RICAMBI #21-16p - FIAT Club America

Start Planning Today
for FFO 2005!
FLU Officers
FLU Board
John Montgomery
prez@flu.org
Mike Greer
lavolpe22@aol.com
Thad Kirk
fiatlancia@earthlink.net
John Erskine
j.erskine2@verison.net
Jon Logan
jonl1968@hotmail.com
Woody Woodson
blkfiat75@hotmail.com
Bobb Rayner
BobbRayner1@cs.com
Dwight Varnes
mxbreed@paonline.com
Susan Ruptash
susan.ruptash@sympatico.ca
Pete Angel
pete.angel@att.net
Scott Hill
srhillgt4@hotmail.com
Jim Aitken
aitkenva@adelphia.net
864-292-1906
President
Haz Neuman
hazneuman@netzero.com
Vice President
Sell your products AND support FLU by placing an ad today.
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Attn: Brett Melancon
145 South Gay Street
Knoxville TN 37902
marked payable to FLU.
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Accepting Nominations
Secretary
Scott Hill
srhillgt4@msn.com
Treasurer
RICAMBI/FLU Website
Brett Melancon
ricambi@flu.org
Editor/Publisher
Jody Farr
webmaster@flu.org
Website Coordinator
Jon Logan
membership@flu.org
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1
www.flu.org
FLU is spreading, if you would like to start a FLU chapter in your area,
please contact John Montgomery for information on how to become
an official FLU chapter. Join the fun!
Atlanta
FLO-FLU
Ottawa Canada
John Montgomery– (770) 932-2380
bertoneman@aol.com
Evan Statman– (954)325-3866 (days)
84pinin@fiatflorida.com
Jeff Schneider– (613) 733-5657
fiatjeph@netscape.net
Blue Ridge
Indiana
Pittsburgh
Jim Aitken– (434) 295-0990
aitkenva@adelphia.net
Mike Walsh– (765) 987-7558
fiatmike_walsh@hotmail.com
Al Dubinsky– (412) 521-8561
dubinsky@icubed.com
Carolina FLU
Mid-Atlantic
Roamin Chariots
Kevin Harper– (919) 304-5399
klharper@mebtel.net
Haz Neuman– (410) 836-1102
hazneuman@netzero.com
Ron Colon– (405) 325-9498
rconlon@ou.edu
DC National Capital
Mid-South
Rocky Mountain
Jon Erskine– (410) 923-3610
j.erskine2@verizon.net
Chris Layton– (901) 619-4872
fiatfan@italiancarclub.com
Joel Hailey
alfadoc@televiso.com
Delaware Valley
North East VT/NH/ME/RI/MA
Texas FLUud (Houston)
Thad Kirk– (610) 544-2808
thadkirk@hotmail.com
Scott A. Phelps– (802) 763-2499
vtyugo@cs.com
Mike Rutenberg
rutntutn@hal-pc.org
Detroit
Northeast Coast CT/NJ/NY
Texas TXFLU
Sue Watch–
jrwatch1@comcast.net
Arman Labrada– (201) 741-0182
SpidArman@aol.com
Al Williams
tx_fiat_lanca@yahoo.com
East Tennessee
Ohio Valley
Toronto
Brett Melancon– (865) 604-3271
bmelancon@fmbadvertising.com
Jim Keller– (740) 383-2343
zag.man@verizon.net
Scott McCraw– (416) 487-7169
torontofiatclub@yahoo.com
WYNSO (Western New York, So. Ontario)
Darryl Stacey– (716) 822-3812
fluwny@email.com
Ottawa Canada
North East
VT/NH/ME/RI/MA
Toronto
Detroit
Northeast Coast CT/NJ/NY
WYNSO
Pittsburgh
Ohio Valley
Mid-Atlantic
Indiana
DC National Capital
Blue Ridge
FFO 2005!
Rocky Mountain
Delaware Valley
East Tennessee
Carolina FLU
Mid-South
Atlanta
Romin Chariots
Texas FLUid
(Houston)
FLO-FLU
Southern Belle cover photo submitted
Pete Mansolillo, Atlanta
www.flu.org
2
Start Planning Today for FFO 2005!
The Meeting in the Middle
June 24 - 27
Tentative Agenda
Friday, June 24:
Afternoon Registration Packets available
Evening Happy Hour
Evening Barbeque Buffet
Night Board of Directors Meeting
Saturday, June 25:
Morning Breakfast on your own
Morning Individual car photos and line up for show
Concours Display
Noon Lunch on your own
After Concourse Drive around the Lake of the Ozarks
Evening Awards Banquet
Sunday, June 26:
Morning Breakfast on your own
Noon Lunch, on your own
Afternoon Cave Tour, Drive, Yacht Cruise, Fun on the Lake
Evening Italian Dinner Buffet
Monday, June 27:
Morning Breakfast on your own
Morning Extend your vacation at Lake of the Ozarks
Tan-Tar-A Resort Info
Contact Number: 1-800-Tan-TarA (1-800-826-8272)
Rates: $93.00 per night (regular rate $164 per night)
Additional Info: Also we have availabe at special rates one bedroom suites for
$173 per night and two bedroom suites for $283 per night. The club has 100
rooms blocked for Friday and Saturday nights, also the Resort will give the same
rate for 4 nights preceeding the event and 4 nights after the event.
“Supporting FLU Since 1983”
World’s greatest Fiat/Lancia Catalog!
We supply parts & accessories for these models
Bayless Fiat/Lancia World
Collectors’ Restoration Edition No. 26
Over 135 pages! Only $4.00/$10.00 Intl.
Fiat 1953-1989
Pininfarina
Spider 2000
124 Spider
124 Coupe
124 Sedan (all)
Bertone X 1/9
X 1/9 1500
X 1/9 1300
Strada
131 Brava
128 (all)
850 Spider
850 (all)
600 (all)
500 N/D
1500 (all)
1200/1100
Lancia 1975-1983
Beta Coupe
Beta Scorpion
Beta Zagato
Beta HPE
Beta Sedan
Exclusively Fiat &
Lancia since 1971...
We ship worldwide.
