told me less than 20 known
examples were left in the world! The
following week, Stu telephoned with the
remarkable news that there was a car in
Long Beach, Calif., and he was going to
inspect it.
Stu reported back that the bodywork
and paint on the car were outstanding; the
flip side was that the interior and chrome
were bad and that the head was off of the
engine. Fear not, I thought
to myself. Alfa mechanicals
are robust and this was the
fulfillment· of the joke Alfa
want ad for a car with an
excellent body needing
mechanical work. IThe two
conditions rarely occur
simultaneously. 1
After protracted negotiations
with the bodyshop
that owned the car, Passport
Transport brought it to
Wisconsin on the last day
of June.
Unique Talents Required
Finding a mechanic to work on the
components I couldn't handle required a
uniquely talented individual. The car had
not been registered since 1977 and had all
types of problems lurking in the engine. I
asked my good friend George Meikrantz
for advice and he graciously offered to
come to my rescue. If I had been
composing a job description for the person
to get the Berlina running again, there
could be no better choice than someone
possessing his skills and knowledge.
The first important steps in the
restoration began minutes after the
Berlina was delivered. The local spirits
shop did not stock Italian beer, so we
toasted the event with a concoction from
France. We then put penetrating oil onto
the exposed pistons to determine which
cylinders were seized. When the oil was
still pooled in numbers two and five
several weeks later, it became evident that
the engine had not been run for some
time. Because the engine block was
hopefully not going to be removed from
the car, the next step was to pull out each
of the cast iron cylinder liners, with one
needing the incentive of a hydraulic floor
jack applying pressure from below to
loosen the grip of several decades of
tenacious corrosion.
The local machine shops and the
Berlina became well acquainted in the
ensuing weeks. The engine cylinder liners
had to be machined to remove the ridge
that formed toward the top of the liner
from the metal being moved by the
pistons' upward and downward motion.
Several of the pistons needed to be
knurled, so that they fit the liners better.
The head visited several machine shops
before one was willing to mill it and do
the valve job.
Why was I going to all of the trouble to
have this machining done? The simple
explanation is that, although all of the
work on this car was going to be correct
and proper, parts are somewhat expensive
for the 2600 series and a Berlina, if sold,
was probably not going to recover the
amount spent on it. While the car was
being restored as a hobby and I was not
concerned over making a profit on an
eventual sale, I did have to acknowledge
spending limits: constraints
like having to pay the
mortgage and other
frivolous bills.
I did have to
acl{no\vledge
spending lilUitS:
constraints lil{c
having to pay
the lllortgage
and othcr
frivolous hills.
Obligatory Parts Search
I had thought that the
2600 parts would be
available from one source,
but'it turned out that I
ended up buying from a
variety of places including
Black Bart, Alfa Ricambi,
ALGAR, International
Auto Parts, Al Cortez and

An international
driving odyssey
By Jack Juhasz
It was Wednesday already and we
were both shaking our heads. The
1969 Alfa Romeo Spider, our
proposed means of transportation for a
1600mi. driving safari to begin on
Thursday, was still in the shop, coughing
and wheezing worse then ever. The
engine, sitting in a freshly restored
automobile, was itself completely rebuilt
and had about one and a half hours
running time on it.
Said trip was to be from Toronto,
through New York City, to Philadelphia;
an estimated II-hour odyssey to the
Fairmount Park Vintage Car Festival in
Philadelphia, via the Big Apple itself, and
back to Toronto.
The simplistic idea of taking a car to a
mechanic for some fine tuning of
carburetors was fading quickly. Then
again, I'd never owned an Italian car with
Webers before. The latest report I had
was that the carbs weren't responding
properly to the adjustments and that they
probably needed to be rebuilt. A long
distance call to the previous owner
confirmed the invoice and Visa slip for
$283 in my hand-they really didn't need
to be rebuilt.
Deciding not to phone the mechanic
back to tell him he was wrong (that's
about as smart as sending back a burger
to a tattoo-laden short-order cook in a
greasy roadside diner-you're sure to get
it back with everything on it), I opted to
exercise diplomatic tactics.
After some theory-swapping, we
decided a "leak-down" test would prove
the engine's worth. Six eyes were glued to
the compression gauge during the test of
the last cylinder (I wear glasses), after
which a sigh of relief indicated this was,
thankfully, not the problem.
Ideas Junked
In one last-ditch effort, I went through
everything I could think of and by
midnight the garage resembled Kuwait
City with all the tools out of the box and
most of them imbedded in the walls.
Judging by the look of the Haynes manual
16 ALFA OWNER
on Weber carburetors I was using as
home plate, I'd walked every idea I had.
Helpless and weeping I went off to bed.
By Thursday at 1 p.m., the car hadn't
moved. I was in the office and Ian, my
life-long auto enthusiast-colleague,
sympathizer and co-pilot, was stuck in
traffic trying to get back to Toronto. He
phoned me to tell me we may have to
delay our departure an hour.
