Famous Last Words: "How Hard Can It Be?" (Post # 78)

Original tall piston and short rod (top); short piston and 
tall rod below. The new pistons and rods are much lighter.
DeWayne Samuels.

Machining the relief in the piston valve pocket. 
DeWayne Samuels.

That depends . . .

I thought rebuilding The Alfatross' original, matching-numbers engine would be the easiest, fastest, and least costly part of the overall restoration. At first glance, it's pretty old school: 4 cylinders, 2 carbs, a cast-iron block and 1950s technology--How hard can it be?

The fact that the previous engine re-builder couldn't do the job in eight years should have made me rethink the true magnitude of the task.  Working with DeWayne Samuels and Roger Lorton over the last three years I have come to appreciate at least some of the intricacies of rebuilding the Alfa Romeo 1900 SS engine.  

Machining the valve relief bosses. DeWayne Samuels.

Yes, the engine is simple in terms of number of moving parts, but some of those parts were damaged beyond repair and had to be replaced.  This opened the door to modification options.  

Keeping Up Appearances

The valve spring seat areas were machined to  take
a chrome moly hardened spring seat
DeWayne Samuels.

Externally, the engine will look exactly the way it did originally.  This is a claim that few of The Alfatross' brethren can make, particularly the road-worthy ones. Many have traded their original Solex 40 P II carbs for Webers and in the process jettisoned their emblematic but heavy, cumbersome air filter housings. This is understandable because Webers are the performance carburetor of choice, but we're sticking with the original Solexes. 

Internally, though, there will be significant differences.  Throughout the restoration of The Alfatross it was always paramount to maintain originality.  With the engine, that meant cleaning and reusing old parts whenever possible rather than replacing them. But those original parts are now 60 years old and some of them have been rode hard and put away wet. 

Correction of a design flaw: installation of "stepped
seat" washers provides a hard surface for the studs
nuts and washers to bear on.  DeWayne Samuels.

"New and improved" valve guides with relocated spring
seat bosses and areas for valve seals (which the originals
never had.  DeWayne Samuels.

Preparing the crankshaft for installation in the block. 
The discoloration is a result of the nitriding process
which hardens and strengthens the steel.
DeWayne Samuels.

Engines are designed to be maintained and repaired, so replacement of parts that wear out relatively quickly is not only necessary, but perfectly natural. Problem is, with the exception of certain parts which continued to be used in later models, finding replacement parts for an engine that has been out of production for half a century can be challenging. From the beginning it was apparent that if we were going to restore The Alfatross' sprightliness the engine's internals would have to be modified. Is this a departure from originality? Yes, but a necessary and rational one.   


As I mentioned in a previous post, The Alfatross' cams, pistons, and exhaust valves needed replacement. DeWayne spent some time researching NOS parts but very quickly concluded that if we had cams and pistons made to order rather than "stock" we could improve power and reliability. But as long as we were having them made, we could have them made better--more in line with modern engineering principles. We could go with shorter pistons and longer connecting rods instead of the stock tall pistons and short connecting rods--and up the compression ratio at the same time.

Improving Performance 

Engine engineering has come a long way over the last 60 years.  We can do things now to make an engine last longer and run better and more efficiently. Some modifications are as simple as hardening and polishing contact surfaces, or installing stepped washers to prevent the steel washers and nuts that torque down the cylinder head from gouging into the much softer aluminum. 

Others are small refinements to reduce friction and wear such as improving valve guide configuration.  Still others get into some serious re-engineering of the engine's internals. Changes made to one element, like the connecting rod length, necessitate making changes to other elements so that everything works in concert.

The five main bearings saddled into the block in
preparation for receiving the crank.
DeWayne Samuels. 

A good example of this cascade effect is the way changing the length of the connecting rod changes piston velocity, which changes the fill/empty cycle rate of the combustion chamber, which in turn necessitates developing a new cam profile--all doable, we just have to get the entire package working in concert so the outcome is what we want in all aspects--not just parts stuck together.

The crank, fitted to the block.  DeWayne Samuels.

Flywheel end of the crank with the oil slinger in place
DeWayne Samuels.

   

What If The Alfatross Could Speak for Itself? (Post # 77)

Anthropomorphization

Ann Arbor, MI, 1963.  Pat Braden.

Not surprisingly, The Alfatross has never spoken to me. Not in words, anyway. It's just a machine, a collection of bits and pieces, rubber, steel, glass, and aluminum. It doesn't have a soul or spirit. It isn't alive.

