April 2013

Iniezione The newsletter of the Northwest Alfa Romeo Club

Touring The Quality That Goes! The clue that our March meeting place was really special was the large turn out of members and how far they travelled to attend. Our gathering on March 16th was at Dennison International in Puyallup. Started by Butch Dennison and filled with fantastic restoration projects, the place was a real treat for our eyes. Additionally, Butch provided a nice mix of breakfast treats of fruit, rolls, donuts, etc. Club members arrived from as far north as Burlington and Mount Vernon, and Southerners drove up from Fox Island and Olympia. We found an amazing display of collector cars in various stages of restoration or service.

Photos by Cindy Akana

Butch walked us through his facility showing us the 3 pre-war Alfa Romeos, 9 or 10 Ferraris, a Maserati 300S, a Jaguar E-Type alloy car, a Lister, an Aston Martin, and a few original Cobras. Some cars were having aluminum body work done with new fabrication and paint work. The cars get stripped down to bare metal prior to any re-finishing. Other cars were in the midst of mechanical rebuilds with suspensions, brakes, engines, transmissions, and more all carefully taken apart and being rebuilt fresh and new. The shop is capable of just about any sort of repair or restoration needed on these rare collector cars. Butch and his team have restored a number of cars that have been shown at the most prestigious car shows around the world, often winning Best of Show. Our tour was a great opportunity to see behind the curtain at how the magic is done. There were a few cars that Butch requested we not photograph simply because some customers would prefer their latest project not be shown prior to it’s next big event. Butch and his crew all have very select skills and plenty of collector and race car experience. He told us how the race background adds a wonderful dimension of being aggressive and they tend to “get things done”. Butch had plenty of race experience from when he supported Pete Lovely back when he ran a privateer team in Formula One. In the end it was great wandering amongst the cars and talent at Dennison International, where you’ll find things as rare as a crumpled nose of a Ferrari 250 GTO hanging from the rafters. How often do you see that?

Inside this April 2013 issue… * * * * *

Dennison International pg 1 President’s Column pgs 2,3 April Club Meeting …...…pg 4 Rare Alfa ………...…..….. pg 4 Membership ……….....….. pg 5

* * * * *

News ………………….……. pg 6 Geneva Auto Show pgs 7-10 Tulip Rallye / FEN …… pg 11 St Paddys WrapUp ….... pg 12 Classifieds ……….. pgs 13,14

* Calendar ……………….… pg 15 Next events…

* Club Meeting ……….......… April 9 * Tulip Rallye …………….... April 20 * FEN Car Gathering …….. April 21

President’s Column Meet One of Our Club Members: Ben Howe Its profile time again. I figure I’ve profiled myself plenty while writing these articles and Fred Russell is the kind of guy who’s hard to escape from when a deadline is due. But I have someone for you readers to know a little more about, so here goes. I’m sure many of you have heard of a business by the name of Ralli Round. Well, Ben Howe has been the proprietor for over ten years now and does the maintenance, repair, and upgrades for interesting cars. Ben started working at Ralli Round as a high school student under a work study program. At the time the business was owned by Keith Magnusson who was noted for owning and driving a very fast, but unreliable turbocharged Alfa Romeo GTV. But I digress, back to Ben; who ended up working there on and off for about 10 years then went into the construction business. After some time

with that he came back to Ralli Round and worked for about a year on Keith’s turbo GTV making it a better car. Ben fabricated a new intercooler, turbo and waste gate system including a custom manifold plus a huge (for the size of the car) three inch exhaust system. He added an MSD ignition that included some basic programming control and with that plus better waste gate management Keith’s car became both more powerful and reliable. With Ben’s work, Keith was able to run in the 1:39’s at Pacific Raceway (then known as Seattle International Raceway) and was also very fast at Portland. Definitely one of the faster GTVs in the region. Ben himself had acquired a 1969 1750 GTV that already had fender flares and was ready for a little optimization. He replaced the rubber suspension pieces with solid uniball joints, added modifications to allow 2.5 degrees negative camber and five degrees of caster to the front end. On went a Steve Hannaford ported cylinder head and a limited slip differential out back. At that time he was also a regular at track days and time trials. He also made it a nicer every day car by replacing all the original heavy tar material with sound insulation consisting of better materials that were also lighter in weight and then followed up with a nice sound system. After developing Keith’s turbo GTV his rep as a mechanic was getting around and he hired on at a local Toyota dealer. While there, he rose through the ranks in their shop eventually attaining master mechanic certification after scoring the highest test results in a five state region. While not being the fastest production rate employee, his diagnostic and troubleshooting skills were so good he became the dealer’s go-to guy taking on their most troublesome and difficult cases. Ben eventually wanted to operate his own shop so set up in a space that became available and outfitted it with lifts and other accruements necessary for working on our favorite types of machinery. That only lasted about a year when he wasn’t allowed to renew his lease but Ralli Round had been for sale for a while, at that point, and Ben and Keith started talking. After

