Bookkeeping (Post # 41)

"Bookkeeping" is the only word in the English language I can think of that has three sets of double letters in a row.  Most people misspell it.  I'm going to spell it correctly, but misuse it to talk about two books that have given direction to The Alfatross' restoration.   But first . . . .

Old Business

What to do about bumpers for the Alfatross has been at issue over the last several posts.  It had no rear bumper when I bought it and the front bumper that came with the car is an obviously incorrect, hideous replacement.  The restoration options are (1) delete one or both bumpers for esthetic reasons, (2) design and install "custom" bumpers more to my liking, or (3) determine what the original bumpers probably looked like and fabricate and install exact replicas.   That the Alfatross had bumpers originally is not in doubt because bumper supports are still present in front and attachment points for the rear bumper are visible in the trunk. 

Consulting the Alfa Romeo 1900 Companion (http://www.alfa1900.com/stories2/extant_zagatos/index.html), which has photos of all known 1900 SSZs, I had two important revelations:  First, that while cars that left the Zagato factory probably had bumpers to start with, the vast majority now have no front bumper, and probably no rear bumper, either (most photos just show just the front of the car).   This is probably due to a decision by most restorers to delete one or both bumpers for a cleaner appearance.  Second, that there are two distinctly different types of bumpers that show up in period photos of 1900 Zs.  The most common (with variants) is a thin, blade-like, probably aluminum, strip curving inward and upward at the ends to follow the shape of the horizontal grilles in front with a simpler flat, straight matching rear bumper.

The  front bumper type most commonly seen in period photos. 
Le Zagato.

. . . and the matching  flat, straight blade type rear bumper. 
Le Zagato.

The other bumper type looks more substantial and less like an afterthought.  Sometimes called "mustachios,"these bumpers are split in the middle, both front and rear, wrapping around the corners.  They are seen mostly on cars produced later in the series (late 1955 and '56).  Although these bumpers are more refined and attractive that the more common blade type, they too are frequently absent on restored cars.

Verdict: Authenticity votes for replicating the thin, flat bumpers front and rear for The Alfatross--even though most restorers seem to think the cars look better without them.

 

New Business

I recently bought a copy of  The Stewardship of Historically Important Automobiles edited by Dr. Fred Simeone with contributions by numerous well-known collectors, curators, conservators, auctioneers, and concours event organizers and judges.  The book was compiled to make a simple statement:  It starts with the concept that certain cars transcend individual ownership and should be preserved unmolested for future generations.  I bought the book because I wanted to know if The Alfatross qualifies as an historically important automobile.  On page 19 I found a list of 6 criteria used to determine a car's importance:

1. association with a particular historic event or individuals
2. rarity as a survivor of its type
3. evidence of past design innovation, style, construction techniques, etc.
4. condition and extent of remaining original material
5. political, cultural , or spiritual significance for a particular segment of society
6. exceptional aesthetic qualities of form and decoration

I was already aware that many authorities agree that The Alfatross and its siblings qualify as rare examples of design innovation and aesthetic achievement, with varying degrees of originality, but until I read Michele Marchiano's book, Le Zagato: Fiat Berlinetta 8VZ Alfa Romeo 1900 SSZ. I did not realize that they might also qualify on the basis of the part they played in an historical period involving the dynamic between Fiat and Alfa Romeo, the post-war racing scene in Europe, and the Zagato family.   Most of the following information comes from Marchiano's book, which I have had for 10 years, but never read carefully. 

Fiat "Ottovu" (8V) Zagato

At about the same time that Alfa Romeo began to produce its 1900 series, Fiat introduced the "Ottovu," an 8-cylinder 2-liter (1,996 cc) coupe.  Racers immediately recognized the car's competition potential and created a demand for cars with lighter, more aerodynamic bodies.  Zagato bodied 30 (or possibly up to 46) 8V chassis between 1952 and 1954.  In the right hands they proved to be formidable contenders on closed tracks as well as in road races, and rallies. 


The  Leto di Priolo brothers Fiat 8VZ, driven hard in the 1953 Stella Alpina
event.  Le Zagato.  



