september, 2019 going with the flownwalfaclub.com/media/iniezione/2019/iniez201909web.pdf ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Iniezione The newsletter of the NorthWest Alfa Romeo Club
S tart your Engines!” “Alfas up front, all the oth-
er cars in the back!” I call to all as I slip into
my 4C for the drive.
So we all set off after a brief Driver’s Meeting, with
Debi Schmid recommending a slight detour along the
way. 5 Mile Drive in Point Defiance doesn’t open
until Noon on summer Sundays, so we had a detour
to Dune Peninsula, a new park in the city of Ruston,
just west of the new restaurants at Point Ruston and
connected to Point Defiance Park.
At this time I am up front, leading
the Alfa convoy in my black n’
white 4C with seven cars trailing
close behind. I know this route so
well I hardly bother to check the
route directions that were handed
out to all, along with a miniature
“racing flag” as a memento of the
day. (Later on, those driving an
Alfa Romeo received another flag.
See, it really does pay to use your
Alfa!)
Gotta keep the group together, I
was thinking. I pulled over after a
few traffic lights to let drivers catch up, then sped on. I used
my turn signals to help guide them through a few more lights,
and soon we are all on Marine View Drive, having so much
fun, taking in glimpses of the water on the passenger side of
our cars.
Zip, zip, vroom, vroom, we all went down the
curvy windy roads. My rear view mirror dances
with the colors of my fellow Alfisti’s cars as they zip
through the twisty road, all gentle turns, everyone
having fun. Then, as we almost glide into Dash
Point, all the cars in my mirror disappeared!
Ok, what happened to the regular program? I
pulled over and waited, then finally went back to
find them. Was this an un-scheduled restroom
stop? Road repair?
I soon found them, all cautiously waiting behind
Tony Schmid’s 1987 Spider Veloce, with Tony fix-
ing his down and out exhaust pipe. Harry Reed
provided some baling wire, which Tony used to re-
hang the pipe. Meanwhile Tony’s wife, Debi, soon
sat back down in the passenger seat, knowing full
well that Tony could solve any problem. Why
worry?
Back on the road, I let
Going with the Flow The August Drive doesn’t go quite according to plan but is great fun!
(continued on page 4)
September, 2019
In this issue…
* August Club Drive ……... pp 1, 4
* President’s Column .............. p 2
* Brew Cruise ……………….... p 3
* Prova Motorsports ….…….... p 3
* Alfa Day at Group 2 …... pp 4, 5
* Pittsburgh Convention .…..... p 5
* Upgrading a Spider ……. pp 6, 7
* Half-Fast Lap ……... …... pp 8, 9
* Maryhill Weekend ,,,,,,,. pp 9, 10
* AROC Goes to USGP ……..p 10
* Classified Ads ………….…. p 10
* 8C Competizione ,,,,,,,,,.,..,, p 11
* Membership Update ……… p 12
* Calendar ……….......……... p 16
Next club events…
* Brew Cruise ……………. Sep 10
* Half-Fast Lap ………. Sep 14-16
* Maryhill Weekend ….…. Oct 5-6
* Prova Motorsports …...…. Oct 8
Iniezione page 2 September 2019
The Full Monte-rey
H eading to the Monterey peninsula for all the festivities
that make up one of the biggest, and definitely one of
the coolest, car weeks anywhere, it’s hard to imagine
that this happens every year. If you’ve gone, you know of
what I speak. If you haven’t attended, it needs to be in your
future. We have a few members who are regulars here so if
you want to go, grab one of them and get expert advice so
you get as much of an experience as possible.
My enthusiasm was already high when I got a selfie from
member Michael Leonetti at the I-5 rest area and Mt Shasta
viewpoint, with his silver Lamborghini Miura between him and
the mountain. His long-awaited car was running and taking
him to Monterey. Shannon Low was also driving down in a
Porsche 928 while some of us were flying down. By Tues-
day, I was checked into my Monterey hotel with my fridge
stocked with snacks and milk and a bag of candy on the
counter. I was ready to face Car Week.
Wednesday, I headed over to the parking area for Pebble
Beach entrants to check on the cars we were planning to dis-
play on the lawn. We had a Lamborghini Miura to compete,
while Tazio’s Alfa P3 would display as part of the Scuderia
Ferrari show. I hadn’t picked up my event credentials which
include event tickets, parking passes and more, but I had no
trouble getting into wherever I wanted. I assumed they must
recognize me or something. Police moved barricades and
parking security waved me into even the closest lots… wher-
ever I wanted to go. Our guys were already at the cars and
prepping the Miura. I spent time on the Alfa before heading
away to play. I checked out the Gooding Auction, then Cindy
and I headed for Carmel for lunch and the “Prancing Ponies”
car show… women-owned show and exotic cars.
Up early on Thursday to the start of the Pebble Beach Tour
d’Elegance. This is a chance for people to see many of the
cars that will be on the lawn on Sunday, out driving the way
the car Gods intended. The route takes participants down
scenic Hwy 1 to the Big Sur area before returning to Carmel
for lunch. My niece, Cindy, and my friend Adam came along
for the adventure. Scoping out where the photos will have a
great foreground, middle ground and background, we found
our spot along the Highway. If you wave as the cars ap-
proach they wave back, which makes for great photos.
Next, off to the Automobilia Show with tons of miniature
cars, artwork, vintage posters, car parts, vintage tools, old
books and much, much more. The parking lot had early Lam-
borghinis, vintage Porsche, Alfa Duetto, GT Junior, Ferrari P4
replica and more before you got inside. Later, to the town of
Pacific Grove for the Mini-Car Show with lots of small cars.