NWARC April 2013 newsletter page 2

President’s Column high level diplomatic negotiations they eventually reached an agreement and our Mr. Howe became the new owner of Ralli Round. From talking with Ben I believe Ralli Round specialized in supporting Alfa Romeos and while Alfas still comprise a substantial portion of Ben’s clientele, he doesn’t limit his work to one marque. Speaking of Alfas, he’s currently working on an early 1985 Spider that he’s performing extensive modifications on for the owner. The car is now powered by a twin spark out of a European 164. Of course he couldn’t leave the engine alone and came up with custom pistons on spec’d Carrillo rods spinning on a 1984 2 liter crank, livelier cams, a Spica front engine cover, Nord sump, and modern Weber-Redline engine management system. The engine sits back an inch from stock with the lower cross member exchanged for an integrated sub frame that includes tubes that go from the new cross member to the forward pickups at the rear control arms. The aim is to take weight off the front, add stiffness and keep the center of mass as low as possible. Ben is changing out the front suspension for fabricated components to lower unsprung weight and improve the geometry including the car’s bump steer which is not the best on these cars. He’ll add Wilwood calipers and rotors that are larger yet with aluminum hats will be lighter than stock. He’s even going to use a Lithium battery that’s only 6 lbs and will locate it low behind the passenger seat. Ben is looking to take weight out of the car with a goal of 2300 lbs versus stock at 2550, yet maintain everyday driver capability. Another big goal is to be faster than a more modern Honda S2000. He’s performed custom work on modified Toyota Supras, one that could spin sticky tires at the press of the throttle while cruising at 70mph. That one he even exceeded 165mph on a test drive. Talk about a rush! One current project is a 1988 BMW Dinan modified M5 that he’s added custom bumpers, new fuel injection and a Quaif LSD. Because of owning Ralli Round he’s worked on numerous Alfas including lots of mods. One I liked was the old pre-5mph stainless steel bumper added to post 5mph cars including recessing the replacement bumper just a bit further into the bodywork. A very nice look. He likes to install an MSD 123 model (I think) distributer that includes a vacuum advance that adds drivability to older Alfa road cars. A nice improvement. He’ll also make engine modifications, upgrade to fuel injection, and perform other improvements depending on customer wishes. Now you know about Ben Howe and his Ralli Round business. Stop by some time and see what he can do for you. Merril Gordon President NWARC

Letter to the President Merril & Fred, I wanted to thank both of you for taking the time to check out the GTV6 in Bellevue in January. It arrived in Colorado this week. Here are some photos after it arrived. I think it will clean up well and after that, it’s on to some restoration work. Thanks again for your help. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do this without someone on the other end that knows Alfas providing your impressions of the car. You were both generous with your time and I’m committed to making your time pay dividends by getting it back on the road. Too many of these cars seem to be slowly fading away. I’ll bring it back to the level that will serve as a good example for the Alfa marque. Phil Overeynder NWARC April 2013 newsletter page 3

NWARC Meeting

Tuesday

April, 9th

Most of us see the auctions on TV, read about them in Sports Car Market of other publications, or click on an e-mail link that shows the pre-sale or post sale info. Rarely do we get to experience these big events first hand as a buyer or seller and get the feel for what happens behind the scenes. As the Lot Manager and Special Event Coordinator at Park Place Ltd, Shannon Low handles the relationship and logistics with the auction houses. This means a little stress, traveling, and a sense of adventure along with his vast knowledge of cars is the magic recipe!

Board Members President Merril Gordon (206) 290 4704 [email protected] Vice President Bill Gehring (425) 822 4231 [email protected] Secretary Gordy Hyde (425) 241 9307 [email protected] Treasurer Thomas Jermann (206) 276 3484 [email protected]

Committee Directors Activities Shannon Low (206) 715 9670 [email protected]

Shannon Low will be our guest speaker at our April Club Meeting and plans to share a few of his experiences while attending events. In fact, he returns from a Barrett -Jackson Palm Beach Auction the day prior to our meeting with fresh stories.