800-241-1446 • 770-928-1446
Fax” 770-928-1342 • www.baylessfiat.com
3
www.flu.org
Seeing the Lampredi Light
Do you personally work on your Fiat
or Lancia? After ten years as a FLU
member, I’m quite certain that the
answer is almost always “yes”.
We omitted that simple question from
the FLU member survey, now online at
www.flu.org. A lot of us actually enjoy
working on our cars; it’s part of the fun to
meet the challenge of caring for our
beloved machines. Maintaining our
own car provides another way to
communicate with the intimate (or
infamous) brilliance of Italian design.
Frankly, my command of colorful
Italian “slang” language is never better
when fixing my Spider, X 1/9 or Lancia
HPE. I’ve found it strangely therapeutic
to mutter a plethora of unintelligible
expletives during difficult moments
when turning wrenches on Italian cars.
However, I have suddenly seen the
error of my ways. Yes, your Prez has seen
the light! I hereby repent of my sinful
twisting of the Italian language! What
did it you ask?
I undertook the inscrutable experience
of a major repair on my only Asian car, a
1989 Honda Accord.
There are nine machines in the
Montgomery household; three American,
three Italian, two German, and one
Japanese. We also own a car trailer for
times when one of them goes astray.
Ironically, the Accord, the most reliable
and most recognizable brand of car in the
fleet, blew a head gasket on the interstate
highway last month. Behind the wheel at
the time, daughter Sara (a.k.a. teenager
#2) reported the incident while standing
on the side of I-85 in a foggy cloud of
steam. She seemed so cool, calm, relaxed,
and resigned to a terminally cooked
engine. Just dial Dad on the cell phone for
free roadside assistance. No biggie, at
least the CD player still worked.
I trailered the stricken Honda over to
my mechanic Bob’s shop. He’s my “go-to
guy” when I run out of mechanical talent.
A compression and coolant leak down
test confirmed the cause, and the $150
evaluation report officially pronounced
the motor dead. Even though the Honda
was in otherwise great condition, the
shop quoted $1200 to install a new head
gasket. A rebuilt motor is a cool $1800,
the same amount the car was worth
before motor meltdown. His assistant
quickly offered to buy the car for a paltry
$400; four times the offer from a local
junkyard.
Hmmm. No way Jose’. My cars
always die with dignity! The funeral
would take place at in my driveway, not
the cold isolation of a mechanic’s shop
service bay. I’ll take it home and decide
what to do with the dead car.
The Honda rolled silently off the
trailer, resting on a peaceful spot in the
rear corner the renowned “orphan car”
driveway. Neighbors heard about the
dead Accord and stopped by to pay their
respects, many are veteran witnesses to
previous automotive dramas. “Yep,
Montgomery finally killed the old
Honda! Serve’s him right; he’s such a nutcase with all those darn orphan and furrin
cars blighting the neighborhood. Why
can’t he just be normal and buy a new
Camry or a minivan like everyone else?”
The only choice was to replace the head
gasket myself. I’m an amateur mechanic,
but my resume includes a lot of Fiat
work. Besides, Fiat repairs strike fear into
the hearts of professional mechanics the
world over. I’ve done Italian timing belts,
water pumps, shocks, brakes, exhaust and
electrical work. What’s so hard about a
Honda head gasket? I’ve never heard of
mechanics that run and hide when an
Accord is in a service bay. So I bought
genuine Honda parts and started the job
myself armed with a dose of bravado and
a Haynes manual.
Let’s say you are doing a typical head
gasket replacement on a Fiat Spider. That
means removing the air cleaner, cam
covers, intake and exhaust manifolds and
the timing belt cover. There’s one nut to
remove the distributor, one crankshaft
pulley nut and one tensioner bearing nut.
Slack the bolts on the alternator and A/C
compressor, and then slide them forward
to remove the belts. Italian designer Ing.
Lampredi created a wonderful engine,
and it’s plainly evident whether you are
behind the workbench or behind the
wheel.
What about the same task on a Honda?
Do all of the above then add the following
steps:
Completely remove the “EGR”
exhaust gas recirculation system, power
steering pump, A/C compressor, alternator, radiator, electric fan, lamda exhaust
sensor, exhaust heat shield, cruise control
assembly, water pump, thermostat
housing assembly, two timing belt covers
and all belts. Some fasteners are so
impossible to reach that I considered
continued on page 11
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4
by Cal Crouch
This article originally appeared in the December
2004 issue of Velocissima, the official newsletter
of Alfa Owners of New England.
Summer really didn't arrive in central
NY until late August this year, but at least
it continued through September, endowing the '04 edition of the Pasta Fazoom
Rally with beautiful sunshine and
warmth, in stark contrast to last year's
start under black skies and intermittent
drizzle. This great tops-down weather
brought the cars out in force, from as far
away as Virginia, Connecticut, and
Ottawa, Canada to join in on the fun. So
many, in fact, that a new attendance
record was set—34 vehicles, representing
Alfa, Fiat, Ferrari, Lamborghini and the
all-powerful Autobianchi Bianchina.
This record turnout also resulted in a new
precedent—the entry fees actually covered the costs. Hopefully, this trend will
continue and the Bank of Crouch will no
longer have to make up a registration
income shortfall. Yippee!!!
In preparation for Sunday's rally, 24
participants gathered at PFR participant
Terry Pensabene's Parkside Restaurant
near Syracuse to fuel up on the wonderful
Italian buffet he had spread out for us.
Truth be told, many of us had a hard time
leaving the parking lot for the food
inside, as we were nourishing our souls on
the cars in the parking lot that included
Mike G's Maserati Quattroporte, whose
previous owner was the "Chairman of the
Board", Frank Sinatra. Mike changed
cars for the rally, so quite a few missed out
on this example of extraordinary Italian
luxury.
Sunday arrived with glorious weather,
and the participants came chomping at
the bit (really the gas pedal) to go.