Friday meant visits to the Legends of the Autobahn
(German Cars) Show. Amazing and plenty of great cars
across the flowing grass of yet another golf course. Next
door was our stop at Laguna Seca to
visit the Rolex Motorsports Reunion;
the mix of amazing and historic race-
cars is fantastic. At the track you get
up close and personal with the cars,
drivers and owners throughout the
paddock, and have numerous vantage
points to watch the cars racing on this great track. Don’t even
get me started on the turn known as the Corkscrew.
Friday evening was the Alfa Romeo invite-only party at
Folktale Winery. Upon arrival, I immediately talked with Troy,
a special events manager for FCA, then chatted with Ralph
Gilles, Head of Design at FCA and a really great Alfista. I
also found Ant Anstead, co-host of Wheeler Dealers on Motor
Trend TV. He shared with me that there is a very cool Alfa-
related project in the next season. I was so excited, I forgave
the fact that he refered to the Alfa 164 as a taxi. It was as the
valet brought round my rental that Ralph, Ant and others
started laughing out loud. My rental was a 15 passenger
Chevy van.
Nicknamed the Prison Van, perhaps that was why security
let me go wherever I drove… everyone assumed I was the
shuttle van. As a note, the van also worked great as a pho-
tography platform. Avis couldn’t find my reserved car so they
gave me the van… despite the fact that 2 hours later they
sent me an email saying that since I “failed to pickup my car”,
they were giving my perfectly normal luxury sedan to some
other customer. Wow.
The next two days were the busiest. At the goofy-cars Con-
cours d’Lemons the most prestigious award was Worst in
Show, this year awarded to the ugliest Ferrari Enzo kit car
I’ve ever seen. My rental van would have been a close 2nd.
(Last year there was a GTV6 whose owner had used foil to
convert the rear window into a pizza oven.) Next came Con-
corso Italiano with its overload of amazing Italian cars. The
Alfa gathering is the biggest in North America each year.
On Sunday we were at Pebble Beach Golf Course around
5:30 AM as part of the Dawn Patrol, watching the Concours
cars roll onto the lawn. We also got donuts and hats for our
efforts. Then the Concours itself on the golf course, with
stunning water views as a backdrop. There was also the
Casa Ferrari display where I stood by the Alfa P3 all day and
shared the storied legacy of the 1935 German GP.
Heading home after another great year of cool car events,
memories of seeing an Alfa TZ or Giulia SSZ drive by on the
roads, of lots of friends and great weather, we shared the
plane with Greg and Michelle Whitten, Roy Catz, my friend
Adam and Jack from VRM. Without a doubt, it is always a
treat to attend and for every event I attended, there were
three I didn’t get to see. Overload for a car geek.
- Fred Russell
President’s Column By Fred Russell
Iniezione page 3 September 2019
AROO (Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon) Doug Zaitz
509-768-4312 [email protected]
FEN (Fiat Enthusiasts NW) Gordy Hyde
425-241-9307
MGCCNWC (MG) Ken Bottini
425-883-9615
Pacific Coast AROA (BC, Canada)
Don Best 604-939-5056 dlbest@telus
President Fred Russell
(425) 308-6621 [email protected]
Vice President David James
(206) 849-3211 [email protected]
Secretary Joanie Vivaz
(206) 420 8161 [email protected]
Treasurer Ken Case
Activities Directors Judy & Bill Gehring
425 822-4231 [email protected]
Chief Driving Instructor Mirko Freguia 206-795-0861
Membership Chairs Paul & Kristy Affolter
206-523-8534 [email protected]
Newsletter Editor Jon Inge
206-355-3111 [email protected]
Webmaster Earl Krygier
206-349-3913 [email protected]
Technical Wes Ingram
360-707-5701 [email protected]
15613 “C” Peterson Road Burlington, WA 98233
http://nwalfaclub.com
www.aroc-usa.org www.alfabb.com
Facebook: NWARC
Board Members
Committee Leadership
Club Liaisons
The Iniezione is the monthly newsletter of the NorthWest Alfa Romeo Club, a non-profit organization of Alfa Ro-meo enthusiasts. NWARC is a regional chapter of the national Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC). Chapter meet-ings are typically held the second Tuesday of most months except December. Membership dues are $65 per year, which includes subscriptions to the digital and/or print versions of the Iniezione and the monthly national publica-tion, Alfa Owner. For information about joining the club, contact the Membership Chairs listed in the right hand column. Opinions expressed in the Iniezione are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the club. (The authors may simply be nuts!) Publication of articles describing technical procedures does not constitute an endorsement by the club, its officers or AROC. It is the responsibility of the person performing any procedure to accept all consequences of his or her actions. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone would take personal responsibility?
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Informazioni Generali
Back to the Boat!
N W Alfa Romeo Club returns to the
Fremont Brew Cruise! Spend a late
summer evening on a character-filled
boat with plenty of good friends, good bever-
ages and an unparalleled view of
Seattle and its bridges from the
water.
Boarding and your first house
beverage is $25 (+tax). Addition-
al beer and wine are $6, non-
alcoholic beverages are $3.
There is also happy hour snack
fare such as soft pretzels, chips,
nuts, etc. for $3 & under. Please, no outside
food or beverages on board. Must be 21 or
older and have ID. This event is open to
NWARC members and their guests, so family
and friends are welcome to join the fun!
Boarding will be 6:15-6:25 pm from Fisher-
man's Terminal Dock 9, for a 6:30 pm depar-
ture. Google Chinook’s Restaurant for direc-
tions: the boarding dock is to the left of the
restaurant as you look at it from the parking
area, in front of their outside seating. The
cruise is from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.