Competition Co-Directors Mirko Freguia (206) 795 0861 Chris Benny (206) 283 9065

When:

Membership Paul & Kristy Affolter (206) 523 8534 [email protected] [email protected]

April 9th

6:30 PM Dinner

Where: Lombardi’s Cucina

7 to 8:30 PM Club Meeting

695 NW Gilman Blvd., Issaquah 98027

Rare Alfa Romeo Found Many of us have heard the details of when Jay Nuxoll found the chassis to a rare 1938 Alfa Romeo 8c2900 in the bushes behind a home near Snohomish. Those who don’t believe that lightning can strike the same place twice need not read any further. As Department of Ecology workers were managing the removal of junk in the Snohomish River, they pulled up what they thought was just another rusty junk car. Initially pulled from the water and added to the barge carrying the debris, it was identified as something special by an, as yet unidentified county worker who happened to be an Alfa Romeo enthusiast. The car has been identified as a 1925 Alfa Romeo P2. The county has received numerous inquiries and is determining just what to do with the rusted, but complete car. According to existing county policy, when an employee initiates a change that results in the saving of money for the county, policy dictates that 25% of the savings goes to the employee. This policy applies since the value received from the sale will be an estimated $3.5 to 4 million versus scrap value. I’d suppose the Snohomish County worker will probably retire as soon as the sale is finalized. As they haven’t announced the actual sale, auction, or even the county workers name, I say we need to watch for any public notices or question any new Snohomish County retirees. Al Faromeo

Webmaster Earl Krygier [email protected] Technical Editor Wes Ingram 15613 “C” Peterson Road Burlington, WA 98233 (360) 707 5701 [email protected]

http://nwalfaclub.com www.aroc-usa.org www.alfabb.com Facebook: NWARC

Club Liaisons US Government President Obama 604 988 7904 SOVREN (Society of Vintage

Just the Facts...

Racing Enthusiasts)

The Iniezione is the monthly newsletter of the Northwest Alfa Romeo Club, a non-profit organization of Alfa Romeo enthusiasts. NWARC is a regional chapter of the national Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC). Chapter meetings are held the second Tuesday of most months except December. Membership dues are $63 per year, which includes subscriptions to either the digital and/or print versions of the Iniezione and the monthly national publication, Alfa Owner. For information about joining the club, contact the membership director listed in the right hand column. Opinions expressed in the Iniezione are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the club. (The author 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? Commercial advertisements in the newsletter are a win! During this tight economy, give your business added exposure while supporting the NWARC. Ad rates are: 5”x8” $85/Qrtly $200/Annu 4”x5” $65/Qtrly $170/Annu 2”x3.5” $50/Qtrly $120/Annu E-mail a color tif, or pdf file (300 DPI) to [email protected] To subscribe to the digital newsletter: Send an e-mail to [email protected] automated tool sends you an e-mail message, simply reply to the msg and you’re on the list.

Iniezione Editor Fred Russell [email protected]

...then when the


TBD AROO

(Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon)

Ed Slavin 503 789 3282 [email protected] FEN (Fiat Enthusiasts NW) Gordy Hyde 425 241 9307 MGCCNWC (MG)

Ken Bottini 425 883 9615

Letters To The Editor

Compiled by Al Faromeo

I read the last issue on the bus even though a number of people disapproved and asked me to move. R. Parks The magic of these Italian cars and what you people see in them is beyond me. Dave Blaine Cable is the way of the future. Please stop sending the print issues. Ernie “Chip” Douglas / Cable Guy I loved the article about the giant hamsters. Keep my honorary subscription coming. Nic Romeo My brain hurts. Abby Normal

Member Mentoring The following members have volunteered to provide Alfa Mentoring!!! Don’t hesitate to contact any of these members for good Alfa info! Model/Series Member Name 164 / GTV-6 Dan Jardine GTV Dave Emerson Spiders, GTV Fred Wright Spiders (101/105) George Gibbs 80’s Spiders Harry Reed Almost Anything! Fred Russell

Contact [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Membership Fee Options

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:

ALFA ROMEO OWNERS CLUB P.O. BOX 12340 KANSAS CITY, MO 64116-0340

Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Technical______ Tours______ Social_______ Rally_______ Vintage Cars_______ Cost: $63 annual AROC dues includes $3 NWARC affiliation fee Make check payable to: ALFA ROMEO OWNERS CLUB Or… Online registration

http://www.aroc-usa.org/


Mail to:

NWARC / AROC Membership Application

The Membership Fee for joining NWARC has been a concern for people for many years. With the ever changing economic challenges, as of April 1st, NWARC has come up with a wonderful way to solve the burden of the $63.00 annual fee. You can commit to selling a box of 52 Candy Bars. You simply sell these 52 candy bars door-to-door for whatever price you choose as long as you return $86.00 to the club within 30 days. ($23 covers the wholesale cost + $63 covers your membership fee) Many members have recently found candy bar sales as an additional way to fund car restoration or racing budgets. If challenged by the membership cost, or for more information, don’t hesitate to contact the club Membership Director.