Completing registration early, we left a
half hour earlier than normal, which
would result in a more leisurely lunch
stop. Instituted last year was a yearly
commemorative pin for the event for
each registered vehicle. This year's pin
design featured an Alfa Giulietta Spider
in recognition of its 50th anniversary. A
certain D. Pratt was registered to attend
this year and I hoped to pleasantly surprise him with the design, as the pin car is
red like his Giulietta. Unfortunately,
Dave canceled out a couple of days prior.
So much for the bribe to get you here,
Dave! [I am gonna make it next year,
dammit, even if the pin features a
Yugo.—Ed.]
So off we went. I'll leave it up to the
reader's imagination as what it was like to
watch 34 beautiful Italian cars roar off,
doing what they were designed to do, on
the empty back roads in the glorious
weather.
For lunch we again stopped at the
Boathouse Restaurant, situated on a picturesque lakeshore, whose owners had opened
that day especially for us. The owner thinks
that having all the Italian cars in his parking
lot is neat. This is my kind of people! Again,
what can you say? Sun, a beautiful lake,
Italian cars, and great food. Our gracious
host provided us with selections that included fried fish, open steak sandwiches, and
the local specially, Speidies.
Stomachs full, it was back on the road
for the best twisties and even better
scenery. One of the "highlights" of this
section was a local female resident who
happens to live on a very sharp corner,
screaming at the cars as they passed by to
"Slow Down". Why is it that we owners
of Italian cars have to continually contend
with this misconception? Just because
our cars look like they are going fast even
when at a standstill! Some people just
don't appreciate the visual and aural
beauty of our cars.
continued on next page
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continued from previous
Our finish stop was again at a county
lakeside park that provides plenty of
paved parking, picnic facilities, and real
building restrooms. This year, the parking area was embellished with several
flags representing Italy's finest, to add to
the atmosphere and color.
As everyone was enjoying the passaround goodies and fresh squeezed cider,
the drawing prizes, so graciously provided by Vick Autosports, Meguiars, Classic
Motorsports magazine, and Sports Car
Market magazine were set out for all to
see and hope to win. At the end of the
drawings was the announcement of the
recipient of the fabled Founder's Choice
Award. I still can't get anyone to attempt
to bribe me for the favor. In keeping with
Alfa's 50th Giulietta celebration, the
award went to Diane and James Brown,
who continue to use their beautiful Sprint
as it was intended. Diane also drove her
car to the Alfa Nationals this year in New
Hampshire.
On the mechanical side, the only
problems encountered were a sticking
thermostat in a Fiat Spider, whose driver
removed it and kept on driving, and an
errant exhaust cover on a Lambo Jalpa.
Luckily, those following noted the
mileage mark where it was seen flying off
into the weeds and we were able to find it
after the event.
So that's it for another year. Make plans
now to attend the 7th annual PFR on
Sept 24-25, 2005. Interest is already high
for next year and it is expected that
the event will come close to meeting
the 50-car registration limit. Check
www.pastafazoom.com for photos from
this and prior years' events and info on
future ones.
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6
Big
Brakes by WHOA Brakes
It all started out as a search to find better brakes for my Fiat 124 Spider. I
became dissatisfied with the Spider’s
brakes after years of getting only minimal
improvements after having tried
everything. I felt that the brakes lacked
stopping power. They also had a low
pedal I could never overcome. Surveying
the market place I soon realized there was
not much available unless you wanted
to spend $850 for a new set of the
twenty-year-old design 1985.5 Pinin
Farina’s. With that I decided to build a
set for myself and that idea soon grew to
be build them for others. When I decided
to do that I established a goal and a set of
product objectives. The goal was a
modern Fiat 124-brake system that was
an improvement over the 85.5 Pinin
Farina set. The individual components
would be as technically advanced/
modern as possible, be of high quality,
have readily available consumable parts,
fit the Fiat hubs/wheels without
modifications and be sold at a reasonable
price. I knew they were lofty but
attainable objectives. When I shared
them with a certain Lancia Scorpion
owner he asked me to include the
Scorpion /S1 platforms as well. Having
restored one, I was familiar with the
Scorpion and knew the X1/9 shared
common spindles so they became part of
the project. Then the research began in
earnest.
I started with the intention of making
the components fit inside 13-inch wheels
because of the much broader market
there. The only things available were the
vented UNO rotor and some foreign
calipers, both of which would be hard
pressed to meet the readily replaceable
objective. I tried repeatedly to find a way
to get the U.S. after market 4 piston
by Jim Fierst
calipers to fit any rotor inside a 13-inch
wheel but it was a no-go. It was great to
have access to Brembo’s database,
accurate Wilwood and Outlaw’s
dimensional data and cad cam during this
process. At that point I made the decision
to go to 14 inch and larger wheels. I was
immediately drawn to the robust 257mm
rotor. It is still readily available, had been
used by PF on the 85.5 models and the
hub fit maintains hub centricity with the
wheels. There were several other more
desirable vented 240 and 257MM rotors
but they were not consistent with the
‘readily available “ objective either.
One of the most important factors
governing updates to disk brake systems
involves brake torque and the role it plays
in disk brake systems. Knowing the
brake torque of the stock vehicle and
the PF 85.5’s allow for assessment of the
various upgrade options.
Brake torque in feet is the caliper
clamping force expressed as total caliper
piston area in square inches (times 2 if a
sliding caliper) times the effective radius
of the rotor times the coefficient of
friction (COF) of the pad (not it’s size)
times the brake line fluid pressure.
I simplified this equation by dropping
out the fluid pressure since I was not
going to change the master cylinder. I
further simplified it using the brake pad
center of contact to determine the
effective radius on all rotors. Actually the
effective radius is a little further out on
the rotor but I was consistent on both
rotors. Finally, I dropped out the COF, as
is a small variable and assumed it was a
wash. Ferodo pads in the stock caliper are
the same as the more aggressive pads in
after market calipers. Published data for
stock brake pads are a COF of .040 and
the Ferodo are at .047. The bottom line is
continued on next page
7
www.flu.org
continued from previous
that piston and rotor size increases have
the most impact on brake torque.
