Brake Time (Post # 34)

The brakes were the first thing to go.  Not the brakes themselves, but one of the hard brake lines that finally rusted through, bleeding all the fluid out of the reservoir.  So it was fitting that the brakes were the Alfatross' first major system to be restored--well, that and the fact that brakes are easy and inexpensive to fix!

Brake Lines

Upon disassembly, visual inspection of the metal and rubber lines revealed no obvious problems, but the fact that one had failed made me wonder if other lines would fail under pressure.  Fortunately, new lines are easy to make and all of the original double-flare compression nuts and connections are intact.  If the original metal lines pass pressure-testing I will re-use them, but if even one fails I will replace them all.

The Alfatross has three flexible brake lines.  They are easy and inexpensive to
replace, but the new lines don't look like the originals.  The connection ferrules
are heavier and the hoses themselves are thicker on the originals. 

 The three flexible rubber lines also appear to be re-useable--but they're at least 58 years old and who knows what's going on inside?  These I will replace for safety's sake, relegating them to the "replaced original parts" box.   The set of three flexible replacement lines I found on e-Bay came from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and arrived about a week after I placed the order!  They are not "NOS," but made of stronger, more modern materials which might explain why they are smaller in outside diameter.  But they are the right lengths and have all the right connections. 

Cylinders

The front wheel cylinders were in good shape except for the
rubber parts. 

The rear wheel cylinders are a bit more complex due to the
emergency brake actuation parts.

The six original wheel cylinders were gummed up and their critical rubber seals had long ago given up the ghost.  The spring caps seem to have been made of a softer metal that was showing some corrosion but the other metal parts just needed cleaning.  Ditto the master cylinder.  I sent the whole lot off to White Post Restorations (http://www.whitepost.com/) and was delighted with the quality of the work and how quick the turn-around was.  It was one of the best experiences I have had with a contractor.  No-nonsense professionals! 

 

  

The wheel cylinders and master cylinder came back from White Post restored,
 refinished, and shrink wrapped!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drums

Although it looks primitive today, the Alfatross' drum brake system was pretty advanced for 1955. Disc brakes were just beginning to appear on high-end sports cars so drum brakes were still competitive.   The Alfatross has a simple, unassisted hydraulic system activating brake shoes that scrubbed against giant, steel-lined finned aluminum drums. The use of aluminum instead of iron both reduced unsprung weight and improved heat dissipation. The front brakes have two wheel cylinders each and carry inboard scoops to aid in cooling.  The front drums are 15 inches in diameter and the rear ones are 13 1/4 inches!  All the components are made by the British company Girling. 



The brake drums after bead-blasting and one of the front back plates with Bo Monroe's reproduction scoop.

Scoops

The Alfa Romeo engineers didn't stop with installing 15-inch finned aluminum drums.  They also provided sporting 1900s with front brake scoops mounted inboard of the back plates.  When I got the Alfatross in 1969 I could see spot-welds where the scoops had been, and notches in the perimeter of the back plates but no trace of the scoopes themselves.   In 2004 I began to inquire around to find out if original scoops could be bought or accurate replicas fabricated.  Joost Gompels  suggested I contact Bo Monroe who is also restoring a 1900.   Bo responded:

Donald --

I have indeed invested much time in this and have made a prototype scoop based on data sourced from Joost's car and supplemented with info from Peter M. and Carter H. Subsequently we have learned that the front screen interface is slightly incorrect, but otherwise is very close to the original in shape and (presumably) functionality. Once I modify this I will be able to provide the parts pre-cut from mild steel (or actually, just about anything you desire, from stainless to ???). The patterns are quite complex.

I am leaving it up to the end user to fold them up and tack them together.  Or, I would be willing to weld them up for extra "consideration" as... I am not looking to get rich at this, but I am looking to trade the pre-cut parts for 1900 parts or ?? to advance the cause of our Car #265, 1900TI berlina veteran of the 1954 Carrera Panamericana Mexico.

From the photos of his prototype I could see that there was a lot more to these scoops than I first assumed!  They are massive and involve a lot of cutting, bending, marking, test-fitting, shaping, grinding, more test-fitting, welding and finishing.   I placed an order and within a month or two Bo shipped them to me.  The cost?  Even with the "extra consideration" for welding it came to $208.50 for the pair! 

Bo is another straight-shooting man of his word and dealing with him was always a pleasure.  The Alfatross is better off for having made his acquaintance.  He is restoring one of the Alfatross' cousins, a car that competed in the Mexican version of the Mille Miglia in 1954.   



