fun concours night - take 2

Alfa Romeo Owners Club
EAST MIDLANDS
SECTION
Formerly Central & East Midlands
FUN CONCOURS
NIGHT - TAKE 2 !!
Weds 10 July 7pm
Event postponed from June
Sunday 7 July
Stanford Hall near
Lutterworth
‘Summertime Classics’ is the new title for Auto
Italia’s event at Stanford Hall. Moved back by
one month from its traditional June date, the
event is attempting to attract a bigger gate by
opening up to any Classic cars – as we would
hope, it of course incorporates the Italian Car
Concours, much loved event that dates back to
the early 1990s. There will be one marque
reduced in numbers however as the Maserati
Owners Club has moved its Concours to
Prescott, and that’s where we come in as our
Alfa Romeos will have Maserati’s usual prime
spot near the River Avon.
Our Section will once again be marshalling all
of the Alfa Romeos that attend and the plan is to
create special displays by model. We are not
going to go madly complex on that, but we will
make a true display of Bertone Coupes,
celebrating their 50th anniversary, 105 series
Spiders, Alfettas (including GTV and GTV 6), all
other classic models Alfa 75/164 and older, then
we will see what to do with others. Trying to
predict what and how many Alfas will attend this
event is notoriously difficult. If recent years are
to go by it could be anything from 90 to 400!
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Inside this edition:
 June Meeting Night
 AutoKarna
Langton Brewery Tour
Cotswold Alfa Day
Alfa 4C in Production
Alfasud Sprinting . . . and more
Admission is £13 per Adult, Children £3 payable
at gate only. Gates open at 9am, our Section
Helpers can get in from 8am.
So, we’ll have some fascinating Italian cars
again, some other ‘classics’ to look at, and in
addition there is going to be a tribute band, a
display by the amazing Abarth-sponsored stunt
plane and a trade village - great for bargain
Autoglym for example. On top of this, we always
try to make this a proper Section get together, so
please bring a picnic and a chair as we will all
meet up at around 1pm at our Section Shelter.
The big photo above shows that amazing day in
June 2008 at the Auto Italia event when the three
amigos from Top Gear attended for our AROC
Concours - you can see the throng around their
cars on the right of the picture. What a day that
was, quite unforgettable.
There’s no telling if this year’s event will be
quite as bizarre, but it should be good fun anyway.
So, as you’ll see inside we had to postpone our
Fun Concours night in June as the forecast was
horrendous, yet magically at Thringstone it
remained dry! We really hope 10 July will be a
glorious evening, do please plan to come we will
do our very best to run it this time even if in a bit of
drizzle. It was still terrific to se around 40 people
present at the June meeting, including several
‘newbies’. Here’s to seeing some
summer weather for all of our
many activities!!
AROC RACING AT
MALLORY PARK
Sunday 4 August
We’re delighted to say that the meeting is on!
There will be two Alfa Romeo races to enjoy in
a packed programme, special Alfa Romeo
parking, and a TRACK PARADE for AROC
members. Just see John G on the day for the
required pass. People are advised to get
there EARLY (before 9am) to secure best
parking spots. More details will be emailed to
members at end of July. The event is again
supported by Chris Variava Alfa Romeo.
John
AROC racing at Mallory Park is on 4 August
Alfisti is edited and produced by
John Griffiths
AROC East Midlands Section Secretary
Tel: 0774 8881317
e-mail: john.jhgcs@gmail.com
See our website for the latest news and more:
www.AROC--UK.COM/EASTMIDS
Alfisti production sponsored by
ALFISTI / EASTMIDS
Price? IT’S FREE!!
After some horrible weather in June we hope
to be able to run this most popular event on
our regular July meeting night.
There are a host of categories, both fun ones
and the more serious, including the
prestigious Car of the Night, with prizes
sponsored by our key Section supporters;
Chris Variava Alfa Romeo Nottingham, Engine
Services (Dave French) and IntaServices
(Dave Knott) in Leicester.
All Alfas attending are automatically entered,
and all people present get to vote. It’s always
an enjoyable evening and I hope you can
make it. (Proviso, if it is raining hard the meet
will go ahead, as it did in June, but we will
postpone the completion to August.)