April Alfa News The development of the new Alfa Romeo Spider / Mazda Miata has been making good headway. With Fiat / Alfa Romeo’s track record I had feared it would be delayed, but perhaps the Mazda influence makes the difference. There have been a number of whacky reports, and a few credible ones. A few of the reports include photos of possible cars. Finally we have one that appears to be the real thing. You can see they have tapped into the history of both brands by incorporating features from both cars. Obviously they can make a few more changes, but I sure hope this is close. Let me know if you see any newer photos or more details. Photo collection to go on Mazda / Alfa sale in new book Alfas & Girls. Published by Letame Publishing, the coffee table book is full color, large format filled with the numerous photos that combine Alfa Romeos and women. Some of the images are old, some new. Most are simply very artful shots, and few sexy ones. Either way, this is a great idea for your coffee table or possibly the next Holiday Gala raffle table. Possibly a bird with a message from above… literally. The bird dropping hit the windshield of my Alfa Romeo and instantly created the image of Jesus in the splatter. I refused to wash it off but before I got the car back home it started raining and it was lost. Luckily I had a camera on my phone.

Bird dropping...

Mystery Identified! The guy in the two photos has been identified as AROC board member Gordy Hyde. The mystery is how his hair was able to grow so much in only 6 months. The same type of change has happened numerous times going the other way… for example when the AROC President Brewster Thackeray and started his role with a long pony tail. In his case, only a few months later his hair was short. No one was ever able to explain that change and now we have the opposite direction with Gordy’s hair. AROC is looking at each of the elected ofRussia Feb 2013 ficials to se December 2012 July 2012 if they can catch the trend before it effects each of the board members. Watch for a change to the AROC bylaws to be raised and passed at the Board Meeting at Alfa California 2013. It would have been amazing to have been present to see the meteorite flash down into our atmosphere in late February. Those are hard to predict. Here is a nice photo from a car’s dash camera showing the moment it crashed to earth over Russia. News by Al Feromeo. NWARC April 2013 newsletter page 6

International Motor Salon at Geneva 2013

Words and photos by Eric Hawley

Several months ago, friends invited us to join them for a week in a villa in south Tuscany. Of course we said “yes”. Meanwhile we had been planning a visit to somewhere in the northern latitudes, either in Alaska or Iceland, to see the Aurora Borealis. We had aimed for mid-March or mid-April, during the time when the moon was at its smallest. Since the villa in Tuscany stay would be in mid-April, that meant aurora viewing defaulted to Iceland in mid-March. This of course left us to hang out around France and Italy prior to our week in Tuscany. We’d certainly be over any jetlag. So off to Iceland we went, which was sensational. Though a wonderful start to the trip, it’s not why we’re here. We’re here to talk about the 36 hours or so we spent in Geneva that happened to be the same time as the Geneva Auto Show. Arriving in Geneva in the afternoon of March 13, we checked into the Starling Hotel and were settled by 6PM. This hotel is literally less than a hundred meters (that’s euro-speak for yards, only longer) from the Palexpo Exhibition Centre (more Euro speak for convention center), where the car show is held. We decided to wander over and check out the show for the last two hours of the day. That turned out to be a smart decision as it was not very crowded enabling us to see any car at most any booth. I took a few hundred pictures, and we had a lovely time. We had left our invites to the Ferrari and Maserati stand behind, thinking we’d certainly not want to use them for such a brief scouting mission and would use them the next day. We walked by all the Italian car manufacturer stands, including the one now heavily associated with Chrysler, and got a great opportunity to see all the lovely cars.

Space Alien Headlights? Odd front vent?

Arriving at the Alfa Romeo stand they had three of the 4C models on display. One in a curiously flat metallic and opalescent white, one in a silver, and one in a red that may be a historic color, but really suffered from not great paint job and unflattering indoor lighting. With almost nobody around, we got a great chance to look them over, compare, and contrast between the three examples. Rumored to be the first production models on exhibition, I have to wonder. The fitment was erratic, paint finish so-so, and the detailing inconsistent across all three cars. Two cars had strange little vents on the front fenders with ugly little raised surround, while the third had no vents. Again, two had glossy carbon fiber headlight contraptions, while the third was a flat black. And those headlights are uniformly… now what is it one says about a baby to its parents when one has a hard time finding something nice to say? Oh yeah, they sure are headlights - I think. Space alien headlights with lots of pods, LEDS, and oh my, yes, those are indeed headlights.