The 8Vs engine was an aluminum block, aluminum head 70 degree 2-liter V-8
cranking out 125 hp in its final form--only marginally more that the 1900 SS
4-cylinder engine!  Le Zagato.

One pair of the right  hands belonged to none other than Elio Zagato, son of the founder of  La Carrozzoria Zagato.  Behind the wheel of his 8VZ he was one of the most winning drivers in the under 2-liter class.  The record speaks for itself.  According to Le Zagato, although Alfa 1900 SSZs racked up 18 first-in-class wins and two overall wins in major events between 1954 and 1960, Fiat 8VZs took first-in-class 52 times, overall wins 7 times, and 2-liter championships 5 times!  Elio Zagato accounted for 22 of those class firsts and 3 championships in 8VZs!



The Alfa Romeo "millenove" 1900C SSZ  at speed.  Le Zagato.

So the historical event The Alfatross and its siblings were part of was the rivalry between Alfa Romeo and Fiat that provided the basic hardware and environment for Ugo Zagato and his sons to apply and field test their unique design and construction techniques.  The Alfatross and its siblings may not have won the most races in their day, but  they were worthy opponents.  In the words of Elio Zagato,

"The Alfa Romeo 1900 SSZ, however, was my rival.  It was a car just as outstanding.  It seemed strange "fighting" against it but when I got into a car I became a racing driver and forgot about everything else.  Even so, few cars gave the Ottovu so much competition.  The real winner then was not myself but the person who had built them both: my father."

This Zagato-bodied Fiat 8V was sold at auction in 2012 for $750,000.  Viewed
from the side the car bears a striking resemblance to Zagato-bodied Alfa
1900C SS cars like The Alfatross.  Sports Car Market.

This photo encapsulates the long mid-'50s duel between the Fiat 8VZ and the
Alfa 1900Z; even though the 8V spun out in this 6-hour event, it went on to
win the race!  Le Zagato.

Interior Design (Post # 40)

Old Business

Ever wonder who besides you is visiting this blog?  Where they are from?  Why they visit this site?  How much pageview traffic The Alfatross gets?  I do too.  Fortunately Blogger makes some statistics available. One of them is traffic by country.  Not surprisingly, the vast majority of the people who visit this site are in the US.  Then comes Germany, also not too surprising.  But what country do you think is third?  Italy?  France? The UK?  No, its Russia!  Another big surprise is who's in 10th place: South Korea! 

Which posts appear to be the most popular?  According to Blogger,  In the Beginning (January 1st) has been viewed the most.  I guess that's not too surprising since it tells the back story.  But the next most popular post is the one that talks about The Alfatross' family, The 39 or . . . . (March 26th). That suggests to me that readers are intensely interested in the 1900 SSZs that are left and where they are.  The third most-viewed post is The Rotisserie (January 29th), which is surprising to me because it isn't really all that informative.  About the only conclusion that makes any sense is viewers are going there to see the two images of Dave's resto-mod, The Helcamino!

There haven't been all that many comments.  Most posts don't get any at all.  The one that elicited the most was Buried Treasure (June 5th).  Blogger statistics say that The Alfatross has had just under 3,000 pageviews over the last 7 months, and that the largest number of pageviews in a single day is 80.

Brian Williams at AutoRight Collision, Dave's shop, found a video that you have GOT to see: http://jalopnik.com/this-57-alfa-romeo-1900-ss-zagato-is-a-cocktail-for-al-1109712894.  It is a 7-minute, professionally produced video in which Andrea Zagato, grandson of Ugo Zagato drives and discourses on the red 1957 1900C SSZ that has remained with the family.  His observations about automotive design, the unique blend of form and function that characterizes the Zagato brand, and "essential beauty" are worth considering.  Thanks, Brian and Dave--this video made my day!

New Business

In the last post I mentioned critical decisions that need to be made ranging from in-your-face obvious ones like exactly what shade of red (its original color) to paint The Alfatross, to invisible ones like what kind of seam sealer to use between the body panels--something that will never be seen unless the car is disassembled. 

