The final Sunday morning breakfast run of the season was held on November 6, 2016. New Jersey weather in early November can be unpredictable; today, we were blessed with sunshine, high pressure, slight winds, and temps in the mid-50s. In other words, it was perfect weather to take our classics out for one more spin around the neighborhood.
Julio’s Coronet in the foreground, with most (but not all) the remainder in front
Today’s joke was that we’ve become victims of our own success; we had a record 20 cars (even if not all of them hung with us the entire morning), and 20 hungry mouths to feed at breakfast. Kicking off from our usual starting spot at the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel in Mahwah, a number of first-timers joined the usual crowd. We ventured north, eventually connecting with Route 513, which we followed south all the way to Route 80 and then Route 46 in NJ, ending at Paul’s Family Diner in Mountain Lakes.
The BS starts before the caffeine flows
Several participants commented on the wide-ranging variety of machinery in today’s caravan. The British made a strong showing with Rich S’s MGB-GT V8, Rich L’s Jaguar F-Type, and Greg’s ’66 E-Type Coupe (RHD, no less).
American muscle was well represented by Julio’s Coronet, Ralph’s Skylark, Larry’s Nova, Paul’s Camaro, and Nick’s Mustang.
The Germans, as usual, had an army of 911s, including Peter’s, Dave’s, and Ted’s. BMWs were represented by Sal in his E30, and Julio’s’ son in a 3-series sedan.
The class winner was the Corvette contingent. We had Burton’s C1, Bill’s C2 (with a 427 3×2), two C3’s (neither joined us at breakfast) and Ron’s C4.
Jim brought his Datsun Z but didn’t drive with us, and the lone Italian car (again) was your author’s very trusty Alfa.
American, German, and British machinery sweep through the curves
The cruise down Route 513 was scenic, if a bit hampered by locals driving modern cars. We arrived at the diner at 10 sharp, and although it was under construction, both the food and the service were exemplary. After the usual post-meal parking lot BS session, we were all on our way back by noon. And so ends a very successful 2016 driving season. The sooner that Old Man Winter gets here, does his thing, and gets out, the sooner we can dust ‘em off and start driving in 2017. We can’t wait.
A tune-up? Who performs “tune-ups” anymore? Modern cars have spoiled us with their extended service intervals. My 2014 VW Jetta calls for an oil and filter change every 10,000 miles, and spark plug and air filter replacement every 60,000 miles. That’s about it. There are other new vehicles for which the manufacturer recommends spark plugs every 100,000 miles. You might forget they were in there if you wait that long.
It’s different, of course, with an older car. The ’67 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior taking residence in my garage still uses an ignition distributor with a cap, rotor, points, and condenser (ask any person under 30, even an auto buff, what are points and condenser, but be prepared to ‘splain).
GT 1300 Junior used Bosch electrics. Other Alfas used Marelli.
When I obtained the Alfa in March of 2013, with 54k on the clock, I did what I normally do with any used car that’s new to me – I attended to all the normal maintenance items as a proactive measure, no matter how meticulous the previous owner may have been. In my case, the Alfa’s 1.3L engine got new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, points, and condenser. There was peace of mind knowing the tune was good for a while.
Remove air hose (2 clamps) and all 4 plugs are readily accessible
Right now, the car barely has 62,000 miles on it, so it’s only been eight thousand miles, but it’s been three and a half years. Earlier this year, I ordered a full complement of tune-up items, just to have them on hand. My plan was to revisit the tune at the 10,000 interval, or at 64,000 miles.
For some reason, last weekend, I decided to pull the plugs. First of all, I can’t think of an engine on which it’s easier to change the four spark plugs. Yes, I need to remove the air filter hose to access the #4 plug, but that takes 30 seconds. Once that’s out of the way, the plugs are RIGHT THERE. So out they came.
The 4 old Bosch plugs
Plugs numbers one, two, and three looked almost identical. That’s not to say that they looked good. All three of them had significant carbon deposits on them. They were not wet from gas, nor oily, nor sooty with unburned fuel, which was some good news.
The shock was the fourth and final plug, which had so much material deposited on it that I seriously questioned how this thing was firing. (The engine mostly ran fine before I pulled the plugs, with the very infrequent high-speed miss. I was still attributing the miss to a fuel issue.)
The #4 plug. I’ve been working on cars for 40 years. I can’t believe this plug fired.
Before proceeding further, I went into the house to pull my invoices on the car. When I bought the plugs, early in 2013, I had not yet settled on an Alfa supplier which I felt met my needs. The plugs were purchased from a U.S. supplier with whom I no longer conduct business. They were Bosch plugs, and from everything I’ve since researched, no one today recommends these plugs for Alfa engines. My principal supplier, Classic Alfa in the U.K. exclusively recommends NGK plugs, and that’s what went in as replacements.
Photo documents rotor direction, for correct orientation when reinstallling distributor
While I was under the hood, I removed the distributor (one 10mm hold-down bolt), and replaced the points and condenser. I lubed the distributor in three places, put on the new cap and rotor, and put it all back together. She fired right up, of course! – unlike three years ago, when I accidentally grounded the points….