Geneva cont’d... Next, we wanted a look at the engine and storage area. With the rear deck only opening about 12 inches upward, we had to lean down and peer in to look at that engine. The rep had to hold the deck lid up as it had no way to hold itself open. Clearly the design of the hinge assembly has yet to be worked out in such a way as to allow that panel to lift adequately and provide access to the rear of the car.

Limited hatch opening on the 4C

Gwen tries the 4C

The interior was spartan and the stereo head unit appeared fake. Nobody had the keys, so we couldn’t see if anything actually powered up, let alone start the engine. I may not be fair to judge the Alfa 4c by these examples, except that these are purported to be the actual production models. We’re visiting the Maserati factory in a couple weeks, so we’ll get a chance to see the cars on the line there I’m hoping and we can maybe look more closely to see how some of these inconsistencies have been resolved. The nice sales rep helping us on the Alfa Romeo stand was from Switzerland, and says his dealership has been given actual build allocations so they’re expecting delivery of cars soon. When I asked him where I should go in the US to order one of these cars, he guessed that Alfa would be distributing this car through the same network as the 8C, since that is how it appeared to be working in Europe. I suggested that, if true, my friends at our local Ferrari/Maserati dealership might have known about it. Having asked them repeatedly what they knew and getting the shrug and answer that they’d heard nothing, I have my doubts that this was going to be the case. The rep asked his supervisor who also didn’t know but she did make a couple calls. (Very nice people on the Alfa Romeo stand. Really tried to help us, and went way out of their way to make us feel welcome and to try to accommodate us and answer our odd questions. I could contrast that to the way we were ignored when we visited the Ferrari and Maserati displays but that’s another story for another day.) The manager came back a few minutes later and told me that, per her superiors, the US will enjoy a separate Alfa Romeo dealership network set up by Chrysler that will handle the sales of the 4C. Curious, and I might add, I am dubious. The likelihood of any businessperson willing to take on the financial burden of opening a dealership for the sole purpose of selling a single model of Alfa as questionable, though I sure like that answer better than “the local Dodge dealership.” Truth is, I think they’re all still trying to figure that mess out. I’m sure I’m not privy to information that has yet to be reported in the international automotive press and I’m not holding my breath while waiting for the car to actually come to the US, but I did give them Gwen’s name and asked that they put her on the list for potential purchase of one of the reported first 500 4Cs to be imported into the US, whenever that happens. Again, color me dubious. My 8cCompetizione could really use a little brother in our stable, and I fear the MiTo will never be brought to the US. I had my hopes up for the 4C and really wanted to like it, despite not particularly liking the early photos I had seen. Now, I’m not sure I need this car. It has more than a few unfortunate proportions about it. With the mid/rear engine layout they’ve had to stretch out the rear of the car, giving the back end way more presence than it ought have and it’s not as sensuous in its lines as I’d wish it to be… especially when compared to the 8C. No doubt it will handle well, accelerate well, and probably even get great gas mileage. And the nice gentleman at the stand allowed us both a chance to test sit in it, and once I had crammed myself in (very low seating positions and small doorway made for a less than graceful entrance and exit), I did fit. Not as well as in the 8C, but I could comfortably drive this car. Not with a helmet on, mind you, which makes for a serious drawback… but I could drive it. Gwen fit like a champ so she’ll let me have the 8C as mine if she can have the 4C. So that’s enough about the 4C for now. I also looked at the


Geneva cont’d... MiTo and Giulietta, two cars that I would buy in a heartbeat if they came to the US, and they won’t. They’re gorgeous, fit me well, and could easily do multiple duties and serve us well. It makes me so sad that neither of these cars will be seen in the US, let alone in my garage. Other cars on the floor had Alfa badges and were gorgeous. First was the Disco Volante Concept by Touring Superleggera. It has lines that harken back to early days of Alfa Romeo. Bulbous, almost pudgy, and in places almost sleek. I liked it, but didn’t want one. It seemed a shame to have scrapped a gorgeous 8C to create this, but it was fun to see another interpretation of an Alfa. Secondly was the Alfa Romeo Gloria concept car designed by the Istituto Europeo di Design school. It was a strictly design buck with fake windows and built of who knows what, possibly even clay for all we could tell. I loved the lines of the concept. It was sleek, sensual, elegant, and seemed even potentially practical. Not small, but not overly large either. Very Gloria Concept Car well done design, in my opinion.