One of the biggest decisions is what to do about the interior.  The factors to consider here are originality, functionality, attractiveness, and appearance in keeping with the rest of the car.  The first two factors are pretty objective.  The last two are totally subjective, and that's the rub . . . .

The Alfatross' interior just before dismantling for restoration.

Let's start with originality.  The Alfatross was originally equipped with some desirable interior features such as the domed dashboard studded with Veglia instruments, Nardi wood-rimmed wheel, lightweight Zagato seats with vented backrests, and floor shifter for the 5-speed gearbox.   The Bueg accelerometer and Jaeger chronometer may have been original equipment or added later.  Those features define The Alfatross' original interior character: no-nonsense, Spartan, everything that you need to race and nothing that you don't!  

The Alfatross' lightweight Zagato seats with ventilated
backs.

On to functionality: A race car doesn't need a fine leather interior, so The Alfatross got blue Naugahyde in different types and different textures.  Was that because plastic fabrics were less expensive than leather, or because plastic is more durable?  The front and rear seat cushions are covered in a smooth-finish textured Naugahyde, while the seat backs and door panels wear a kind of suede finish in a slightly darker shade of blue. 

The driver's door panel: simple, light, functional.

The headliner is yet another different kind of Naugahyde, very similar to the seat cushions but consisting of three layers of material: a visible layer of the same Naugahyde used to cover the seat cushions, a backing of white Naugahyde, and a thin layer of some kind of fibrous material sandwiched between and held in place by heat-fused lines bonding the front and back layers.

The front and back sides of the headliner.  The white backing material is partially
obscured by the adhesive that held it to the underside of the roof.  This adhesive
formula was later used by NASA to bond the ceramic tiles to the Space Shuttle
(just kidding, but that's what I was thinking when I was trying to get it off!).

The headliner uses two layers of Naugahyde with a fibrous material sandwiched
 in between to give it a more substantial look and perhaps even add
a little more insulation.

The rear deck cover was similar to the headliner in that it also
had the same striped pattern as the headliner, but without the
two other layers behind it.

The embossed pattern.

The panel that fills the enormous space between the back of the back seat and the lower edge of the rear window is covered with yet another variation of the Naugahyde theme. 

So that's a lot of different textures and shades of probably hard-to-find materials!  No wonder so many restorations choose to re-upholster in leather.  But then you have the paradoxical situation of, in the words of Peter Marshall, "leather imitating plastic imitating leather." 










I don't know what the original floor covering was, but most restored 1900 SSZs are nicely carpeted.  Car 01915 is thought to be very original and the covering is an understated low pile brown carpet with contrasting piping.



Car 01915 sports a more sumptuous interior with larger front seats and
carpeting throughout.

On the other hand car 01845, also very original, seems to have ribbed rubber floor mats although it is difficult to tell from the available photographs.  With respect to originality and functionality, I think we would be safe to give The Alfatross carpeting similar to what car 01915 has, but in a shade of blue or possibly gray that will compliment the rest of the interior.  I notice that although cars with both restored and original interiors seem to use contrasting piping on both upholstery and carpeting, The Alfatross' upholstery is uniformly trimmed in matching piping, so that should carry through to the carpeting as well.



The floor covering in Car 01845 appears to be rubber mats, but these may hide carpet underneath.  It also has the spacious front seats appropriate for grand touring.  The door panels and transmission tunnel look like they bear original leather upholstery.

Now we are down to the last two factors, both subjective: attractiveness and compatibility with the other elements of the restoration.  The Alfatross' original interior could be cleaned up and re-installed (think of all the money I'd save!), but it would not be in keeping with the rest of the car.  So that is not a good option.   The alternatives are to reupholster in Naugahyde or in leather, keeping the original color and texture scheme.  I get the impression that at least some original interiors were partially upholstered in leather and most restorers of 1900 SSZs have opted for re-upholstery in leather, taking the leather-imitating-plastic-imitating-leather path.  Is that because original fabrics are impossible to duplicate or because if you are going to the trouble and expense of re-upholstering everything you may as well cash in on the cachet of leather? 