Ann Arbor, MI, 1964

So why do I feel like it does and is? Sometimes I wonder what it would say if it could speak. What do cars care about? Do they have memory? Do they have feelings? Do they bond with their owners?  

If I could establish a five-minute dialog with The Alfatross I think it would go something like this:

Alfatross: "We need to talk."

Me: "Uh-oh . . . ."

Chapel Hill, NC, 1970

Alfatross: "Why did you buy me . . . and then treat me so badly?"

Me: "Well, you know, I was young and inexperienced and you were an Italian Exotic. Va-va-voom!"

Alfatross: "That doesn't explain the mistreatment part: leaving me out in the cold and rain, ignoring me for weeks at a time."

Me (guiltily): "There were a lot of demands on my time . . ."

Hendersonville, NC, 1980.

Alfatross (accusatorily): "That's lame."

Me (changing the subject): 
"Are you male or female?"

Alfatross: "Does it matter?"

Me: Never mind.

Corpus Christi, TX, 2004.

Alfatross: "Was your original intention really to turn me into a 'hot rod' with Corvette seats, fat tires, tinted windows and a flashy two-tone paint job?  And what was that I heard about tossing my engine and cramming a small-block V8 in its place? Didn't you like me the way I 
was?"

Me: "Well . . . not the color."

Alfatross: "Then what did you like about me?"

Corpus Christi, TX, 2010.

Me: "I liked your weirdness--wire wheels, knockoffs, plastic windows, hand-made little bits and pieces, five-speed stick shift, those funky seats, all those great instruments on the dash, especially the 220 on the speedometer (until I figured out it was kilometers!), your shape, your beautiful shape--but 
not your dependability (or lack thereof)!"

Santa Fe, NM, 2013.

Me: "I admit to neglecting and mistreating you for all those decades, but aren't you happy about what's happening now?"

Alfatross: "That depends on how it all turns out."

Me: OK, that does it!  You are definitely female!"

Alfatross: "Suit yourself."


Me: "I just have one question for you before the five minutes is up: Did you ever race?"

Santa Fe, NM, 2013.

Alfatross: "That's all you men ever ask!  'What races were you in?  What were your podium finishes?  Who were your drivers? Talk about one-track minds!  Well I'm not saying.  If it means that much to you go find out for yourself!"

Me: "You're lucky. You can roll back time. You're getting younger every day 

Lebanon, TN, 2014. Tim Marinos.

like King Arthur's Sorcerer Merlin.  Me, I can only get older, more decrepit and useless. You will outlive me and other men will eagerly step forward to lavishly care for you.   

Alfatross: "Quit complaining. And don't expect me to feel sorry for you. I'm just a heartless, soulless machine, remember?"

Lebanon, TN, 2015.  Tim Marinos.

Me: No, really, think about it. You started out as chassis number 02016, one of 20,000 other Alfa 1900s produced. By pure chance you were selected to be sent to carrozoria Zagato, where some great designers shaved off hundreds of pounds of excess weight and made you a to-die-for lithesome dress. From that day on you were special. You must have felt like 'Jake Sully'  in Avatar. 

Alfatross: "Yes, I was a dish in those days.  But I didn't see the movie and I still don't feel sorry for you."

Me: "Those days are coming back.  You have a lot of admirers--you're going to be reborn, and more beautiful and powerful than ever!  All it takes is time an money.  And expertise. And research. And artistry. And careful planning. And devotion.  And Perseverance.  And Patience . . . and did I mention MONEY?

Department of the Interior (Post # 76)

Stranded in his workshop in Massachusetts with 10 feet of snow blocking the doors and windows, Derrick Dunbar, Head of the Department of the Interior, has made remarkable progress this winter restoring The Alfatross' seats, door panels, and parcel shelf.  In the photos below, you will see what the seats that I sent him one year ago looked like and what they now look like.  You will probably think the shape is right, but the color differences are dramatic. Yes, they are, but remember that the difference is due to (a) dirt and fading on the original materials and (b) The lighting conditions under which the photos were taken.

Original condition of one of the front seats.
It looks like it was made of one type of
material, but in actuality it was made of
two very different material in two very
different colors.

Original condition of a seat back and the
Pirelli webbing on the base.

The new Pirelli suspension webbing material.
Derrick Dunbar.

              

The original bright color of the rubber fabric used to upholster the seats and "slats" of the seat backs is revealed in this photo taken in Derricks shop after the vinyl backing the protected it for 60 years was removed.  The new material was selected to match this original color.