Service book recommends distributor removal for points and condenser replacement
Taking the car for a test drive, I was not expecting any significant power improvement. I mean, we’re starting with 100 hp, so, who’s going to feel a 5% increase? What was noticeable was the difference in throttle response. Touching the accelerator pedal gave an immediate jump in RPM. The car was such a joy to drive that I stayed out for about 30 minutes, taking it through the gears, and bringing that rev-happy Italian engine up to 6 grand on the tach. Oh, and no high-speed miss.
So, lesson learned. European sports cars which get driven infrequently need to have their state of tune checked more frequently. It’s easy enough to do, so there’s no excuse. This ain’t no 2014 VW. Thankfully.
It’s been a hot summer in the Northeast, but the morning of August 28, 2016, dawned with somewhat cool temperatures. This usually means that while it would still get quite warm, the humidity would fail to be oppressive. Most importantly, it gave every indication of staying dry for our breakfast drive, a gathering which we last did back in May.
The usual chit-chat before breakfast
Our turnout today was great: 12 cars and 14 participants. Showing the diversity of our automotive interests, we had a mix of 5 domestics and 7 imports, and almost every decade represented from the 1960s through the 2000s. For a switch, let’s list our cars alphabetically by make (OK, I admit it, I want to get the Alfas first):
Alfa Romeo – THREE! Two ’91 Spiders, and your blogger’s ’67 GT Junior.
BMWs – Three: Two Z3s (one an M), and a rather new 2-series convertible.
Cadillac – a ’66 Eldorado convertible.
Chevrolet – Two: A ’72 Nova, and a C4 Corvette coupe.
Dodge – The Green Viper.
Ford – A late-model Mustang convertible.
Porsche – a late ‘80s 911 coupe.
We’re now in the habit of including a fuel and restroom break
Our breakfast destination was the Readington Diner on Route 22 in Whitehouse Station NJ. Once we got off Routes 287 and 10, the roads were a driver’s delight. The diner was most accommodating, as we called ahead, and there was a table waiting for us when we strolled in at 10:30.
Coffee, food, more coffee, talk, and more coffee finally concluded with the usual “why don’t we do this again soon?” So we will. We’re hoping for at least two more runs this year before our classics are tucked away for the winter.
The Friday tradition known as the Somerville NJ cruise night took place as expected on August 26, 2016. However, the usual swarm of domestic muscle cars and old-school hot rods was invaded by members from the NJ Region of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC). In total, there were 9 Alfa Romeos present, which was an excellent showing for this sweltering late summer evening.
The club had reached out to the cruise night organizers to request a group parking spot. As has been done in the past for other clubs, the spaces in front of the Somerset County Courthouse were reserved for us. The first Alfa was in place before 5pm, with the majority of cars claiming their spots by 6pm. Based on the steady flow of foot traffic parading past our cars, we can presume that the audience enjoyed the rather unexpected gathering of Italian machinery.
There was great model diversity, with Alfetta GTs, Spiders, a 164, two 4Cs, and your scribe’s GT 1300 Junior. The Junior was the sole vehicle from the 1960s, but we had great representation from the ‘70s and ‘80s.
The 4Cs were the surprise of the evening, with one privately-owned car in attendance, as well as a brand new one from the local dealer, Fullerton Fiat-Alfa (thanks, Dave!).
No mirrors were used in this shot
Gorgeous interior (note carbon fiber)
Engine hidden under shroud
Old friends got reacquainted, new friends were made, and with darkness arriving by 8pm, most of us were back on the road by then. It was an enjoyable way to spend an evening with like-minded people, and we hold out hope that our local Alfa club can find its way to organize one more gathering before the cars are stored for the winter.
1977 Spider
Still owned by original purchaser
Interior a mix of original and refurbished
Spider in obligatory red
1993 Spider looking sharp in black
’70s era Alfetta GT
In case you didn’t know the marque
Rare twin-plug engine
Earliest Alfettas put tach in front of driver, with speedo pushed to center
The 164: V6 & FWD
So clean it looked a year old
Detailed engine compartment
My 1967 GT 1300 Junior
A V6-equipped ’80s GT Coupe
Sixty years later, Alfa still using manual release in 4C’s door jamb to open trunk
Display cars in the parking lot, with TD Bank Ballpark in the backgroud
Friday, July 8, 2016 was Collector Car Appreciation Day in the U.S., the seventh year in a row that such a date was recognized. The date was designated as per a U.S. Senate resolution which was passed with the support of various auto hobby lobbying groups, most notably SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association).
As part of this celebration, the New Jersey Region of the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) co-sponsored a car show held in the parking lot of the TD Bank Ballpark, the home stadium in Bridgewater NJ for the Somerset Patriots baseball team. This show was held on Sunday, July 10, 2016.
Another view of the cars on display.
Turnout among NJ AACA members was impressive, with 20 cars from the club on display. The Street Dreams Car Club had also been invited to participate. Their cars and trucks leaned toward newer and /or modified, but not exclusively so. In total, there were close to 50 vehicles in the show. Ballpark employees roped and coned off a section of the lot, allowing us to park together, and game spectators meandered the aisles, enjoying the vehicular variety.