After 10 minutes of discussing how
much fun the trip was going to be, I tried
to approach the topic at the forefront of
both our minds: The engine was running
like it had stones in its shoes. It was a
vehicle bought on a 1000percent emotional
decision and we'd driven it a grand total
of 20 miles to a mechanic who couldn't
get it to run any better.
While I was trying to convince Ian that
both of us were unstable people, perhaps
in neeed of professional help, he was
babbling something about spark plugs.
No, I suppose it couldn't hurt to replace
them. Yes, they were the only things in
the engine that hadn't been replaced.
I made it back to the house first and
just stood in the garage shaking my head.
Ian arrived and handed over four new
spark plugs, along with a receipt for $46!
"They recommended that we use
Golden Lodge plugs. No one knew for
sure if the valves would clear regular
single electrode plugs," Ian said. I started
getting dizzy. "Cheer up, old boy," he
continued, "the tax is included."
I was just coming to as Ian turned in
the last new plug; he turned the key and
the engine came to life. The new exhaust
note yanked our mouths open and left OUf
jaws hanging. A couple of stabs at the gas
pedal and it actually responded!
We weren't about to ask any questions.
We quickly packed the car (mostly with

tools and spare parts), tucked away as
many credit cards as society allows people
like us to have, and with a rousing "Hi Ho
Romeo!" we were off! We were outside
the city when I pulled out the old plugs
and looked at them for the 38th time.
Three were fine, but the fourth one's
insulator fell to pieces in my hand.
Go figure.
The Spider ran well. At least all four
cylinders were pulling their share of
weight and it accelerated nicely and
pulled well all the way to the border and
through Buffalo. We stopped there for a
roll of film and chicken wings. The fact
that we had made it this far was worth a
picture. No cooling problems, the oil
pressure was up and there was no hint of
melting electricals. Sure, it was blowing a
bit of blue, but that, we decided was a
good thing.
God Himself Told Us
After sunset, the ambient temperature
had dropped considerably and the
trackpants and sweaters came out. The
decision that the roof would stay down
unless God himself told us to put it up
had been made weeks before. The Alfa's
engine, getting more and more broken-in
and breathing cooler,
denser air was singing
right along. This strengthened
our confidence and
our skepticism at the
same time.
I took over the driving
and slid down into the
seat. The engine fired
without hesitation and
sounded smoother than
ever. A quick poke downward
with my right foot
and the tach needle
climbed confidently.
Now everything began
to feel right.
Without thinking
about the infancy of the
engine, I selected first
and eased in the clutch,
squeezing the accelerator
to the floor. The engine
pulled strongly, the boattail
rear end squatted and I brought us
close to redline before grabbing second.
Repeating the formalities three more times
with the rev-counter rising and falling to
each occasion and we were in top gear
speeding through the darkness. I
discovered for the first time in my life that
nothing sounds quite like an Alfa Romeo
accelerating hard into the night on an
empty two-laner. The twin dohc Webers
gasping for air howled so loud I thought
they would suck in the air cleaner, the
hood and the scenery. What the hell, it
was dark out anyway.
Notching it up into fifth, I slouched a
bit in the seat and got comfortable. The
next hour or so was pure magic. With
The engine fired
without
hesitation and
sounded
Sllloothel' than
ever. A quick
pol{e downwal-d
with Iny right
foot and the tach
needle clitnbed
confidently. Now
everything began
to feel right.
Simon and Garfunkle songs going through
my head, I felt like Dustin Hoffman with
a full tank of gas. We finally came to rest
in Bath, N.Y., and after gassing up and
asking for directions, we were pointed
toward the Cherry Hill campground.
The morning came early, as mornings
often do, and the smell of breakfast
campfires permeated the nylon walls.
Mer rubbing the sleepies out of my eyes,
I quickly unzipped the door to make sure
it was really the Alfa that we brought. It
gazed right back at me looking wide
awake and smiling from fender to fender.
Ian was still unconscious and a couple
of elbows to the ribs did nothing to alter
the fact. By the time I staggered back from
the showers, dizzy and down the two
quarts of blood I had donated to the
throngs of mosquitoes that were using the
bathrooms as convention facilities, Ian
had already checked the Spider's vitals
and packed the tent away. The Red Cross
contingent spared him no mercy either, so
I let him recover while I took on the
responsibility of finding us nourishment.
Burning Daylight
Already the mercury was astonishingly
high and by the time we were two hours
from New York City, the
sun was blinding. It
bounced off road signs
and American car bumpers-a
stifling white heat
that burns through pinhole-sized
pupils, all the
while being accentuated
by the buffeting hot wind.
I felt like I was sitting next
to Sam McGee from
Tennessee. The Spider's
temperature gauge on the
other hand must have
been sipping a daiquiri in
the shade. It read a cool
170 degrees.