A finished seat upholstered with dark vinyl bolsters, seat skirt and backing panel and an
unusual material for the seat and back closely matching the original material which no longer
can be found. Derrick Dunbar.

Detail of the stitching and
 textures of the two
types of materials used.  
Derrick Dunbar.

The backs of the front seats are covered in the
same material as the bolsters and skirt.
Derrick Dunbar

The driver's door panel when it arrived in Derrick's shop.  

The driver's door panel after restoration.  Derrick Dunbar.

Trading Hands, Seeing Clearly, Internetting, and Hobb Knobbing (Post # 75)

Another 1900C SSZ Trades Hands

The day after I posted my "Year of Spending Extravagantly" musing the latest Sports Car Market Price Guide appeared in my mailbox.  Turning quickly to the Alfa Romeo section I was amazed to see that one of The Alfatross' brethren somewhere in the world has a new owner, and the old owner has $1,400,000! Which car it was and the circumstances surrounding the sale were not revealed, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Note the warning that "provenance is critical".  Not all 1900C SSZs are "really real".
Sports Car Market.

Seeing Clearly

Wipers.  We take them for granted. You hardly know they're there anymore. A modern car has "adaptive" wipers, meaning that the car senses when there is water on the windshield and starts to wipe, almost like blinking its eyes. The driver doesn't have to do anything. and of course you've also got an adjustable "interval" setting as well as low and high speed settings. The Alfatross' wipers are irrefutable evidence that civilization is progressing after all. They've always seemed to me to be an afterthought. In the first place they're only about a foot long.  

The motor, linkage, and drive shafts all look pretty feeble. And there's only one speed, so all you need is a simple on-off toggle switch. But the switch has four poles and the motor has three connections.  We had to fool around with it for a few hours to figure out how it worked.  The four poles and extra connection are necessary to "park" the blades when you turn it off.  Otherwise they could end up anywhere on the windshield. Very annoying.

Don't ask me how it works, but it does!

Then we noticed that some Alfa 1900s have "parallel" wiper blade action while others have "opposed" action.  An admittedly hasty survey of the known 1900C SSZ examples revealed that 10 have parallel wipers, 11 have opposed wipers, and 7 either didn't have wipers or the images don't show their position clearly.  Curious.

Wipers opposed.

Wipers parallel.  

The windshield wiper motor shows signs of wear and repair.  The motor purrs smoothly and parks the blades precisely, but the linkage appears to have been modified rather roughly to
fit the Zagato body.  Jeff made new bushings to take up the slack but final adjustments will
have to wait until we mate it to the body.

Miracle of the Internet

There are some parts that are so model-specific, so short-lived, and so rare that you never bother trying to find "new old stock" or even reproductions of them. One such item for The Alfatross is the rubber-coated steel plate that serves as the weather-seal for the hole in the floorboard beneath the clutch and brake pedals.  

The Alfatross' original badly-deteriorated pedal plate
(above) and the reproduction or NOS part offered by OKP.

The Alfatross' original unit had the rubber equivalent of leprosy and although the more substantial parts of it were recognizable, the critical parts where the rubber made the seal around the pedal "legs" were missing.  In desperation, I began trying to rehabilitate the original plate, but without knowing what was missing my efforts were futile. Then, quite unexpectedly, while in the process of looking for something else on the OKP Web site (https://www.okp.de/t3/index.php?id=30&L=1) I found it! The heavens opened up, a ray of sunlight struck my computer monitor and Handel's Hallelujah Chorus began to play.

I don't know if it is New Old Stock or a reproduction, but it is a perfect match to the original.

Hobb Knobbing

The Alfatross' dash is busier than most: 6 gauges, ignition switch, heater fan rheostat, light switch, manual throttle, and windshield washer pump on the dash proper and 6 toggle switches, ventilation control, and dynometer underneath.

The original knobs are on the left, the best reproductions are in the middle, and reproductions for Giuliettas are on the right.

Three of the control knobs have insignia on them, but the one for the lights switch split decades ago allowing its insignia to fall out and get lost. I was perfectly happy to use the two intact original knobs for the throttle and fan even though they were hazy and indistinct, but the cracked and incomplete light switch knob was a real eyesore.  In the process of looking for a replacement I discovered that there are at least two different reproduction knob sets available. One set is substantially the same, but with gold insignia over black backgrounds. I bought it thinking that it was as close as I was going to get. Subsequently I discovered that there is another. more authentic set which not only has the insignia set in a gold background, but also has the correct knob length.  