■ Alfisti Issue 155 ■ July 2013
2 June 2013
This date is traditionally the one used by Auto Italia at Stanford Hall
(see cover). They have moved their event to July as, traditionally, it
chucks it down with rain on the first weekend in June. Well, this time
the Law of Sod came flying into play and the day was glorious!
The sunny weather certainly brought out the crowds, and a few very
unusual classic cars too. AutoKarna was originally the brainchild of
the Austin 7 club, and they had a huge number of their diminutive
cars along, parked on the banked grass in front of the hall. These
were joined by a plethora of varied vehicles, everything from
American muscle cars to original Ford Fiestas, and even a
Wartburg… what a sight that was! Shut-lines you could climb
through. A few of my own favourites included the subtly modified
Mk1 Ford Cortina, an immaculate Rover V8, and a bright yellow Fiat
Barchetta. (From 1995, it’s a ‘soon to be’ classic perhaps.)
A good number of our members met up at the Chris Variava display
area during the lunchtime period. No Alfa Romeo hospitality unit this
time, but the Jeep one did the job, alongside a Mitsubishi one of
course. Outside a MiTo ‘Live’ (the attractive new limited edition
model) and Giulietta Sportiva joined the range of Chryslers and
Jeeps and all were attracting interest. Paul Jones (Sales Manager
for Alfa, Jeep and Chrysler) was our host there and his wife Liz had
baked some delightful cup cakes for us to enjoy with the free tea and
coffee - spot on!
So, all in all an enjoyable relaxing day as ever, and a nice change for
a car show to be bright, warm and dry! John
Photos by John
Vast Chrysler 300C (Lancia Thema in Europe)
MiTo LIVE
Chrysler Ypsilon, Lancia Ypsilon in Europe
Wartburg. Delightful.
Paul Jones with his son Liam
FIAT Barchetta
Wollaton Hall in the sunshine
Capri 280 Brooklands
Plenty of interest around the Alfas
Something quite different in our
Calendar of events this one.
We’ve not done a brewery tour
since the 1990s! This was
suggested by Alan Lathwell from
Kibworth, who’s becoming a bit of
an expert in his local hostelries.
The Langton Brewery started off
effectively in a shed behind The
Bell at East Langton, but moved to
its new premises a few miles down
the road PAST Church Langton
about seven years ago. In that
time the two brewers there have
continued to perfect their craft.
On the evening, 14 of us had a
fascinating talk partner in the
business, David, who explained
the entire process from treatment
of the Severn Trent Water,
through the addition of the various barleys to create the sugars for alcohol
and flavour, the addition of hops which add bitterness, flavour, colour and
preservatives, to the final addition of yeast into the big tanks for fermenting.
We were surprised that is only about a 4 to 5 day process start to finish, and
that with just the final addition of finings to clear the brew, it comes straight
from tank to container vessel;
barrels, bottles and even beer
boxes.
Our Alfas outside
The Brewery serves about a
dozen local pubs and bottles (by
hand) around 30,000 bottles p.a.
Demand outstrips supply but the
guys are quite happy with their
scale today—a ramp up would
need large investment and MAY
spoil the end product.
We had ’ample’ beer to taste (very generous amounts!), a sandwich buffet
and could then buy plenty of bottles to take home. The Caudle bitter we
tried at 3.9% was absolutely superb... Shame so many were driving!
Many thanks again to Alan fro suggesting the trip and organising it, it was
really enjoyable. John
Above, David explains the process to our group.
Immediate left, top - the barley, often roasted for darker brews
and Stout. Bottom, the hops, often from Slovenia.
The failure of the Terrapin at
Curborough during our Track
Experience Day on the 29 May, which
John described as a “niggle”, turned
out to be somewhat more serious.
Subsequent investigation showed
number 2 cylinder was full of coolant.
Removal of the head and fitting a new
Head Gasket failed to
improve matters. I removed
the head yet again and took
it to M & G Castings at
Market Overton, with a view
to having it skimmed. Initial
pressure test showed a
porous induction port to
ducting connecting the
cooling system to no.2
combustion chamber. This
meant the head is scrap after
being a replacement for the
previous head which had valve failure. Two heads, two events totaling
approximately 11 laps of Curborough. This created a problem as I had an
entry at Curborough in the Westfield MC sprint on June 16th. . .
Rather than lose the entry fee I decided to change class and run my 1.3
Sud Super in a sprint for only the second time in 15 years of ownership.