Skepticism set in again.
We considered the realities:
It was certainly more
than 100 degrees Fahrenheit
out, we'd been
charging along at no less
than 7Smph, the engine
hadn't been under 4000rpm since Ian's
face turned burgundy and the car, along
with the temperature gauge, was Italian.
Immediately we lost all faith, spotted a
roadside diner and pulled over. I propped
the hood open to help cool things down
and, incredibly, there was still was no sign
of coolant spillage.
"It's probably empty," said Ian, shaking
his head as he walked toward the diner to
escape premature cremation.
In the restaurant, we guzzled two
pitchers of ice-water before the sunspot
activity on the insides of our eyelids died
down and the menus came into focus.
Looking out at the Alfa through the tinted
window, it seemed to wear a great big
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SPIDER COUNTRY
Continued {rom page 17
grin. The kind which could either mean
"I'm having a wonderful time, could there
be a nicer day?" or "That's it, you suckers,
just a bit farther from home and I'm going
to detonate into a million pieces!" The
pavement underneath the radiator
remained bone dry, however, and as usual
we just looked at each other and shook
our heads.
Biting the Big Apple
Heading south along No.9, the Alfa
took us into the Big Apple for our first
time. In weather identical to the previous
day, we moved slowly in traffic-through
the Bronx and into mid-town Manhattan.
By this time both our necks were in need
of chiropractic attention. I think we spent
80 percent of the time in traffic trying to
figure out if the liquids on the pavement
behind us came from the Spider or others'
air conditioning units. We gave up when I
pointed out that we were following
another Alfa Spider with air conditioning!
It didn't take us long to agree that New
York City was both terrific and terrible.
One thing was for certain, the sheer size
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and density of the area is
spectacular. It kind of
made us feel small and
helpless, although Ian
maintains that it was the
car that did that. After a
brief drive around, we
found the Lincoln Tunnel
and took it vowing to
return again soon in a
more suitable vehicle to
really see the town, probably
in a '71 Parisienne.
The plan was to stay at
a friend's house outside of
Jersey City and an hour
and a half later, Richard
met us at his front door.
The AHa and Richard's
Ferrari 308 got a bath in
preparation for the next
day's vintage car festival.
We had the great American
meal of oversized hotdogs,
garnished in our
host's gourmet-like fashion, after which
we soaked up the splendor of James
Garner and friends in Grand Prix on a
Texas-sized TV with surround sound.
Richard's idea of a round-robin driving
schedule for getting to the festival was a
big hit with these two mouth-foaming
enthusiasts, so the day's success was
positively assured when first Richard,
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then Ian and finally I slid
into the driver's seat of
the Ferrari.
We found Fairmount
Park in Philadelphia with
no great problem and
proceeded to have one of
those days you don't
forget. There must have
been more than 400 cars
representing their makers
proudly. Anyone who
turned up with anything
remotely interesting was
invited to display it. It
was a day of many firsts
for us, including the first
time Ian ever saw an F40
at a gallop. There were no
competitions, although
one chap suggested we be
awarded a medal for
driving an Italian car the
longest distance without a
fire extinguisher.
Late that afternoon, we said all our
goodbyes and headed north through
Pennsylvania. Many cars were leaving at
the same time, so we had the opportunity
to listen to and see these rolling history
books at speed. We diced it out for awhile
with an Alfa Giulia Sprint Speciale, ate a
couple of MG TCs and were in turn eaten
by an Aston Martin DB4.
What It's All About
The Spider ran gloriously all the way
home (like there was any doubt it would)
and the fire extinguisher we never bought
was never needed. On the contrary, in
northern Pennsylvania we were caught in
a torrential downpour. Having never
driven the car in the rain, I had no idea
that (and not a lot of textbooks mention
this) you actually stay drier if you leave
the roof down. Luckily, Ian has his Bronze
Cross and I'm not a bad swimmer either.
We survived.
The top of Pennsylvania has some
wonderful landscapes, not to mention
some roller-coaster roads. That day, with
a pretty much broken-in engine, driver
and passenger, the Spider let us know just
what it was all about, aside from being a
pretty Italian sports car. Of course, I'm
speculating, but I think an Alfa Romeo
dealer in the area can expect to sell a
Spider to a guy with a metallic purple
Camaro with tinted windows and
Yokohama A-D08s.
The rest of the trip went without
incident and was almost restful.
Two days passed before I got a chance
to do a 'once-over' on the Alfa. Running a
soap-lathered cloth along the sleek
Pininfarina body I caught myself smiling
excessively.
I took it on a short evening jaunt north
of the city and on the way back, the
clutch began slipping. I shook my head
and kept on smiling. 0

Remember the 1935 German Grand
Prix? OK, ever read about the
German GP at Nurburgring in
1935? Nuvolari took his much-outclassed
Alfa Romeo to victory over the Mercedes
and Auto Union teams. It was quite a
surprise to the Germans. They didn't even
have a record of the Italian national
anthem to play. No problem: Nuvolari
always carried one with him.