The right front brake scoop prototype fabricated by Bo Monroe.  Notice the
three separate internal chambers and the fabrication patterns in the background.
Bo Monroe.



Business end of the scoop.  Bo Monroe.



. . . and what mine looks like mounted on the right front brake
back plate.   

Reservoir

The brake fluid reservoir was surprisingly complex, too, but by the time I got to it I was getting used to surprises.  The reservoir was not attached to the master cylinder as it is in modern vehicles.  Instead, it was attached high up on the firewall, several feet away.  After I took mine apart and saw how complex it was I contacted Tony Stevens at Alfa Stop (http://www.alfastop.co.uk/) for a replacement just in case I couldn't make mine operational again.   I have noticed that a number of restored Alfa 1900s have the new, replacement reservoir like the one on the left, below.  Come to think of it, I have yet to see a car with the original reservoir.  Maybe that's a warning that the originals are more elaborate than they need to be, and consequently less reliable.  Hmmmm . . . another one of those "restore it or preserve it" decisions. 

The original brake reservoir (right) and the reproduction (left).  The reproduction reservoir is just an empty cylinder except for a tiny one-way valve at the bottom about the size of three nickels stacked on top of each other.   I like the fiddly intricacy of the original more than the reproduction, but making a set of rubber seals is going to be a challenge!

So if the brake system is "easy and inexpensive to fix," you can imagine what the "difficult and expensive" systems are like!





Wheel of Fortune (Post # 33)

One of the Alfatross' assets is its Nardi wood rim steering wheel.  By today's standards the wheel is large in diameter, but that was necessary to provide leverage because there was no power assist.  Enrico Nardi was a race driver, car builder and designer who created a company that exists to this day manufacturing high-end automotive performance-enhancing products.  Nardi began production in the mid-1950s, so the Alfatross' wheel may well be among his earliest creations. 



The Nardi stamp on the back of the lower spoke of the Alfatross' wheel before
restoration.

The five-speed floor shifter was also a Nardi product. Not all of the Alfatross' brethren have these features. Steering column shifters were at least as common as floor shifters, and factory steering wheels seem to have been fitted more often than Nardi wheels. 

One of the Alfatross' brethren equipped with a factory steering wheel and floor
shifter.

Nardi wheels are known for their elegant design and seamless blending of steel, aluminum and wood, but the wood rim of the Alfatross' Nardi wheel was beginning to de-laminate when I bought the car in 1969.  I studied how it was put together and very quickly came to the conclusion that this was going to be a job for someone with plenty of experience and the right tools.  I shopped around for seven years, reading ads, making calls, and asking around for recommendations. There are a lot of steering wheel restorers, but Nardi wheels are difficult.  In the end the selection process was akin to spinning a roulette wheel.



Front of the Alfatross' Nardi wheel before restoration. The black plastic inlay
ring has already popped out of its groove, revealing the rivets underneath.

The original wooden rim was beginning to delaminate in 1969.  Don't
forget your driving gloves!



The chrome plating on the Alfatross' steel steering wheel hub is flaking off--but the
hub cannot be separated from the aluminum spokes and rim. What to do?

I ended up talking to a wheel restorer in New York state who presented himself as an "artisan" with vast experience and the same tools used by Italian wheel-makers in the mid-1950s.  He was also the guy who "found" Ed Leerdam's 1900C SSZ, one of the best-preserved examples in existence.   He convinced me he could do the job so I sent him the wheel.  There followed 18 months of the second-worst contractor experience I have ever had.  In retrospect, I think the contractor--who once had a decent reputation--did not realize his faculties were failing and that he should have taken down his shingle a long time ago.  When I finally got the wheel back--poorly finished and with the plastic inlay ring in the wood rim missing-- it was a dazzling display of incompetence.

The entire experience with the poseur in New York was a big waste of time and money.  After all that, the "restored" wheel still needed to be restored, so I started the search all over again.  This time I hit pay dirt in the form of Bruce Crawford at Hardwood Classics, Ltd., in Los Osos, CA.  I sent him the wheel with an explanation of all the misadventures and within three months it was back in my possession.  What a transformation!  Bruce is the go-to guy for rapid turnaround, reasonable price, and outstanding quality.  And unlike most other contractors I have dealt with, he sent good photos of his shop.