The next factor is front to rear brake
“bias or balance”. This is a raging battle
among after market suppliers. Some say
that if you upgrade the fronts then you
must upgrade the rears also. There are
some good papers written on this subject
at www.stoptech.com. They believe that
if the braking torque of the front is
between 2.25 to 2.75 times greater than
the rear then the system is in balance.
Anything less is rear bias and greater is
front bias.
I decided to compare the stock system,
Pinin Farina’s front brakes, Wilwood’s 4
piston 1.380 diameter piston, the 1.620
diameter piston and the big 1.750 diameter pistons. I used the 2 rotor sizes and
derived a number that I call the brake
torque factor so as to be able to compare
the various options.
Brake Torque
Cal Size Application
48MM Stock Front
34MM Stock Rear
38MM Stock Rear*
48MM PF Front
1.380
Wilwood
1.620
Wilwood
1.750
Wilwood
Factor.
21.16
10.64
13.30
23.71
25.50
35.27
41.00
Front to Rear Ratio
Stock 21.16 to 10.64
PF
23.7 to 10.64
1.380
25.5 to 10.64
1.620
35.2 to 10.64
1.750
41.0 to 10.64
1.620
35.2 to 13.3
Bias
1.9
2.2
2.4
3.3
3.8
2.7*
If we indulge in data analysis it should
become apparent that the 1.380 piston
caliper offers about 10% more than the
PF and 20% more than stock when it
comes to braking torque. In fact if we
believe Stoptech’s balancing theory of
the 2.25 to 2.750 ratio then the 1.380
caliper is the best choice for the
Spider. For the Scorpion* with it’s
38mm rear caliper the 1.620 may be a
better choice as it does not appear to
destroy the balance and really
improves brake torque. We are
planning to but have not tested the
1.620’s on the Scorpion at the time of
this writing. Notice how the small
difference in rear piston size causes
the 1.620’s to fall out of the
balanced range in the Spider and how
extreme the brake torque factor and
ratio gets with the 1.750 piston. It is
easy to see how wrong decisions can
be made when “the bigger the better”
theories rule selection. I selected
Wilwood calipers because of their
quality reputation and because the
latest Forger Billet Dynalite calipers
had advanced features and a range of
piston sizes for the rotor thickness.
During the selection process I
discussed the requirements and
options with a Wilwood technician
and he suggested trying the 1.380
first. He also said that their Q series
pads were the only way to go for
other than an all out racer. I accepted
his suggestion, as the Q series
seems to be standard on many of their
offerings.
I acquired the necessary pieces to
build workshop prototypes and soon
recognized that clearance on some
wheels might be an issue. I gathered
together a group of Mira regulars and
informed them of the project. I
solicited their help in fit checking all
the 14-inch wheels we could find. I
continued on page 11
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8
Italian Cars Corralled at Lime Rock
On Labor Day for the eleventh year in
a row, the Northeast Coast Chapter of
Fiat Lancia Unlimited sponsored the
Italian Car Corral at the Vintage Festival
on Labor Day at Lime Rock Race Track
in Connecticut. The weather was superb.
The Italian marques were parked
perpendicular to the track’s entrance drive
allowing the thousands of vintage sports
car spectators to view Italy’s best. For
2004 more than 50 cars participated in the
corral including 14 Fiat Spiders, two Fiat
X 1/9's, a Fiat 600, a Lancia Zagato, a
Lancia Scorpion, a very rare Lancia Delta
Integral from Nova Scotia, six
Alfa spiders, four Alfa 164's, seven Alfa
GTV's, an Alfa Julia SS Coupe, an Alfa
Giulietta, a rare Alfa 1600 Z, a rare Alfa
Giulia 1300 Ti sedan, and nine Ferrari’s
including 308's, Mondial and a 250 GT.
The Lime Rock track requires FLU to
pre-sell tickets to the Vintage Festival
in order to qualify for a reserved
corral space. The Chapter pre-sold 25
discounted tickets, so FLU was assigned a
corral that was large enough for 40 Italian
cars. An additional 10 cars had to be
turned away from the corral and were
parked close-by in an adjacent lot. The
size and desirability of the corral space
assigned by the track management is
dependent on the number of tickets that
FLU pre-sells. For 2005 we need everyone
to buy their tickets through FLU.
9
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In addition to the beautiful Italian cars
in the corral at 22nd Annual Vintage
Festival, there were wild Italian stallions
loose on the track including: a ‘62 Ferrari
250 GTO, ‘37 Maserati 6CM, ‘57 Ferrari
250TR, ‘69 Ferrari 512S, ‘32 Maserati
4CM, ‘33 Alfa 8C, ‘63 Ferrari 330LMB,
‘35 Maserati V8R1, ‘55 Ferrari 750
Monza, ‘60 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, ‘64 Alfa
TZ1, ‘40 Maserati 8CL, ‘54 Maserati 250F,
‘66 Alfa GTA, ‘69 Ferrari 312P,
‘60 Maserati T60, ‘53 Siata 140C, ‘57
Ferrari 250 GTO, ‘54 Ferrari 500
Mondial, ‘59 Alfa Giulietta, ‘66 Lancia
Fulvia, ‘59 Lancia Dagrada, ‘59 Maserati
T61, ‘52 Ferrari 212 Berlinetta, ‘63 and
‘64 Fiat Abarths, and ‘56 Maserati A6G.
FLU members were able to see these
vintage racing on the track as well as
up-close in the pits. Is your heart racing
yet?
While the Italian Car Corral and the
vintage races take place on Labor Day, the
Vintage Festival offers four days of racing
and celebration of vintage sports cars. On
Friday and Saturday there are practice
laps and qualifying races. On Sunday
there is a concours that attracts hundreds
of museum quality cars. Concours prizes
include Rolex watches and the Road and
Track silver cup. Throughout the
weekend there is a vintage sports car flea
market, numerous vendors and the
opportunity to view the cars in the pits.
Many FLU members decide to spend the
entire weekend at Lime Rock where
camping is free.