What am I failing to take into account?  What about safety restraints, seat belts?  They weren't original equipment, but if The Alfatross is to be driven we will have to make provision for them, probably an arrangement that can be easily disconnected and removed without leaving visible traces.

I hope these questions generate comments from whoever is going to the trouble to look at this blog from time to time.  How about you Germans and Russians?  What do you think is the right choice?  What would you do if The Alfatross' restoration were in your hands? 

Shocking Developments (Post # 39)

Originally, this post was going to be titles "Spring Time," but Spring came and went while other issues seemed more timely, and "Shocking Developments" is a lot more gripping.  But first, some "old business" follow-up on previous posts:

Engine, Part I:  Commenters noted that I erroneously assigned two different engines the same engine number (01915).  To set the record straight, the third engine photo is number 01909 not 01915.  The fifth engine photo is 01915.  I hope this doesn't undermine my credibility too much, but at least it tells me that some of you out there are careful readers! 

Engine, Part II: Roger Lorton at Standard Machine sends word that flow-benching has begun on the carbs, intake manifold, and intake and exhaust ports in the cylinder head. 

Crossing the Rubicon: An anonymous commenter makes a case for using bumpers on the grounds that they finish off the ends of the car, and rightfully observes that on these cars the bumpers were too flimsy to offer much actual protection for the bodywork. 

Wheel of Fortune: Dan Allen sends a photo showing the original Nardi wheel from a Fiat 8V (left) and the copy he made in his shop (right).  Now THAT's craftsmanship!


Dan Allen's replication of the Nardi wheel from a Fiat 8V with the original--
which is which?  Dan's total understatement: "Fun, but time-consuming project."
Dan Allen.

Keeping Cool: Last week I received a package from Jason Wenig of  The Creative Workshop (http://www.thecreativeworkshop.com/bio_jasonwenig.asp).  It contained items I loaned to him to hasten the restoration of the Ghia Aigle bodied 1900 Spyder he is preparing for Pebble Beach--and a replacement radiator thermostat for The Alfatross!  I hasten to add that both the Ghia Aigle and The Alfatross now have working radiator shutter warm-up systems only because Ed Leerdam was generous enough to loan me the very rare original parts from his 1900 Zagato to replicate. 

The Ghia Aigle at The Creative Workshop nearing completion.  Then off to
knock 'em dead at Pebble Beach.  Nice workspace!  Jason Wenig.

Shocks and Springs

When I dismantled The Alfatross' suspension I discovered that the rear shocks and springs were in surprisingly good shape.  The front shocks and springs were a different story.  The first surprise was that the shocks were made by different manufacturers.  One is definitely Girling, but the other, badly rusted, had no identifiable markings until we cleaned it, after which we could barely make out the word "Armstrong", a British manufacturer known for making lever-action shocks.  A seal on the Girling had let go and oil was seeping out.  The Armstrong was rusty, but still soldiering on. 



The two front shock absorbers.  The broken Girling is at the top, the Armstrong
at the bottom. 

Even worse, one of the coil springs was broken.  It was a classic case of what seemed like a simple job getting more difficult the more I worked on it.  Rebuilding the Girling shock might be an exercise in futility, and the Armstrong may not be salvageable either.  Where do you get shocks and springs for an extremely limited production car made almost 60 years ago?

Springs

The front springs.  Now what?!

Well, the first thing you do is contact Peter Marshall, the "go to guy" for everything Alfa 1900.  "Gee, Peter, I got this broken spring!  What do I do?"  A couple of weeks later here comes a big brown envelope with a tabloid size print of not only an engineering drawing with specifications of a front spring for an Alfa 1900, but specifically for a 1900 C second series Coupe Zagato!  And just for good measure he included a similar drawing for a "normal" 1900 C for comparison and one for the rear springs, too! 

Engineering drawing for the front springs of a Zagato bodied 1900C in July, 1954.  Note the peculiar reference to white patches on three of the coils indicating--what?  .