The Street Dreams club cars were mostly at the other end of the lot.
The parking lot show started at 3pm, and the ball game was scheduled to begin at 5pm. Around 4 o’clock, word went out that we all should start our cars and get into a queue near the back of the lot. A large gate swung open, and every show car was allowed to drive one parade lap completely around the field’s warning track. This Alfa Romeo owner had his wife, step-son, and two granddaughters in the car (FIVE occupants, a world record), and we thoroughly enjoyed the chance to see the ballpark from the vantage point of a vintage automobile.
A true family affair. Yes, we all fit into the little Italian job.
At the conclusion of the parade lap, we all returned to the parking lot, and most of us entered the stadium to enjoy a little baseball. This was the first time that the NJ AACA helped conduct such an event, and I understand that the club has already decided to make this an annual occurrence.
A ’55 T-Bird, first year of production.
A ’64 T-Bird, one of the last of the so-called collectible Birds.
This ’66 Mustang is a 1st generation car.
By 1968, the Mustang’s size grew.
But by ’73, it was yet another size larger.
Older FoMoCo cars included this ’50 Ford
… and this ’50 Mercury.
This 1952 Hudson Hornet was immaculate.
Its trunk carried this stylized badge.
The styling similarity between the ’50 Mercury and ’52 Hornet is obvious from the rear.
Fifties GM cars included this ’50 Olds,
this 1954 Chevrolet,
and this unrestored ’56 Pontiac.
This 53 Cadillac is huge from any angle.
It looks especially wide from the front.
In length, it takes up more than a modern parking spot.
The owner of this ’56 DeSoto has a sense of humor (but it really does have a Hemi).
The author’s 1967 Alfa Romeo was the only non-American car in the show.
An annual ritual was completed today, when I put my 1967 Alfa Romeo away for the winter. I’ve followed the same basic checklist for a number of years, on this car as well as on my previously owned collectibles. The success rate has been very good, with all the cars eagerly starting up on first try once the spring weather returns. I’ve been spared any issues with dead batteries, flat-spotted tires, or gummy fuel systems, by completing a few steps which are quite simple to do.
The Alfa in Three Bridges NJ
Parked just beyond a bridge in Three Bridges NJ
Friday, November 6, 2015, was unusually warm in New Jersey, so it was a good day to take the Alfa for one more brief maintenance run before beginning the winterization process. The car ran superbly, as it has since I bought it in the spring of 2013. Once back home, I added about 4 ounces of Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer, then headed to my local Shell station to top off the tank.
Sta-Bil is my friend. Have used it for years
The Sta-Bil was added first in order to better blend it with the fuel. Purchasing the 6 gallons I need to fill the tank ensured that the stabilizer would be more thoroughly blended. If I had added the Sta-Bil after the fill-up, it would be less likely to completely mix with the fuel in the tank. I always store the car with a completely full fuel tank, as this minimizes the chance of condensation on the inside of the tank walls. I let the car idle for 5 minutes or so, in order for the gasoline/Sta-Bil combination to circulate through the carburetors.
Pouring the Sta-Bil left-handed
The Sta-Bil label recommends that the product be used within two years of opening it, and since I use it in the Mazda Miata, the lawn mower, weed trimmer, and snow thrower, I don’t have too much of an issue consuming a 32 oz. bottle within that time frame.
My German side makes me do these things
Next on the list were the tires, specifically, resetting the pressures. Because I let my cars sit on the garage floor during the winter, the car’s weight continues to bear down on the tires. It would be better to get the car up on 4 jack stands, remove the tires, and store them horizontally, but I have found this method avoids all that. I overinflate the tires, being careful to stay within the maximum pressure on the tire’s sidewall. The 155-15 Vredesteins on the Alfa indicate a maximum pressure of 51 psi, significantly above my driving pressure of around 26-28 psi. I decided on 40 psi, and all tires were pumped up to that.
Sidewall shows 51 psi max
I also add air left-handed
Accutire gauge shows pressure digitally
Part of the winter ritual is a fresh oil and filter change. However, given that the Alfa got that done just several hundred miles ago, I didn’t do that today. Instead, the car was backed into its garage bay, all windows were rolled up, and the battery kill switch was turned to “off”. The car was once again cocooned under its cover, and except for attaching a Battery Tender, which will be done later in the weekend, the task was finished.
Done. Hoping for an early spring!
Last year, the car was up on four jack stands, as I spent much of the winter, and a good part of early spring, rebuilding the front suspension. There are no winter projects for the Alfa this year. Come spring, I will tune it up and change some filters, as I haven’t done that since first acquiring the car, when it had 54,000 miles. Hard to believe I’ve driven it 7,000 miles over three driving seasons. The car’s reliability all that time has been remarkable. Yes, there have been some hiccups, but it has never failed to get me where I was going, or get me back home. The plan is to continue that for 2016!