Well, in 1993, the Germans better have
copies of the Italian anthem at every track
rack where the German Touring Car
Championship runs. It is likely that Alfa
Romeo will do to the GTCC what it did to
the Italian series, the CIVT, in 1992totally
dominate: first prediction. Alfa will
also win the Italian Championship again:
second prediction. And, if there are
privateer Alfas running in France, they
will do well, although they probably
won't get enough support to win the
championship: last prediction.
The Really Big Show
In Europe, touring car (sedan) racing is
a big deal. Next to Formula 1, it draws the
biggest crowds and TV audiences. The
competition is much better than the Fl
parades-it's kind of like NASCAR. As
with several national series, the British
Touring Car Championship (BTCC) looks
as though it will be the most popular,
displacing the German series from that
position. The BTCC's format is for twoliter
cars, a formula that is becoming
favored around Europe in general. The
more technically challenging (and also
more costly) 2.5-liter formula is definitely
losing popularity.
In 1992, the favorite series (best
attended with the most competition) was
the GTCC. BMW, Opel, Audi and Mercedes
Benz were all involved with factory
efforts. The 2.5-liter cars gave a great
show. So Alfa Romeo decided it would
build a car for this premier series. That's
when things sort of fell apart in the
GTCC. Remember Procar? Alfa was the
only manufacturer who actually built a
racer, a VlO-powered, mid-engined 164,
for the series.
Well, the GTCC isn't quite that bad,
although it seemed that there might not be
a series late last year. First, Audi pulled
out-after its engines were declared
illegal-to spread their racing efforts
throughout their various national markets.
Then, at the end of the season, after
Mercedes Benz took the series crown,
BMW announced that it would not com-
Forecast '93:
______ 'll_o_unn_e_g to Victory
pete in the series in 1993. It had asked to
be able to move its in-line six-cylinder
engine back in the chassis to make it more
competitive with the V6s. Permission was
granted, but only for one year. Reasoning
that this was too costly to do for just one
year, it would not be particularly
competitive afterward. So, BMW was out.
Next, Opel withdrew because it didn't
think there was enough competition. That
left MB and Alfa-still enough factory
interest for a series. In early January,
Mercedes dropped its bomb: At least it
was a bomb for fans of the three-pointed
star. MB would concentrate its development
on its two-liter car for the 1994
series. Teams running 190s would be in
1992 cars. Alfa Romeo will have the only
current factory car in the series. MB will
still be there, a $2 million prize fund has
been established for privateers, and BMW
will continue to support privateers
running their three-year-old racers, but an
Alfa victory looks assured. Therefore, my
first prediction was easy. Oh, there was
one more piece of information: Francia
lapped Nogero .3sec faster in testing than
the GTCC series runner-up in his 190.
A Few Specs
Thanks to Don Black of Fiat R&D,
U.S.A., I have some specs on the GTCC
155. Built by Abarth, the car will have a
longer nose, narrower track, biplane wing
and higher ground clearance than the
CIVT car. In sprint trim, the engine will
produce 440bhp at 12,800rpm (woofl).
Normally, it will put out 420bhp at
11,000rpm. It will use a non-synchro 6speed
gearbox, with the Ferrari F 1
"automatic" as an option. The four 16in.
wheels will all be driven through viscous,
limited slip differentials.
Last year, there was a wonderful
comparison in Autosport of the turbo twoliter
155 GTA and the MB 2.5-liter 190.
Will Gloy, the 1992 BTCC champion, did
the comparison. He tried the Alfa at
Verano, a twisty, demanding track north
of Firenze. The car was set up for Monza
and had been run hard toward the end of
the season, but he still got a pretty good
taste of the Alfa's potential. First, he was
taken by surprise by how late he could
brake with the Alfa's ABS system.
Apparently that took some getting used to.
He was most impressed with the fourwheel
drive. Together with the ABS, it
was possible to go into corners hard and
use the car's unbelievable grip to get
through, something he apparently would
never try in a BMW. Also, he liked the air
conditioning. Yup, it seems that it gets
really hot in a red turbo racer in Italy.
Gloy liked the Mercedes, too, but he
was much more impressed with the
engine than the car's handling. ·The MB
16-valve, four-cylinder develops 375bhp
and the 190 is a sophisticated car: It uses
lots of trick components, like a carbon
fiber drives haft and some interesting
software controls. The anti-roll bars are
changed by the computer at each corner
to maximize grip and the cowls on the
radiator are closed on the straights to
reduce drag.
Back on the Continent
The CIVT and French Supertourisme
series will be much the same as last year,
following the two-liter formula. It is easy
to predict that Alfa Romeo will continue
to dominate the Italian series, returning
with a factory effort and drivers Giorgio
Francia and Gabriele Tarquini. It will be
most interesting, though, to see how the
drivers from all the various series do at
the FIA International Touring Car
Challenge for Drivers at the end of the
season. Watch for the Alfas!