So now I have two dilemmas: Should I just replace the knob for the lights switch, and keep the functional but funky originals? And what do I do with the superfluous gold-on-black set?

Heart Surgery (Post # 74)

It looks like the Alfatross' engine is finally getting close to completion. At this point virtually every part has been cleaned, inspected, refinished, polished, checked, and double-checked. The pistons, rods, valves, valve guides and springs, bearings, timing chains, and cam sprockets were replaced. Reassembly is under way. I'll let DeWayne Samuels describe what was done most recently and why:

Head gasket pattern in place over the head.  
Roger Lorton.

Glyptol coating the block interior
Roger Lorton

"After disassembly, the block was stripped and baked to remove all oils and residues It was then shot abraded to clean and remove casting flashing, etc. After all the machine work the block was jet vatted then cleaned with Prepsol and virgin lacquer thinner to prepare all surfaces for coatings. The oil contact surfaces were coated with "Glyptol" (as was the original finish) - this seals the cast iron, preventing minute iron particles from breaking free and entering the oil system and creating a "slick" surface to promote oil return to the sump.


The photo above (right) is of the trial assembly to check deck height of assembled crank, piston and rod for determination of head gasket thickness to maintain desired compression ratio and verify all clearances."

The new custom head gasket.  Roger Lorton.

"Here is the sheet metal head gasket pattern I made to have a composite gasket made up. Then it was used to finish the torque plate dimensions as shown. Next the torque plate was installed on the block to imitate the cylinder head load on the deck and cylinders. The block was then bored, honed, and plateau honed to facilitate ring mating and reduce "crowns" in the hone cut that can tear into the ring face microscopically."

Machining the torque plate.  Roger Lorton.

Boring the cylinders with the torque plate in place.
Roger Lorton.

New valve guide (right) compared to the old
one.  Roger Lorton.

"This is a pic of the redesigned valve guide that Roger and I came up with. It incorporates a valve seal (the originals had no seals). The install height limit seat (on the guide) is at a new position that corresponds with the change in the valve spring seat necessary to utilize the valve springs we sourced in lieu of any custom made units and the "available but not desired" units that also cost a lot more. 

Additionally, each guide is independently machined for the desired fit into the cylinder head as each bore was found to vary in diameter. The guides are honed to size internally after installation to insure proper oil guide wall to valve clearances as the interference fit distorts the dimension causing a slightly smaller i.d. than prior to installation."

If this level of engine work seems excessive, remember that the engine appears to have been "rode hard and put away wet" during the first 14 years of its life before it ended up in my garage.  DeWayne and Roger found abundant evidence of "deferred maintenance" and even improperly performed repairs. 

Replacing the engine oil with STP, hosing it off and repainting it was not an option.  It had badly worn cams, burnt valves, a broken valve spring, and worn main bearings that needed replacing, so as long as it was apart we decided to address ALL of its issues at the same time. After all, it is the whole, original, numbers-matching engine. Engine-building has come a long way over the last 60 years. Why not incorporate some of that experience in the rebuild?   

Adios 2014: The Year of Spending Extravagantly (Post # 73)

In the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark renegade French archaeologist Rene Belloq tells Indiana Jones  

Look at this [a pocket watch]. It's worthless. Ten dollars from a vendor in the street. But I take it, I bury it in the sand for a thousand years, it becomes priceless! Like the Ark.

Metamorphosis

Fifty-nine years ago some guys in Italy built 39 examples of a limited-production race car.  One of those examples in its fateful trajectory crossed my path and we bonded.  It wasn't an easy road to travel.  I was 21 years old and The Alfatross was only 14.  Too young to marry, but I like to think that the relationship was beneficial to us both . . . most of the time.  Like all relationships, it was always a work in progress.  It was on my "bucket list" for decades, but 2 years ago it rose to the top. I hope 2015 will be the year I can finally strike it off the list.

The Alfatross for sale in 1965.  Asking price: $2,250. Pat Braden.

So now we are entering the third year of its restoration. I have no way of even estimating the amount of time I have spent working on it, but what does it matter? Every second spent was fun and I always looked forward to the next time I could get to work on it and always regretted having to quit. In the beginning it was an exciting project that could piddle along in the rhythm of my life, providing an excuse to hide in the "flow state" for a while. 