That's great, but I still have to figure out how to make that spring from the drawing and specs alone.  So I go to my go to guy for Porsche parts, Jason Burkett of Paragon Products (http://www.paragon-products.com/) because I know he handles a lot of suspension and brake components for modern high performance cars.  Turns out he has a special relationship with Hyperco, the company that makes Hypercoil springs for the racing industry.  His contact said they could custom make the springs if I would supply them with dimensions like the overall length, inside and outside diameters of the coil, the wire diameter, and the "spring rate", the amount of weight it takes to compress the spring a certain distance. 

Getting a spring rate I was happy with was the hardest part, but I managed to do it with 300 pounds of diving weights and a bathroom scale.  In the end, I sent Hyperco the engineering plan, the requested dimensions (translated into Imperial values) and the spring rate along with the surviving original intact spring.  About 6 weeks later I received four new springs and the original (I decided to order 2 pair in case some other owner might need replacements).  As far as I can tell, the only downside is that the new springs are powder-coated in Hyperco's signature purple; the originals were black.

The original front spring (top) and the Hypercoil reproduction.

Shocks

So the spring problem has been solved, but what about the shocks?  Rebuilding shocks is a specialty--an expensive exercise requiring tools not found in your average shop.  It might be different if The Alfatross did not have mis-matched shocks in front to start with.  So I began casting about for an alternative.  Someone (probably Peter again!) sent me to Tony Stevens at Alfa Stop (http://www.alfastop.co.uk/) where I picked up a full set of adjustable replacement shocks, front and rear for a very reasonable sum. They carry the "Avo" logo and the catalog says they are made by a leading UK manufacturer.  As the photo below shows, they don't look like the originals, but being adjustable could be a major asset.  In any case they will get the Alfatross back on the street while I continue to mull over restoration of the originals. 

Tony has a lot of other replacement parts, too.  I ended up getting new rubber bits like "silentblocs" for the anti-roll bar and new rebound straps for the rear axle because I had to cut the originals to free the axle.  Fast, efficient service, reasonable prices, and good advice--another excellent resource for us restorers. 



The replacement Avo rear shock (top) compared to the massive original Girling rear shock.  Below them are the replacement Avo and original Girling front shocks.

Only 6 days left before the Pebble Beach Concours.  Jason's Eagle will be there but The Alfatross is going to miss this round.  Maybe 2014 will be the year The Alfatross takes flight once again  . . . . after being grounded for more than 40 years!

Crossing the Rubicon (Post # 38)

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!

Decision time for The Alfatross.  No place to hide.

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.

The two front suspension springs.  The broken one has to be replaced.  Without
complete disassembly this serious problem might never have been discovered.

The delaminating wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel.  Not something you can
just put up with!

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? 

In period photo (1954) shows a lot of ground clearance, but car has no occupants.
Le Zagato Michele Marchiano.

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.

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?

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?

Engine Part II (Post # 37)

Last week's posting, Engine Part I, was about the general features of the Alfatross' 1975 cc four cylinder Super Sprint  engine and the differences between it and the more pedestrian engines installed in other 1900 Alfas.  This post is going to delve into the inner workings of the engine and how we're going about making sure that beneath the Alfatross' beautiful skin its beating heart runs strong and true. 

The Approach

The Alfatross was built to race, and we want it to be race-worthy when the restoration is complete. It follows that functionality will be emphasized. Some authorities would say that maintaining originality trumps other considerations, but the 1900 engine has known internal design defects that can be corrected during the rebuild.  My view is that we would be doing a disservice to The Alfatross not to correct these internal problems while we have the opportunity. There are other departures from originality that will improve performance and longevity such as the application of special coatings that reduce friction and even chemical and physical treatments that allow the re-use of original parts which might otherwise have to be replaced. This is where I am relying on the expertise of DeWayne Samuels, who is directing the engine work in Phoenix. The following is a distillation of his various progress reports, broken down by component groups.    

Engine Block

After cleaning the main bores and mating surfaces of the block the main bearing bore diameters were measured and checked for core shift and alignment.   These dimensions tell us how true the crankshaft will run in relation to the cylinders, and also will indicate if there has been any core shifting or problems with the main web or main cap.