155 News
Here is some related information about
the 155: For the privateer who wants to go
racing in Group N in his 155 Q4, Alfa
Romeo has released a competition
package. The kit takes engine output to
245bhp at 6000rpm; revises the suspension;
adds a special clutch, free-flow
exhaust and additional cooling for the
intercooler.
Finally, Don Black provided the speeds
of the 155 Q4 that set a new world speed
record at Bonneville in Class G/PS (G <
122 cit, P = Production, S= supercharged,
or turbocharged, in this case). 0
9124192 (invalid one-way run)
l.Omi. 177.176
l.Okm. 181.379
2.0mi. 181.865
3.0mi. 183.712
9/25/92 (valid downwind 1-3 mph;
valid upwind 3-8mph)
l.Omi. 180.081 180.971
1.0km. 183.332 179.747
2.0mi. 183.613 180.971
3.0mi. 184.794 167.195
APRIL 1993 19

ALABAMA
Alabama AROC, Ronny Roberts
661 Ridge Top Cir., Birmingham, AL 35206
1205)836-8274
ARIZONA
Arizona AROC, Mark Kirchner
5101 N. 10th Pl., Phoenix 85014 (602) 248-8451
CALIFORNIA
Alfa Romeo Owners of Southern California,
Tina Van Curen
1801 Bdgecliff Dr., Los Angeles 90026 1213) 666-4500
AROC of Central California,
Leonard "Tom" Tompkins
705 Oak Grove Dr., Santa Barbara 93108
1805) 969-3435
AROC of San Diego, Steve Smith
2775 Avalon Ave., Carlsbad 92008 1619)434-4149
AROC of Northern California, Lori Deal
1116 18th St., Sacramento 95814-4111 (916) 428-4842
Orange County Chapter, Terry Dooley
19701 Phoenix Lane, Huntington Beach 92646
1714)962-1636
COLORADO
Alfa Club of Colorado, Hal Stalgren
4000 S. Fox St., Englewood 80110
1303) 762-9161
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Chapter, Frank Iacobellis
62 Palisades Rd., Rye, NY 10580-3827 (914) 967-5550
FLORIDA
Alfa Romeo Club of South Florida,
Richard Stephens
1321 S. Dixie Hwy., Pompano Beach 33060
1305) 946-5005
Central Florida Chapter, Ellen McLoughlin
131 Carriage Hill Dr., Casselberry 32707
1407) 339-4069
Florida Alfa Club, John Rady
930 Britton St., Largo 34640
1813)585-4290
Florida Fust Coast Alfa Romeo Club,
John Hagadorn
4358 Lake Woodbourne Dr. S, Jacksonville 32217
(904) 733-4094
GEORGIA
Atlanta Chapter, w'L. WagnonJr.
3096 Lanier Drive NE, Atlanta 30319
1404) 233-0004
ILLINOIS
Chicago Chapter, Sandy Ganun
650 Northmoor, Lake Forest 60045 1708)234-0733
INDIANA
CoUective Indiana Alfa Owners, Phil Wade
1605 Columbia Ave., Fort Wayne 46805
1219)424-3577
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Alfa Romeo Society, MichaelObye
Box 115, Eastwood 40018 1502) 244-0380
MICHIGAN
AROC Detroit, Kathleen Schwieger
282 Lake Villabe, Walled Lake 48390 1313) 624-3946
West Michigan Alfa Owners, Gene Kuehle
6156 Arroyo Vista Dr., Rockford 49341 (616) 874-7052
MINNESOTA
SteUa del Nord, Brian Eslinger
3350 Xanthus Lane N, Plymouth 554471612)553-1856
MISSISSIPPI
Deep South Alfa Romeo Club, Michael Hemsley
P.O. Box 2028, Bay St. Louis 39520 (601) 924-0319
MISSOURI
AROC St. Louis, Russell Stanton
5 Barleystone Ct., st. Charles 63304 1314) 928-3703
Strada Fantasma, Phyllis Desbien
11953 Avila Dr., Kansas City 64145 1816)942-6201
NEBRASKA
Nebraskallowa AROC,Joe Mangiamelli
9211 Ames Ave., Omaha 68134 1402) 572-0528
NEW ENGLAND
Alfa Owners of New England, Roger LaFerriere
355 W. Sutton Rd., Sutton, MA 01527 (508) 865-9596
NEW JERSEY
Alfa Owners of New Jersey, Enrico Ciabattoni
(President & Newsletter Ed.) 49 Peters Place
Red Bank, NJ 077011908) 530-9105
AROC of Southern New Jersey, Jon Kiigerman
319 East Aliens Ln., Philadelphia, PA 19119
1215)247-4105
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Chapter, Bob Furlong
1516 Brian Ave. SW, Albuquerque 87121
1505) 836-2178
NEW YORK
AlfaBuff, Tom Mann
114 Misty Lane, East Amherst 14051 1716) 688-8887
Long Island AROC, W. Briggs Cunningham
6637 Sedgwick PI.
Brooklyn, NY 11220 1718) 745-4036
New York AROC, Allison Montgomery
350 6th Ave., Troy 12182 (5181 237-6307
JOIN US!