The storied Italian car maker Alfa Romeo was heavily featured at this year’s New Hope Auto Show, held on the grounds of this Pennsylvania town’s high school. The Alfas, assigned their own class, were all parked next to each other, although there was no particular order to their arrangement. The casual observer would be forgiven if s/he thought that Alfa only made convertibles. Of the 15 cars present, 10 were soft tops (“spiders” in Alfa-speak). Of those 10, 9 were of the same basic body style, a design which debuted as the Duetto in 1966 and concluded its run as the Spider Veloce in 1994. That is a very long time in car-years.
Alfas in a row The only Giulia coupe at this year’s show, and a step-nose to boot
Your author’s car, a 1967 GT 1300 Junior, was proudly on display, and was one of the few tin-tops in attendance. The field was rounded out with an early ‘60s 2000 Spider (the so-called Large Alfa), an Alfetta GT, a GTV-6, and a 164 sedan (the only front-wheel-drive Alfa present among all the rear-wheel-drive vehicles).
A 1979 Alfetta GT
An early ’60s 2000 Spider
A 1985 GTV-6 Callaway Twin-Turbo
It was a rare treat for me to see so many Alfa Romeos in one place at the same time. But the real treat was provided by the gang which brought in these beautiful cars. Alfa owners are a passionate lot; they like to drive their cars; they like to show off and talk about their cars; and they like to meet and chat with fellow Alfa owners and wanna-be owners. Most of the day was consumed by conversation about our Milanese machines.
Front end of the Duetto
The Duetto’s “round tail”
The first couple I met had arrived in their 1979 Alfetta GT 2-door coupe. “Quinn” and I happily traded stories about each other’s cars. One story I shared occurred last week. While driving to work, I spotted a car just like theirs on the road with me. It had been ages since I had seen an Alfetta moving under its own power. This particular one was mostly in grey primer, with its passenger door still red (and still wearing a large “ALFA ROMEO” decal). It was bumperless, and obviously a work-in-progress. But by the sounds it was making, I knew the driver was having a blast.
An Alfetta GT reflected in the mirror of a Bentley Continental GT
What made our roadway rendezvous rather unique that morning is that I was piloting my boss’ 2012 Bentley Continental GT Coupe, all W-12 twin-turbo 500+ horsepower of it. I’m always a bit self-conscious driving that car, and tend to stay to the right, moving at the speed limit, in order to avoid undue attention. As the Alfetta drew closer, I wanted to drop my window and give the driver a big thumbs-up. Dismissing any concern about what he might think of me, I did just that. His ear-to-ear grin told me all I needed to know.
1989 Alfa Spider
The Spider hardtop
The owner of the ’79 Alfetta GT told me that he has owned his car in excess of 20 years, and although he has done scores of maintenance and repair work on it, he considers it a mostly original car. Looking the car over, I agreed with him, as much of the black lacquer as well as the beige cloth upholstery remained as it was in 1979. These early Alfettas had a controversial dash design: the tachometer was centered in front of the driver, with all the other gauges in the center. I’ve driven these cars, and it takes some time to get used to the arrangement.
Not all Alfas are red; just most of them
Immediately to one side of me was a Spider owner who is also a very active member of his Alfa Romeo Owners Club local chapter. He, among many other owners, encouraged me to join the club in order to become more involved in their driving events. “Bill” is a marque expert who delighted in telling me about the nuances among the display cars, including which cars were factory-correct and which were not. The truth is that he was a tremendous knowledge source about all things Alfa.
1982 Alfa Spider
On the other side of me was another spider. “Jim” had bought this car just a few months ago (sight unseen off eBay!). It was a Texas car, in very nice shape. This was his 4th Alfa, and he told me that the drive to the show that morning was the longest he had driven the car since obtaining it earlier this year.
1976 Alfa Spider
An hour or so after arriving, the couple with the ’79 Alfetta returned to my car to make an announcement: they had shared my story about “The Alfetta and the Bentley” with the folks in the car next to theirs, and he was the driver of that primered Alfa! “Tom” and I met and screamed over and over at each other “I can’t believe it!” After I told him that I had arrived at work and shared my photo with several fellow enthusiasts, he told me that he got to work and called his wife to tell her “hey honey, some guy in a BENTLEY gave me a thumbs-up”. (His wife chimed in that he never called her from work, and she had at first assumed that something was wrong). Of course, I clarified for him that my daily-driver Jetta was home while I put some miles on the boss’ car. He told me that I had made his day, which made me feel wonderful about the entire encounter.
The number of spiders at the show gave me the chance to document something which I knew about, but for which I was lacking empirical data: the evolutionary design changes of the spider’s back end through 4 generations, known among the faithful as S1, S2, S3, and S4. (The front end also evolved, but to a lesser degree.) Photographing each version and displaying them side-to-side clarifies the differences. It also makes it plain to this set of eyes which of these wins the beauty contest. Your opinion may vary.