DON’T DELAY! THIS WAS VERY POPU-
LAR LAST YEAR AND WE DON’T WANT
YOU TO MISS
OUT. Reservations
are strongly encour-
aged. Walk-ons are
welcome, but will be
subject to space avail-
ability on the boat.
Payment (cash or
check payable to
NWARC) will be collected at the boat for
boarding and any additional food or beverage
purchases.
Please RSVP David James by 6pm, Sun-
day, September 8 at 206-849-3211 (text)
or [email protected] (email).
- David James
Next Club Meetings
Tips and Tricks for Current Alfas
P rova Motorsports will host the Octo-
ber club meeting. Following our brief
club meeting, Prova owner Chris
Benny will present tips and tricks to enhance
the performance of your new Alfa Romeo for
spirited driving on strada (road) and pista
(track). Learn how to get your 4C, Guilia or
Stelvio ready for the November driving
school/HPDE!
Join us at 6:30 pm to socialize with your
fellow club members, with the formal meeting
starting at 7:00 pm. Light snacks and re-
freshments will be provided . Bring a dinner
or order ahead if you wish, and bring along
any unwanted magazines to exchange with
others!
Prova Motorsports
4022 23rd Avenue W
Seattle, WA 98199
- David James
September 10 Fremont Brew Cruise, Seattle
October 15 Prova Motorsports
Iniezione page 4 September 2019
Tony and Debi assume their new lead position to the Dune
Peninsula, the detour route from the original drive, while I
stayed back in the ‘sweep’ position. Not very
happy back here as opposed to being in the front
seat, I thought, but I had a job to do. Just do it!
Be happy!
Now the plan is to go into the Dune Peninsula
with the new leaders up front, so I relax and pull
up the rear.
Whoops! I am staying be-
hind, like a good sweep, but as
we entered Point Defiance
Park, something happened.
Someone missed the last-
minute route change turn at the
second roundabout (or, if
you’re Fred Russell, “traffic cir-
cle”.) I decided to stay in last
place until I could re-direct this short
convoy back to Dune Peninsula.
Once in the Park the road wid-
ened to two lanes, so I zipped by all
the “lost” drivers, stopped to block
them, turned on my flashers and
regrouped. I then had Gordy and
Dolly assume new leader roles (in
their Porsche…) to guide us back to
the Dune Peninsula. So much for “Alfas up front”!
Once again we’re all together, in a new place, Dune Penin-
sula. Debi Schmid took us on a tour of the area, with Tony in
the rear providing some of its previous history. We walked,
chatted and enjoyed the wide views available here of Com-
mencement Bay as it meets Dalco Passage. This is also peak
fishing season, so new parking areas had been designated for
these folks. The parking lot was huge, holding maybe 1,000
boat trailers with their corre-
sponding trucks/cars at-
tached.
Our stomachs are starting to
growl. Not as loud as the
4C’s engine, so close to my
ears, but it was time to mean-
der on. Katie Downs was just
down the street; we found parking close by, care-
fully parked our Alfas and whatever else we chose
to drive that day, and went inside to our reserved
table. Food and drinks soon arrived, and Debi
snapped a group photo.
Fabulous food and drinks, spectacular scenery,
with twisty turns and bays of beautiful calm water
in the distance, in the company of
many very happy Alfisti made this
a memorable event that we
should do every year.
See ya next year ALL!
- Mark Greengo
- photos by Merril
Gordon except
where noted
Going with the Flow - continued
G roup 2 pulled out all the stops to put on a memorable
Alfa Romeo Day on Saturday, August 10, and were
rewarded by an excellent turn-out of 50-60 current
and prospective members! I’m sure we’ll gain more than a
few new members from the gathering.
It was wonderful to see over 30 Alfas in one place, from new
Giulias, Stelvios and a 4C, through Spiders, Milanos, Giuli-
ettas, Giulia Supers and a Montreal, to a 1932 8C 2300 which
announced its arrival with a throaty exhaust and loud
supercharger whine! Full marks to Fred Russell for driv-
ing it there through Seattle traffic. And new to many of
us were a police-spec 155 (where did that come from?)
and a V6-powered 147 wirh Canadian plates, both cur-
rently at Group 2 for work.
Our hosts John Van Rensburg and Melissa Donovan
had arranged
for a DJ to
keep us en-
tertained with
upbeat mu-
sic, as well
as a food
kiosk (excellent Fijian “tacos”) and a t-shirt vendor printing
Great Turn-Out for Group 2’s Alfa Romeo Day
Debi Schmid
Fred Russell
Iniezione page 5 September 2019
shirts on the spot from 4 custom Alfa designs; both were kept
busy throughout the day.
Our monthly club meeting took place after lunch, with Fred
casually using the 2300 as a podium; I guess you use whatev-
er’s handy. After the officer reports and review of activities,
JVR told
us of the
various
projects
Group 2
is under-
taking.
These
include
boring out, re-porting and blue-printing a brand new Alfa V6
from a Giulia Quadrifoglio, with the aim of extracting the same
505 bhp it currently makes in stock turbocharged form, but
without the turbochargers! It’ll probably need to rev to 9,000
rpm to do that, but John’s confident it can be done. And when
he’s done that, he’ll put the turbochargers back on and see
how much further he can push it! Just as well Group 2 also
sells brake upgrade kits…
Overall, it was an excellent gathering. Early morning show-
ers had given way to sunshine by noon, and the tire-kicking
and highy enjoyable conversations went on well into the after-
noon. Many thanks to John and Melissa for a great event!