c1ipand mail
ALFA ROMEO OWNERS CLUB APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Name _______________________________________ Spouse ____________________ _
Address __________________________________________________________ __
City/State/Zip ______________________________________________________ _
Telephone (HI (
_________ IWI I
Do you wish to affiliate with the local chapter nearest you? ________________________ _
Note: Some Chapters charge additional local dues.
How did you hear about AROC? ___________________________________________ _
Please indicate your interests:
a Technical
QTours
Q Vintage Cars
Q Social
a Autocross
Q Rally
r
:1 I
NORTH CAROLINA
Mid·Atlantic AROC, Roger Medlin
1236 Fairfax Drive, Raleigh 27609 (919)876-2547
Piemonte, Peter Lambropoulos .
945 Eastway Drive, Charlotte 282051704) 563-1990
OHIO
Buckeye AROC, Ted Goodman
840 N. Park St., Columbus 43215 (614) 291-2426
Northeastern Ohio Chapter, Alan C. Davis
15001 Schreiber Road, Cleveland 44137-4753
(216)662-6443
Ohio VaDey AROC, Eileen Mallory
4140 E. State Rte. 73, Waynesville 45068
(513) 897-7611
OKLAHOMA
AROC of Oklahoma, Rex Brown
1611 N. Columbia Pl., Tulsa 74110 (9181 832-0997
OREGON
Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon,
BobHui
4324 SE Woodstock, Portland 97206
(503) 777-3058
PENNSYLVANIA
Central Pennsylvania AROC, Andy Kaufmann
736 S. Pine St., York 17403 (717) 843-3839
Delaware VaDey AROC, David West
157 Ridgefield Rd., Newtown Sq. 19073
(215)353-1621
TENNESSEE
A.L.F.A. (Tennessee), Bob McKeown
2711 Aicklen Ave., Nashville 37212 (615) 292-1830
TEXAS
Lone Star AROC. Karen Phillips
4413 Calmont, Ft. Worth 76107-4233 (817) 738-0817
Scuderia Alfa Romeo, Bob Kabine
935 Park Wind Dr., Katy 77450 1713)492-2786
Texas Hill Country, Bernie Zelazny
12811 Dakota Ln., Austin 78729-771615121258-4276
WASHINGTON
Northwest AROC, Marilyn Williams
3714 33rd Ave. SW, Seattle 98126 (206) 935-3979
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Capital Chapter, David S. King
123 10th St. SE, Washington 20003
(3011975-2369 (w), (202)543-7499 (h)
WISCONSIN
AROC Wisconsin, Paul Smith
934 Grand Ave., Port Washington 53074
(414) 284-2913
If you wish to be listed in the annual AROC
membership roster, please circle the
appropriate codes and list up to four Alfas
owned:
W
T
M
B
C
- Work Space Available
- Tools Available
- Can Offer Mechanical Help
- Spare Bed Available
- Coffee and Conversation
Gladly Given
E - Contact in Emergency Only
Alfas Owned (Model and Year):
National Dues: $45.00 per year. Make check payable to: Alfa Romeo Owners Club, 2468 Gum Tree Lane, Fallbrook, CA 92028
20 ALFA OWNER

ALLOY WHEELS FROM 164L. Perfect. with
Pirelli P4000 195/65 VR 15. Run them. then use
them for your snow tires. All four for $500 plus
UPS. Bill (206) 822-4231 eves .• weekends.
Wash.
SPICA F.I. PUMPS. '69, $250. '75. $200. '77.
$200. 115 GTV stuff. Shankle "wide wheels" 7
1I2in. x 14in. with 215 Camp TIAs used one
summer. with new GT-Am fiberglass flares. Will
sell as package only $750. Also parting out 'n
Alfetta GT. Steve Foster (315) 673-2734. N.Y.
WHEELS FOR GTV6 MILANO. 15in. x 7in. (one
set) and Spider 15in. x 7in. (one set) three-piece
Jongbloed modular racing wheels. Recently
reconditioned. New were $2,500. Used, only
$850. Paul (404) 457-4040. Ga.
'71 SPIDER PARTS. Car completely
disassembled. Rebuilt injector pump and
thermostatic actuator. new exhaust system.
reconditioned fuel tank. Rebuilt three-row
radiator. recovered dash and console. Also
disassembled 1750 engine, gearbox. bumpers,
instruments, and more. Louis or Mike (314) 928-
4397 days. Mo.
PARTING OUT '69 BERLINA AND '73 GTV.
