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May the circle remain unbroken - 10204 01488

135K views 1K replies 59 participants last post by  Jim G 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello old friends.

If the plan holds together, Bob Fernald of Austin will trailer out my latest acquisition, his long-dormant project, 10204 01488. His story of this car is like many Texan stories, which awards the telling more than the veracity. That doesn't matter. There's enough documented history here to make this a project I simply had to do.

I've known Bob since the early 70s, although I suspect I remember him better than he remembers me. I was the parts manager at the Houston Alfa dealer, and later at BAP/Geon Imported Auto Parts. Bob bought some stuff from me, but his connection was far more with Joe Locario than some hourly guy working the counter. Bob owned Zap Garage in Austin, and later was the Alfa dealer in that, then much smaller, city.

When I got offered a traveling job with BAP, I offered my 102 for sale, and Bob shot over from Austin for a look. He was really thrilled at the fresh paint, engine, and tires, but then he took the trouble to look underneath. Did I say the car and I were in Houston? I was very young, and had never experienced rust on a car, but Bob was smart enough to divert his eyes and back away. I later sold the car to a Viet Nam vet recently returned home, and wanting to replace the 102 his parents had sold out from under him while he was away killing Commies for Christ.

I got rid of my two remaining Alfas in the late 70s and early 80s, expecting never to return. Both of my regular readers on the BB will acknowledge that personal discipline and impulse control are not my strong suits.

After declining my car, Bob looked around, and found 1488. His version of the story, plus the documents in the folder, suggest an American, J. W. Persohn, bought the car in Belgium, in 1964, probably as the second owner. The seller was Firma Olieslaeger, which sounds like a used car dealership. Mr. Persohn then (according to the story) drove the car to Italy where he married his fiancee, traveled around Europe, and shipped it back to Houston in 1965, where he went to work at NASA shipping lucky stiffs up to the moon.

J. W.'s son was allowed the use of the car. I don't know what his age was, but he supposedly took it drag racing, and blew up the clutch. "Blew Up", as in knocked a chunk of the bell housing out. The father was so enraged, he took the car away from the lad and dismantled it, with the plan to restore it. It sat. And sat. And sat. I'm still boggled at the thought of drag racing an unmodified 102. Or modified, for that matter.

Bob heard of the car, took a look, and bought it. It would have been after he looked at mine, but the year of Bob's purchase is a bit uncertain. Perhaps 1980? That is the most often repeated date. 1990? It doesn't matter. Since then, it sat in Bob's garage, avoiding the worst of the rain and all of the sun. The mileage, documented by sale documents, is about 96,000km, which is around 59,000 miles.

Bob is about to turn 77 (I think), and decided to thin his future "gotta do" list. Thus, I was told of the car, hopped a flight to Austin, had an indifferent chicken fried steak but very good company at an Alfa Club meeting, and shook hands on the car. Literally shook hands. Gave him a check, and he promised to deliver the car before the end of the year. Paperwork to be sorted upon arrival. No stress.

This is the way business used to be routinely done in Texas, and it makes me doubly happy to have bought this car in this manner. I have a heart warming sense that, for the moment, the world has returned to sanity. If I leave the radio off, maybe I can hold onto that for a while.

=========

Interestingly, the car has a US hood and trim strips, but Italian instruments. OK. I can work with that.

My goal is to have it complete within a year. My first Stampe biplane took 3 years. My second required only 14 months. My last 102 took about 3 years. What is the point spread on me driving the car in the first warm weather of 2019?

I don't think it needs many parts. The driveshaft is missing something. One hood scoop chrome trim piece is missing. Mostly it is complete, and (dare I say this), there is next to no apparent rust. Well, just a bit. Yes, I understand that stripping the car will reveal the folly of that statement.

It is currently red with black interior, but a RED carpet!!! Never saw that combination before. I'm hoping a letter to the new Storico (or whatever they call themselves) reveals the original color to be anything but red. If it was originally red, I will consider repainting it the same. However, I very much like the Grigio Biacca and saddle-brown Scottish leather formula I have on my current car. A steady stream of strangers tell me it is the most beautiful car they've ever seen. An even mix of men and women, but the women sometimes seem about to hand me their phone number. But, I digress.

Bob traded the original engine for an earlier worn-out Mk 1 2000 engine (large rear main bearing). I'll keep that engine, and rebuild it, in case someone in the distant future wants to revert my existing car back to something closer to original than its current hot-rod state. Fortunately, I have two freshly rebuilt engines with serial numbers that closely straddle the 1488 of the car. I'll drop one into this car, but using the OKP manifold set-up that transforms the car from a slug to pretty darn fun. When I offer it for sale, it will include freshly-overhauled components to revert it to bone-stock over a weekend. I wouldn't recommend it, but maybe someone will place a higher value on a set of fresh PHH44s, and sluggish performance, than I do.

