There comes a time in every restoration project for pivotal decisions from which, once made, there is no going back. I don't mind admitting to a degree of indecisiveness about some of these. Because we are talking Italian cars here perhaps we can take inspiration from an important event about 2,050 years ago when Julius Caesar pondered a risky course of action while camped on the banks of the Rubicon river. Crossing the river with his army would be a capital offence. Victory meant honor and riches. Failure, certain death. In the end, he crossed, saying "alea iacta est!" (the die is cast!).
OK, so a 2,000-year-old inspiration is a little stale. Point is, there are important decisions that have to be made, they won't wait, and once they're made you're stuck with it--so get it right!
So far, most of the things that have been done to The Alfatross were necessary if you wanted a car that could actually be driven, no matter what the final product of the restoration might be. Things like patching holes in the gas tank, replacing the radiator core, foggy Plexiglas windows, broken spring and leaking shock, restoring the splintering steering wheel, reconstructing the smoldering wiring harness, and rebuilding the smoking, noisy engine and gummed-up brake master cylinder and wheel cylinders. Strictly speaking, we did not need to restore the Borrani wire wheels and knock-off hub locks, repaint the car inside and out, or re-plate the peeling chrome bits, but those were things I did years ago and now the restoration must be compatible with them.
But now we are looking at a long list of decisions, the sum total of which will permanently define The Alfatross' character and appearance going forward. The decisions need to be compatible with each other and defensible. Some of the decisions are big and obvious, like choosing the period-correct shade of red for the body. Others are small--sometimes even invisible--but still important, like using the right seam sealer between body panels.
What factors play a part in making these decisions? There are at least the five listed below, but there could be others under special circumstances.
Originality. Sounds simple, but there are a lot of "judgment calls" when it comes to establishing what is original for a particular car and what was added or subtracted by six previous owners over the last half-century or so. Then there is the question of replacing missing or damaged parts with period-correct items. If they are not the parts that were originally fitted to the car do they still count as "original"? These days, completely original historically important cars are seldom actually used because using any machine wears it out eventually. Worn out parts can only be replaced, and there goes your originality . . . damned if you do, damned if you don't!
Functionality. At a minimum, The Alfatross must be fully functional. Not just with respect to going and stopping, but leak proof, rattle free, and non-smoking, with windows that wind up and down smoothly, wipers that work, doors that lock, comfortable seats, and hinges that don't groan. Even brand new cars have problems getting all these things right, so making a 60-year-old one functional is a challenge!
Safety. If it is likely that the car will participate in driving events like the Copperstate 1000 or the California Mille, fitting it with safety restraints might be prudent or even required by law. the Alfatross has only two, probably dim, little tail lights. They have to do triple duty as turn signals, brake lights and running lights. Some of its restored brethren have two pair of rear lights. While such modifications are not be in keeping with maintaining originality, they could be seen as necessary concessions to safety.
Esthetics. The Alfa 1900 SSZs seen in period photos seem to sit a little high on their suspension, perhaps in response to the condition of normal roads at the time. Lowering The Alfatross, even slightly, could result in a more appealing stance, but that would conflict with originality. And what about the paint? After going to all the trouble and expense to restore The Alfatross, do I really want to give it the kind of mediocre (by modern standards) paint job that it would have had originally?
Cost effectiveness. Restoration can be unreasonably expensive. If you aren't careful you can end up spending a lot in the wrong places. When you say "I'm restoring my car," some vendors hear "Money is no object." How important is it to spend a lot of time and money looking for an original tool bag to replace mine? Even if I found one and paid a lot of money for it, it still wouldn't be "original" to The Alfatross. And what about the U-joints? If the old ones are bad can you get away with perfectly functional replacements that are attached with nuts and bolts, or do they have to have drilled studs and castellated nuts secured with cotter keys or safety wiring? The difference could be hundreds of dollars.
So just exactly what are these decisions that are so important?
There are a lot of them, so let's just start with a relatively simple
one having to do with the body:
Bumpers: The Alfatross' brethren exhibit a variety of bumper forms including none at all, but the front bumper when I bought it is a travesty, totally unlike any of the other bumpers I have seen. I suspect it was a replacement. It is not going back on the car. There is no question that a bumper was present from new because the brackets that held it to the frame are still there. So the decision options are: (1) fabricate a new bumper patterned after one of the original bumpers seen on other 1900 SSZs, or (2) delete the brackets, cover the holes in the body and go bumperless.