Panic stations, Sud SORNed, no MOT, not taxed. Appointment for MOT
Wednesday 12th.June, amazed that it passed straight through after 18
months SORN. DVLA would not tax it on line. Post Office on Thursday
most helpful, taxed, so now road legal as I had maintained insurance. Email to Entry Secretary at Westfield gained approval for change of class.
This meant I would now be competing against a Lotus Elan, an MX5 and a
well sorted Ka. Friday prepare car to satisfy Scrutineering. What happened
Saturday escapes me, but I was ready for Sunday. Phew.
Left home 6.15 Sunday, much rumbling of front end. Some idiot (me)
had failed to tighten two wheelnuts on front nearside checking after Mot.
Rectified that and arrived Curborough OK, signed on, scrutineered,
handed in commentary form with a pack of lies. Had six runs, 2 practice, 2
timed and 2 additional fun runs, spent most of the day fielding questions
about the Sud which received a tremendous amount of praise and
comment as to why it was not a heap of rust in the garage.
Of course I was out classed, but what a terrific day managing to come
4th. Out of 4. My times P1
50.12secs, P2 48.32,
T148.48, T2 48.83, fun
runs 48.36 and 48.33.
Consistent if nothing else.
The Ka was running 45s.
I now await the arrival of
a replacement Cylinder
head in order to get the
Terrapin running again.
The future of which is in the
balance, more of that later,
but as they say, “watch this
space”.
Cheers George
COTSWOLD ALFA DAY, 23 June
This year’s Cotswold Alfa Day was centred on Stanway
House which has the highest gravity-fed fountain in the world.
With strong threats of heavy showers everyone was very lucky
that it held off until around 2,30pm when people were starting
to leave.
Several of our Section members enjoyed the day, including
taking part in the Giro Panoramica run that started in the
morning from around 10.30.
With it raining in Leicestershire, Neil Fairhurst left his Spider
Series 2 at home taking his Giulietta Cloverleaf instead. “Bit of
rain is OK in Spider but once hood is wet needs leaving up to
dry - and driving with hood up is naff and noisy, and sitting in it
to eat lunch etc is confined and steamed up. Would have liked
to use it as had new rear springs and fuel pump fitted Friday,
to see how they performed. Discretion is the better part of
valour !!!I left about 3.15 , rain had held off, (just – there were
a few spots in wind ) and about a mile down the road the sun
came out for a while. But after a few miles of light rain, around
Princeton, an almighty downpour almost flooded the
Fosseway, and reduced vis. to almost zero. Right decision!
One of the happiest men of the day was Dave Atkins, whose
delightful Giulietta Turbodelta won a prize.
There are lots more photos on the Cotswold Section’s
website, thanks to Neil Fairhurst and Dave Atkins for these.
John
Above, new
meets old always a
terrific
collection of
105 Series
cars at ‘CAD’.
Left, Dave Atkins
prize winning
Giulietta with
trophy.
Photos by Neil
Fairhurst; trophy
pic Dave Atkins
JUNE MEETING NIGHT at the George & Dragon, Thringstone, 10 June 2013
Of course this space was originally going to be
devoted to an extensive report on our Fun
Concours night, however, the Law of Sod
intervened. After a run of about 16 consecutive
dry evenings, the Atlantic depressions finally
triumphed and the weather turned miserable
and wet, forcing official postponement at around
6pm. AS you’ll have seen on the cover we now
plan a re run on 10 July.
Our man on the scene, Brian Smith, reported
rain and Spielberg-black clouds, that coupled
with me receiving numerous calls from people
reporting heavy rain really gave us no option,
especially as our supporters had again been so
generous with their prizes . Travelling to the
place was a bit of a disaster for many too. A
huge motorway hold up meant some aborting
their journeys and others being late—me
included.
When I finally arrived, 50 minutes later than
planned after a wide diversion, I was delighted
to see about 16 Alfas already there, and by 8pm
we were up to 26! Oh, plus Paul Jones from
CV’s in his wife Liz’s Chrysler Ypsilon!
