The Alfa Gets a New Exhaust System

July 28, 2024 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions 1968 Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo exhaust

The gearbox and rear axle fluids in my Alfa Romeo had not been replaced in a few years, and with this car, I try to adhere to a “mileage and/or time” type of maintenance schedule, so I decided to tackle the job. It’s not difficult other than getting the car high enough off the ground for me to slide under. In typical Italian fashion, though, the fill plugs require Allen wrenches (also known as hex wrenches), and somehow, I no longer had the correct sizes in my arsenal (12 & 14 mm, not available in Home Depot). Had I loaned them to a fellow Alfa owner and forgot? Perhaps, but no matter. An online order was placed with Grainger (great tools and sometimes high prices, but the quality is worth it) and I was ready to get this maintenance task done.

All the Alfa service manuals issue the same warning: remove the FILL plug before removing the DRAIN plug, because if you drain the component and then find that you are unable to remove the fill plug, you are in a jam. (Or is it pickle? Where did these food references come from?) The fill plugs loosened without extraordinary effort, and the gearbox and differential were treated to fresh fills of 75W-90.

But I digress (if two paragraphs count as a digression). While on my back staring at objects inches from my nose, I noticed that several exhaust components showed serious signs of rust-through. The corrosion was mainly confined to the mufflers; I saw no damage at any pipes or hangers that might indicate a potential loss of the system while driving. I have no idea how old the system was. Pete had never indicated that he had replaced it, and I’ve put 14,000 miles on this exhaust through 11 years of ownership, so I had been contemplating its replacement anyway. An order was placed with my #1 parts supplier, Classic Alfa, which had a complete exhaust system (including an installation kit with gaskets, hangers, and clamps) in stock for under $300 (and made in Italy to boot). The shipping, however, was an additional $150, but I decided it was worthwhile. As is typical for Classic Alfa, I had the parts within days.

Exhaust work is not difficult provided that you have working room under the car, which I didn’t, so I spoke to the owner of the Shell station a quarter mile from my home. His shop has worked on my Alfa and my other cars before, and he told me to drop it off any day during the week. I delivered the parts the night before, and Brian, his most experienced tech, did the job at my request. When I picked up the car, Brian assured me that everything fit very well, and a quick test drive confirmed that, as there were no untoward noises from under the car. I paid $350 in labor, worth every cent to me to get it done expeditiously and locally. All in, the exhaust system replacement cost me a little under $800, a not-unreasonable sum for a 57-year-old Italian sports car. I’m expecting that it should last for as long as I own the car.

ADDENDA

The Mercedes-Benz 1968 Model & Price Chart

While rummaging through some older file folders containing printed into about my Alfa, I stumbled across this postcard-sized 1968 model and price chart from Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc. (headquartered in Fort Lee, NJ, at that time). This had to have come from Pete, and I don’t recall seeing it before. When I bought the Alfa from him in 2013, he had emailed me to provide the briefest of backgrounds about his purchase of the car in 1968. He admitted that among other choices, he was considering the least-expensive of the new Mercedes-Benz models. In that case, it would have been the 220 sedan, with an MSRP of $4,360. The optional equipment list highlights that even at that somewhat lofty price, an automatic transmission and power steering were extra. (For one comparison, a 1968 Oldsmobile 98 4-door Holiday sedan started at $4,422, which included an automatic transmission and power steering.) Also note the dealer stamp, complete with salesperson’s name and phone number sans area code.

NJ Alfa Club Breakfast Meet, July 21, 2024

July 21, 2024 RichardReina Drives, Events AROC-NJ, Bernards Cafe, Triumph TR-3

Make that seven in a row! The New Jersey Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC-NJ) held its 7^th consecutive breakfast meet on Sunday, July 21, 2024, returning to the charming Bernards Café in charming downtown Bernardsville, NJ. Eleven Chapter members made it to breakfast, arriving in a nice mix of older and newer Alfas. In addition to the two modern Giulias were a 164 sedan, your author’s GT Junior, and 5 Spiders.

We were at the Bernards Café for our Chapter breakfast in May, and we thought highly enough of the food and service to make a return visit. Street parking can be tight, so we parked in the NJ Transit parking lot, a 3-minute stroll. The lot is empty on Sundays, allowing us lots of room to park our Alfas, while also giving us a place to hang out and gab, both before and after the meal.

Chapter member Bill DiPrima, who’s been doing much of the event organizing for us this year, made arrangements for a country drive immediately after breakfast. About 5 drivers took him up on his offer. I needed to head home so I missed the tour this time. If there’s another opportunity later this year, I’ll do my best to join the caravan.

ADDENDA

From Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary:

addendum n, pl -da [L] : something added, esp a supplement to a book

This word, taken directly from the Latin (note the [L]), is neutral (neither masculine nor feminine) with its singular form ending in in -um and plural form ending in -a. I’m using the plural form to name this new blog feature because I intend it to be a recurring item.

Our oldest granddaughter was at our house last month when we decided to visit the local pizzeria. And what did we spot as we left but this gorgeous Triumph TR-3. My granddaughter, who has not expressed any interest at all in Pop’s old cars, jumped out to take a closer look, and I snapped these pics to memorialize the event. Look at that smile!

Concours on the Palisades, Fort Lee NJ, July 14, 2024

July 15, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events, Uncategorized Concours on the Palisades, Fort Lee NJ

On Sunday July 14, the town of Fort Lee hosted its 3rd annual “Concours on the Palisades”, a celebration featuring a variety of older and newer classic and exotic cars. I posted about last year’s event, when I worked as a judge. This year, my judging duties were again requested, and I also entered my ’67 Alfa into the show, as there was a special class of Alfa Romeos to honor the 70th anniversary of the Giulietta and the 50th anniversary of the Alfetta.