Disco Volante Concept

My favorite car at the show was the Sergio by Pininfarina. I think the car is an exquisite work of design, with some regard for practicality, but not too much. It has flowing lines, grace, and is edgy all at the same time. I loved it.

Gloria Concept Car

The award for outrageous is actually pretty easy, and it goes to the Mattel Corporation for their Transformer Thingamjob. Oh wait, Gwen tells me that was a Lamborghini Veneno. Oh my. I should have guessed.

Bertone Sergio

What I really was hoping to see was concept cars form some of the great design houses, and they were there. Aside from the aforementioned Sergio, there were two gorgeous variants of Aston Martin shooting brakes by BerBertone Aston Martin 2dr Lambo Veneno

tone. The bigger, four door was very nice, but the better in my opinion was the two door built for and used by Lily Bertone. It was elegant, simple and very nicely done. Giugiaro brought out a design that was unmistakably Giugiaro’s. If you’ve studied any grouping of his designs, this was one that needed no sign to tell you it was his.


Geneva cont’d...

Giugiaro off road style

Though not my cup of tea, it was still very fun to see design for design’s sake. Additionally, the Italdesign/Giugiaro beast built for Vredstein was a kick. High bodied, huge wheels, and it looked like it was ready to take on the Baja 1000 right now, and in style. LaFerrari

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the gorgeous LaFerrari. It’s stunning. Pictures don’t do it justice. Ferrari’s latest is truly a magnificent supercar, and if I had any room in the garage… oh never mind. I’m not on “that list” and never will be. Besides, it doesn’t have AWD, so I wouldn’t be able to use it much anyway. It’s a close second place for best car of the show, in my eyes.

The Maserati Granturismo MC Stradale is marvelous. They took that gorgeous, sensuous GranTurismo and gave it some really muscular looks. I loved its looks which seem ready to do some serious driving. And there were dozens of other really fun displays. Some of the city car concepts and mass transit solutions offered by manufactures were very clever and fascinating to see. Of course, there were plenty of Audis, VWs, Skodas, Renaults, cars, cars, and more cars. There was something here for everyone, and plenty of great things for us to enjoy and marvel at. We spent five hours there today fighting the massive crowds of people. We were really glad we had visited for two hours last night. The crowds were far smaller and we were able to see so much more in far less time without having to fight the crowds. In fact, if we hadn’t had special passes to get onto the Ferrari stand (thank you, Roberto!) we wouldn’t have been able to even see the LaFerrari today for all the crowds of people massed around their booth. It was great to see this show. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves design and cars, with the caveat to go late in the day. Now, as I recall, the Paris auto show is every other year, even numbered years, right? We might need to start making our plans for that now. In fact, it’d be even better to go for the press preview days. Hey Fred, if I promise to write up an article for you, can you get me press credentials? Now we’re off to France to taste some French wines, see some sites, and then of course, drive some French roads for a few weeks before we venture back into Italy and finally, Tuscany to join our friend in their villa, which started this whole silly trip idea.


Sunday, April 21st, 2013 XXX Root Beer Drive-in 98 NE Gilman Drive Issaquah Check-in begins at 8 a.m. Show ends at 3 p.m. Entry: $20/car min donation? Spectator Admission is Free

32nd Annual Tulip Rallye When: Saturday, Apr 20, 2013 Where:

8-9 AM Check-In / Start

Burlington / Cascade Mall I-5 Exit 230

Description: The Tulip Rallye, sponsored by the MG Car Club NW, is a gimmick rallye in place of time/distance checkpoints. All levels of experience can easily compete. Bring a sharp eye & sense of humor. We always have a nice showing from NWARC and they’ll award 1st Place finish for our club. Non-club entries compete in “Open” class. Pack a picnic to enjoy along the way or at the end while scores are tabulated. Pre-registration closes April 15. Entries received after April 15 will be considered day of and cost $3 extra! Please remember to bring canned food for the local food bank. Drop off at start point. ---------------------------------------------Name: ____________________________________________________ Phone: _________________ Car Type: __________________________ Address: __________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ____________________________/_____/___________ E-Mail: ___________________________________________________ Car Club Affiliation?