So - Bob will head West in a few weeks. I've ordered a couple of new CA67s to help him roll it up onto his trailer. Hopefully the weather upon his arrival will allow him to do a bit of touring in my 2000/2300. I would like that.

Watch this space for tales of pain and triumph, in whatever measure they appear.
 
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#375 ·
Hello Don,

Ruedi has said everything.
I put down my horn and opened it to give you more details about how it works.

The magnetic field is provided by the 2 sets of steel sheets (the fixed to the left, the mobile to the right)

Auto part



The switch (which for me is closed at rest to allow the passage of the current) is here. It can be easily opened with a screwdriver.


Auto part Tire Automotive tire Engine



This contact opens when the membrane is drawn down, then it goes back up, ... vibrates and emits the sound.

The race of the contact is regulated here:


Machine Auto part Machine tool Metal


Auto part Machine Vehicle brake Machine tool Metal


Attention, as said above, if the moving part is shifted angularly, the whole does not work.

It is possible to test the operation without closing the horn. Just do not put the membranes (to see the opening of the contact), to have the movable part (with its axis) on the fixed part and to feed all.

If the moving part is not in place, the magnetic field is not formed.

Be careful, during the test, the moving part can be projected.

(I hope I'm clear :frown2:)

Serge
 
#376 ·
The problem appears to be the interruptor points. I cannot move them at all. Perhaps they are fused, and/or perhaps something is bent that prevents their motion. I’ll dig deeper later today.
 
#378 · (Edited)
It is possible that the arcing that occurs over the contacts welded them shut.

BTW, these horns draw a tremendous amount of current: On a 10 Amp power supply/battery charger, I only got a click and then overload protection (current limiter) kicked in, and the horn didn't sound. So, make sure you test them on a charged car battery with reasonably thick wires.
 
#379 ·
Serge,

Yes, I have tried pushing there. No motion at all.
 
#380 ·
Horn working again.

The points must have been stuck as they wouldn’t move, but suddenly did. I also needed to open the gap a little, but things are humming now.

The lower 5mm bolt sheared while bolting the fuse box assembly into place. That’s going to be a nasty extraction.

Anyone know a source for a transparent decal for the yellow chart on the voltage regulator?

Franjo notified me my steering wheel is done, and will be shipped home. I wish the chrome shops and instrument repair guys were as reliable.

Fuel tank(s) and one radiator being IRAN’d up in Reno.

Small, but steady steps....
 
#381 ·
Horn working again.
Great !

The lower 5mm bolt sheared while bolting the fuse box assembly into place. That’s going to be a nasty extraction.
Cut it, perforate it, put a Rivklé : https://www.bricovis.fr/std/ecrous-noyes-rivkle-29.php#Grille

Anyone know a source for a transparent decal for the yellow chart on the voltage regulator?
Ask Doug (It seams that Amanda Label on eBay is not working anymore ..).
If Doug is not able to produce it, I'll see what I can do.

Serge
 
#382 ·
The bolt sheared below the surface of the hole. I’ll take care of it. It’s just a difficult place to access, as it is somewhat blocked by the fender, and is both hard to access and hard to see. I’ve got 90 degree drills and other goodies. Just a minor speed bump.

I’ve written to Doug, but so far no reply. The label he/Amanda supplied is a simple paper label. I could not get the glue to work, either. The original “label” appeared to be printed directly onto the steel cover. A transparent decal is probably as close as we can get to looking original.
 
#387 ·
Serge,

Is it possible for you to make 2 or 3 such decals? I no longer have a laser printer.

Thank you!
 
#389 ·
It gets easier

It’s easier to find the desired next part among the several scrupulously sorted and meticulously labeled bins after 90% of everything is installed.

I’m not nearly there yet.

But I am making progress.

The entire loom, which I estimated could be installed in an hour and a half, took two days, and there’s still a few loose ends.

A Montreal heater motor is identical to a 10204 heater motor. The fans appear identical, but are pitched for opposite flow.

2/0 welding cable is perfect, and McMaster-Carr solder-on, offset ends are the bee’s knees.

Steering shaft, heater box, air-tube, and air diverter in place.

Where does this little push-to-bleed valve go?

Went to see “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the grandson tonight. Touching. Wish I’d seen them with Freddy back when. The Vegas show with Adam Lambert was better musically.
 

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#391 ·
2/0 welding cable is perfect, and McMaster-Carr solder-on, offset ends are the bee’s knees.


Where does this little push-to-bleed valve go?
My estimates of how long a job will take are often off by a factor of 10. Have you any photo of the 2/0 cable with ends that you could post?

I've never seen a little push- bleed valve like that. I think my car has a little faucet on the side of the heater. The location will become apparent when you add coolant, so go slowly toward the full point.

I have one spare regulator label, not sure if it is Doug's or not, if you need one quick; LMK.