Last year’s show was good but could have been better organized. We provided feedback that not all cars were parked in their correct classes, which added a layer of complexity to our jobs. This year, the Chief Judge (Bob Austin, a former Volvo colleague and dear friend) decided that the judges would assist in parking the cars for the classes they would be judging. I was on a team of 4 judges, and our assigned classes were “Italian” and “Japanese” cars. So there we were, at 8 a.m., directing traffic. Aside from the early hour (not really an inconvenience) I thought this was a brilliant move, as it gave us early insight into the cars in our classes. As was suggested to us, watching the cars move under their own power and providing an initial “welcome” to the owners meant we had greater familiarity with the cars and owners once formal judging commenced.

Our scoresheets showed 10 cars in the Italian class and 11 in the Japanese class. However, only 6 Italian cars showed up, and only 7 Japanese cars. We were tasked with selecting the Top Four so in reality, we didn’t have a heavy workload. The most difficult part of the judging process was dealing with the 90 degree-plus heat. Thankfully, we were done with our field review by 11 a.m. and headed to an air-conditioned conference room to make our final tallies.

The Concours on the Palisades uses “French Rules”: judges need to answer only one question, which is, “what kind of visual impact does this motor vehicle present to me?” Yes, condition, workmanship, personal histories, etc., do play a part. But ultimately, it’s the overall visual statement made by the car which decides the winners.

In the Italian class, we gave 3^rd place to a green Lancia Fulvia, 2^nd place to an orange DeTomaso Pantera, and 1^st place to a white Lancia Fulvia Zagato. The Zagato emerged on top due to its uniqueness, color combination, and overall condition. Among the Japanese cars, 3^rd went to a black 1989 Nissan 240SX track car, 2^nd to a Suzuki Cappuccino “kei car”, and 1^st to a near-bone-stock orange 1974 Toyota Corolla. For our entire judging team, the Toyota was an emotional choice. The car was a survivor, in what appeared to be unrestored condition, in a period color combo one doesn’t see today. We agreed that had it had a manual gearbox it would have been perfect.

The Alfa Romeos (separate from the other Italian cars) were parked on Main St. in a position of honor, along with the other Special Class this year, the Mercedes-Benz SLs (all years). Nine Alfas were registered, in itself a low number, yet only 6 showed up, a very disappointing turnout. Was it the heat? Competition with other shows? We’ll never know. Still, it was nice to see our Alfas so recognized. Third place went to a black Alfa 164 sedan, second to a red Alfa Milano sedan, and first to a white Giulietta Spider. (I believe that my car, as one entered by a judge, was “display only”.)

The awards ceremony got underway a few minutes after 1 p.m. and was over before 2 p.m. The timing was good because rain clouds quickly moved in, and sprinkles started a few minutes after the final “see you next year!” was proclaimed. My Alfa completed the 120-mile round trip without a problem, even as the temp gauge registered slightly higher in the hot and humid air. I walked into my house a little after 3 p.m. and that air conditioning felt great!

ITALIAN CLASS

JAPANESE CLASS

AMERICAN CLASS

SWEDISH CLASS

BRITISH CLASS

GERMAN CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS

ALFA ROMEO CLASS

We Visit the 2024 Great Race in Montgomery, NY

July 7, 2024 RichardReina Events, Rallies Coker Tire, Hemmings Motor News, The Great Race

The Great Race is an annual, multi-day, time-speed-distance rally run on public roads. Its inaugural event was in 1983, and much has changed since then, but the race has endured all these decades. The 2024 edition was a nine-day, 2300-mile affair, which started in Kentucky and ended in Maine. This is serious competition: its official title is “The 2024 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire”, so you see that big names in the hobby are behind it. Competitors are in it for more than guts and glory: this year’s winners, who motored along in a 1916 Hudson (!), were presented with a check for $50,000. Vehicles are required to be from 1974 or earlier, with “handicaps” given based on a vehicle’s age. That sums up what I know. You can read more at www.greatrace.com.

When I learned a while back that this year’s Great Race fleet (136 cars strong) would be making a lunch stop on Thursday, June 27, in Montgomery, NY, and that the public was invited to view the arriving spectacle, I contacted a friend who lives not too far from there, and we joined the throng of several hundred other spectators. Race cars began arriving around 11:30 a.m. and continued to arrive until close to 2 p.m. It was all extremely organized, with dozens of Great Race team workers controlling everything from check-in to traffic flow to parking. Lunch for the vehicle teams was provided under a big tent, and there’s no time to hang out when you’re trying to cover 2,300 miles: participants were given exactly 30 minutes to eat (and presumably use a restroom) before they were expected to be back on the road.

I saw this as a great photo op, but wasn’t expecting the challenge of a crowd lined up along the curb, vying to snap their own pictures. The answer(s) was to use my telephoto lens and get down low, which seemed to be the only way to keep strays (people, not pets) out of my photos. This gave many of my pictures a similar “head on” perspective, a little different than my usual shots. Enjoy scrolling through them; it’s a bit of a photo dump with 50 pics included, and I’ve made no attempt to identify vehicles, but most of the post-war cars should be recognizable. If the 2025 edition of the Great Race comes anywhere near your location, I suggest that you check it out!