You’ll see from my pics here that we had some
great cars among them. A number of Spiders
and classics had stayed at home, though local
man Peter Farley brought his lovely Giulietta
101—hood down no less—and Nick Arthur had
driven up from Leamington Spa in his superb
Alfetta GTV 2000. A more modern classic on
the night belonged to Gurdip, a friend of Paul
Atkins who works with him at Triumph in
Hinckley. This being a fantastic example of a
164, in stock 2.0 Twin Spark guise, complete
with original plastic wheel covers no less! What
a great car. Gurdip’s had it for 30,000 miles
now, with the odometer showing 140,000 miles
he says it’s going superbly. He was considering
selling it but meeting us lot of fanatics on the
night he’s seriously considering keeping it now and
buying a diesel ‘commuter’.
Our two other first timers were both in 156 GTAs.
Slavatore Vitale from Burton-on-Trent has had
Alfas for years and has just re-joined the club.
Alongside his metallic black example is a Giulia
Sprint GTC harking back to 1966. It’s good in parts
by all accounts and he’s looking at a restoration.
The red 156 GTA belonged to Steve Bestwick. It
has over 100K on the clock, but is going strong,
though Steve is expert at resetting fault codes with
a gadget he keeps almost permanently attached!
He loves the car though and says he enjoys driving
it even more than a 16v Integrale he owns, terrific
as that is.
Elsewhere we had a pair of cracking modified
Silver GTV 3.0 V6s belonging to Dave McFarland
and Martin Lindus - both enjoying comparing
exhaust notes at one point! Rob Galloway was
also over again with his son having travelled over
from Peterborough (as Martin had) in his GTV 2.0,
and Matt Strange also had his blue 3.0 GTV along
too.
Mark and Jacqui Wood were over too, with Ralph
the Alfa Dog, this time in Jacqui’s Giulietta QV Marks’ turbocharged GTV not yet completed.
Poor old Duncan Langford had spent all day
shining up his black Giulietta to polished
perfection— we appreciated your efforts Dunk. ;0)
There was lots more to see too, though a number
of nice cars, as I said earlier, had stayed in the dry.
We were pleased to see Peter Cambridge along
again too, (he’s the ex-Prodrive Brera S project
lead for those who don’t know.)
By around 9pm we retired to the bar and lounge
for a drink and a natter, an enjoyable end to the
evening that was far from what we had planned.
We’ll do our best to run the Concours at the next
meeting anyway… hope you can make it. John
Gurdip with his excellent 164
Liz Jones’ Chrysler Ypsilon - look, let’s call it a Lancia, was
interesting to have a good look at. Apparently you can
obtain all the necessary Lancia badges to convert it, but
they are selling very well as are great value for money.
Nick Arthur’s superb GTV 2000, complete with refurbished alloys (similar to those standard on the rare Grand Prix Edition) purchased with
Goodyear tyres for just £175 on eBay. Now that is a bargain!
Despite an almost certain threat of rain, Peter Farley arrived hooddown in his delightful Giulietta Spider. (Yes, he is barking mad!)
Dave McFarland’s 1:18 scale 33
Stradale. Superb!
Roger Smith owns this 3.2 159 and a 3.2 916 Spider so is well qualified to discuss the relative merits
of the engines with prospective purchaser Roy Matthews. He likes the 159, but LOVES the Busso...
ALFA 4C PRODUCTION
UNDERWAY IN MODENA
Latest web photos show Alfa’s production line in
full swing at the Maserati plant in Modena. A
fascinating video (see it on the 4C thread on the
club Forum) shows the carbon fibre ’tub’ being
painstakingly built by hand from dozens of
sheets of the weave prior to baking in the
autoclave. The finished item pics here show the
standard-spec cars (not Launch Editions) and
they look stunning, even on these smaller alloys.
What a car...
MiTo LIVE
Alfa Romeo’s
new Limited
Edition MiTo
is squarely
targeted at the
younger
market and
the run of 250
cars in Alfa
Red with highgloss black
roof panel
really looks the part.
The car is an interesting mix of specs. Bright
work is deleted as per the entry level model,
but it has unique gloss black mirror caps and
door handles. 17” anthracite alloys with red
brake callipers look the part too, but it’s inside
where the real changes lie. Seat trim is from
the Distinctive
version, dash
from the lower
spec versions,
but the wheel
catches your eye
as it has no
buttons for
phone or stereo
control… but
that’s as there as a very smart Pioneer AppRadio8” touch-screen unit in the dash that can
hook into mobile devices for things like sat nav
and music, even that vital thing ‘Social Media’.