But nothing stays the same. It is important to stop and reassess from time to time, particularly if the process is taking decades to resolve itself. Eventually, it became apparent to me that my original plans for The Alfatross had to be scrapped. Somehow, over the decades, while wrapped in its car cover cocoon in a dark corner of my garage, it metamorphosed from a kinky old foreign car into something else. I was no longer just the person who owned it but the Steward of an Historically Important Automobile. Along with that revelation came the realizations that (a) its restoration had to be done in a very particular way and (b) it had become very valuable. 

But how valuable?  Two years ago I started this blog with the statement (in the header above) that these cars are worth "half a million and up."  Since then the bar has been raised.  Considerably.  

Value vs. Cost

The steward of an historically important automobile should not correlate the costs of restoring and maintaining such a vehicle with its value. Valuations are ephemeral, changing over time, growing and shrinking like all other assets. Prized mechanical possessions wear out or are rendered obsolete by improved technology. They lose value. Desirability fades. Then the survivors become rare. Scarcity enhances value. Nostalgia kicks in. Perceived value goes up . . . and so does the cost of restoration!

In 2014 I spent extravagantly on restoration costs, in spite of the fact that a lot of  work was done in previous years.  I do not regret a penny of it, but like a mistress (or so I am told), The Alfatross absorbs all of my unencumbered time and money!

Still, it is important to know what value the market places on an historically important automobile and the trajectory that value has taken over a long period of time.  My research has turned up very little information in that regard, as most sales over the last decade or two have been private.

One of The Alfatross' brethren (chassis no. unknown) sold
at auction in 2001 for $217,000.  Sports Car Market.

Chassis no. 02056 sold at auction for $557,000  in 2009.
Tim Marinos.

The Record

The price of a new 1900C SSZ in 1955 was $6,637. From that point their value decreased steadily with time as it does for most cars. By 1963 The Alfatross was on its 5th owner, Pat Braden. I don't know what he paid for it 8 or 9 years later, but in 1965 or '66 he sold it for $2,250. Its value continued to decline precipitously, allowing me to buy it in 1969 for $770 . . . It would never be worth less.

There follows a twenty year period for which I have no valuation information.  In 1992 I was considering selling The Alfatross. I had soft offers of up to $80,000 from four different bidders including Keith Martin and Martin Swig, but in the end decided to keep the car.

Chassis 10593 "Zagato's Zagato".  Private sale in 2013 for
 $1,200,000?  Matteo Bossisio.

Nine years later I was surprised to see an article in Sports Car Market about the sale of a 1900C SSZ at the 2001 Bonhams and Brooks auction at the Cavallino Classic in West Palm Beach auction.  It was apparent that the author was very familiar with the model--their engines, handling characteristics, interior space, and even noise levels inside the cabin. The author was none other than Pat Braden!   

Chassis no. 01947 (unrestored) sold at auction in 2014  for 
$1,012,000.  Sports Car Market.

The serial number of the car was not mentioned, but its condition was described as "pristine" and it brought a surprising $217,000.  This was doubly surprising because the SCM Price Guide valued the car at only $85,000-$120,000. 

Perceptively, Braden concluded his analysis with ". . . this car sold for a remarkably high price, appropriate for its remarkable condition. The new owner faces a classic question: whether to use the car as it was meant to be used, thereby risking injury to it, or to retain it as a showpiece and conserve a considerable investment. It will be very interesting to note the price of the next 1900 SS Zagato to cross the block and see if this price was an aberration, or a harbinger of value increases to come."

The answer to that question came in 2009 when chassis no. 02056, another beautifully restored example now part of the Arturo Keller collection, sold at auction for more than twice as much: $557,000. 

Sports Car Market's Price Guide recorded another sudden jump in value in 2013 with a new figure of $1,200,000 for an excellent example.  Although we don't know anything about the sale that produced this figure I suspect that it was "Zagato's Zagato", chassis no. 10593.  In any case it is a new high-water mark for 1900C SSZ values.  

An even more surprising result occurred this year when chassis no. 01947 sold at auction for $1,012,000.  I say surprising because this was a non-running car without matching numbers in need of everything. 

What does the future hold for The Alfatross? Will its value continue to increase or has it reached its zenith? Who will become its next Steward? Will that person set it free to once again roam the open road? Or, like so many of its brethren, be "confined to quarters" like the Ark of the Covenant in the last scene of Raiders? 

Marcus Brody: Where is the Ark?  Major Eaton: I thought we'd settled that. The Ark is somewhere very safe . . . .