- Jon Inge
Group 2 Alfa Day - continued
T his year’s AROC National Convention was held in Pitts-
burgh, PA from July 12 - 21, 2019, hosted by the Three
Rivers Alfisti. It was also held in coordination with the
2019 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, hence its slogan: “Cortile
della Corsa”, the Courtyard of the Race. I was able to attend
with my good friend Linda, and also to visit her relatives in
western Ohio, Pittsburgh and Little Silver, NJ.
From the convention hotel in Cranberry, PA, events started
with the usual driving tours in the area. The AROC Board
meeting was held on the Tuesday afternoon, and of
course Joe Faherty was in attendance. Linda and I
arrived on the Wednesday afternoon, picked up a
rental car, headed for the hotel and immediately saw
Joe. I think we were the only other NWARC mem-
bers among the around 200 members attending, per
the registration office. Unusually, there was no ven-
dor area at the hotel, and no technical meetings.
However, we did run into five couples and three
individuals who were with me on the 2017 AROC-
Goes-to-Italy tour. This reunion and much good friendship
was for me a highlight of the convention and allowed Linda to
meet these good friends.
Wednesday saw a parade downtown and a car show; Thurs-
day was the track day, with time trials held at the Schenley
Park in Pittsburgh. This large park offers a huge section of
greenery downtown, with the Pittsburgh Golf Club and the
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand
Prix racetrack. We then had
dinner with many other Alfisti
at the Double Wide Grill in
Mars, PA.
Friday saw the gimmick
rally leave at 8:30 am, but
Linda and I stayed at the ho-
tel where the local Ferrari dealer was offering rides in a 2019
Ferrari 488. We were impressed!
We attended the Welcome Reception and Din-
ner at the Pittsburgh Golf Club, then on Saturday
morning drove to Schenley Park for the car show
on the lawn. With the temperature reaching 95
deg. F with 95% relative humidity, I noticed that
we were all well lubricated! Then we all drove
back to the hotel for the evening AROC Banquet,
Cindy Banzer presiding, and saw a video of Colo-
rado Springs, home of 2020 AROC convention.
We left on Sunday afternoon to drive to Western Ohio to visit
Linda’s relatives, and came
back to Seattle on Monday
evening after a wonderful trip.
- text and photos Georges
Hebrant
Postcard from Pittsburgh - the 2019 AROC Convention
Iniezione page 6 September 2019
I purchased a bone stock, 1988 Spider Quadrifoglio about
two years ago with just over 34,000 original miles. Even
after cleaning the injectors, replacing the spark plugs and
changing all of the fluids and filters, the car just could not keep
up with modern cars, around town or on the highway. It was
sluggish out of corners and up hills with just me in the car. If I
timed my shifts carefully, I could pass farm tractors on flat,
straight country roads, but passing cars and trucks was not
really an option.
Curious, I had
it checked on
the dyno at Car-
buretor Connec-
tion in Kirkland,
WA; it produced
a peak of 81 hp
and 93.5 ft-lbs
of torque at the
back wheels. I
wanted to drive it pretty often, so I looked into making some
modifications.
Modifications, First Try
The suspension and brakes were the first area of focus.
Using parts from Centerline Alfa, I had the car lowered an
inch, installed their big brake kit in the front, and had their rec-
tangular frame stiffener fitted. A few small holes were plugged
in the rubber piece between the air filter and the intake mani-
fold, and all the fuel lines were replaced. The whole suspen-
sion was inspected and a few bushings replaced.
Handling and balance improved and I was pleased. The big
brake kit is actually about 16 pounds lighter than the stock
brakes, and these cars seem to be quite sensitive to decreas-
es in weight around the
axles.
Next, I installed a pair of
street performance cams
for higher hp and torque
between 2000-4500 RPM,
a Centerline performance
exhaust system and 1974
GTV exhaust manifolds.
The manifolds were ob-
tained from the Alfa parts
place in Berkeley, CA, and are far less restrictive than the
1988 Spider set up. I had them sand blasted and ceramic
coated at Pacific Coatings in Auburn, WA.
I love the sound of that performance exhaust - I can actually
hear the engine with the top down on the freeway now. I
couldn’t before, which really bothered me. Overall, engine
performance improved, but the car was not that smooth to
drive and it really did not seem to produce more power from
2000-4500 RPM. I was pleased with the improved braking
and the stiffer suspension.
Modifications, Second Try
While driving the car around and thinking about possible
next steps, not really sure what to do going forward, I took it to
Randy Johnson at Authentic Motorcars in Redmond, WA, for a
simple oil change. When I learned about his experience with
Alfas, I asked him to take an hour and test drive the car pretty
thoroughly, as I was unsure about the performance.
A few days later Randy reported a number of things. Most
importantly, he noted that the engine did not have the power it
should between 2000-4500 RPM, and that the car was under-
steering pretty badly. At that point, I asked Randy to spend
more time and go over the car very thoroughly.
He started by pulling the injectors and sending them out to
be tested (they tested fine). In his earlier review of the car,
Randy found that the engine mounts had basically failed and
needed to be replaced. He believed they had failed prema-
turely from the weight of the A/C components, which are kind
of a bolt-on affair in the
Series III.
Randy checked the cam
timing for the street per-
formance camshafts with
a degree wheel, and
found that it was off. He
also found that the varia-
ble valve timing actuator
thruster pin on the valve
cover was frozen and not
moving at all. Further, the
engine was running very
lean at higher RPMs such
that it could be damaged with prolonged use.
He replaced the engine mounts, removed
the A/C components, checked with the cam-
shaft manufacturer and adjusted the cam tim-
ing and valve clearances to the recommend-
ed specs. Randy then installed an aftermar-
ket adjustable fuel pressure regulator with a
fuel pressure gauge, which allowed him to
adjust the air/fuel mixture to the correct stoi-
chiometric value at all engine speeds.