Music-wise it’s hooked into the excellent BOSE
set up too…
Under the bonnet it’s the Fiat Group’s
characterful 85bhp Twin-Air unit. On sale now
at a list price of £16,590 you’re getting a lot for
your money, it’s certainly an attractive
proposition.
AutoGlym Super
Resin Polish has
been around since
the 1970s,
continuously
developed, the new
formula shines
brighter, lasts longer
too, and importantly leaves much less dusty white
residue. On a budget for shining up your Alfa, it is
probably the only stuff you’ll need… Any
downsides? Well, if you get it on black plastic, say
bumper strips, sill covers, window rubbers, it will dry
white and generally looks pretty awful. Two ways to
resolve this. Firstly AutoGlym’s brilliant, washable
Perfect Palm Applicator pad, which means you can
apply in quite precisely, and secondly, AutoGlym’s
’Fast Glass’ cleaner. The latter’s constituents helps
dissolve the polish bringing back the original look. (If
not perfect, you then need to mask it with the likes of
AutoGlym Vinyl and Rubber Care. (Leigh Nethercot’s
got lots of that, just ask him. ;0) )
Now, good old ‘SRP’ has another use - used neat
and rubbed vigorously it is excellent to bring a sheen
to window rubbers - an oft neglected area. Basically,
a garage is not complete without some SRP...
90th Anniversary of the Quadrifoglio Verde
The 90th anniversary of
the Quadrifoglio Verde
(green four-leaf clover),
the legendary symbol that
has identified some of Alfa
Romeo's sportiest models,
is being celebrated this
year. That refers not only
to the cars which have
taken to the world's race
circuits, but also to certain
special
production
versions.
Corner
There will be some new Alfa Romeo advertising focus
this summer, particularly around the new MiTo Live and
Giulietta Collezione Limited Editions, but with copy not
available at time of going to print, CV’s Sales Manager
Paul Jones thought we could bring some other things to
readers’ attention. Here’s a snapshot of a few fantastic
used cars on offer, plus a feature about another happy
new car customer.
If you are interested in obtaining an Alfa Romeo new or
pre-owned, why not contact Paul and the team? Rest
assured AROC members get a tremendous deal.
Steve Sembay
collected his new
Giulietta Sportiva
MultiAir TCT at the
end of June, trading in
his white Giulietta
MultiAir Veloce he’d
owned since 2010.
He’s absolutely
delighted with it, and
the deal struck. Steve
says TCT will take a
little time to get used
to, but he’s already
finding it a breeze to
drive in heavy traffic,
and it’s quick too!
Pre-Owned Selection
MiTo 170 bhp QV 2012, JUST £13,990
Giulietta Cloverleaf 235bhp 2011 (61), £16,990
159 Ti 2.0 JTDm SPW, 2011, £15,990
1 Owner, just 5,000 miles.
1 Owner, Ghiacchio White, 12,300 miles.
1 Owner, high spec, 30,000 miles.
Interested? Call 0115 855 3060
Interested? Call 0115 855 3060
Interested? Call 0115 855 3060
AROC East Midlands Section Events 2013
Date
Event
7 July ‘13
Auto Italia Italian Car Concours and ’Summertime Classics’
Stanford Hall near Lutterworth. Includes Alfa Romeo display area
and Section picnic. See cover for details.
10 July ‘13
From 7pm
FUN CONCOURS NIGHT at the George & Dragon in Thringstone. Our biggest meeting
night of the year had to be postponed in June owing to awful weather, fingers are fully
crossed that July will be better! This is always an enjoyable event with lots of generous
prizes for various categories provided by our main Section supporters. All Alfas are
automatically entered and everyone gets to vote - Don’t miss it!
4 Aug ‘13
AROC Racing at Mallory Park – Lots of Alfa racing as part of the Classic Touring Car
Racing Club’s event. Special Alfa parking area and track parades!!
11 Aug ‘13
National Alfa Day – Chatham Historic Dockyard, Kent. A convoy run to the event meets
at the A14 services at Rothwell (McDonalds) ready to depart at 8am sharp.
14 Aug ‘13
Spider Night – at our regular Mothly Meeting at The George & Dragon in Thringstone starting at 7pm. All Alfas are welcome of course!
18 Aug ‘13
MITCAR 2013 - Midlands Italian Car Day at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. The 13th
edition of our Section's flagship event will be one not to miss. Incredibly, admission is
still just £5 per Italian Car!! HELPERS REQUIRED - Please contact John.