The initial measurements indicated that new main studs and fasteners need to be installed first to obtain proper loading during measuring and correction procedures. So the main studs were extracted, measured, profiled, and sent out to a vendor to fabricate new custom-made stud and fastener assemblies.  The threaded female stud bores in the block were also analyzed and repaired where needed.



  The cylinder walls and deck surface were subjected to sonic testing to determine thickness and integrity.  This test tells us the amount of material available for overbore with relation to wall thickness, concerns for cylinder deformation, and cooling/heat transfer.  The results show that the cylinder block assembly has plenty of life left.  

Cylinder Head, Valves, and Cams

The combustion chamber volumes were measured and recorded as were the volumes of the piston domes and valve reliefs.  The valve spring retainer/adjusters could not be assembled without first fabricating a tool.  The cam bearing journals were prepped and measured to determine clearances.  When the camshafts themselves were cleaned and inspected it was apparent that one lobe was badly worn and will have to be repaired.  Additionally, all the bearing journals were pitted.

The cylinder head was disassembled, cleaned and glass bead blasted.  It was apparent that cylinder No. 3 had sustained damage.   Valve seat wear was assessed for all cylinders.  A special tool had to be fabricated to measure spring heights and seat location in the head.

Measuring the piston dome and valve relief volumes.

Pistons and Crankshaft

The piston domes, wrist pin locations and offset, deck heights and pin heights were measured along with combustion chamber molds and volumes.  When the pistons and cylinders were checked for wear, piston no. 3 was found to have irreparable damage.  So the Alfatross is going to get a new set of pistons.   The crankshaft's main bearings had damage attributable to poor lubrication (one of the known design deficiencies of the 1900 engine) in addition to a potential crack.  It may be necessary to send the crank out for nitriding to treat the bearing surfaces.

By the Numbers

The Alfatross' heart is not exotic or complicated, but even a simple engine takes a lot of time to break down into its component parts, and clean, measure, and compare them with the original specifications.  So now we have a lot of "baseline" numbers and dimensions for the main components of the engine, and it is clear we have a lot of work to do. Although I have not yet discovered incontrovertible evidence that The Alfatross was raced competitively, at least some of its previous six owners must have driven it pretty hard, given the evidence of use and minor rebuilding in the past that we have discovered.  The good news is that it looks like the pistons are the only parts that need replacement--so far! 

  

Engine Part I (Post # 36)

Old Business: Brake Time

In my last post I mentioned that the Alfatross' original brake fluid reservoir was something of a mystery: so many fiddly parts . . . what do they all do?  Who made it?  Well-known 1900 guru Peter Marshall saw the post and was intrigued.  He forwarded the image to Don Cross, a colleague and student of the kind of arcane technology found in exotic cars from the 50s. 

The Alfatross' diabolical brake fluid reservoir.  The brass rod and piston on the left are upside
down in relation to the other parts in the photo.

Mr. Cross noted that the reservoir is similar, but not identical,  to those found on Lancia Appias, and wrote:

The system works on the basis that when you pull [the brass rod] up against the pressure of the spring, the suction of the cup will fill the barrel with fluid which will then pump it around the brake system. When the brake system is fully bled and the reservoir full of fluid the rod should be pulled to its fullest extent and should stay there ( if it doesn't - then you have a leak somewhere ). It will over a period of many miles gradually work its way down, but the idea is to keep it fully extended at all times.

The system is then under some pressure and is sufficient to take up any movement in the system, but not enough to actually extend the brake shoes against their return springs. Gets rid of what I call "stiction."

When bleeding the brakes, keep pulling up the rod to pressurize the system and making sure you keep the reservoir topped up otherwise you will push air into the system. This means it is a one man job bleeding the brakes. Pressing the foot pedal will not bleed the system with this type of arrangement. ( Nobody told me this when I had my first Appia and it took a long time and much frustration until I worked it out).

Thanks Peter and Don!  You have saved me a lot of time and effort.  Hope I can return the favor one day! 

New Business: The Engine



Side view of the 1900 SS 1975 cc engine:  short and tall!  
Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint, Gonzalo Alvarez Garcia.

Front view of the 1900 Super double overhead cam engine
showing the double chain arrangement.  Alfa Romeo 1900
Sprint, Gonzalo Alvarez Garcia.