For the past three years, Lime Rock has
been striving to make the Vintage Festival
rival the Pebble Beach historic races. As
you can see, Lime Rock has succeeded in
this, and the Northeast Chapter of FLU
believes that we have played a part in
building the exciting atmosphere of this
event.
www.flu.org
10
continued from page 4
paying small children or midgets to help
me. A 4’ leverage bar will be needed to
remove the lower crankshaft pulley bolt,
accessible of course only when you
remove the left front wheel and part of
the fender liner. In addition, don’t forget
to support the engine from underneath.
Why? The entire motor mount must be
removed in order to change the timing
belt. By the way, the carbureted Honda
engine has 30 vacuum lines! Look it up if
you don’t believe me. After this marathon
job, I was thinking about those film clips
of crowded subways in Japan where
attendants push and squeeze people in
the train until the doors can close. It’s
quite likely that some of those riders were
Honda engineers. No wonder the engine
bays are so tight!
Some say Fiat repairs are difficult, but
they’re completely wrong. I have seen the
great Lampredi light. No more Italian
expletives, no more wrenches thrown in
anger. No more “Fix It Again Tony”
jokes. It’s all over; I officially repent of
every bad word I ever uttered about
fixing Italian cars. I love working on my
Fiats; they are brilliantly designed and
wonderfully easy to service. I think I’ll go
out to the garage and give the Fiat a big
hug.
Anybody wanna buy an Accord?
we used require less fluid movement to
engage the pads than the single piston
stock caliper but it is true. That is why we
are noticing less pedal travel in the test
cars. Usually increasing caliper size has
just the opposite effect. It demonstrates
how inefficient the stock system is. As far
benefits of going from the archaic wedge
calipers to the modern 4 piston ones.
They are stronger, more efficient and
much more consistent. There is no side to
side pulling. With beta testing completed
it was on to production and starting a
business.
After wrestling with the problems
developing the 124 prototypes and looking at the various alternatives, I finally
opted to go for a completely machined
backing plate hanger assembly. There
never was any issue with the X1/9 or
Scorpion as machined hanger was always
the intended direction. It was great hooking up again with Brian Crawford of
Brian Crawford Engineering who has a
CNC machine center. His Cad Cam software made the design process enjoyable.
He chose the proper high tensile strength
alloy and fabricated all the hangers using
aircraft machining techniques.
I went back and forth with the brake
lines; rubber verses stainless steel. We
used rubber in testing but I chose stainless
for production more to compliment the
rest of the components than because of
any rubber deficiency. The finishing
touches were quality hardware.
Overall it has been a good experience
and I believe that WHOA Brakes meet
their goal and all of their objectives. Visit
our web site www.whoabrakes.com for
more pictures and information.
continued from page 8
made up a jig that is a silhouette of the
caliper and fits the center hole on the
backside of the wheel. Thanks to them I
found that all the regular Fiat wheels we
checked will clear the caliper and that all
the FWD wheels from Lancia Beta’s and
Alfetta’s won’t. I was also able to share
several marketing approaches with those
in the business.
I then decided to build several
prototype sets for testing. To get impartial
feedback I enlisted Carl Freidman
(Spider) and Allen Lofland (Scorpion) to
act as independent beta testers. Building
the prototype sets proved to be a valuable
experience. I had to lengthen the brake
hose to insure it was long enough in full
bump/rebound at full steering lock.
Hangers for the calipers were straight
forward for the Lancia .The 124 was an
ordeal. I originally had hoped to build a
bracket that fit the caliper to the stock
backing plate. While we were able to do
this for the prototypes there was no way it
would be acceptable for the production
version. There were too many clearance
issues and it was not a pure bolt on. The
prototype sets were sent out and we
began testing.
Any increase in rotor size always
reduces pedal effort. This was definitely
proven in testing. Everyone noticed and
remarked about it. It is hard to believe
that the Wilwood 4 piston 1.380 calipers
11
www.flu.org
as stopping distance improvement goes,
one of the testers said it best, “I find
myself stopping in strange places.” I tried
to cause fade going down a 6% nine-mile
grade with repeated 70 to 30 slow downs
but noticed no difference. The final test
was inducing rear brake lock up. Neither
Carl nor I could cause this to
happen. We both run Spiders with the
rear compensator removed to get more
rear braking. Overall, we all felt like we
were driving a car with a modern braking system. There are some real unsaid
Vick Autosports is home for the serious driver who demands
more performance from his FIAT. We stock and manufacture
the finest FIAT performance products in the world. We
maintain a large inventory of high performance street
products like pistons, cams, headers, Delrin bushings, springs
and sway bars. If those products are not serious enough for
you, we have more. New exclusive Vick Autosports products
for 2001 include Crowder High Performance Connecting
Rods for 1500cc SOHC, 1800 & 2000cc DOHC, 12.5:1 pistons
for SOHC and 12:1 for DOHC, electronic ignition conversion
systems for X1/9s AND Spiders as well as 4/2/1 headers
for Spiders. Full turn-key engine building for high
performance street, autocross and race applications.
We can help you get ready to “fling it around turns” too!
You may also register online at www.flu.org
✄ COPY OR CLIP AND MAIL WITH CHECK PAYABLE TO FLU ✄
FIAT LANCIA UNLIMITED (FLU) MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name______________________________________________ Spouse_______________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone (H) ______________________ (W) ______________________ ITALIAN AUTOS OWNED (Year, Make, Model)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________e-mail address____________________________
How did you hear about FLU?____________________________________Please indicate your interests:______________________
❐ Technical ❐ Vintage Cars ❐ Autocross ❐ Tours ❐ Social ❐ Rally
❐ Rush my newsletter first class mail (add $6.00 for postage)
____________________________________________
Dues: $29.00 per year (Canadian members $35.00 US).
Make Check payable to: Fiat Lancia Unlimited
Mail to: FLU Membership, 3258 Scioto Farms Dr, Hillard, OH 43026
❐ New Member
❐ Renewal Chapt. Affiliation____________________________
www.flu.org
12
Cars–for sale
1982 Lancia Beta Zagato, Blue with blk
int., 21000 original miles, one owner, nds
shocks and has leak in power steer, excellent
condition. Located in North Va. $4950.00.
Larry Hevner 703-906-7356 or ljhevner@aol.com
_________________________________
1966 FIAT 1500- convertible. gd shape and
running. All the spare parts including another
Fiat 1500. Serious buyers-tonyjaleo@aol.com.
