My good friend Mike and I know each other from working together at Onyx, the company that operated the CARiD website. We each had our ups and downs at work, but that is water under the bridge. We have remained friends since first meeting in 2011, and as part of that friendship, we meet once a month for breakfast, almost without exception. Our go-to place for a number of years now has been Orlando’s on Route 31 in Hopewell, NJ. I can’t recommend it enough.
We had breakfast there today. Last night, during a quick phone call, we agreed to drive our classics to the restaurant, me in my Alfa, and Mike in his ’66 Corvette roadster. Unusually for a weekday morning, Orlando’s parking lot was filled almost to capacity, and we had to park our rides way off to one side, sandwiching them close together because there was little room to put them anywhere else.
Breakfast was incredible as always: we each had two eggs, home fries, whole wheat toast, and unlimited coffee, and the check with tax but before the tip came to $12. That’s not each, that’s for both of us. Like I said, I can’t recommend it enough. Another great thing about Orlando’s: they never rush us out. Even after our plates are cleared away, our waitress lets us sit there all morning, continuing to refresh our cups.
Finally, it was time to leave, and as we approached our cars, we were struck by how great they looked aside each other, so similar yet so different. Mike’s is a ’66 with a V8, 4-speed, and a drop-top, which he fully restored himself. Mine is one year newer, with a four-banger, 5-speed, and a rear seat. Both are carbureted and are equipped with four-wheel disc brakes. But each car in its own way spoke to the true sports car enthusiast of that decade.
We both were happy to give our cars some exercise. It was a great day all around.
When I rebuilt the front suspension of my Alfa Romeo over the winter of 2014-2015, the rebuild included replacement of the front shocks. The removed shocks appeared original to the car, which would have made them forty-eight years old! I also went “cheap,” purchasing a lower-priced pair from Classic Alfa, my usual supplier, instead of brand-name ones like Koni or Bilstein.
Jump to the spring of 2026, and not only are the replaced front shocks eleven years old, I haven’t touched the rear shocks. I decided it was time to replace all four with the ones most recommended on the Alfa Romeo bulletin board (the AlfaBB), which were the Koni “red” shocks. (The “yellow” shocks are stiffer, and the online consensus was that they were more appropriate for those who track or race their cars, which I don’t.)
I ordered the shocks and as is typical for Classic Alfa, they arrived in a matter of days. (Their shipping costs from the UK have always been reasonable, but now I’m also paying tariffs and “administrative fees” to DHL.) The front shock replacement was easy, as it’s a straightforward removal of nuts and washers at both top and bottom. The Alfa front suspension is upper and lower control arms, so there is no need to compress the springs.
It’s similar in the rear, except access is a little trickier. According to my service books, replacement of the rear shocks is made easier if the rear seat is removed. The implication in that statement is that it’s not required to do so. I saw that the issue is that the shocks’ top mounts are so far forward in the trunk that they are almost impossible to reach from outside the trunk. So, with some trepidation, I removed the rear seat bottom and backrest, concerned that it might be difficult, or that I might find deteriorated material. My concerns were for naught: not only did the seat cushions come out rather easily, but I was pleasantly surprised to take note of the fine condition of the undersides of the cushions.
For the seat bottom, it was simply lift and remove.For the seat back, there were bolts hidden under the upholstery at the bottom, and clips at top.The undersides of both seats showed no signs of deterioration at all.
With the seat out, I still couldn’t see the shock mounts, so I removed the package shelf, which took a little more effort. Pete, the previous owner, had installed an aftermarket 6×9 speaker in the shelf, and that needed to be removed first. As soon as I touched the speaker’s paper cone, it disintegrated, so a new speaker was ordered from Crutchfield. But removing the shelf turned out to be unnecessary. It was the trunk’s rubber matting, which covers both the trunk floor and the forward wall, that was blocking my access. Once I folded the mat out of the way, the shock mounts were exposed, and it was revealed to me that I could have done the job with the parcel shelf in place. Oh well, this just gave me an excuse to install a new speaker.
Here you can see the trunk mat up against the forward wall. Note how light the paint coverage is.
This Jensen speaker was probably from the early 1970s.The shock’s top nut has been removed, but the black cap, held in place by three small bolts, also needed to be removed to extract the shock.
The rear shocks were 59 years old, and I was shocked that they had any resistance at all. The new Koni shocks went in without a hitch. Koni’s shocks are adjustable, and the installation instructions state that they leave the factory set to the softest setting. The consensus on the Alfa Bulletin Board is that most Giulia owners prefer to leave them at that setting, which is what I did. With all four Konis in place, I took the car for a drive. Ride comfort, which was always good, did not change at all. Road handling felt just slightly more “buttoned down,” meaning, the car’s steering responses and road grip were ever so slightly improved. Mainly, I was happy that the ride did not become harsh. The Koni red shocks were reasonably priced, easy to install, and provided a small but noticeable improvement in overall drivability. I would recommend them to anyone looking for shocks for their classic sports car.