Work on the Alfatross' engine continues apace.  As mentioned previously, it is at Standard Machine in Phoenix with instructions to "blueprint" it.  But what are we starting with?  It seems that there were a number of factory engine options for Alfa 1900s.  All the engines were 4 cylinders with cast iron blocks and double overhead cams, but there were important variations.  The basic engine was an 1884 cc version producing between 80 and 100 horsepower, depending on which of the 5 different carburetion options were fitted.  The top engine option was the 1900C Super Sprint with a displacement of 1975 cc producing up to 115 horsepower at 5,000 rpm.  This engine, fitted with a pair of dual downdraft Solex 40 PII carbs and mated to a 5-speed transmission and a 9/41 rear end could take a relatively heavy steel bodied Alfa 1900C coupe to 190 km/h. 

So which engine does the Alfatross have and how do we know?  The first clue is the engine serial number: 1308-01541.  This number falls within the 1900 Sprint Second Series production range for the year 1955. Other evidence is provided by external and internal features present in the Alfatross' engine, including the double chain arrangement used to drive the cams, the dual downdraft Solex 40 PII carburetors with oversized jets, double v-belts on the crank, water pump, and generator pulleys, 4 into 2 exhaust headers, 8:1 compression ratio, electric and mechanical fuel pumps, and cylinder head and cam characteristics.

What Was the Original Configuration Under the Hood?

The Alfatross' engine appears to be largely original with respect to the configuration of the engine matching the specifications published in the literature.  When compared to other restored and "preserved" examples there are intriguing similarities and differences.  Below are photos of the engine rooms of 7 1900C SS Zagatos in addition to the Alfatross'.  Putting aside the various cosmetic differences and focusing on the similarities, all of them have the same basic 4-cylinder layout with tubular headers and black crackle painted cylinder heads and cam covers.  Only one example has the distributor driven off the right cam.  Five engines show either dual downdraft Solex carburetors or the large, flat, heavy steel air filter box appropriate for those carbs.  The two other engines appear to have been retrofitted with side-draft Webers. 

The 7 examples below could be divided into three camps: engines that have been restored to enhance performance, engines and engine compartments that have been restored to present the best appearance, and cars that have not been--and may never be--restored in any way.

Car 01954 has a beautifully finished engine room but non-original carburetors.
Note the unusual distributor location mounted on the right cam.

Car 01941 also has a scrupulously clean engine compartment. Much of this car
 appears to have been "over-restored," but an effort has been made to retain
the appearance of originality under the hood.  Www.hi-think.it/luzzago.

Car 01915 is obviously set up to run in events.  The engine room sports some
retrofitted performance enhancements, the most noticeable of which are
upgraded carbs and wrapped headers. 

Car 01845 is a "preservation" candidate and should have one of the most
authentic and original engines, but the normal shroud over the exhaust
headers appears to be missing.    Octane magazine.

Car 01915 is another preservation class example with an amazingly original and
intact engine room.  Nothing seems to be missing or modified.

Car 01931 appears to have a largely intact engine bay if the air filter box can
be found.  www.kidston.com.  

This image was on the Internet, but there was no information about its chassis
number.  Other than "cosmetic upgrades" the engine presents as original.
Www.ultimatecarpage.com.

My plan for The Alfatross' engine is to maintain an authentic appearance, re-use as many original components as possible, and make sure that when it is finished it runs strong and true.  As new information comes in about how the Alfatross' engine is progressing I will report it in future posts.

Body Building (Post # 35)

With so many sub-assemblies like the brakes, wheels, lights, instruments, wiring, steering wheel, and running gear already complete or nearing completion, the four 800-pound gorillas still in the room with the Alfatross are body/frame work, interior work, paint, and engine. These are tasks I do not have the tools or experience to tackle so they will have to be done by someone else, somewhere else.  Because I want to reassemble the Alfatross myself, it will be necessary to find a competent shop willing to restore and paint the Alfatross, then ship it back to me.

Young Guns Designs, Phoenix AZ.  Young Guns.