Ralph after 6 p.m. (201) 790-5658. N.J.
PARTING OUT ALFETTA. One set Chromadora
Star mags for Alfettas. used, $300. New Ansa
exhaust system for AlfeUa GTs. Complete
system including Ansa produced tubular header,
$300. Tinted Alfetta GT windshield, used.
excellent, with molding. $100. Roman (313)
664-1369. Mich.
'74 & '78 SPIDER PARTS. Cloth top. seats.
bumpers. headers. Fl. pumps, radiators, starters.
wheels. dash. instruments. Complete. rust-free.
freshly painted silver body, engine. trans parts.
Thomas (817) 7n-1853. Texas.
SPIDER GTV ALLOYS. Four Italian Melba
wheels. 14in. x 7in. Discontinued Shankle import.
Also, four Goodrich Comp TIAs 215/60-14 VA.
$650. Peter (800) 631-1094 days. (212) 652-
2178 eves.
BOA TT AIL BONANZA. Large stock of NOS
items for 105 series cars, including many rare
body and trim parts for Roundtail Spiders (e.g.
lower valence, grille. lenses. door panels). Also.
'69 Euro Spider basket case complete or in
parts. Peter (416) 871-5053 eves., or (416) 871-
7n2 days. Ont., Canada.
1600 DUETTO PARTS. ATE rear axle, front
suspension. Front ATE rotors, four wheels. some
top frame parts, new rear wheel arches, front
clip, steering box. Any reasonable offer. Mitch
(714) 856-9456. Calif.
GTV6 PARTS. Shankle front and rear anti-sway
bars. new. in boxes, $60 each. Headers. $75.
Cams. $25. Almost new catalytiC converter.
$300. Louis (405) n5-5021. Okla.
DUETTO BOOT COVERS. Fit any roundtail
Spider ('66-'70). Fully assembled including
frame, vinyl and metal fittings. $395 (U.S.) plus
shipping. Please contact Keith Wintraub, 55
Montclair Ave .• #207, Toronto, On1., Canada.
M5P1 P6 or (416) 485-8777.
FOUR NEARLY NEW MAG WHEELS FOR '91
164S. Straight. true and nearly perfect. Small
scrapes in lug holes. Best offer. Bruce (716) 884-
0457. N.Y.
ALFA ROMEO TURBOCHARGED V8 INDY
ENGINE. '89 designed by Ferrari. very rare.
750hp at 12.000rpm. can be runner. beautiful
workmanship. Cost $250,000 plus. Sell $14.900.
Chuck Haines (314) 227-3959 days and
weekends. Miss.
MANUALS & MISC.
GIULIETTA SPIDER PINS. Specify red. white or
black. $5. AROC, 2468 Gum Tree Ln .• Fallbrook.
CA92028.
APRIL 199323

T H E A L F A R
It Leaves
Turbos Fnll Of
HotAic
o M E o I 6 4
When it comes to European performance sedans, cars with
four- and five-cylinder engines just don't cut it. And while a
turbocharger can add power, it's no substitute for a
larger engine designed for performance from the very
beginning.
The Alfa Romeo 164L starts with a truly outstanding
3.0-liter, 183-hp fuel-injected V6 engine and all the torque,
performance, and liquid smoothness that goes with it. And
the 164S has an even more powerful 200hp powerplant.
Of course power this refined has its price. But with the
164s it's surprisingly affordable: The 1993 164L is only
$30,240* and the 164S is $34,990.* And with four-wheel
ABS brakes, driver's side air bag, an almost perfectly laid-out driver's cockpit and one of the most capable
front-wheel-drive suspension systems ever developed, it's easy to see why the 164s are genuine perfor­
mance sedans that deliver world-class value.
Best of all, 164s also have the power to endure. They're backed by a 3-year/36,OOO-mile bumper-to­
bumper warranty, with free scheduled maintenance for the entire period. **
Isn't it time to quit pretending you're in a performance car? We invite you to test drive the
TIlE POWER
Alfa Romeo 164. For more information, call1-800-245-ALFA or your local dealer. TO EXPRESS YOURSELF
*Manufacturer's suggested retail price, excluding title, license, taxes, dealer prep and destination charges. Actual prices are set by dealer and may
vary. **See your dealer for details of limited warranty and free scheduled maintenance program. © 1993 AIra Romeo Distributors of North America.

ALFA PARTS
Thanks to your response to our parts specials we have expanded the list for Spring '93.