Car in Washington DC area. Antoni Yelamos
tonyjaleo@aol.com (703) 627-6166 11/04
_________________________________
1982 Fiat Spider 2000- 78,000 km New
paint, New top, hard top. Front end rebuilt.
Runs excellent. $4,900 CDN e-mail:
jtrudeau@theq.fm 1-250-386-2485 11/04
_________________________________
1972 FIAT 124- Strong running, chrome
bumper 67k Lancia cast wheels, 1608 engine,
rust-free body. Sky blue/black interior. I can
email photos if interested. Dave Koloskee in
Erie, Pennsylvania is; koloskee@velocity.net
cell (814) 490-6099 11/04
_________________________________
82 Fiat Spider- $18K in restoration. comp. in
‘02 with paint & inst of new top, 96501K. Sun
City Center FL 813-633-8149charlesj@ij.net 11/04
_________________________________
1975 Lancia-Beta 1800- $1750. original,
57000 miles minor surf rust on back wheel
wells Blue ext, brown leather int. Runs, new
battery, water pump, gas tank, brake lines,
tuned, etc. Call John at 585-330-4332, or
email jckinton@aol.com 11/04
_________________________________
X1/9- Very fast; 5K miles on rebuilt/modified
engine that produces double original HP at
the wheels; oil cooler; electronic ign; later
model 5 spd; Panasport whls; new trs; rest.
intr; 6 disc chang w/infinity speak; Asking
$8,500; Call (404) 867-1363 email Mike
cheathamhouse@aol.com for photos 7/04
13
www.flu.org
’75 Lancia Beta Sedan- blue/black, very
little rust, runs & drives, recent head
gasket and valve-job, Crane electronic
ignition, many new parts. Shows its age,
but ready for use. Located in Athens, GA.
$1750. Hugh (706)340-2688 or rhdana@uga.edu 7/04
_________________________________
1972 Fiat Spider 124 BS1- New top,
dual carbs, new brakes & rotors, tires,
wheel bearings, plugs and rotor, header, $5900,
marcus321@hotmail.com (613)263-2844 7/04
_________________________________
1979 Lancia Zagato- 2.0L, Blue & Black
New Weber, Maserati 14” whls. Wd Grain
Steering Wheel, 37,677K Orig. Needs
Battery and Tires. $3,200 973-383-6835 7/04
_________________________________
1972 fiat 130 coupe- in storage for
12 yrs-mint cond, grey, auto, 72000kms,
all manuals, brochure in german, spares
that i bought from Sspain, located in
vancouver Canada, e-mail mcdonnell@telus.net
604 5399516, John J McDonnell 7/04
_________________________________
Fiat Spider- CD JVC stereo, The interior
is fantastic, No cracks on the dash.
1800cc runs great. $1500.00 OBO
(610)775-1565 ask for Yvette 7/04
_________________________________
1979, 1976, and 1972 fiat 124’s’79 (2000) model in pieces but have most
of them. ’76 (1756cc) motor and drivetrain
intact/excellent body panels, floors are
rusted out, no title. ’72 (1608cc) little rust,
alloy whls Dmickey@grandpasmarine.com
Dave 336-540-9936Greensboro, NC 7/04
_________________________________
85 BERTONE gd cond,79 X1/9 parts car
& load of parts, incl 3 eng, 2 trans, body
parts, NOS parts. $6500 VA 434 656 1527
1979 Spider- w/leaking automatic
$1,300.00, Three 850 coupes, and
many misc. parts. All garage kept, all in
need of restoration. Central Florida. 386795-3051 royalbiscayne@hotmail.com 7/04
_________________________________
73 Fiat 850 Spider- 116,000 miles,
4 speed original red (orange) $4900 -over $9500 invested, Mike Fleming
mfleming@lamar.com P(865)546-5011 7/04
_________________________________
1970 Fiat 850 Spyder- Race Prepped new,
vehicle log book No. 70-003 Excellant
condition. Great for Vintage or Solo. 3
complete spare eng/trans, various tune
2 bare blocks, valves, springs, cams,
suspension pieces, brakes, carbs, axle
shafts, starters, clutches, close ratio 4Th
w/ 4.62 final in car, (4.88 stock) also have
5.13 or 5.5 ?? for solo use. other spares,
some new some used but good. Complete
factory parts book, Factory service manual.
Factory tools plus some custom made
tools, including kingpin rebuild bushings
and boring tool. Lots of documentation.
$8000 OBO includes trailer. Rebecca Fast
740-369-6255 anytime, Becca2HP@aol.com 2/04
_________________________________
124 Pininfarina Spider 2000- About
75k mi. Red/red w/ tan top.New/recent
top, wheels/tires, clutch, F&R seals, water
pump, starter, hoses, t-stat, shocks,
exhaust, battery, ignition parts, etc.
Starts right up, runs good. I’ve had it
since about ’97... it’s been garage-kept
and only driven in the summers (about
10k mi. total) since then. Paint only OK
but fully covered. One little rust blemish
on lower back corner of driver door. I’m
in the Seattle, WA area. $2500. Scott 7/04
_________________________________
1982 Lancia Beta HPE 02/01 Met Blue with
blue cloth int. 65K miles, 3rd owner. 2 Liter
fuel Injected stock euro motor, 8.9:1 comp,
122 HP. Orig car in orig paint. New tires
(Pirelli P4000 Super touring), new shocks,
all filter & fluid changes, timing belt & tensioner change, hoses & thermostat changed,
complete tune up w valve adjustment, new
exhaust system, shift bushing replacement,
Carrello lights, side wing lights, stainless
steel euro bumpers. Never any rust. Always
garaged since new. Interior is perfectly preserved, no
disappointments. Blaupunkt radio circa 1982.
$5,900. Many other Lancia parts available.
John Montgomery 864-292-1906
(bertoneman@aol.com) 7/04
_________________________________
1985 Fiat Spider (mfg. 7/84),
Black/black interior & Good black top,
43K, zero rust, southern car. New tires
on turbo alloys. New exhaust. $6500.