Last week Tyler Tibbits, CEO of Young Guns Designs, flew up to Santa Fe to see the Alfatross for himself.  Wheel man Randy Davis and I met Tyler back in March while on a trip to Phoenix to check up on the Alfatross' engine (see "The Alfatross Meets the Phoenix" April 23rd post and www.younggunsdesigns.com)  Tyler and John Pollock, his business partner, gave us a quick tour of their facility which included an upholstery section, woodworking shop, design studio, metal fabrication area, body shop, and paint booth.  I was immediately impressed by how clean and orderly everything was kept.



The Young Guns fabrication area, see from the mezzanine.
 Young Guns.

We also saw examples of what their painter, Frank Bennett, could do: everything from ghost-striped and flamed resto-mod hot rods to electric guitar bodies to motorcycle tanks and fenders to gas pumps and even refrigerators (the 1950s refrigerator in the lobby painted in flawless Gulf Racing Team Powder Blue and Marigold Orange stole the show!).

The Aluminum Body

Of particular interest to me was Tyler's training and experience in shaping aluminum and steel. The Alfatross' hand-made aluminum Zagato body is what makes it rare and valuable.  Fortunately, it is in pretty good shape, but during soda blasting I discovered there are problem areas that will require the touch of an expert.  So I watched with great interest  while Tyler poured over the Alfatross for hours from stem to stern, locating problem areas, photographing them, and making notes.

Tyler checks the symmetry of the driver's door against the flat plane of the floor.  The body work gorilla looks on, suspiciously.



Tyler examines one of the trouble spots on the Alfatross' bum: the place where
the bodywork comes closest to the road--and consequently takes a beating!



A long crease in the aluminum body just behind the left front wheel well.  The
 cavity behind it is for the dual exhaust pipes.

The aluminum body has numerous flaws, some of them from the day it was built!  There are small cracks, shallow dents, little dimples, scratches, and weld scars, but fortunately very little corrosion.  The restoration work needed is not extensive, but it will be tedious!  The body is what most people will appreciate and judge the restoration by, so it has to be right!








From the bottom side of the hood it is easy to see the
welds in the 6 separate pieces used to make the
aluminum skin.  The steel frame around the perimeter
and under the openings for the scoops shows as
dark gray.




Removal of paint and filler during soda blasting revealed this
crack in one corner of the square-section tubing framing the
hood.

The Steel Chassis

Of greater concern to me than the aluminum is the condition of the steel chassis, particularly the floor pan under the rear seat where there are numerous pinholes, and one spot in the lower rear corner of the left front wheel arch where there is corrosion on the frame.  Whereas aluminum corrodes lightly, steel eagerly turns back into its natural state: iron ore. Like cancer, it has to be cut out and replaced.  This is easy enough when the affected panel is just a flat sheet spot-welded around the edges, but if you add stiffening corrugations ("beads" in body-shop speak) and weld a bunch of other pieces to it top and bottom, repair can get really complicated!


Repair of rust damage to the Alfatross' steel frame is one of the larger gorillas in the room.

Trouble spots on the Alfatross' soft underbelly.  The three upper and one lower circles draw attention to areas where the floor pan has rusted through.  The two central circles are brackets that will need straightening and re-welding.  

The corrosion area at the lower back corner of the left front wheel well is one
of those difficult repairs: it involves several different pieces of steel, difficult
access, cutting, fabrication of new panels, bead rolling, and welding. 

At the end of the 12-hour day, Tyler "did not see anything that is outside our skill set."  Which I took to mean he wasn't scared, yet.   Young Guns appears to have the expertise, facilities, and enthusiasm to tackle three of the Alfatross' most formidable gorillas: body (and chassis), paint, and interior.  And they just added another 5,000 sq ft of workshop space!  And they are not that far away--about a day's drive and only an hour's flight time.  Could we have a match?  We'll soon know . . . .



The rotisserie enabled Tyler to check the Alfatross' frame and body, interior
and exterior, in detail.  If we agree to do business we will have to figure out
 a way to ship the Alfatross to Phoenix while still mounted on the rotisserie,
which is 19 ft 2 in long!