This is one of the original rear shocksThis closeup shows some markings: “POST” is short for “POSTERIOR,” meaning “rear”. “ALTO” is “top”.This front shock was installed in 2015.
Side by side are the old front shock and the new Koni red shock.
After wet and windy weather walloped the metro NY/NJ area on Saturday July 18, Sunday morning the 19th dawned with the promise of a drier day, making it ideal for members of the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club to enjoy their monthly breakfast meet. This month’s host was again the Americana Diner in Shrewsbury, NJ, and a dozen of us made the trek.
The diner’s parking lot was enlivened by our cars
While the number of Alfas in the parking lot was small, the selection of models was spectacular: two 4C convertibles, two Duettos, and one Giulia coupe. The lineup was impressive enough to draw the attention of other diner guests, who looked on with envy at our beautiful Italian performance machines.
As always, the food, coffee, and service at the Americana were exemplary. We pressed our waiter into also acting as our group photographer, and the poor young lad took so much time with my SLR camera that the boss came up behind him, causing me to worry that he would be scolded (or worse)! But common sense prevailed, the requisite photo was captured, and the young man kept his job.
As is our style, departure from the building did not equate to departure from the parking lot. The group managed to dally for at least another thirty minutes (there’s always something automotive-related to discuss among us). I hit the road at 11:30, leaving at least a half-dozen of my fellow Alfisti to continue to squander their Sunday. My trip home took an hour, and I’m happy to report that not only is the car running very well, but during today’s drive, the odometer reached 70,000 miles. In March of 2013, when I took possession of the car, there were 54,000 miles on the clock, so 16,000 miles in thirteen years counts for a goodly amount of driving! Every mile has been a blast.
The Flemington, NJ, cruise night was previously held on Main St. in downtown Flemington on alternating Saturdays. I last attended this event in 2023, and a few things have changed since then. First, the show has been relocated to Stangl Road, a supposedly quieter street for local traffic (more about that below). The second change is that it’s now held only once a month. What has not changed is the selection of a different “featured class or brand” for each cruise night. On Saturday, June 13, import vehicles were featured, and I made a late-day decision to hop into the Alfa Romeo and drive over (it’s only fifteen minutes away).
The cruise night was advertised as running from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and I planned my arrival to coincide with the start time. I was taken aback with how crowded the show was at 5 p.m. As I slowly motored down Stangl Road, I was directed to the “featured cars lot,” where I managed to secure the final available parking spot. Backing in between a Triumph TR-6 and a tricked-out Hyundai Veloster, I correctly surmised that the evening’s “import cars” would include a wide variety of automobiles.
Sharing space with the other “furrin” cars
No sooner had I exited my Alfa when two fellow NJ-AACA members, John P. and Jerry P. (no relation) sauntered over. John had his beautiful ’57 Chevy Bel Air parked down the street, and Jerry placed his ’64 Pontiac Bonneville next to John’s Chevy. The three of us proceeded to amble along Stangl Road together, admiring the machinery, when we ran into Dave, another NJ-AACA member (who didn’t have a car there). It was a nice mini reunion, with lots to talk about, surrounded as we were by classic cars.
Stangl Road is lined with restaurants and retail stores, which brings its own share of traffic, but you would not refer to it as a primary thoroughfare, the way you would Main St., the cruise nights’ previous location. During my visit, Stangl Road was so crowded with pedestrians that many of us (wrongly) presumed that the road was closed to through traffic. It was not. Most drivers had the courtesy to keep their speeds low, but several wise guys wanted to show off their muscle cars. The worst offender of the night was the driver of a FedEx truck, which was attempting to speed through the area until traffic slowed him down. At that point, Jerry, a Navy veteran, leaned into the truck and gave the driver an earful, scolding him for his carelessness while there were children in the road.
Corvettes old and new
I eventually made my way back to my Alfa, where several spectators engaged me in conversation about my car. The cruise night is run by Fred Beans, a large multi-franchise series of dealers throughout NJ and PA, and around 7:30, they announced that if your windshield placard was missing from your car, that meant you won a trophy. Mine was missing, and a short while later, I was presented with my trophy! What was confusing, though, is that about one-quarter of the import cars won trophies, and no explanation was forthcoming regarding how or why certain cars were chosen. Oh well, it was an honor to win. Once that part of the evening was concluded, I headed home. The Flemington Cruise Night offers a very large number of vehicles, covering the spectrum of collectability: old, new, and everything in between. It was crowded, noisy (there were TWO live rock bands playing all evening), and I’ve concluded that I prefer Somerville’s cruise night. Still, I might pay Flemington another visit (without the Alfa) later this summer.
