The boot (in proper English), or trunk (in good old American) is as much a part of any car as its engine bay or interior, but it gets so little respect that it is usually ignored in photo shoots of collector cars and often not even considered during Concours judging. This makes things difficult for restorers trying to sort out what it is supposed to look like and what kinds of things are suppose to be in it.
The first time I raised The Alfatross' creaking trunk lid in 1969 I was surprised to find I had to kneel down to get a glimpse of what was inside because the trunk lid cannot be raised very far before the hinges impinge on the body. There wasn't that much to see. A little aluminum box perched on top of the left frame rail housed the battery. On top of "the floor", a tattered piece of thin, splintering plywood lying directly on the gas tank, lay the jack and a mysterious wooden crate labeled:
To the best of my knowledge, the Alfatross' boot is as close to original as we can get, given the "known unknowns" about the build variability at Zagato in 1955. The effort I put in the trunk might seem a little obsessive, given that most people do not really care what condition the trunk is in, much less whether it is original or not, but if you're not at least a little obsessive, you probably shouldn't be trying to restore old cars!
The first time I raised The Alfatross' creaking trunk lid in 1969 I was surprised to find I had to kneel down to get a glimpse of what was inside because the trunk lid cannot be raised very far before the hinges impinge on the body. There wasn't that much to see. A little aluminum box perched on top of the left frame rail housed the battery. On top of "the floor", a tattered piece of thin, splintering plywood lying directly on the gas tank, lay the jack and a mysterious wooden crate labeled:
"MATEUS ROSE CARBONATED WINE
12 QUART BOTTLES
LAJES FIELD
TERCEIRA, AZORES"
Removing the lid, I found a spare starter and other parts and tools inside--a much more welcome discovery than a dozen bottles of Mateus Rose!
The 21-gallon gas tank took up most of the space in the trunk between the frame rails. The filler neck protruded above the plywood "floor" just far enough so that an overflow and vent pipe could patch into it. The spare tire was mounted vertically on the right side of the trunk between the gas tank and the frame rail and clearances were so tight it was quite a struggle to get it in or out. I was puzzled by the apparent lack of attention paid to finishes. There was no upholstery or insulation at all. I was later to learn that the trunks on production Alfa 1900s had proper steel floors with integrated gas filler necks and rubber mats--all of which Zagato probably saw as unnecessary weight that should be cheerfully cut out and thrown away.
Photos of the interiors of Alfa 1900C SSZ trunks are rare. The most original ones I have seen are those of *01915* and *01845*:
So from the start, trunks of 1900 SSZs were minimalist at best, afterthoughts at worst. Even in the trunk, evidence that these cars were built to race can be found in the placement of the battery in its own box securely mounted to the frame rail on the driver side and the spare mounted low on the passenger side. So low, in fact, that is was necessary to incorporate a bulge in the bottom of the trunk to accommodate it.
Inside the fuel tank the fuel pickup is surrounded by by baffles designed to retain fuel around the pickup even during hard cornering.
When I finally got around to disassembling the trunk and removing the gas tank I noticed fragments of two leather straps bolted to the top of the hump in the floor pan for the rear axle. Later I learned that these were for securing the tool roll. The roll itself was long gone, but most of the tools were in the Mateus crate.
The original jack, in perfect working condition, was also present. Reproduction tool rolls are available and I was able to make reproduction leather straps utilizing the original buckles and fasteners. Reproduction jack bags are also available, but there does not seem to be any particular place for the jack to be securely stowed.
The original aluminum battery box was present, but missing its top panel and suffering from corrosion damage. During the body restoration Tim Marinos was able to reconstruct using the measurements and photos I took during disassembly.
At David Smith's suggestion I installed a battery cut-off switch on the driver side frame rail using an antique brass Marchal switch he provided. David emphasized the level of security such a switch provides, but for me, this addition proved to be essential when it came time to work on the electrical circuits, during which it was necessary to disconnect the battery frequently. Given the battery's inaccessibility inside its box wedged tightly against the body, connecting and disconnecting at the battery's terminals would have been both tedious and dangerous.
Photos of the interiors of Alfa 1900C SSZ trunks are rare. The most original ones I have seen are those of *01915* and *01845*:
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| *01915* appears to have a very original trunk. Note the padding over the rear axle hump, the properly-mounted spare tire, the battery box, the flimsy cover over the gas tank, and the use of the friction/tension hold-open. |
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| *01845*Although the trunk is filled with things--including the air filter housing--it appears that the rubber floor mat is lying directly on top of the gas tank without benefit of even a flimsy scrap of plywood. There is no padding visible anywhere. A folding hold-open brace attached to the body is visible near the battery box. The cable above the spare tire (which appears to be mounted backwards) is part of an unusual remote trunk lid release. Corrado Lopresto. |
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| *02056* has all the right basic elements: battery, fuel tank, and spare tire, but no helpful details such as battery box, cover over the tank, insulation, tool bag or jack bag. Tim Marinos. |
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| *01947* This car is now well into the process of restoration, but this is what the trunk looked like in 2014. It is substantially intact, but does not add much to our understanding of the elements of originality. This car has the same remote trunk release as *01945*. Tim Marinos. |
Inside the fuel tank the fuel pickup is surrounded by by baffles designed to retain fuel around the pickup even during hard cornering.
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| *01954* The interior of this trunk is tastefully finished, but again devoid of helpful original details. It has the friction/tension hold-open on the left side hinge. |
The original jack, in perfect working condition, was also present. Reproduction tool rolls are available and I was able to make reproduction leather straps utilizing the original buckles and fasteners. Reproduction jack bags are also available, but there does not seem to be any particular place for the jack to be securely stowed.
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| *01941* Possibly one of the "Fauxgatos", has a neat but fanciful reinterpretation of what the trunk should look like. Everything is unoriginal, including the shape of the trunk opening. The jack is a modern "scissors" type, the battery is mounted to the floor on the passenger side instead of to the top of the frame rail on the driver side, and a solid prop rod is used to hold the lid open. |
The original aluminum battery box was present, but missing its top panel and suffering from corrosion damage. During the body restoration Tim Marinos was able to reconstruct using the measurements and photos I took during disassembly.
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| *01747* The spare is lying horizontally directly on top of a non-original gas tank. The battery's box has been lost, as have the jack and tool kit. The plastic bottle on top of the rear axle hump is a mystery. |
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| The heavily restored trunk of *01909* is very attractive and elegant, but uses a prop stick to hold the lid open rather than the friction-tension hinge hold-open. and lacks the tool roll and jack bag. Randy Davis. |
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| With wheels on the ground, access to the trunk's interior is difficult, to say the least! |
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| The Alfatross' handmade "friction/tension" trunk hold-open on only one of the hinges is primitive--but it works and weighs only a few ounces! |
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| The remote-release catch for the trunk lid on *01845* |
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| The Alfatross' trunk interior incorporating all the original elements supplemented by reproduction tool and jack bags (most tools and the jack are original), rubber mat over the fuel tank, and a battery box replicated from the original. |
To the best of my knowledge, the Alfatross' boot is as close to original as we can get, given the "known unknowns" about the build variability at Zagato in 1955. The effort I put in the trunk might seem a little obsessive, given that most people do not really care what condition the trunk is in, much less whether it is original or not, but if you're not at least a little obsessive, you probably shouldn't be trying to restore old cars!