8 Sep ‘13
Leicester Aeroclub Open Day - at Leicester Airport (aka Stoughton Aerodrome),
including air displays, special Alfa display and potential free pleasure flights too! Starts
at 10.30am.
11 Sep ‘13
Twilight Drive at our regular Monthly Meeting at The George & Dragon in Thringstone starting at 7pm. Drive at 7.45pm followed by optional pub meal.
TBC Sep ‘13
KARTING NIGHT at Sutton Circuit, Broughton Astley. Fantastic outdoor track,
Endurance style mini-team event. Racing followed by drinks and supper.
9 Oct ‘13
Section AGM & Alfa Quiz at The George & Dragon in Thringstone - starting at 7.30pm.
The official business including a review of events and plans for 2014 starts at 8pm.
TBC Oct ‘13
Visit to MORGAN CARS in Malvern. A mid-week date will be announced soon Places
have to be limited, but this is a fascinating tour for all car fanatics.
13 Nov ‘13
Regular Monthly Meeting at The George & Dragon in Thringstone - starting at 7.30pm.
15 -17 Nov ‘13
Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham, AROC display featuring historic Alfa Romeos
11 Dec ‘13
Regular Monthly Meeting at The George & Dragon in Thringstone - starting at 7.30pm.
Please keep an eye on our website as things can change!!
Mallory Park Track Parade - 4 August
The lunchtime Alfa track parade was a highlight
for many at the event when staged in 2011, and
this year, as cars on track are limited to just 25
by MSA rules we are trying for two stints.
The intention is for people to sign up on the day
for go, obtaining a windscreen pass and signing
the disclaimer. It will be open to ALL AROC
members present this time, so best get there
early. Early bird advance ticket discounts are
now available via main club website (£11 adults).
Come on - fly the flag!!
AROC East Midlands Section Merchandise
Polo shirts with full colour embroidered logo, in mid or dark blue.
All sizes - Just £15 each.
Fleeces from £25 and Soft-Shell waterproof jackets from £30
All items are genuine high quality and an absolute steal at the price.
TO ORDER contact our man Brian Smith at
The Small Print: ‘Alfisti’ is published primarily for the enjoyment of members of the Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club East Midlands Section.
Chris Variava Alfa Romeo Nottingham supports the cost of Alfisti’s printed production carried out at cost rate by a Section Member’s company.
Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club UK ltd cannot endorse or recommend services or products advertised in its publications. Any opinions published in
‘Alfisti’ or its sister website are personal ones. Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club Ltd registered Number 01106134. Please contact John Griffiths if you
have any queries about the club or our active local area Section. See cover for contact details.
Gazetta
News Snippets
MONTHLY MEETINGS AT THE G&D
Summer season means we’ll do our best to
make the most of the lighter evenings on
our regular meeting night (always the
second Wednesday of the month).
For July 10 we’ve the Fun Concours,
postponed from June, then 14 August it’s
Spider Night, a great opportunity for Alfa
Spider owners to get the hood down on a
summer evening and line up together. All
Alfas are of course very welcome to that
too! 11 September is the Twilight Drive,
where we take a leisurely route around the
surrounding countryside—it’s also an
opportunity to enjoy a ride in another’s Alfa.
OUR SECTION REPORT IN JUNE’S CLUB
MAGAZINE
If you though the report in the June edition
of ‘Alfa Driver’ stopped rather suddenly,
you are right! 90 words were somehow
omitted, including John’s signature and the
Section’s contact details… Not the first time
there’s been problems with our report
there. John is on the selection team for the
new editor—attention to detail and proof
reading will be two key factors expected
from the next incumbent!
SIMON & CLARE OFF TO SWANSEA
Section regulars since 2005, Simon and
Clare Addison are making the leap of
moving from their home near Coventry
back to Swansea, their original home town.
They’ve both played a really active role in
the success
of our
Section over
the past
years,
always to be
relied upon
for helping
at events,
notably
MITCAR of course. Simon is already
making plans for getting the South Wales
area Section properly up and running! It
goes without saying that we all wish them
well for the future. (They should be moving
in September.)