After Randy’s work on the Spider, a run on the dyno at Car-
buretor Connection showed 107.1 hp and 104.6 ft lbs of torque
at the back wheels. Compared to the first dyno run with the
stock car, that is about a 32% increase in horse power and
about a 12% increase in torque at the back wheels. Wow! A
graph of the first and last dyno runs is shown below.
In addition, Randy made several other important recommen-
Putting New Life into a Spider
Iniezione page 7 September 2019
dations and changes. He found that the stock radiator was full
of scaling, so he installed a lightweight and efficient aluminum
replacement. He removed the stock radiator fan and hooked
up the existing A/C electric fan in front of the radiator to come
on at a specific temperature, and replaced all of the coolant
hoses due to age. The electric fan and high efficiency radiator
cool the engine well, even in stop and go traffic.
The removal of the A/C components and these last modifica-
tions took off quite a bit of weight from the front axles, perhaps
40-50 lbs, specifically reduced the understeer and improved
the handling in general. Randy also found that the insulation
around the main power wire from the starter to the rest of the
electrical system had melted and that this wire needed to be
increased in size and replaced, that the rubber hoses to the
injectors had cracked and needed to be replaced, that the uni-
versal joints and center bearing on the drive line all needed to
be replaced and finally, that the air/oil separator needed to be
replaced. He did all this, and also flushed the old air/oil sepa-
rator and painted it in case it was ever needed again.
How Does It Drive?
I am very happy to report that the Spider drives very nicely
now. The handling is much improved over stock and this
makes the car really fun to drive. The understeer is greatly
reduced and the car corners so much better. I would specu-
late that the tires are now probably the limiting factor in most
situations.
The engine is much smoother and the clunkiness after the
“First Try” is gone so that the car is easy to drive and very
smooth in all aspects of driving. The dyno graphs show the
engine performance at wide open throttle, but that is only part
of the story, especially for a street car that is used to drive
around town. The performance at partial throttle has greatly
improved, perhaps more than you would think from the dyno
graphs. There is much more power and torque between 2000
and 4500 at partial throttle. It is now easy to keep up with traf-
fic around town and out on the highway.
Passing cars and trucks is no problem, even if you have to
go up to 80-90 mph. Today I took the car over Highway 18
(that’s a BIG hill more than a mile long for those not from this
area) and easily passed large trucks and an RV, all at partial
throttle. And all without slowing down the cars behind me - in
fact, they were left far behind as I was somehow very quickly
going way over the speed limit!
It is so much fun to drive this car now. These
changes have really given it a second lease on
life! It was not just one change, but all of them
together. I look forward to using this car as my
daily driver for many years.
I am happy to answer any questions about
these modifications and the trade-offs I consid-
ered, but Randy is the real expert and I will
probably end up referring you to him as you
consider your specific car and goals. And
Randy has more suggestions for me for further
improving the handling and acceleration. We
did not get into these suggestions this time
around, but I look forward to exploring them in
the years ahead as well.
You may contact me at [email protected] if
you have any questions.
- text and photos John Parkey
Engine bay showing new radiator, new hoses
and painted components. The new fuel regulator with
pressure gauge is in the lower left corner.
Putting New Life into a Spider - continued
Iniezione page 8 September 2019
P lanes, Boats and Automobiles… without John
Candy or Steve Martin.
We are getting close to our Half Fast Lap of
Washington on September 14-16, and we have a num-
ber of people signed up already. We'll enjoy some of
what our southern neighbors have to offer, and will visit
three different transportation museums during our trip.
I have arranged lunches on
two days and group entrance
to the museums, for which I
need participants to pay $85
per person once we gather at
the start. The gas, coffee, din-
ners, wine, lunch on the last
day, speeding tickets and ho-
tels are on your own tab.
We’ll gather on the morning
of Sept 14 at the Tahoma Mar-
ket in Fife, WA to start our
drive. Heading east and south
we take backroads as we avoid Interstate 5 and
find lunch in Longview.
After crossing the river into the Beaver State,
fun roads take us around Portland and down to
Wilsonville where the
World of Speed Museum
awaits.
(www.worldofspeed.org)
They’ll even stay open a
little late for us to ensure
we have plenty of time to
enjoy the cars on display.
Next it’s pleasant roads
over to McMinnville where
we’ll check into the McMin-
nville Inn before finding
dinner and wine in the
town.
After breakfast on September 15, we see an SR-71 Black-
bird, a Titan II missile, the huge flying boat known as the
Spruce Goose and MUCH more at the Evergreen Aviation &
Space Museum. (www.evergreenmuseum.org) For some, a
rare tour inside the Spruce Goose cockpit is an additional $30
for 4 people. A deli sandwich lunch with soda, water or lem-
onade will be served in a private space at the museum.
The afternoon sees us stop at a winery before wandering
many great roads through scenic, rolling vineyards and for-
ests as we head to the riverfront town of Astoria. Named for
furrier John Jacob Astor, the town was created along the
southern shore of the
Columbia River 14 miles
upriver and inside the
dangerous sands and
water at the river's
mouth. We’ll be staying
in the historic downtown
of Astoria.
We start September 16
with a tour of the Colum-
bia River Maritime Museum
(www.crmm.org) that focuses on the
complex water, currents, weather and
history of the mouth of the massive
Columbia River. There are great dis-
plays of shipwrecks, early coastal
mapping, bar pilots and emotional Jap-
anese flags known as Yosegaki Hino-
maru
(Good Luck
Flag).