Call 864-304-6537 or bertoneman@aol.com
for details/photos. 2/04
_________________________________
Lancia Scorpion 1976- Lancia Scorpion.
Silver and black. 35,000 original miles.
Previous owner titled car 12 years ago.
All ownership paperwork, no rust,
scratches or dents. Interior perfect
except for some split seems. Rare find.
Reduced to $3850. bruces@fiatparts.com
or 856-358-1555. 5/04
_________________________________
1970 Fiat 850 Spider- Very good
shape needs paint, top, runs great.
More info, Bob R and R Foreign Parts
1-719-634-5677 5/04
_________________________________
Lancia Zagato 1981- Black/ Gold Lancia
Zagato. No rust, scratches, dents very
good condition with only some split seams
on seats , otherwise interior very good.
27,000 miles. Reduced to $3000.
bruces@fiatparts.com or 856-358-1555. 5/04
_________________________________
85 BERTONE X1/9 - good condition,
79 X 1/9 parts car. Truck load of
parts,including 3 engines, 2 tran.'s
,many body parts,NOS spare parts.
$6500 for all, we are in VA,u haul.
434 656 1527 , can email photos 02/05
PARTS–For Sale
Fiat Spider prior to 1979 Radiator, Rad.
Fan, Var. hubcaps, Top half of ADFA
Carburetor, Lower and Upper Grills, left
arm rest, front kick panels, intake man.,
sun visor, wheel bolts, timing belt cover
(2), various instruments (clock, speedometer,
gauges), rear light assemblies, some
chrome bumper parts. Call for pricing,
937-848-8066
_________________________________
Spider Hardtop For Sale-Parrish Plastics
hardtop in excellent cond. Wraparound
rear window, black with a pebble finish.
This will be a bear to ship, but I’ll consider
delivering it within a reasonable distance
from Pitts, or you can pick up. Email at:
adubinsky@verizon.net.
_________________________________
Original Lancia- Sales Broch. Show all models.
Prices per year.’58-’64 $35, ’65-’69 $25, ’70-’74
$20, ’75-’82 $18, $3.85 S/H, Specify model
year. Also have Fiat, Alfa & other Euro Lit.
Walter Miller, 315-432-8282 or www.autolit.com 1/04
_________________________________
Fiat, Lancia, Alfa sales broch, books,
models & toys. Wide selection. 100s of
items - fun stuff for all budgets. Call/write
for your free 10 page list. Doug Schellinger,
13717 W Green Meadow Dr, New Berlin, WI
53151. email: dsac@execpc.com
414/687-2489 eve. 1/04
_________________________________
X1/9 parts- flip headlights, steering wheel,
exhaust manifold f.i. car, cat convertor, side
windows (vent), targa top, wheel spacers,
exhaust manifold dual downpipes (yugo) Make
me a fair offer on any or all the parts. The parts
are in Asheville, NC. Contact me via email at:
rob.sewell@charter.net Thanks, Rob Sewell 5/04
_________________________________
1965 Fiat Cabriolet 118H Parts- flywheel
shield, Windshield + trim, trunk lock no
key, head, valves pushrods, weber carb +
manifold, manifold+header, valve cover,
trunk mat, windshield wipers+nozzles,
winndshield wiper motor, transmision case +
bellhousing, exhaust support bracket,
flywheel, tag lights + tag mount, brakes
drums, alum finned pr., driveshaft,
subframe, oilpan, choke cables, radiator,
convertible top frame, crank, rods, pistons,
camshaft, side vent windows pr., outside
door handles pr., side window mechanism
pr., REBUILT Starter, REBUILT Generator
Bertone Mazda MX-81 prototype, one-sided,
brochures. Four distinct brochures. Acquired
from Bertone factory in 1982. 28x34cm.
Perfect condition. BO. gregpitz@compsolv.com 5/04
_________________________________
Bertone Cabrio (Fiat Ritmo Super 85) prototype broch- Acquired at Bertone in 1982.
Perfect cond BO gregpitz@compsolv.com 5/04
NOS 1968-78 124 Fiat Spider Reupholstery
kit. RED vinyl. Does both front seats.Made
by AutoMat, perfect condition. Lists for over
$250 , sell for $125 plus shipping. Contact:
315-691-9718 or calvincrouch@hotmail.com 5/04
_________________________________
4 1978 lancia hpe1800 rims- &
new tires mint cond rims 14”
yeavster8542@hotmail.com price $425.00
X1/9 Spoiler- Newly reproduced to fit and
look JUST like the OE version. Goes in front
under bumper, Fits 1979 to end of production.
$100 + $15 shipping to anywhere in US,
Contact Brett at 865-525-1554 or e-mail at
bmelancon@melanconfamily.com 5/04
_________________________________
Fiat X1/9 literature- Car and Driver tests of the
X1/9: May 73, August 74, January 78, June 79, May
1980 convertible comparison with MGB & TR7.-R&T
Sport & GT 1976, X1/9 test. -Car (europe) August
1989. Goodbye to the X1/9. 6 CAR magazine writers
all say goodbye to the X1/9. -Articles only (tests on
the X1/9 unless noted otherwise): AutoWeek Dec 28,
1981 Project X1/9 Part II, Car June 1982, Consumer
Reports September 1974, R&T Dec 1983 Baker
Automotive X1/9, R&T May 1977 Owner Survey, R&T
1980. -Numerous pictures, brochures, & advertisements. Bertone X1/9 brochure acquired at the Bertone
factory in 1982 - perfect condition. Owners Warranty
and Service Book for a 1977 X1/9. Clymers Fiat 128 &
X1/9, 1971 - 1978. Fiat X1/9 1977 Specification &
data manual. Numerous other spec sheets. -PBS
Engineering manual & catalog. Fiat North America
Project X1/9 - The complete Guide to Racing Alquati
March 1982 catalog, in Italian, obtained directly from
the factory. Serra catalog. -FLU Fiat RICAMBI March /
April 1998, July / August 1998. Ciao! News: Fall 1995
(2); Spring 96; Summer 96; Fall 96; Winter 96; Winter
97. - BO. gregpitz@compsolv.com 5/04
_________________________________
Service Manuals, History Books, Owners
Manuals, Parts interchange manuals, history
books, & more for 500, 600, 850, 1100,
1200, 1500, 128, X1/9, 124, Spider, 125,
131, Strada, Brava Alex Voss Tel: 206-721-3077
www.books4cars.com Alex Voss Tel: USA-206-721-3077
_________________________________
SHIFT BUSHING KIT 07/02 for Lancia Beta manual
transmissions. The factory plastic bushings are the
primary cause of linkage problems. Lancia Beta
shift bushing kits are available for $95 (US) plus
shipping. We can press the new bushings in for
$145 (US) plus shipping. Single bushings are $20
plus $5 shipping. Each bushing comes with a retaining
ring and nut. John Montgomery 770-932-2380 7/04
_________________________________
NOS Inventory. 115 pages of brand new
old stock inventory. You might find that
part you have been looking for years for.