This kind of work requires special tools and materials to work in exotic woods, plastic, steel and aluminum.  Bruce got around the steel hub problem by simply polishing the steel to a chrome-like finish!



Part of Bruce Crawford's steering wheel restoration shop, Hardwood Classics, Ltd.

The Alfatross' wheel and hub after restoration by Bruce Crawford.

The plastic inlay ring, restored.

All told, the Alfatross' wheel took a little less than 10 years and $2,000 to complete.  From this experience I learned several important lessons.  There are a lot of charlatans out there.   Every time you let parts and sub-assemblies out of your sight you are spinning the roulette wheel, sometimes with tragic consequences.  No matter how carefully you choose contractors there are no guarantees that their work will live up to your expectations.  Most of the contractors I have dealt with have been one-man operations and most of the results have been good, but if something happens to that man . . . all bets are off!



Old Business (Post # 32)

Updates on Previous Posts:

Following the Where There's Smoke There's Wire post, Jason Wenig contacted me for more information on evidence for how Alfa and Zagato wired their cars.  His company, The Creative Workshop, is restoring a 1955 Alfa 1900C chassis wearing one-off  Ghia-Aigle coachwork.  This led to a three-way "forensic wiring" conversation including Scott, at YNZ's Yesterday's Parts deciphering how to restore the Ghia-Aigle's original wiring harness.  An excellent example of the kind of cooperation among enthusiasts that leads to a better, more original restoration.

1955 Alfa 1900C Ghia-Aigle.  One of the Alfatross' cousins.  The Creative
Workshop.

The Smoke and Wire post also elicited from Peter Marshall a copy of a modification he made to the wiring schematic created by Berge Bergesen which meant you could run the amber rear flashers statically in the fog together and use as back-up lights.  Peter did it for cars which have amber lights already and where one did not want to run extra wiring to the back.

Peter's modification to Berge Bergesen's wiring schematic for an unobtrusive lighting safety
enhancement.  Peter Marshall.

Also from Peter Marshall following The 39 . . . or 42 post, and made more timely by the Buried Treasure post, is his extensive updating and correction of the Alfatross' known siblings.

The List of the Alfatross' brethren, revised courtesy of Peter Marshall.

The list reveals some interesting observations:

1. Of the 29 known survivors, out of the original 41, 14 are now in the USA.
2. Only 5 remain in Italy.
3. 17 of the 29 have changed hands within the last 20 years or less.
4. Only 5 (or possibly 7) cars have remained in the same ownership for the last 20 years or more.
5. How many of the 11"Existence Uncertain" cars are still out there somewhere? 
6. There are at least two cars with the same chassis number (!?).  Only one is included in this list.
7. Some authorities have speculated that there are as many Alfa 1900 "Fauxgatos" around as actual ones. Caveat Emptor!

I can tell from the Blogger "page views" counter that a lot of people are checking The Alfatross out on a regular basis.  I invite viewers to post their comments, ask questions, complain, compliment or whatever.  The more participation, the better.

Buried Treasure (Post # 31)

Read All About It!

No. 01845, as featured in the latest issue of Octane Magazine

The recent exhumation of Alfa Romeo 1900C SSZagato chassis No. 01845 caused quite a stir in the classic car press. The May issue of Octane magazine contains a 9-page article titled "Buried Treasure" about one of The Alfatross' brethren, No. 01845, built in 1954. Under the News section of the alfa1900 Web site you can find both a newspaper article and a series of photos showing it being removed from its tomb of 40 years: http://www.alfa1900.com/photobase2/car_pages/01845/index.html.



Built a few months before The Alfatross, 01845's interior is quite different,
with a flat-top dash, factory wheel, and plush seats. Octane.

O1845's engine room appears to be identical to the Alfatross'.  Reportedly,
after changing the oil and gas and attaching a fresh battery, it started and
 ran!  Octane.

Z inderella
Painted green, originally, with a light blue interior, No. 01845's history is very much like the Alfatross'. The first owner was Signor Ruggero Ricci of Lucca, about whom almost nothing is known. After only a few months Ricci sold it to his friend Otello Biagiotti, who was something of a racer.  The car changed hands 5 more times before ending up in the possession of Signor Strippoli in 1969.  Like Cinderella of fairytale fame, No. 01845 was consigned to a dark dungeon for most of its life--unknown, unloved, unseen for more than 40 years . . . until being rescued by Signor Corrado Lopresto, an Alfa collector, who recognized its deeper beauty--and value--in spite of its outward rough and dirty appearance.