S1 (Duetto)
S2 Kamm-back (chrome)
S2 Kamm-back (black)
S3 (Duck tail)
S4 (aero tail)
L to R: S4, S1, S3
Kudos to the organizers of the New Hope show. With close to 250 cars on display, the difficult logistics of successfully running such an event become clear once you spend most of the day observing it. As the cars paraded off the field, my Alfa eventually became the sole representative of the marque. Lovely cars were seen, photographed, dissected, and discussed. Most importantly, new friendships were begun, with the promise of future automotive adventures to come.
Entrance queue at the start of Sunday’s New Hope Auto Show
The New Hope (PA) Automobile Show was held on the grounds of the New Hope-Solebury High School on Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9, 2015. This event, which held its first show in 1957, celebrated its 58th anniversary this year. Vehicles are displayed according to predetermined classes, which are different on each day. In general, domestic vehicles are shown on Saturday, while European imports are featured on Sunday. These divisions are not completely strict, as we shall see. Your faithful scribe registered and showed his 1967 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior on Sunday, so this report will focus only on that day’s cars.
Arriving at 8:15 a.m. and assigned to park with several Alfas already in attendance, I was pleasantly surprised to see our row quickly fill up. In all, 15 Alfas eventually arrived and parked together. While spiders (convertibles in Alfa-speak) were the dominant body style, there was enough variety to keep the Alfisti happy. And Alfas were far from the only well-represented marque. Car classes included Austin-Healey, BMW, Jaguar, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Porsche, Rolls-Royce/Bentley, and Triumph. Some of these classes had total entries in the dozens. All the usual suspects were present, yet the Sunday show distinguished itself by drawing out some truly unusual and rarely-seen exotics.
The Alfa segment of our program will be covered in a separate blog entry. For now, let’s take a tour of some of the other beautiful, sporty, exotic, and downright eye-opening cars on the field. (Photos can be enlarged for viewing by simply clicking on them.)
BRITISH
The MG menagerie
Any classic car show which bills itself as featuring “MGs and Triumphs” will cause you to expect to find MGBs and TR6s. We had MGBs and TR6s in New Hope. We also had Triumph Italias. The Italia had Triumph TR3 mechanicals under a Michelotti-designed body, built by Vignale in Italy. According to Wikipedia, only 329 were made. To say that they are rare is an understatement. To see one at a car show is completely unexpected. There were two on display today (the earlier use of the plural “Italias” was not a typo).
The red Triumph Italia
The silver Triumph Italia
Not as rare as an Italia, but still infrequently spotted, were several MGCs. To those unaware of its existence, the “C” externally appears no different than an MGB. Careful scrutiny will reveal a hood bulge, necessary to accommodate the inline-six cylinder engine shoe-horned into the front. While contemporaneous road tests derided the extra weight over the front wheels and the accompanying poor handling, a kinder and gentler revisiting of the model has critics responding favorably to the extra oomph brought on by two extra cylinders.
This MGC roadster was pristine in British Racing Green
Its inline 6 was chromed out
This yellow MGC was parked next to an even rarer Messerschmitt and DeLorean
The Jaguar E-Type (more commonly known as the XKE on this side of the pond) is arguably one of the most beautiful cars ever designed, and among the Series I, II, and III cars, the Series I is considered the purest version of the form. It was our luck to have four Series I E-Types at the show. With three of them parked adjacent to each other, the photo ops were aplenty.
Jaguar E-Types bow their hoods in unison
Series I OTS (open two seaters) have gorgeous behinds
1st place awarded for widest whitewalls
The Rolls-Royce and Bentley contingent was huge, no doubt sparked into action through the nudging of the local RR-Bentley club to get its members out and onto the field. We know from past experience that said owners are not afraid to drive these British beauties, so seeing 25-30 of them was not a surprise. The distinctive front-end styling is a photographer’s delight.
1962 Bentley Continental
1936 Rolls Royce
The Bentley “B” is displayed twice
The Spirit of Ecstacy
Rounding out our review of British iron were these more commonly seen models, still enjoyable to admire.
An Austin-Healey Bug-Eye Sprite’s front end opens wide for easy access
TR-9
This 1957 A-H 100/6 was in the car corral; ask was $44,500 OBO
Next to the Healey was this ’62 TR-3, for sale at $21,500 OBO
PORSCHE
What’s a car show without Porsches? In this case, it would be a car show with many fewer vehicles on the show field. While no count was taken, it’s safe to presume that Porsche was the single best-represented marque at the event. Whether this was due to club participation or a wide and adoring audience for these sports cars, it was fun to see the variety extending from the 356, through the air-cooled 911s, to the water-cooled 924/944/928 series. If you were so inclined, new Panameras and Cayennes were also on display courtesy of a local Porsche dealer.
Throughout the generations, a Porsche front end is instantly recognizable
This 911 Targa stood out as much for its Safety Yellow color as it did for its condition
914s, long considered uninteresting to collectors, are gaining momentum
928s are a personal favorite. This is an early car with the original front end treatment
A “2nd gen” 928 has a reshaped nose (and a hideous rear spoiler)
The rarest Porsche spotted today was this 959. According to my sources, a total of 200 were made. Originally not legal for sale in the U.S., these cars from the late 1980s are now old enough that they can legally be imported and driven. At the time of its release, it was considered the most far-flung supercar of its day. Its specifications may seem the stuff of normalcy now, however, it did lay the foundation for what would be expected among the world’s highest-performing machines.
