Non-Volvo car chat megathread

[BlackBart]

Rode with a friend to a Saturday car thing. Mostly hot rods and Subarus. But these were there -

1959 blue, 1958 yellow.

10 lb magnesium wheels

Deep red interior

[BlackBart]

Some Dutch Alfa fans drove four days through Holland, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Belgium. So fun. 900 miles they report.

"Eiffel, Vogezen, Loraines, Ardennes and lots of other nice little back roads. Magnificent weather."

[BlackBart]

I had an intervention.

Some friends keep razzing me about "When are you going to get your car back on the street?" I've been really busy, plus procrastinating.

After a Saturday cars & coffee, three of them showed up at my garage where I was fussing around trying to get organized.
A '59 356. a '65 356, and a '67 911, sweet.

But they didn't go to work, they just stood around talking and asking me questions. But the end result was that much progress was made that day, and things are back underway!

Black Betty sharing the street with these beautiful old cars...

Baby blue '59 in the distance (and a '52 Pontiac straight 8, but that's just my neighbor)

Filled the tires and jumped the Red Sled, moved him out to the alley for more room to work. And all the lumber underneath had to find a new home. Lots of sweeping up...

..and what's this?!

That's right, my old Alfa Romeo, put on the back-burner for years. (I used to drive this car to work every day, park outside, drive in the rain...that top used to be black)

Dug out all the parts I've collected for years....

Found my pages of notes and DIY guides....

And after a lot of catching up and reading everything, I got the wishbone onto the subframe, two lower control arms, and one upper control arm back on. I assembled the RF hub and steering arm assembly loosely. I kept the LF on the car so I could check it for how the pieces go back together. Slow and steady, check the manuals, look at the left side, count the washers, see if I put it on upside down, look up the torque numbers... BOLT IT DOWN!! SO satisfying.

The PLAN is:

• Finish painting and replacing the suspension front and rear - springs, bushings, wheels bearings, tie rods, newer LS rear axle, axle straps, driveshaft rebuilt, Giubo joint, all new brake system including master cylinder, hard and soft lines, calipers, rotors.
• Clean and seal the fuel tank, new fuel lines, rebuild Weber carburetors (probably clogged with gas sludge).
• Pull transmission to replace clutch and rear main seal. New crossmember bushings and mounts.

I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting. Not much expense involved - I bought all these parts over many years and stored them. I'm missing a bushing and a shim here and there, I bought duplicates of some, I'll need soft cunifer brake line and ends if I'm going to bend my own lines, fuel tank might be $80 at a local radiator shop.

It's that work/life/garage/house repairs balance..... whew!!

[BlackBart]

It's Friday - time for another BlackBart(tm) nostalgia racecar post!


Fun article -
https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/s ... 1134a7530b

“You want to see the cars, smell them, hear them,” O’Neill told me. “A museum doesn’t bring them alive..."

3 liters (180 cubic inches), SIX Webers, 300 horsepower. (The equivalent of a 427 with 712 hp)....in 1962.

[matthew1]

A '59 356. a '65 356, and a '67 911, sweet.

Oh my goodness. Wow.

[matthew1]

Bart, did you -- or anyone here -- ever have some of these trading cards? I had a dozen or two in the early 1980s. I'd obsess over the numbers of each car.

Judging by this https://www.ebay.com/itm/293792246869?h ... SwJMtfjs4S they're not valuable, but I'd fork over a bunch of money to see my set. I'm sure my mom tossed them 35-ish years ago.

[BlackBart]

I've never seen those! Cool - way more funner than beisbol cards! (but that's just me)

Another great line from that Hagarty article that made me smile out loud:

"...hear that small twelve rasp alive while the gathered crowd shuts right the hell up because the GTO is starting"

[volvolugnut]

BlackBart, you have the coolest friends with cars.

volvolugnut

[BlackBart]

It's really only in the last 4 years or so. A retired University president with an old Porsche he bought in 1972, a professor who knocked on my door because a sportscar was parked out front, a builder friend who loves sportscars, a client with a new/old 356.... Small world!

And now there's all of you!

[Sveedy]

3 liters (180 cubic inches), SIX Webers, 300 horsepower. (The equivalent of a 427 with 712 hp)....in 1962.
Thunderhill_LC1_1058-1536x1024.jpg
[/quote]

Beautiful ! And I'm guessing, based on my experience with twin SU's, a real bitch to synchronize.

And is that really a Fram oil filter ? Seems a bit out of place.

And I have never seen those cards either.

And thanks for these Friday postings !

And, And