Regular readers of my blog know that the NJ Alfa Romeo club holds a breakfast meeting once a month, rotating among several diners throughout central Jersey. We have been very consistent at maintaining this tradition for the past few years. Once a year, we break from that routine and treat ourselves to an alfresco breakfast in Colonial Park in Somerset, NJ, typically in June, and we again joined forces there on Sunday, June 14. Our event coordinator, Bill DiPrima, always does an excellent job by arriving with bagels, muffins, cookies, and most importantly, hot coffee. The perfect spring weather encouraged over a dozen club members to arrive in their Milanese machinery, old and new. My ’67 Alfa, which was so recalcitrant last month, got me there and back without missing a beat.
An accidental array of superlative Italian machinery
As seems to be typical for us, we spent as much time in conversation as we did in culinary consumption (I personally enjoyed smoked salmon on a multi-grain bagel with my java). Although there were bocce ball courts adjacent to us, we did not play this year, which speaks to the extent to which we were enjoying each other’s company. And as if the breakfast food couldn’t be topped, it was when V.P. Vic surprised his wife with a birthday cake. (Her birthday wish was that we talk about something other than car repair.)
Birthday girl Gail is in the middle, with hubby Vic and sister Dawn
Next month, it’s back to a diner, which I always enjoy, but there is something special about taking in the combination of breakfast foods, great friends and our Alfa Romeos in the spring air.
Bill is still setting up while others have already dug in
Above: we had classics from the ’60s and the ’90s
Dawn, Gail, and Vic
Bob, Tony, Lina, and Denise
Above: the newer cars fit in just fine with the classics
Lorenzo’s car may not be an Alfa, but his Lancia Fulvia Zagato is welcomed just the same
Attending events with my ’67 Alfa Romeo has been a hit-or-miss affair lately. As I covered in an earlier post, I was unable to drive my car to the Carlisle Import Show(although I attended in a modern car). My NJ Alfa Romeo club gathered at the Somerville NJ cruise night the week before last, but I was out of town at a concert, so I missed that as well. We’ve had a spate of good weather recently, and I was itching to take the car somewhere, so last Friday I made a late-day decision to head off to Somerville, which is only six miles from my home.
The Somerville cruise night is held every Friday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and the special interest and collector cars always manage to fill up almost all of the parking spaces along Main St. The local businesses love the crowds, and the evening takes on a party atmosphere, with teens, families, locals, and out-of-towners joining the fun. I snagged a good parking spot in front of an Italian restaurant, jokingly telling one of the waiters that I parked my Italian car there to bring them more business! Several passers-by stopped to admire and chat about my car, which is always nice. I was out of there by 7:30 and home by 8 p.m., and it was a great way to spend the evening.
The photos below tell the rest of the story. I’ve always enjoyed the variety of vehicles at this cruise night, and last Friday was no exception.
4 p.m. and happy to have gotten a good parking spot in the shade.A beautifully restored pre-war Plymouth.Another view of the Plymouth.1963 Chevy ImpalaSomething I rarely see at shows: a Model T Ford.1963 Ford ThunderbirdOrange Mustang with orange umbrellasThe ’49-’51 shoebox Fords were revolutionaryOld school hot rodHonda S2000In front of Cafe PicassoDodge ChargerLate ’60s – early ’70s Mercedes Benz. Note the German license plate.The ubiquitous 1957 ChevroletBoat tail Riviera1965 Pontiac BonnevilleThis photo could have been taken in the 1960sPlymouth Barracuda1990s Toyota SupraBuick Wildcat1957 Chevy pickup truckLunch, or gelato, or both?1965 Pontiac GTOMercury MontegoMain St. was packed with pedestrians all evening long
Last month, between my trip to Hershey in early October and jetting off to Italy in mid October, there was an Alfa Romeo Club breakfast that fell through the cracks! However, better late than never, so here is the post about the NJ-AROC monthly breakfast from Sunday, October 12, 2025.
We met at one of our regular haunts, the Spinning Wheel Diner on Route 22 in Lebanon, NJ. I didn’t even get a table shot, which always helps me obtain an accurate head count, but from the photos I have, it looks like we had seven Alfisti plus one guest, my friend Doug from the NJ-AACA. He had been expressing interest in Alfa Spiders to me, so I invited him to join us for the morning, which he gladly did.
After breakfast, we did our usual hanging around in the parking lot. Jeff’s Spider was the only one there, so with Doug, that’s the car that got our attention. I sat in it and marveled at the seats, much more supportive with their more aggressive side bolsters than in an earlier car like mine. This group of Jersey guys are always great to spend time with, which makes me doubly glad that as a club, we have been able to keep to our monthly breakfast meets.
