Having finally solved The Alfatross' mysterious brake problem(s) after months of frustration with what I initially assumed would be a one-hour fix, it was now time to tackle installation of the new Quicksilver exhaust system (https://www.quicksilverexhausts.com/Products/ALFA%20ROMEO). That should be a very straight-forward process too, but after the experience with the brakes I steeled myself to be prepared for lots of unanticipated problems.
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| The back half of the finished Quicksilver exhaust ready to mount. |
With the Quicksilver system's 17 pieces already test fitted and welded into just two continuous sections, I thought I was all but finished. Then Luigi Ventura ("Gigi") alerted me to the fact that 1900C SS cars with 1975cc engines came from the factory with heat shields over the first set of "siamesed" mufflers . . . and protective covers over their master cylinders.
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| The heat shield illustration in the Alfa parts catalog. Note that the notch appears to be cut into the driver's side of the shield. |
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| Insulated panel Tim installed under the floorboard on the driver's side. |
I had seen an image of the muffler heat shield in the official Alfa parts catalog David Smith sent me, but never an actual example mounted on a car or otherwise. After learning from David how hot the floorboard of his 1900C SS got when running, I asked Tim Marinos (http://vintageautocraft.com/) to build an insulated panel to cover the space directly underneath the driver's side, thinking maybe the heat shield would not be all that important. And where would I ever find one anyway?
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| Galafassi's original master cylinder cover (top) and his reproduction. Paolo Galafassi. |
The cover over the master cylinder struck me as more of an "automotive urban legend" because I thought I knew these cars as well as anyone and I had never seen or even heard of one. Maybe it was something someone fabricated for a race or rally car, not a production item?
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| Galafassi's reproduction of the exhaust shield flanked by the original examples that provided the pattern. Paolo Galafassi. |
Then Gigi sent photos of multiple actual examples of both the heat shield and the master cylinder cover along with reproductions made by his friend Paolo Galafassi (https://www.classicvintagecar.it). All of my skepticism vanished in an instant. These are not insignificant, minor items. They are functionally important parts that, given their exposed location and the necessity to remove them to work on the brake and exhaust systems, were almost invariably scraped off, rotted off, or removed and never replaced. No trace of The Alfatross' original exhaust heat shield remained, but the four threaded inserts in the chassis for the screws that held the original master cylinder cover in place were still there. The Alfatross would not be complete without these parts!
I knew from previous experience that photos of reproductions are one thing but the actual product can be a big disappointment. The high-dollar exhaust system I ordered from AFRA is a good example. It took them 9 months to make it, the build quality was terrible, and it did not come close to fitting. But Paolo's reproductions appeared to be accurate and the prices quoted by Gigi were very reasonable, so I placed the order for both as well as some other parts offered on Paolo's website.
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| Bottom side of the exhaust shield. Paolo Galafassi. |
Much to my relief, the parts arrived securely packed in less time than it takes for me to get parts from Atlanta for my old Toyota 4Runner. After I sanded and painted the master cylinder cover and made a very slight adjustment to accommodate the emergency brake rod, it fit perfectly.
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| Critical dimensions of the siamesed mufflers. |
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| The master cylinder cover in place on The Alfatross. |
I decided to leave the exhaust heat shield in "natural" aluminum, but to paint the clamps to match the exhaust system. Even though I sent Paolo a diagram of the dimensions of the siamesed mufflers, I had misgivings about how well the shield would fit. I could readily see that its curved shape was necessary to clear the bulge in the center of the mufflers, but what was that notch on one side for? And why was one of the clamps set in the center of the shield instead of diagonally opposite the other one?
The shield came with holes drilled for one set of clamps and a suggested location for where the second set was mounted on the original shields, but Gigi cautioned that a different location might make a better fit, given that The Alfatross' Quicksilver system is not exactly like the original Alfa system and that the insulated panel Tim made might crowd the space above the mufflers. And which side did the notch go on? I could see a lot of ways this could go wrong.
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| The Quicksilver exhaust system, heat shield and master cylinder cover in place on The Alfatross. |
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| Note that the notch in the heat shield allows access to three of the screws that hold the master cylinder cover in place. |
With the Quicksilver system already mounted I carefully slid the shield in place with the notch facing the passenger's side. No problem with clearance. The pre-drilled clamp fit the exhaust pipe perfectly, and the second clamp lined up with the x's marking the holes for the factory location. The reason for the notch was now obvious: it allows access to the screws that hold the master cylinder's cover in place! A perfect fit on the first try? This can't be happening!
I sent Gigi photos of the heat shield and cover mounted on The Alfatross and asked if I had done it correctly and if he had photos of how other people had mounted it. After pointing out that the Alfa parts catalog clearly shows the heat shield oriented with its notch facing the drivers' side (though not actually attached to the exhaust system), he made the observation:
About exhaust shield there aren't original car pictures and consider that in this century there is only one man in the world mounting this extinct part : you. in fact the first cover reproduction in the world is yours.😄
Gigi, Paolo and I would love to hear from anyone out there who has photos of how the exhaust heat shields were mounted originally on 1900C SSs, but we are pretty sure we got this right because the fit is so effortlessly perfect.
The good thing about being a pessimist is that you are always either being proven right . . . or pleasantly surprised!