SniffPetrol.com Highlight
BMW has revealed details of the new, thirdgeneration X5 along with the promise that it
has been designed more than ever to
appeal to ‘dreadful human beings’
Anyone wanting a new X5 will have to find
at least £42,590 and, going by the looks of
them, they’ll probably do it illegally.
Terrapin Sprint Racer - George Cole
From an email to John after our Curborough Circuit Sprint Experience at
end of May. Just a short note with regard to our day at Curborough. In
Alfasud 1.3 SC FOR SALE (Dave Atkins)
Dave Atkins has finally decided
to sell his delightful Alfasud. It is
a 1983 1350cc SC model, with
50,000 miles on and in generally
very good condition, with fresh
MOT. There are so few of these
iconic cars about they are sure
to continue to rise in value.
Contact Dave for more details John G will give you his details.
spite of the deterioration of the weather it was apparent everybody enjoyed
the day. The standard of driving was of a high order and everybody was
most complementary at the end of the day. Let’s do it again next year was
a general comment. Can we arrange for a decent day weather wise?
Although the Terrapin
had an off day I ended
the day with an excess
of £46 and 20 pence,
which will be sent to the
Blenhe im
Society.
Thank
you
to
everybody for the kind
donation. Did I detect a
future Sprint/Hill Climb
champion in a white
Fiat? Best Regards
George
145 Boxer - Owen French
From an email to John: I heard you have seen my car at Dave’s. I've given it a wash and have taken a few pics in the
lovely Hereford countryside. I had my first attempt at wrapping the car last year with a cheap matt white vinyl but it proved very difficult as the temperature
had dropped sharply making the vinyl brittle and difficult to work with and the glue on the vinyl was so strong it would pull paint off if you tried to reposition!
Over the winter I got annoyed with the amount of white
cars on the road and the poor quality finish. So I got in
touch with 3M (the market leaders) and they sent me a
swatch of over 40 colours to choose from. Finally
choosing orange then a hole in my bank account to the
amount of £350. After seeing the finished result I didn't
mind, much cheaper than a re-spray. I would recommend
the 3M wrap to anyone, especially if you’re attempting to
do it yourself. It was so much easier to work with,
repositioning was easy and I was able to do a much
better job. It's had a positive response too. Look forward
to seeing everyone at the Fun Concours, get polishing!
Me, fairy liquid brings the vinyl up lovely! Cheers, Owen.
Old wrap...
New wrap...
156 GTA - Steve Bestwick
156 GTA - Salvatore (Sal) Vitale
AS mentioned in our June report inside, Steve from Sandiacre brought his GTA
along to our regular meeting for the first time. It’s done a fair few miles at
@110K now, but
goes like a train
still. The car is
generally in great
‘nick, though there
are a few of the
model’s
typical
b l e m i s h e s
(wheelarches). He
just loves driving it
though,
even
preferring it to his
Lancia Integrale!
Fine
praise
indeed...
Sal also came over to our June meeting in his growly GTA, complete with
smart private plate ‘V6 SRV’. Sal has made some subtle mods to his car,
its standard
alloys
refurb’ed in
dark grey
looking very
cool. Sal is a
serial owner of
Alfas, recently
re-joining our
club. He also
owns a Giulia
GTC that we
hope to see
running at
some point.
GT Bertone - Phil Levell
- SCOOP! -
From an email to John: I've been in contact with Stuart Taylor (105 Series
Registrar) for registering my car. Interestingly he provided me some history
from previous owners so that's been really useful to find out. The most recent
record from Stuart’s database was in year 1988; the car had 110,000 miles
recorded, in need of a rebuild and was bottle green. There's then a gap in what
happened to the car as the rebuild process looks like it started between 2005
and 2007 from
the
last
2
prev ious
owners – this is
from
my
knowledge of
the
car's
history. Stuart
suggested the
Stanford Hall
m eet ing,
which is one of
the July events
so
hopefully
will be able to
go to that.
Cheers, Phil
■
Unusual news from the world of motoring
Simon Addison’s Spider S4 back from Repairers
After a few months at MGS Coachworks, Simon is delighted to have
his Spider back.
The colour was a
bit of a surprise,
ditto its conversion
to a single seater,
however, top
speed is now
reported as being
247mph. Note the
precautionary Roll
cage added in
case of future
Armco barrier
collisions.
Alfisti’s production is kindly sponsored by Chris Variava Alfa Romeo Nottingham
■
Alfisti no.156 will be out in August