Sunday, September 21, 2025 was a busy day for participating members of AROC’s New Jersey Chapter as we found ourselves at three different locations throughout central NJ from early morning until mid-afternoon. Our optional start began at 8:30 a.m. at Colonial Park in Franklin Township in Somerset County. There, eight of us converged for a simple and quick breakfast of muffins, donuts, and coffee. Promptly at 9:15, the five Alfas (well, one was a Tonale which the Italian factory mislabeled as a Dodge Hornet), ably led by Bill DiPrima in his 164, caravanned to the Grounds for Sculpture.
Enjoying breakfast at Colonial Park
There, we met up with many more of our fellow Alfisti (and one amico driving a Fiat 500 Abarth) who arrived at the museum separately. The Grounds for Sculpture staff had granted our request for secure private parking, and once we were all parked and locked, we had three hours to wander through the expansive grounds and buildings. (See the Sidebar for more about the Grounds for Sculpture.)
We reconvened at the cars at 1 p.m., and caravanned from there to Rossi’s Bar and Grill, where they were expecting us. Their extensive menu included pizza (“tomato pie”, actually), burgers, sandwiches, and more. The food and service were both wonderful, and our party split up around 3 p.m. for the rides home.
Besides Bill’s 164 and my Bertone coupe, other classic Alfas included two Spiders. Modern machinery in addition to the Italian Hornet and the Abarth included a Guilia sedan and a 4C. I will again comment how wonderful it is to be part of a club where both older and newer models of the same marque are equally welcome (and all kidding aside, we also open our arms to drivers of anything Italian).
A very big grazie goes to our Event Coordinator Bill DiPrima who oversaw today’s arrangements, and to Paul Mitchell who chose and scheduled our luncheon stop.
Enrico and Bill negotiate security details with guardBob shoots ducks (well, Bob shoots photos of ducks)
SIDEBAR: The Grounds for Sculpture
This was my third or fourth visit to this funky, offbeat, and diverse display of artwork. I won’t delve into the details which are better found here at this link anyway. But this most recent stop was the first time I spent most of my time outdoors, and with very cooperative weather overhead, there was lots to take in. The sampling of photos below give you some idea of what to expect. If you are ever in the area, or even if you are not, it’s worth the trip.
Our local Catholic Church held its annual picnic on Sunday, September 14, 2025, and for the first time, a parishioner worked to include an informal car show as part of the festivities. I drove my ’67 Alfa Romeo to the event, which was all of two miles away, and was delighted to find an assortment of vehicles on display (even if it was a little heavy on the Corvettes, with four in attendance).
The weather was perfect, and more than one attendee stopped to admire my car and its originality. My wife and I partook of the BBQ food, and after about three hours, the crowds dispersed, and I was back home in a matter of minutes. Nice cars, nice people, and nice weather converged to create a great afternoon!
On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, members of the NJ Region of the AACA gathered at the Long Valley (NJ) Brew Pub for lunch and conversation. These mid-week meetings started earlier this year and are chaired by Abe, one of our more active club members. While previous luncheons had started with a brief tour from a common meeting point to the destination, this one omitted the drive, which for me was a disappointment. However, the collection of special-interest automobiles, combined with the group’s camaraderie, made up for that deletion.
As many of you know, I love to drive my Alfa Romeo (15,000 miles and counting during twelve years of ownership), and I did get to enjoy a spirited run up and back on Route 517 between Oldwick and Long Valley. This was a road made for a lightweight sports coupe with a high-revving engine.
With the Alfa in third gear, at 40 to 50 mph the engine was turning between four and five grand. At this speed and in this gear, the motor responded instantly to the slightest touch of the accelerator pedal. Both hands stayed on the wheel with eyes glued forward, and I was “in the zone.” I could have driven back and forth on that winding asphalt all day long.
Where was I? Oh, lunch. We had over a dozen AACA members and significant others, arriving in a variety of mostly American cars of the ‘50s through ‘80s. The only other import besides my Italiana macchina was Doug’s immaculate 1991 Miata, a special-edition model in what Mazda called British Racing Green. Other cars included a ubiquitous ’57 Chevy, a Ford Granada, a downsized but still-large ‘80s Cadillac, a Mustang convertible, and an ‘80s Mercury Cougar.
A pair of greens
The restaurant was not crowded, and the service and food were exemplary. I’ve been to this Brew Pub many times before, and have always enjoyed the experience. I know that Abe, the event’s chairperson, has two more luncheons on the calendar for this year. I will do my best to join one or both of them before storing my steed for the winter.
Ford GranadaMercury CougarAlfa RomeoFord MustangBig Caddy1957 Chevy
