A few weeks ago, I pulled the cover off the ’67 Alfa Romeo and began the springtime ritual of prepping the car for the driving season. There are always two components to this: the mechanical, and the cosmetic. Mechanically, I have already gotten my order from Classic Alfa, consisting mainly of tune-up items like plugs and points. Cosmetically, the car was clean when it went into storage last fall, so at first glance, there didn’t seem to be much need in that department.

However, I have decided on a change of tack for the car. A quick refresher: when I purchased the car from Pete in 2013, it had already been awarded its HPOF (Historical Preservation of Original Features) status by the AACA. This means that the car was verified to essentially be in original condition. Future HPOF awards at AACA events would require maintaining its originality. I have only shown this car at one AACA National event, in Saratoga Springs, NY in 2024, where it won its repeat HPOF.

I’ve done my best to maintain the car without changing anything. But now I’ve decided that, given the decreased likelihood of participating in AACA Nationals, I might consider some minor upgrades for reliability, safety, and appearance. (Mind you, I’m not a trophy-hunter, and while I appreciate the recognition from my peers, it is far from the main reason I own a collector car.)

For example, I have continued using the original factory-style Roma-Block radiator hose clamps. But several loosened up and caused a minor coolant leak. I now plan to replace those clamps with an updated design. And speaking of clamps, I was always bothered by the tarnished and dull appearance of the air intake hose clamps. They are original to the car and in thirteen years of ownership, I have ignored them, until now. I thought I would try a buffing method I had never used before.

I grabbed my tube of Wenol “automotive” metal polish, labeled as a finer compound than the regular Wenol. I also broke out my Dremel tool and mounted a small cotton buffing wheel on it. Securing the hose clamp in my bench vise, I put a schmear (yes, the word is in my Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary) of Wenol on the clamp, cranked the speed dial on the Dremel up to 15k (range is 5k-30k) and had at it.

At first I became alarmed when the clamp turned black! But I kept at it, and within moments, the matte gray metal glistened like chrome. I continued the treatment, buffing a small section at a time, and wiping each section down with a microfiber cloth to remove the remaining remnants of polish. After finishing one clamp, the buffing wheel seemed saturated, so I switched to a new cotton wheel for the second clamp. I also polished the clamps’ bolts and nuts for the complete look.

Wow! What a difference an investment of thirty minutes of garage time made, and it was fun to do! The clamps now look almost new, and are nice and contrasty against the black air hose. The next challenge will be to attack other engine compartment clamps which will look shabby compared to these two refurbished ones. And if the car does enter another round of HPOF judging, I’ll simply tell the judges the truth: yes, these clamps are original to the car.

Entire blog post content copyright © 2025 Richard A. Reina. Text and photos may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.