After the
museum,
we cross
the Astoria
– Megler
Bridge that spans the 4-mile
width of the Columbia River
and takes us back to Wash-
ington State and our last
lunch together. Then it’s
backroads along the edge of
the mineral-rich tidal waters of
Willapa Bay, through Ray-
mond before heading towards
Saturday - Monday, September 14-16 Half-Fast Lap
Upcoming Events
Iniezione page 9 September 2019
Brooklyn, Oakville, Rochester, and finally a quick stop to say goodbye at the
Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.
I hope to see everyone in new cars and old… this is always a wonderful social
event and an even better driving one!
Our hotel room blocks are no longer available but there may still be a chance to
jump in on this fun. If you want to come along contact me at 426 308 6621.
- Fred Russell
Upcoming Events - continued
J oin us for an early autumn drive to the annual “Car Is
King” weekend at Maryhill Museum, above the pictur-
esque Columbia River gorge.
An early Saturday morning departure from the NW Gilman
Boulevard Starbucks in Issaquah will see us driving east to
Ellensburg and Yakima, then south on highway 97 through the
rolling hills of the Yakama Indian Reservation. Crossing Sta-
tus Pass to Goldendale, we plunge down to the Columbia Riv-
er gorge for a noon arrival at the Maryhill Loops road.
After driving the Loops road, you’ll be on their own to take in
the various activities in the Maryhill area. You can appreciate
the art of the car at the Concours de Maryhill show, or the art
of Rodin at the Maryhill Museum. Tickle your palate tasting
vino at the Maryhill Winery, or contemplate the sacrifice of ser-
vicemen in the Great War while taking in the tremendous vista
from the Stonehenge Memorial. Do as much or as little as you
wish, it’s sure to be an enjoyable afternoon - details below.
On Saturday evening we’ll gather for dinner at the popular
Ayutla’s Family Mexican restaurant in Goldendale. For Satur-
day night lodging, a block of rooms has been reserved at the
Ponderosa Motel in Goldendale.
After breakfast on Sunday morning, we’ll travel back to the
Maryhill Loops road to catch the hill climb race. Then we head
back to the Puget Sound area via Chinook and Cayuse pass-
es, with a stop for lunch along the way.
To book a spot on this drive, RSVP to me at
206-849-3211 or [email protected]
Lodging Information
Call the Ponderosa Motel at 509-773-5842
before September 24 and ask for the NW Alfa
Romeo Club block of rooms (single queen bed,
$98.55/rm including lodging tax). After this date
the rooms will be released. Lodging is also
available at the Quality Inn & Suites in Golden-
dale.
MARYHILL ACTIVITIES
Maryhill Loops Road
“Good roads are more than my hobby, they are my religion.”
Sam Hill
The Maryhill Loops Road
was built by Good Roads
promoter Samuel Hill,
with the help of engineer
and landscape architect
Samuel C. Lancaster.
Laid in 1911 as the first
asphalt road in the state,
it achieved low grades
with horseshoe curves.
Today the road is open
to automobiles only twice a year. This is your chance to take a
spin past the beautiful scenery and through the roads eight
hairpin curves. Maryhill Loops Road is located just east of US
97 off of State Route 14.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Use of the Maryhill Loops Road is at
the user’s risk (Washington State Law, RCW 4.24.210). The
road is steep, has blind corners, switchbacks, drop-offs and
gates. Be aware that wildlife, domestic animals and people
may be on or near the road.
For Road & Track’s Sam Smith’s thoughts on the Maryhill
Loops Road (and the future of automobiles), see: https://
bit.ly/2NO5sXh
For driving inspiration, watch rally master Alister McRae
dance up the hill in a Lancia rally racer: https://bit.ly/2LfIUNs
Maryhill Museum
Set on a stunning 5,300-acre site
overlooking the Columbia River
Gorge, Maryhill Museum of Art is
housed in a historic, three-story
Beaux Arts mansion originally in-
tended as a residence for museum
founder Sam Hill. Permanent instal-
lations include more than 80 works
by Auguste Rodin, European and
American paintings and decorative
arts, the Native American collection, objects from the palaces
of the Queen of Romania, unique chess sets from around the
world and the renowned Théâtre de la Mode—small-scale
fashion mannequins attired in haute couture of post-World War
Sat/Sun, October 5-6 “Car is King” Maryhill Weekend - Book by Sep 24!
Iniezione page 10 September 2019
Classified Ads - Cars & Parts For Sale & Wanted
Moving overseas! FOR SALE - 1976
Alfetta GT, dark burgundy (“faggio” -
beech), original survivor, 111K miles or
211K miles? Original owner purchased
new in 1977 from Grand Prix Motors in Se-
attle and lived in Auburn WA. I am the 2nd
long term owner, 6yrs. 2.0 liter 4cyl, 5spd.
Recent rebuilt Spica FI pump from Wes
Ingram, new alternator, starter, radiator and front suspension.
Previous work includes water pump, left rear wheel bearing,
fuel lines. Rear seats good, fronts need padding and covers.
I do have a complete set of front and rears reupholstered but
in non-original vinyl. Includes spare steering column and
wheel attached, and an original jack (seized). Runs great, al-
ways more to do. $9,750 or reasonable offer. Euro bumpers
also available $750.
Contact Diego Lasheras, 206-390-1677
II France. Maryhill is also home to the William and Catherine
Dickson Sculpture Park, with over a dozen outdoor sculptures
by Pacific Northwest artists. Admission to the museum $12
for adults. Lunch is available at the museum café.