Corrado Lopresto with No. 01845, in storage for more than 40 years!  Like me, the previous owner of 01845 bought it in 1969 and held on to it for more than 40 years.  Sr. Lopresto is 01845's eighth owner.  I am the Alfatross's seventh owner. www.alfa1900.com.

So Where's the Treasure?

For most people "treasure" equals precious metals and jewels--things you can sell imediately. When you add "buried" in front of "treasure" it conjures up an even more romantic image usually involving pirates, maps with X marking the spot, a certain amount of personal risk, and a great reward far exceeding the time and energy expended to get it. Because my wife and I are marine archaeologists, people always ask, "Have you found any treasure?" Unless you equate "history" with "treasure" the answer is always "No". 

Signor Lopresto stated that he has no intention of restoring No. 01845.  In fact, it is now presented in "as found" condition in a special Italian Cars exhibition at the Louwman Museum in The Hague.  To the average person, No. 01845 looks like it was "buried" alright, but "treasure"?  How so?  What can you do with it?  Show car?  Maybe on Halloween.  Reliable transportation?  Not hardly.  What about all the rotting tires, rubber water hoses, brake lines, weatherstripping, seals, electrical wiring, gaskets, and grommets?  What about all the peeling paint, dents, rust, foggy windows, creaking hinges? 

Octane Supplement

What sorts of things are "valuable" in today's world? Real estate, precious metals and gems, equities, bonds--and collectibles. Cars like No. 01845 are sought after by collectors, not normal people looking for safe, reliable, good-looking transportation. So you have to understand car collecting as a phenomenon.

A good place to start is the 19-page Special Supplement in the same issue of Octane, "Building a Classic Car Collection from the Modest to the Magnificent."  Significantly, the supplement seems to be sponsored by the international bank Credit Suisse.  It is pretty comprehensive in a "Cliff'sNotes" sort of way.  The several articles in this supplement help to explain why No. 01845 is considered "treasure" in certain, rarefied circles:

Under Why Collect? we have the simple explanation "You can't drive a house or a shares portfolio, so utilizing spare cash to build an interesting car collection makes a lot of sense."  Particularly when you look at how much certain cars--but by no means all--have appreciated over time.  Example: a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB that sold at auction in 1996 for $199,000 sold last year for $2,365,000!

The What to Collect? section boils down to whatever appeals to you and your idea of what constitutes a collection.   

The restored 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America: $825,000. Sports Car
Market.

The "preservation" 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America: $805,000.
Sports Car Market.

Original or Restored?  Originality is the buzz word these days.  Original paint, original interior, original cigarette butts in the ash tray, original dirt in the wheel wells, original dents, chips, and scratches, original gas in the tank and water in the radiator.  Like paintings by the Old Masters or Greek sculptures, old, original cars are supposed to be "preserved" in their original condition, not restored to their former glory.  The word "stewardship" is replacing "ownership" in the car collecting world, and the vehicles are being looked at as important historical objects that just happen to be cars. 

In last month's issue of Sports Car Market magazine there was an excellent example of how powerful the "preserved" vs. "restored" factor is in car collecting.  Two highly-desirable 1955 Lancia Aurelias were sold in February in auctions in Phoenix and Scottsdale one day apart.  The "restored" blue car went for "825,000 while the "preserved" red car with its dents, rust, scratches, tattered upholstery went for almost the same price: $805,000!

Buying Trends in car collecting are ever-changing and largely unpredictable.  My impression is that most collectors acquire cars that they like, for whatever reason, and hope that their "value" will increase over time.  A natural conclusion is that collectors will be most interested in cars that they always admired but could not afford until later in life.  This observation may explain why cars from the 1950s and '60s are so valuable now.  But will they decline in value as the Baby Boomer generation passes?  Does their "value" have a shelf life?

The exhumation of No. 01845 is an important event for The Alfatross. It brings another member of the family out of obscurity and into the limelight.  As one of very few "unmolested" examples, it provides verification of additional original construction details.  And its change of ownership provides a strong vote by a major collector in favor of "preservation" over "restoration."  I have to admit that if I were the new owner of 01845 I would probably do the same thing--it would sure be a lot easier and cheaper!-- but because it has already been disassembled, the Alfatross is not a preservation candidate and so it continues on the path to historically sympathetic restoration.

01845--an example of the "preservation" trend in car collecting.  Octane.