A Porsche 959
DOMESITC
The New Hope Auto Show’s website states that Sunday’s car show includes classes for production GM, FoMoCo, and Chrysler Corp cars through 1990. The American cars on site were not a large group, but several MoPar models were standouts, and are worth highlighting for their styling and engineering features.
The sign on this ’65 Plymouth Belvedere claimed it was an all-original 65,000 mile car
The once-ubiquitous Slant-6 engine in the Plymouth is still known for its durability
More than other Detroit cars, Chrysler went out of its way with unique styling cues, like these free-standing head lamps
So-called “gun sight” taillamps on this Imperial
This ’56 Imperial is long. Really, really, long
When I was 7 years old, I wanted nothing more than an in-car record player (this is in the Imperial)
ITALIAN
Two different model Fiats were in attendance, sharing a unique attribute: neither car was badged “Fiat”.
After Fiat left the U.S. market in 1982, production of two of its popular sports cars, the X1/9 and the Spider 2000, was continued by Bertone and Pininfarina respectively, and these firms imported and sold the cars in the States under their own brands. (Malcolm Bricklin was somehow involved, but that’s too dark a story to include here.)
This 1987 Bertone X1/9 was an all-original car in pristine condition. Its current owner stated to me that he has owned the car for over 20 years, and drives it year-round (making sure that his winter driving is on dry roads).
1987 Bertone X1/9. Note the ‘b’ badge on nose. Umbrella was dealer-supplied accessory
1987 Fiat X1/9. Rear spoiler aids aerodynamics at speeds above 130mph
This 1985 Pininfarina Spider looked brand new. While the owner was not available to answer questions, the condition of the car (flawless) spoke for him.
1985 Pininfarina Spider 2000.
Batista Farina’s nickname was Pinin. He legally changed his company’s name to “Pininfarina” (one word), but the ‘f’ for Farina is still the logo
The first annual Ramapo Concours d’Elegance was held on the grounds of Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ, on Saturday June 6, 2015. The Concours was an outgrowth of a regular Cars & Coffee event held at the campus (and locally referred to as a “Caffeine & Carburetors” gathering).
Show cars were arrayed on the grass (thankfully not asphalt) in front of the band shell.
Our Driving Club regulars started the day extra-early by meeting at Mary Ann’s deli for breakfast. As my Alfa was entered in the show (alas, the only car in our group so selected), I needed to leave breakfast early, not only to arrive on the show field on time, but also to detail my car after driving an hour in the rain that morning! Once there, detailing was not helped by an intermittent sprinkle which lingered until after 9 a.m., by which time the first of the spectators had arrived. By 9:30, the sun was out, and it turned into a beautiful, warm spring day.
The view of the show field from the folding chair.
The college enlisted co-sponsorship from the Prestige Dealership Group of northern New Jersey, and Hackensack Medical University Hospital. While all who worked the event made their best efforts to be helpful and accommodating, it was obvious that this was the first time any of them had put on a car show. It is not worth dwelling on “things gone wrong” that day, as frankly, most of them were minor and easily fixed with an increased focus on logistics, which should be expected from them now that they’ve done it once.
We will however, review the show cars (and the vast majority of these automobiles were outstanding) by “class”. If there was an overriding point of discussion during the day, it concerned the vehicle classes. While some classes were well-defined and well-populated, other classes were very small and/or left us wondering how they were decided upon.
Microcars on display included this rare Messerschmitt cabrio.
At the end of the show, I heard one of the dealer principals comment that he was amazed at the large turnout of microcars. He need not have been. These puppy-dog cars have been steadily gaining in popularity, especially in the last decade. We had the “usual” Isettas and Messerschmitts, plus some less-frequently seen tiny cars.
This Isetta bubble-window cabrio is ultra-rare. It is estimated that between 15-99 (out of 161,000) of this body style were made.This restoration was close to 100% original. As a former Isetta owner, I know.A 1955 Messerschmitt with its canopy top open.The Isetta’s big brother, the BMW 600. It had TWO cylinders, for 26 horsepower!
At noon, A Zimmer (of all things) invited itself in, and proceeded to park next to this Mini Clubman.This 1967 Mini looked large next to its microcar brethren.
Two extremes of air-cooled VWs: a ’70s bus next to a WW2 military VW.
Another well-populated class, these cars were not even considered collectible until rather recently. Now, Beetles, Karmann-Ghias, and especially buses have soared in popularity (AND price). Get yours while they’re affordable.
Possibly the oldest bug I’ve ever seen: a 1950 model.
The rear of the ’50. Note complete lack of chrome.
This ’51 is almost as old, yet wears a modicum of chrome.
Gorgeous Karmann-Ghia interior.
Not a 23-window, but gaining in popularity nonetheless.
Air-cooled AND rear-engined.