There was no rear bumper on The Alfatross when I bought it, but a photo from 1965 shows that it had one then. When I stripped the paint from the rear body I discovered two holes where brackets for the bumper once passed through the body. Decision options are: (1) try to recreate a bumper like the one in the photo (not overly attractive) or (2) go bumperless. Going bumperless front and rear has a lot to recommend it. It compromises safety and functionality but it improves esthetics and is a cost-effective solution. Originality gives us little guidance because I suspect the front bumper is a replacement and the rear bumper was removed by a former owner decades ago.
But the die isn't cast yet . . . there's still time . . . how about some comments from the Blogosphere?
OK, so a 2,000-year-old inspiration is a little stale. Point is, there are important decisions that have to be made, they won't wait, and once they're made you're stuck with it--so get it right!
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| Decision time for The Alfatross. No place to hide. |
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| The two front suspension springs. The broken one has to be replaced. Without complete disassembly this serious problem might never have been discovered. |
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| The delaminating wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel. Not something you can just put up with! |
What factors play a part in making these decisions? There are at least the five listed below, but there could be others under special circumstances.
Originality. Sounds simple, but there are a lot of "judgment calls" when it comes to establishing what is original for a particular car and what was added or subtracted by six previous owners over the last half-century or so. Then there is the question of replacing missing or damaged parts with period-correct items. If they are not the parts that were originally fitted to the car do they still count as "original"? These days, completely original historically important cars are seldom actually used because using any machine wears it out eventually. Worn out parts can only be replaced, and there goes your originality . . . damned if you do, damned if you don't!
Functionality. At a minimum, The Alfatross must be fully functional. Not just with respect to going and stopping, but leak proof, rattle free, and non-smoking, with windows that wind up and down smoothly, wipers that work, doors that lock, comfortable seats, and hinges that don't groan. Even brand new cars have problems getting all these things right, so making a 60-year-old one functional is a challenge!
Safety. If it is likely that the car will participate in driving events like the Copperstate 1000 or the California Mille, fitting it with safety restraints might be prudent or even required by law. the Alfatross has only two, probably dim, little tail lights. They have to do triple duty as turn signals, brake lights and running lights. Some of its restored brethren have two pair of rear lights. While such modifications are not be in keeping with maintaining originality, they could be seen as necessary concessions to safety.
Esthetics. The Alfa 1900 SSZs seen in period photos seem to sit a little high on their suspension, perhaps in response to the condition of normal roads at the time. Lowering The Alfatross, even slightly, could result in a more appealing stance, but that would conflict with originality. And what about the paint? After going to all the trouble and expense to restore The Alfatross, do I really want to give it the kind of mediocre (by modern standards) paint job that it would have had originally?
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| In period photo (1954) shows a lot of ground clearance, but car has no occupants. Le Zagato Michele Marchiano. |
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| Part of the difference in stance between the car in this photo, which appears to be rather low-slung, and the previous one is the presence of the driver and co-driver. Check out the beautiful paint job--far better than original. Dirk de Jager, Supercars.net. |
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| One of the Alfatross' original U-joints. Note the drilled studs and castellated nuts for cotter pinning or safety wiring. |
Cost effectiveness. Restoration can be unreasonably expensive. If you aren't careful you can end up spending a lot in the wrong places. When you say "I'm restoring my car," some vendors hear "Money is no object." How important is it to spend a lot of time and money looking for an original tool bag to replace mine? Even if I found one and paid a lot of money for it, it still wouldn't be "original" to The Alfatross. And what about the U-joints? If the old ones are bad can you get away with perfectly functional replacements that are attached with nuts and bolts, or do they have to have drilled studs and castellated nuts secured with cotter keys or safety wiring? The difference could be hundreds of dollars.
 |
| This modern replacement U-joint uses through-bolts with Nylock nuts. Is it close enough? |
So just exactly what are these decisions that are so important?
There are a lot of them, so let's just start with a relatively simple
one having to do with the body:
Bumpers: The Alfatross' brethren exhibit a variety of bumper forms including none at all, but the front bumper when I bought it is a travesty, totally unlike any of the other bumpers I have seen. I suspect it was a replacement. It is not going back on the car. There is no question that a bumper was present from new because the brackets that held it to the frame are still there. So the decision options are: (1) fabricate a new bumper patterned after one of the original bumpers seen on other 1900 SSZs, or (2) delete the brackets, cover the holes in the body and go bumperless.
 |
| The Alfatross in 1965. Rear bumper shows a lot of battle scars. Original? Replacement? |
But the die isn't cast yet . . . there's still time . . . how about some comments from the Blogosphere?