REDUCED PRICES FOR SPRING 193 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
ATE 20mm Brake Master Cylinder for 1750, 2000, Alfetta
ATE 22mm Brake Master Cylinder for Late Spider. V-6, Milano
Inlet Valves 1 750, 2000
Exhaust Valves 1 750, 2000
Inlet Valves V-6
Exhaust Valves V-6
Valve Guides-Silicon BronzelWith Seals (Set of 4)
Fuel Injection Pump Belt
Inlet Motor Mount 1 750, 2000
Exhaust Motor Mount 1750, 2000
Cam Belt V-6
Air Filter Pro 1 750, 2000, Alfetta
Air Filter V-6/Milano
Air Filter Spider - Bosch Injection
Fuel Filter 1 05 Carb Models
Fuel Filter SpiderN-6 Bosch Injection
Main Fuel Filter Spica 75-8 1
Tank Fuel Filter Spider 78-81
Tank Fuel Filter Alfetta 75-77
Tank Filter 69-74
Oil Filter Fispa Spin on - Small
Speedo Cable 1 01-1 05 Models
Tach Cable 1 01-1 05 Models
Clutch Master Cylinder ATE 71-91 4 cyl.
Clutch Master Cylinder Alfetta, V-6
Sachs Clutch Set - Cover. Disc, T.O. Brg, 105, 1 '5, GlV, 8erlina, Spider
Koni Shocks 1 05 Models
Lodge Spark Plug All Models
U-Joint 1750-2000
2.0 Head Gasket - OEM
V-6 Head Gasket Late type, '-piece - OEM
Water Pump - 4 Cylinder
* Rebuilt Bosch fuel delivery pump '69-'74
* Rebuilt Bosch fuel delivery pump '75-'81
ARI Retail
$249.00
$299.00
$ 17.00
$ 42.07
$ 32.50
$ 55.00
$ 37.95
$ 28.13
$ 63.00
$ 63.00
$ 29.90
$ 42.81
$ 29.75
$ 31.50
$ 5.84
$ 43.50
$ 29.36
$ 49.46
$ 35.42
$ 37.54
$ 7.10
$ 40.12
$ 36.07
$ 165.00
$ 95.00
$292.00
$ 92.50
$ 6.25
$ 39.00
$ 36.87
$ 49.53
$222.00
Special Price
$110.00
$145.00
$ 8.50
$ 20.50
$ 14.00
$ 26.00
$ 19.50
$ 14.50
$ 45.00
$ 45.00
$ 21.50
$ 18.50
$ 18.50
$ 18.50
$ 3.50
$ 19.50
$ 15.50
$ 27.50
$ 16.50
$ 19.50
$ 4.75
$ 24.00
$ 21.50
$ 90.00
$ 75.00
$165.00
$ 78.00
$ 5.00
$ 21.00
$ 24.50
$ 31.50
$ 87.50
$115.00
$130.00
• New additions to sale items
* NOW IN STOCK! *
Repair manuals for all Alfas including old 2000, 2600 & 1300.
SPECIAL REDUCED PRICE ON RECONDITIONED FUEL INJECTION PUMPS FOR AROC MEMBERS ...••.....• $525. 00
EXCHANGE
ENGINE OVERHAUL PARTS SPECIAL FOR ALFA ROMEO 1750/2000
PARTS INCLUDED: Piston-Uner set (Borgo" rod and main bearings, thrust washers (Vandervell" timing chains,
gasket set (OEM" clutch assembly (F&S" oil pump, water pump {Spica" con-rod and pilot bushings.
Factory Retail Price ............................................................................................ $, ,600
SPECIAL PRiCE .......................................................................................... $1,125
HIGH PERFORMANCE SPICA FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
A 40 horsepower increase can be obtained from our performance injection system. Call or write for specifications.
Jon Norman - Ruth Ann Yager
ALFA PARTS
1221 FOURTH STREET, BERKELEY, CA 94710 (51 OJ 525-9435

---
ALFA PARTS
SERVICE
Tired of being shipped the wrong part, lost orders, delays and excuses?
Give Alfa Parts a try. We will ship the correct part the same day.
We have over 20 years experience dealing with Alfa parts .
• SPECIAL REDUCED PRICE ON RECONDmONED FUEL INJECTION PUMPS FOR AROC MEMBERS ..... $425
PARTS INCWDED:
ENGINE OVERHAUL PARTS SPECIAL
FOR ALFA ROMEO ·1750 I 2000
EXCHANGE
• PISTON-LINER SET (BORGO) WITH DEVES RINGS, ROD AND MAIN BEARINGS,
THRUST WASHERS (VANDERVELL), TIMING CHAINS, GASKET SET (OEM), CLUTCH
ASSEMBLY (F&S), OIL PUMp, WATER PUMP (SPICA), CON-ROD AND PILOT BUSHINGS,
ROD BOLTS AND NUTS.
FACTORY RETAIL PRICE ......................................... $1,500
SPECIAL PRICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 950
USED PARTS
Alfa parts has acquired a large stock of used parts, and now can be
your source for both new and used parts.
HIGH PERFORMANCE SPICA FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
A 40 horsepower _ increase can be obtained from our performance
injection- system. Call or write for specifications.
Jon Norman
ALFA PARTS
1221 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 D (415) 525-9435