(www.maryhillmuseum.org)
Concours de Maryhill (on the grounds of the Maryhill Museum)
A Classic car show featuring a variety of European, Ameri-
can and Japanese cars. Some vintage race cars show on
Saturday and race the hill climb event on Sunday. This show
is an opportunity to view cars we don’t normally see in the
Seattle area. It’s free for spectators and runs until 4pm, with
food trucks on site for lunch.
Maryhill Winery
Opened in 2001 and family-
owned, Maryhill Winery is one
of Washington’s largest winer-
ies. Named the 2015 Pacific
Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest, it
offers panoramic views of Mount Hood and the Columbia Riv-
er. Wine tastings and lunch options available.
Stonehenge Memorial
The nation’s first WWI memorial, it was dedicated in 1918 to
the servicemen of Klickitat County, WA, who died in the Great
War. The Stonehenge Memorial lies three miles east of the
Maryhill Museum of Art just off Highway 14.
Maryhill Loops Hill Climb Race (Sunday, 9am-5pm)
Vintage and contemporary competition machines race singly
in a two-mile timed climb up the Maryhill Loops Road. It’s free
for spectators viewing the race from the Highway 97 overlook
and from designated viewpoints along the route.
- David James
A ROC is headed to Austin again
this fall! Join your friends in wel-
coming Alfa Romeo Racing back
to its 2nd year in Formula 1 at the United
States Grand Prix, once again at the
Circuit Of The Americas, Austin, TX.
Steve Austin’s Great Vacations has arranged for another
fabulous four full days for us. We’ll walk the track, meet the
drivers, attend practice and qualifying,
enjoy Texas hospitality, cheer the team
– and more! With World Champion
Kimi Raikkonen as our #1 driver, it’s
going to be an amazing 2019 season.
Join your AROC friends and be a part
of it all! Details at https://www.aroc-usa.org/wp-content/
uploads/2019/07/COTA_2019.pdf
October 31 - November 4 AROC Goes to the US Grand Prix, COTA
Upcoming Events - continued
Iniezione page 11 September 2019
This article is adapted from a report in Petrolicious on March
25, 2019, by Will Broadhead, who evaluated a black 8C for
sale in England.
-----------------------
A car company that looks to its history to inform its fu-
ture is nothing new, hoping that the shine will rub off on
the current lineup. Taking an iconic name and pasting
it onto a new car has a different rubric depending on what’s
written on the badge. If it spells out “Alfa Romeo” then there’s
a very lush backstory that must be done justice, and one
needs to be pretty damn sure that whatever sports cars carry
the name are worthy. Recently I had the opportunity to find
out if a ten-year-old sports car
wearing the cross and serpent
was up to the task.
Of course, it wasn’t simply
just the famous Alfa Romeo
crest that this car was carrying
forward. It also carries a des-
ignation that symbolizes the
history and success of the
company in the way that the letters D and B do for Aston Mar-
tin: the label 8C. The original 8C engine, Vittorio Jano’s
straight-eight design, took the marque to track wins throughout
the 1930s in various cars while also powering road-going mod-
els with bodywork from some of the era’s finest coachbuilders.
The most recent Alfa to take up the 8C name is an entirely
different affair—it’s got a V8 in it for starters, and has just as
many styling cues from the 33 Stradale—but it still carries
plenty of legacy in its soul. The 8C Competizione was revealed
as a concept back in 2003. When Alfa announced it would go
into production they received 1,500 orders, although only 500
each of the coupe and the later Spider were built.
Love and romance, of course, have large parts to play when
it comes to a marque like Alfa, and the brand has always relied
on a certain amount of starry-eyed affection to help its road
cars brush over whatever shortcomings may appear in the oth-
erwise genius sauce. The Competizione is no different, as I
found out behind the wheel of one that the Classic Motor Hub
had in stock. This one had had some surgery to iron out a few
kinks in its design, namely a major suspension overhaul to
make the rigid factory ride a bit more bearable on the pock-
marked and potholed roads in Britain.
But how does it go when you aren’t dodging craters? With a
bang. The dry-sumped Ferrari-assembled 4.7L V8 makes a
tremendous noise as it sends 450 horses to the wheels scrab-
bling against the tarmac. Alfa quotes a 0-60 time of 4.2 sec-
onds, although with the Pirelli boots struggling with the cold
road surface on our test day I was never going to match that.
Instead I had fun feathering the pedal to find the sweet spot of
grip in a bout of manual traction control that beats any dry
sprint, in my opinion.
Despite the lack of grip on that cold day it’s still not some-
thing you’d call slow. The car moves its way up through the
gears with gusto and a soundtrack befitting a machine with
“8C” on it. It sounds great on the way back down, too; a quick
flick of the paddle on the left drops a gear accompanied by just
the right amount of pop and bang from the four trumpets at the
back on the overrun.
But engine note and performance aside, you start to uncover
a few shortcomings in the process of having a blast with it.
The gearbox isn’t the best, and while it has no trouble select-
ing and does it as fast as
you’d expect, the process can
feel a little cumbersome; there
are certainly sweeter boxes
out there. The handling too,
whilst precise at the point of
input, is a touch skittish for a
car that otherwise seems very
“GT.” At speed the stability of
the taut chassis can easily become displaced, particularly at
the rear, although I admit that the rubber this model was run-
ning wasn’t helping on a cold March day, so take all of this
with a few grains of lingering winter road salt.
But then again, what does one want from a car like this? Is
a little jiggle and oversteer and the occasional bout of butt-
clench so bad? Working hard for its affections, to tame it, is all
part of the experience, and it is an experience worth pursuing.
From the moment you clap eyes on the thing you can’t fail to
appreciate that it is a piece of art, the squat and exotically
rounded rear of the car paired with the long nose echoing the
design of some of the coolest cab-rearward creations.