If you find something, send me a e-mail
at bruces@fiatparts.com. Index of parts
at http://www.fiatparts.com/i-index.htm
Mention RICAMBI ad! bruces@fiatparts.com
or 856-358-1555. 5/04
_________________________________
Direct From Europe! Small
bumper conversion kit for 1975
- 1985 Spiders . Front small
chrome and two rear bumpers
new and all necessary brackets to
get rid of those heavy ugly tube
bumpers to the sleek old style
bumpers. $1000. Mention
RICAMBI ad! bruces@fiatparts.com
or 856-358-1555. 5/04
________________________
Tail light gaskets! NEW! 1800
and 2000 taillight gaskets.
Replace those old, painted
over gaskets! $25 each.
Mention RICAMBI ad!
bruces@fiatparts.com or
856-358-1555. 5/04
PARTS–wanted
Used High Performance
Exhaust System Such as Ansa
or other high-end manufacturer
for a 1976 Lancia Scorpion.
Reply with price. Contact Tino
Blasioli. tel: (914)736-2437
after 5PM, email:
alex.blas@verizon.net
________________________
one left rear (drivers side)
tail light lens for 850 Spider.
Call Ken at (717) 566-0803, or
e-mail at: oldmanskelly@aol.com
________________________
Advertising is FREE to all FLU
members. For non–members,
cost per ad is $10.00. No
commercial ads please! FLU
reserves the right to edit all
ads. Ads are published in two
issues of RICAMBI and posted
on the FLU.org website for
about four months or until
item is sold. E-mail text
with photo to Jody Farr
webmaster@flu.org.
Frames are beautiful
chromed plastic with
black accents.
$10 each + $3.50 shipping for 1-3 frames
$4.00 shipping for 4 or more frames
Show your club support
and buy FLU frames!
Contact Shaun Folkarts
at 516-983-FIAT or
e-mail at fiatlancia2@yahoo.com
www.fiatlancia.com
Front turn signal assemblies with housing,
wiring harness and lens. These are not
reproductions but NOS original Pininfarina
which will fit back to 1975 Spiders. Also
fit 1500 X 1/9’s. Right and left. $45 each.
Mention RICAMBI ad! bruces@fiatparts.com or
856-358-1555. 5/04
5/04
www.flu.org
14
CDC Issues Health Warning of
ATLANTA - The Center for Disease Control (CDC), based in
Atlanta, has issued a health warning to the general public of a virus
that is threatening to become an epidemic. “Mad Car Disease” is
responsible for chronic breakdowns and malfunctions of various
automotive systems of infected cars. The disease manifests itself
with electrical failures and spreads to the braking system and
finally to the carburetor or fuel injection system.
Doctor Nigel Leyland of Great Britain
was the first to isolate the virus. However,
originally Doctor Leyland focused
his research efforts in 1998 on the
psychotic behavior of owners
of British sports cars who
displayed uncontrolled anger
and violent throwing
of tools. He named the
disease the “Mad At My
Car Psychosis” At that
time he did not realize
that nearly every patient who
he studied, owned a British
sports car that was infected with
the virus now known as “Mad Car
Disease.” Doctor Leyland explained, “This was an understandable
oversight as most British cars exhibit the same symptoms and malfunctions displayed by “Mad Car Disease” infected automobiles.”
In 2002 Doctor Leyland was approached by Doctor Ian Lucas
with a proposal to jointly research the sports cars as the cause of the
psychosis. Lucas and Leyland returned to the original study’s data
set. They interviewed each of the original patients and inspected
their British sports cars. The Doctors determined that a virus had
been introduced to the sports cars and was rapidly spreading to
e
s
a
e
s
i
D
r
a
C
Mad
Health Correspondent
by Tim Beeble, FLU
other British cars through the swapping of used parts from infected
donor cars. Leyland and Lucas isolated the virus and named it
“Mad Car Disease.” In 2003, they published their research findings
in the article entitled Mad Cars and Englishmen.
Although there have been many outbreaks of Mad Car Disease
in England since 2003, it was thought to be strictly
limited to British sport cars in England.
However, the virus has not only
spread to Italian cars, it has crossed
the Atlantic Ocean to the
United States. This spread
of Mad Car Disease has
been traced to a certain
right-hand drive Fiat
X 1/9 painted in British
Racing Green that was
imported from England to
Tennessee. The frequent
up-grading and swapping
of performance parts in and out of
this infected X 1/9 has spread the Mad Car
Disease to many Fiats throughout the U.S.
To contain the exponential spread of Mad Car Disease, the
Center for Disease Control in Atlanta has quarantined
the Tennessee X 1/9 and is making every effort to track down all
owners of Fiats who may have purchased and installed used
performance parts from the infected right-hand drive X 1/9. In the
interim, the CDC urges the practice of safe part-swapping. Doctor
Buena Storta of the CDC cautioned, “You need to know not only
where the parts go, but where they came from. When you swap
with someone, you’re swapping with everyone they’ve ever
swapped with.”
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
Columbus, OH
PERMIT #4416
FLU Membership
3258 Scioto Farms Drive
Hilliard, Ohio 43026
www.flu.org