The class definition excluded 924s, 944s, 928s, and any 911 built after 1998. Nevertheless, old-school 911s and 356s turned out in force. Everyone loves these cars, as they are so recognizable, even if many of us have been priced out of the market.
A 356 Speedster, much coveted today.
A nice comparison of a 356 convertible (left) and 356 Speedster (right). Note side curtains on Speedster.
An attractive white 356 coupe.
Speedsters in German silver line up.
Gotta love period colors like orange…
… bright blue….
… and yellow.
MERCEDES SL PRE-71
While no 300SLs graced us with their presence, this 3rd class of German cars still impressed us with a nice selection of 190SLs, and various “Pagoda” cars (230/250/280 SL).
It’s June, so Pagoda tops are home in favor of soft tops.
A Continental Mark II (don’t call it a Lincoln!) on display.
One of only 3 domestic classes, this was also the class with the fewest number of vehicles in it. In fact, there were a total of 3 cars, and since 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies were being awarded, everyone in this class took something home!
A not-often seen ’53 Lincoln Capri was impressive in its sleekness.
The Lincoln Capri tail light.
You can have your show T-Bird any way you like (as long as it’s a 2-seater).
The above is the total class description. Ford made T-Birds every year from 1955 through 1997, then the Retro-Bird from 2002-2006. Yet of the 10 or so cars on the show field, every one of them was either a ’56 or ’57 (all 2-seaters, obviously, or perhaps not obviously if you are unaware). However that happened, it was nice to see the colorful collection on display. The original T-Bird still has a charm all its own.
’57 in black…
… white ….
… and gunmetal grey.
T-Bird fronts.
T-Bird tails.
An XK-120 in the correct class.
The class definition assured us that we would see only “classic Jags”, the newest of which would Series 1 E-types. We were rewarded with some of the nicest machinery on the entire field. Several of the XKs were truly #1 cars, with gorgeous cosmetics, and paint better than ever applied at the factory.
An XK-120 stunning us all in its blue perfection.An XK-120 MC. Note the “wind visors” in place of a proper windscreen.A Series 1 E-type OTS (open two seater).
Post-war cars with cycle fenders and stand-alone headlights? Must be British.
Jaguars had their own class, so this class grouped some common and not-so-common British machines. This likely was the most eclectic grouping on the grounds that day, with a pre-war Triumph, a pre-war Aston Martin, and a Sunbeam Harrington battling it out for “most unique British car”.
A Sunbeam Harrington from the rear, showing its unique roofline.
A 1930 Aston Martin. Looked like a Bentley from afar, looked better than that up close.
Grille detail on the Aston Martin.
A 1935 Triumph Southern Cross. Bet you never heard of it.
The interior of the Triumph.
Yes, there were cars other than Ferraris in the Italian class.
Of course, this was the class into which my Alfa was entered. By definition, we might have seen everything from a Fiat 850 spyder, to a Lancia Fulvia, Maserati Mistral, Lamborghini Miura, and Ferrari 275 GTB. None of them showed. The class turned out to be one of the lesser-populated: 4 Ferraris and 3 Alfas were the total turnout. All the Ferraris were ‘70s era and newer, and all 3 Alfas were Giulia coupes!
This was the only class for which I recorded the class winners (noted in below photos).
A highly-modified ’67 Alfa GTV.
A race-prepped ’71 GTV.
The author’s ’67 GT 1300 Jr.
A 2007 Ferrari F430.
A mid-90s Ferrari 355.
Italian rear ends.
Third place: a former barn find ’79 Ferrari 308 GTB.Second place: ’67 Alfa GT 1300 Jr (that hat looks familiar).First place: 1973 Ferrari Dino.
A discussion that I became part of at the end of the show assured me that the wheels are already in motion to make next year’s event better. One of the show principals and one of the judges were engaged in dialogue to improve the class definitions. The important point is, whatever they decide, the 2016 Ramapo Concours should be that much more well-organized and well-run.
Oh, for the love of querty! While creating the daily blog entries during the rally last week, I was forced to peck at a tablet “keyboard” which severely limited my prose. By the end of the week, I omitted all text and had resorted to posting only pictures. So now, with five days of reflection since the rally ended, allow me to sum up the experience.
My rally co-driver, co-navigator, and all-around great car guy Steve Hansen was with me all week, which is always a treat. Steve and I drove our first NE1000 together in his Sunbeam Tiger in 1998. Since then, we have co-driven this event SEVEN times. (We have also cheated on each other by twice driving the rally with others.) In addition to three times with Tiger, we’ve been twice in a ’68 Mustang, and now our second time in my ’67 Alfa. It is especially heart-warming to me that Steve, as a resident of the state of California, is willing to fly east to participate. He does admit to secretly harboring a desire to visit New England if only to see green foliage, a sight sorely lacking in his part of the country.
Steve during the ceremonial mounting of the rally plate.
Steve Hansen enjoying his time behind the wheel of the Alfa.
Steve with the Alfa somewhere in the Catskills.
We meet up with many of the same faces each time, and it never feels like a year since we’ve last been with our fellow rallyists. They keep it interesting for us by bringing different vehicles. Among the cars, American iron counted for a slightly higher percentage of the vehicle count, and as had been the case in recent times, modern exotics also were aplenty (more about that shortly).