Yes… __NWARC__

Amount Paid: $ _____________________ Number of cars? _________ Pay $12 US / $15 CDN per car payable to MGCCNWC Send payment and form to: Tulip Rallye, c/o David Ellis,1521 Eagle Ridge Dr S., Renton, WA 98055. Qty of short sleeve event T-Shirts: $15 (US) $18 (CDN) ______ MED ______LG ______XL ______XXL

The Fiat Enthusiasts Northwest All Italian Car Show, a lighthearted, fun event, for Italian car buffs and their families. All Italian cars, in any condition from projects to daily drivers to concours ready, are wholeheartedly welcome. Spend time with fellow Italian car enthusiasts immersed in automotive indulgence. There will be no white glove inspections, no examinations for authentic restorations. Simply the enjoyment that comes from spending quality time with fellow car enthusiasts. No kit cars or replicas please.

What’s different this year? No advance registration, just show up at the parking lot to check-in, give a donation, and get your windshield placard with car number. (No earlier than 8:00 AM please!) Suggested donation: $20.00 per car. Donations will be divided equally between a scholarship for the daughter of a club member and the Life Enrichment Options program. We will only give one award this year. That award will be a framed certificate to acknowledge the car chosen by popular vote and titled the People's Choice Award.


St Paddy’s Party WrapUp Though it snowed in the NW the day prior, our party on March 23rd turned out to be perfect, sunny, slightly warm, and with water as smooth as glass. Around 25 people gathered at Joe & Lynn Faherty’s wonderful home on Fox Island. There was plenty of green attire, varieties of beer, and lots of great food. Many of us wandered down the steep walk to the beach and enjoyed an hour or two wandering for shells, rocks, and relaxation. Each of the neighbors out enjoying the beachfront life were friendly and cheerfully talked with us as we passed. One person was casting a buzz-bomb well out into the calm water and slowly reeling it back in. He told me he’d caught a small 10 pound salmon the other day, then as I watched, his line tugged. He brought in the catch which turned out to be about 1 pound, very young salmon. He turned it loose after it learned a lesson to avoid those hooks. The party went well into the evening with the desserts, fun conversations, and even singing along to the sounds from the player piano. The piano required you to pump the peddles below to make it play the music… that took a little practice and it gives you a new respect for the people who’d play these in the past. Happy St Paddy’s Day to all those who attended and to those who couldn’t make it… this year!

Member Recommendations If you have had a good experience with some provider of ALFA related goods or services, please share your knowledge. All providers listed were recommended by one or more club members as being highly satisfactory, but are not specifically endorsed by NWARC. Bellevue Collision, Bellevue - Collision Repair Classic Interior Restorations, Seattle - Headliners East Bay Collision, Gig Harbor - Collision Repair Mark 2 Collision Center, Lynnwood - Collision Repair North Kitsap Auto Rebuilt, Poulsbo - Collision Repair

Selling Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia Parts Since 1971

Professional Glass Company, Seattle - Windshield Replacement Security Safe & Lock, Inc., Bellevue - Lock Rebuilding Tire Rack Internet - Tires, Wheels and Parts You can add to this list by sending your recommendations to Ken Case at [email protected]. Ken maintains the list and contacts the providers. Ken will also exclude a provider from the list if you send an email indication a provider should never go on the list. All providers of automotive goods or services are eligible for the list if:

FREE CATALOG 1-800-788-4435 www.international-auto.com

1. They are recommended by a member based on personal experience 2. The provider has no family or financial connection with the member recommending them 3. The primary business of the provider does not compete with one of the providers advertising in the Iniezione If you have a provider you have found to be highly satisfactory, share your wisdom and pass your recommendation on to Ken. With your help, we can all be better automotive consumers.


Classified Ads

Cars & Parts For Sale!

For Sale: 1984 Spider Best Offers Considered 40,000 miles. This is a real time capsule car. If you want a brand new Alfa, but don’t want to wait for who knows when… here is your car. This car, with its Anthracite paint and dark tan interior looks, drives, sounds, and even smells just like new. Everything is excellent on this car including how quiet it is. It has been cared for by Alfa of Tacoma and Ferrari of Seattle its whole life and owned by a meticulous car guy. This really is an outstanding car… start your own museum or enjoy it as you would a new car. On behalf of the owner, contact Fred R at [email protected] with inquiries. Parts For Sale:

2.5 Ltr V6 Motor / Transaxle from Milano

Parts Wanted!!! Rear view mirror for 1968 1750 GTV.