The way that its voice burbles and shouts, the joy of slipping
into the sculpted seats that prepare you for a special drive, just
seeing that famous crest adorning the wheel in your hands…
Even the brake pedal looks good, which means you can for-
give it for being completely in the way when you try to take
your foot off the accelerator.
Forgiveness kind of sums up this car to me, and if to own an
Alfa Romeo is to be in love, then perhaps forgiveness is the
greatest expression of that emotion. For all of its flaws, for all
of the things that other cars at this price point do better, faster,
easier, I still emerged from the cockpit of the machine with a
massive smile and a heart full of warmth that those other cars
just couldn’t give me. They impress in measurable ways; this
one works in the realm of the subjective, though its numbers
are nothing to sneeze at either. The cynics can pick at it and
offer critiques that don’t bear weight with those who just enjoy
cars like this. I’m quite happy over here with the lovers.
8C Competizione After 10 Years An Experience That’s Worth The Flaws
Iniezione page 12 September 2019
Anniversaries
Congratulations on all these Anniversaries this month!
Wilfred Painter - 47 years
Kim & Paula Buty - 34 years
Wes & Rita Ingram - 32 years
Dick & Jessica Camp - 24 years
Gregg & Shama Albright - 22 years
Ron Calkins - 22 years
Mike & Jennifer Macaulay - 22 years
Paul & Kristin Affolter - 19 years
Mirko Freguia - 16 years
Robert Gerttula - 9 years
Jim & Geneva Busse - 8 years
Philip Stonebraker - 8 years
Charles Dayton - 5 years
Roger Van der Marel - 5 years
Hans Peter Hauser - 2 years
Nicholas Barrett - 2 years
David Swanson - 1 year
John Wiley - 1 year
New Members
We’ve added another three new members since the last
newsletter!
Please welcome:
- James Evans of Seattle
- Richard Maturi, also of Seattle, with his 2017 Giulia, and
- Steven Norgaard with his 2000 GTV, up in Anacortes.
- Paul and Kristy Affolter
Membership Update
Iniezione page 13 September 2019
Iniezione page 14 September 2019
Name: _____________________________________________________________________
Spouse: ____________________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________________________
Home Phone: _______________________________________________________________
Alt. Phone: _________________________________________________________________
E-mail Address: _____________________________________________________________
Do you wish to be affiliated with the local Alfa Club? Yes…. NWARC
Please indicate your interests:
Technical______ Tours______ Social_______ Rally_______ Vintage Cars_______
Cost: $68 annual AROC / NWARC dues Make check payable to: ALFA ROMEO OWNERS CLUB
Or… Online registration http://www.aroc-usa.org/
N
WA
RC
/ A
RO
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em
be
rsh
ip A
pp
lic
ati
on
Mail t
o:
ALFA R
OM
EO
OW
NERS C
LU
B
c/o
BARBARA C
LARK
P.O
. BO
X 9
2155
PO
RTLAN
D,
OR
97292
The following members provide Alfa Mentoring!!!
Contact any of them for good Alfa info!
Model/Series Member Name Contact 164 / GTV-6 Dan Jardine [email protected] GTV Dave Emerson [email protected] Spiders, GTV Fred Wright [email protected] 80’s Spiders Harry Reed [email protected] Almost Anything! Fred Russell [email protected]
Member Mentors
Member Recommendations Have a parts or service provider you have found to be highly satisfactory? Share your wisdom with us all at [email protected]. With your help, we can all be better auto-motive consumers.
Burien Upholstery, Burien - Upholstery, carpets
Convertibles Only - Convertible top repair/replacement
Dent Solutions, Mobile - Paintless dent removal
Mark 2 Collision Center, Lynnwood - Collision repair
Muffler King - Kirkland Custom exhaust services
North Kitsap Auto Rebuilt, Poulsbo - Collision repair
Professional Glass Company, Seattle - Windshield Re-placement
NW Crafted Interiors (was S&S Custom), Everett - Auto Upholstery & Interiors
Security Safe & Lock, Inc., Bellevue - Lock rebuilding
Sound Wheel Works, Bellevue - Wheel repair
Tire Rack Internet - Tires, wheels and parts
Vancity Plating, Burnaby BC - Chrome plating and polish-ing
All the above providers have been recommended by one or more club members as being highly satisfactory but are not specifically endorsed by NWARC.
TZ at Dijon, June 2019 - Sports Car Digest, Photo Classic Racing
Iniezione page 15 September 2019
Iniezione page 16 September 2019
Northwest Alfa Romeo Club 9301 236th Street SW Edmonds, WA 98020
1931 6C 1750 Gran Sport Zagato Spider, Pebble Beach 2019 - Sports Car Digest, Tim Scott Fluid Images
• Sep 10 NWARC Meeting / Fremont Brew Cruise, Seattle
• Sep 14 - 16 Half-Fast Lap of WA/OR / Portland-McMinnville-Astoria
• Oct 5-6 Maryhill Weekend Drive / Maryhill/Goldendale, WA
• Oct 8 NWARC Meeting / Prova Motorsports, Seattle
• Oct 31 - Nov 4 AROC Goes to the US Grand Prix 2019 / COTA, Austin, TX
• Nov 12 NWARC Meeting / Convertibles Only, Seattle
• Nov 17 Driving School/HPDE / Pacific Raceways, Kent
• Dec 8 Festa di Amici Holiday Party / Marianna Restaurant, Renton
• Jan 1 New Years Day Drive / tba
• Jan 14 NWARC Meeting / tba
• Feb 11 NWARC Meeting / tba
2019-2020 Calendar of Club & Local Car Events