C2 Corvette.
1965 Pontiac GTO
1966 Ford Mustang GT 350H
1960 Corvette.
This year, “RPM”, a service and restoration shop in VT, provided mechanical assistance (as they have for the past 20 years), but also brought along several of their classics as back-up transportation should a rally car break and become unrepairable. Their Alfa spider was driven by at least three couples who needed something else while their cars underwent surgery. There was an ulterior motive: all the cars they brought are for sale, and I’m certain they had some interested parties by the end of the week.
1968 Porsche 912 owned by RPM.
Austin Healey owned by RPM.
Alfa Romeo Montreal owned by RPM.
Our organizers and hosts, Rich and Jean Taylor, pride themselves on planning a unique route each time out. This year was no different, with the Mohohk Mountain House in New Paltz NY serving as the host hotel for the start and finish, and the Cranwell Resort in Lenox MA also providing overnight accommodations. Our four days of driving took us through much of the eastern part of upstate NY, as well as portions of southern VT and NH. While we had more than our usual share of daytime traffic and road construction, we also had glorious sweepers through undulating hills, with little or no traffic to impede our forward progress. Most of the roads were actually paved.
Wayne Brooks, Rich Taylor, and your scribe, who sometimes still can’t believe he knows this guy.
Regular followers of this blog know that the Alfa got a completely rebuilt front suspension over this past winter, and with barely 100 shakedown miles on it before departure, I am pleased to report that the front end remained attached to the vehicle. Actually, the car drove quite well, with all previous front-end knocks and squeaks banished. Steering feel was excellent, especially through the twisties.
The Alfa at a lunch stop.
The Alfa in front of Scheffler’s garage.
The Alfa in the foreground of some mightily impressive cars.
Steve gives our steed a bath.
A most reliable Italian rally car.
Flanked by German and American muscle.
One issue which arose late on Sunday was an intermittent miss or hesitation, which at first only revealed itself on steep inclines. By Monday afternoon, it felt like it was getting worse. I had a concern regarding the percentage of ethanol used in the fuel in New York State, and had pre-emptively begun using Sta-Bil brand fuel additive for ethanol. After dosing (probably over-dosing) the tank 3 or 4 times, Steve and I decided to eliminate the Sta-Bil, as it was the only “new” variable that we had changed. By the second fill-up without the additive, it was as if someone had thrown a switch. The car ran better than ever, and we banished the additive to the trunk (my remaining supply is now on eBay). The car ran absolutely flawlessly the remainder of the week.
Eighteen years ago, while driving home after our first rally, we both marveled at the concept that “car people” would take their precious old Jaguars, Porsches, Ferraris, and the like, and actually drive these valuable old automobiles, rain or shine. We have never felt the same about a static car show since. Each year, there is something about driving your old car down the road, and having a Ferrari Daytona in front of you, and an AC Bristol behind you. While photo opportunities seem to become more infrequent as the week wears on, we did manage to squeeze off a few shots of cars on the road with us.
Ferrari Daytona spyder in back.
Ferrari Daytona in front.
AC Bristol coming up fast.
Ferrari 250 Speciale after it passed us.
One morning at breakfast, a couple who were driving this rally for the first time (in their modern 911) asked us what has changed over the years. This started a lengthy and at times quite humorous recollection of “the way it was”. At one time, cars had to be 1973 or older, so no modern metal. A large part of your week was spent tending to matters underhood to ensure you’d make the full 1,000 miles. The TSD (Time/Speed/Distance) part of the week was fiercely competitive. One driver at our table freely admitted that back in the day, he would approach an intersection intending to turn right, but would signal left to purposely confuse the fellow rallyist behind him. We covered broader swaths of territory, because we changed hotels each and every night. Each week, there were optional off-road driving challenges including hill climbs, autocrosses, gymkhanas, and drag races. Drivers drove their cars in anger (helmets were required, and were always carried by us the first few years). Cars sometimes broke during these “races”.
Among the “new” cars this year were about a half dozen Porsche 911s and a Mercedes-McLaren SLR. We overheard one couple in a 911 complain that their biggest issue this week was lack of “sufficient USB ports” in the center console. Sorry, that’s not “rallying”, that’s “driving your new car on the same roads as rally cars”. End of rant.
Silly Little Roadster
Banquet night on Thursday is always a highlight, as scores are announced, awards are presented, and we all shake hands with the promise to see each other at the next rally. Steve and I have been teased for years about looking like brothers, so we played into their hands and dressed in matching outfits. For such creativity, we got an extra piece of glass crystal to cart home, providing me with one more object in my home office to dust. The drive home on Friday in the Alfa was super smooth, and was spent plotting our next rally adventure.
“Best Car of the Rally” award winner, 1954 French Ford Comete“Spirit of the Rally” winner 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa
We visited Hemmings in Bennington VT.
The General Store in Peru VT.
A few spare XK engines at Donovan’s Jaguar Service.
We visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY
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