Call Joe 253 549 6828

Philip at 604-240-0864

or

[email protected]

For Sale: 1976 Yellow Spider Make Offer Doesn't run currently, but this is the right time of the year to take on a project. Comes with plenty of extra and a few new parts like shocks and sway bar. Call Stephanie Raupach 360-509-2993 For Sale: Pininfarina Design OEM Hardtop for series 115 Alfa Spider (1982 thru 1994) Asking $1650, but will consider other reasonable offers, Please note this was rarely used and “Like New”. Works on earlier Spiders. Black with light Beige Headliner and heated rear glass; in excellent condition. Includes a New and optional OEM dash mounted switch to work the rear heated window and dome light. Pick up in Mount Vernon (will help install on your car) or delivered in locally, Tacoma to Blaine. Call Paul Rutherford 425-584-7604 (H) or 425-578-4749 (Cell) Parts For Sale: Complete 3.0 Ltr V6 Motor w/Auto Trans, from ‘91 164 L sedan Engine still at repair shop. Reduced Price $900 Also a set of 4 wheels (See picture) for $200. Call June at 425 244 1098


Classified Ads

Cars For Sale!

For Sale: Full race 1976 Alfetta GT. Strong 2 liter hemi with

headers , oil cooler, 40DCOE Webers, shift light, Sparco race seats, race springs and swaybar, with Koni shocks all around. 1 set of race and 1 set of rain tires with spare, both sets on rims, 5 point belts, full SCCA rollcage, proven race winner street legal licensed and ready to go. Call Doc with questions or offers at 206 227 9463. For Sale: 1974 Spider Veloce New Lower Price $6500 OBO Complete mechanical restoration including all suspension - with poly bushings, Rugh sport springs, Bilstein shocks, adjustable upper front arm. Complete engine rebuild with Hannifer Stage 1 head work with new race springs and 11mm cams, 10:1 pistons, Ingram HP Spica pump to match, Crane Cam ignition, High voltage coil. Transmission rebuilt by Ingram, Diff upgraded to 4.10 for nice cruising. Interior in decent shape with recent seat covers. New top. Gas tank cleaned and sealed by Seattle radiator. Radio upgraded to Alpine 4 x 65 W with 4 coax speakers discreetly mounted. This runs and drives better than new and is ready for a late summer cruise as it sits. Eventually the new owner may want to address the body and paint as it is patina rich but still looks good from 20 feet. Call Greg at 206 890 2525 For Sale: 1974 Spider $15,000 OBO Full repaint, new interior and windshield in 2001/02. Black convertible top in good condition, with cleat rear window. Car has always been garaged. Battery relocated to rear spare tire well. Brakes upgraded to 4 piston Wilwood fronts with vented rotors and stainless brake lines. Tom Sahines built 2 liter motor and transmission,10.2 compression, fully balanced, ported head, large intake valves, Pittatori 11mm lift cams, Alfa headers, Wes Ingram built SPICA pump, electric fan, larger radiator, Marelliplex elec ignition. Approx 170 hp at 6200. Transmission with mid ratio gear set, undercut and lightened gears, heel and toe mods to pedals, 4.56 Rear with shimming for 50% limited slip. Shankle suspen with increased rate springs, lowered, w/heavy front sway bar, Koni shocks, Ereminas chassis stiffener. Panasport 14 inch diameter, 6 inch width. 195/65 14 Falken ZE 512 tires. Stainless Stebro exhaust. This car is a fabulous example ready to drive anywhere. Call Rube at 408 262-6279


2013 Calendar of Events  Apr 9 NWARC Club Meeting Lombardi’s Cucina Guest Speaker: Shannon Low  Apr 20 Tulip Rallye Skagit Valley  Apr 21 FEN All Italian Gathering Issaquah  Apr 27,28 SOVREN Spring Sprints www.sovren.org  May 14 NWARC Club Meeting TBD  June 1,2 SOVREN Spokane Festival of Speed www.sovren.org  June 29 NWARC Gita e’Corsa (Lapping Day / Drive / Show / Picnic)  July 5 NWARC Pre-Historics BBQ Patitz Home Auburn  July 5-7 SOVREN PNW Historics www.sovren.org  July 8-12 AROC National Convention Sonoma Valley www.alfacalifornia2013.com  July 13 Concours d’Elegance at the Wood All Things Italian Lynnwood Golf Course  July TBD NWARC Viva Italia  Aug 3 NWARC Summer Drive  Aug 16 Concorso Italiano www.concorso.com  Aug 18 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance www.pebblebeachconcours.net  Aug 31, Sept 1 SOVREN Columbia River Classic www.sovren.org  Sept TBD NWARC Half Fast Lap  Sept 21,22 SOVREN Fall Finale www.sovren.org  Oct 5,6,7 FEN Tour de Tillamook FallClassicTour.com  Dec TBD NWARC Holiday Gala Event ideas? Contact Shannon Low at (206) 715 9670 or Shannonl @ parkplaceltd.com

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