Mark
 
#390 ·
By the way, the black, corrugated, paper heater air transfer tube from Afra fits perfectly. No slop at all, contrary to what the dimensions might have suggested.

Boiled the sealing rubber plate that fits over the steering shaft. A little lithium lube and a lotta force got it over the steering u-joint mounting flange. Ditto brake and clutch pedal sealing plate.

Brake and clutch pedal assembly installed, washer pump assembly cleaned up and tested, hand brake control installed, fog/turn lamp buckets in place, flasher installed and wired, throttle cross bar installed. Various grounding wires sorted, and a few more to go.

Off to visit mom in Austin, and Aunt Margaret in Waco. Mom’s 93, and Margaret’s 85.

Something good done every day.
 
#392 ·
I’m in Austin, TX at the moment, but will update pics on Sunday.

Serge offered to make a couple of spelling-corrected regulator labels. I may have to fly over to Aix-en-Provence to express my appreciation, of course.

The push-bleed valve was in one of the plastic tubs I labeled and filled with all of the stuff I got from Fernald. It also contained the spigot drain, which is now installed on the heat exchanger. It’s a neat little piece, but I’ve never seen one before. The patina suggests a similar age to the other 2000 parts. No idea whether it’s Alfa or not.

A push-release might be less reliable than one would want in a critical system like cooling. I could imagine it in the low spot of an intake manifold prone to collecting fuel during periods of disuse.
 
#393 ·
It also contained the spigot drain, which is now installed on the heat exchanger. It’s a neat little piece, but I’ve never seen one before. The patina suggests a similar age to the other 2000 parts. No idea whether it’s Alfa or not.
Does it look like this one?

Auto part Cylinder Diagram Oil filter Automotive engine part
 
#396 ·
Dallas pop festival

I had to zip over to Austin this weekend for some family time. Early Friday and back early Sunday. Phew!

It reminded me of something that appeared in my FB feed. A poster of the 1969 Dallas Pop Festival, which I attended with my future first ex-wife, and a couple of other folks. Drove my pink and white 1956 Ford Fairlane, with a Thundird “Interceptor” engine.

I think I had a good time......
 

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#398 ·
Yep, the lettering wiped clean with just a bit of lacquer thinner. Of course, it’s still much cleaner looking than the original “bundle of wires in a wrinkly tube”.

Instrument installation approaching complete. Tom Sahines did a very nice restoration on them. This oddball of a car came with Euro instruments, so that’s what it’s keeping.

The chromer is promising shipment today. He’s promised “by the end of the week” for the last three weeks. Mostly, it’s not holding me up, but such things as the front side turn signal repeaters and license plate light would allow me to get closer to calling the wiring done.

I got a bunch of stuff back from the plater Tuesday. All done in “Cad-1”, being a very close match to the original zinc or silver-cadmium used all over the car. Cost me a bottle of very good tequila.
 

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#402 ·
One can get modern welding cable that is surprisingly flexible. I started to use my regular 1/0, but the 2/0 fit nicely through the various holes, so I went for the heavier stuff. It's a long way from the right rear of the car where the battery lives to the engine, and the 35A generator already struggles to keep up.
 
#403 ·
Busy day.

I got the hood release mechanism and cable in place.

It's interesting to see the little improvements between my 59 (made in December of 58) and the much improved 1960 model. On my 59, the hood cable has to sneak through the firewall by sharing the wiring harness penetration. This 60 model has a specific steel bushing close to the left kick panel that accepts the wire, and provide a grip for the finishing thimble on the cable. As I never buy just what I need, I already had in stock plenty of cable, cable jacket, and finishing ends. As my chrome bits are supposedly on the way, I should have the release handle to try sometime next week.

I got back my restored steering wheels from Franjo. He's such a pleasure to do business with that I don't really mind all the confusion of shipping to and from a small country in Eastern Europe. Wheel looks very nice, indeed. I'll post pics tomorrow.

A show of hands.... What's the length of your "Touring" wings on the hood? I've got two different sizes. My 59 has really short ones, but I'm wondering if Alfa bumped to the longer size by 1960.

Received some keys from "Keys for Classics". Another pleasure to do business with. The pre-cut ignition key works fine. He sent me a handful of blanks to identify what the rest of my stuff is, and we'll sort out the pattern from there.

Anyone know the nature of the connections and functionality with the fuel level sender? I've tried all the permutations I can imagine, and all I get with power-on is a "full" needle swing. Nothing I do seems to get a response from the sender, and I have two of those, both showing similar resistance characteristics.

Off to watch a movie with the grandson. He's not feeling well today.
 
#404 ·
Anyone know the nature of the connections and functionality with the fuel level sender? I've tried all the permutations I can imagine, and all I get with power-on is a "full" needle swing. Nothing I do seems to get a response from the sender, and I have two of those, both showing similar resistance characteristics.
Did you install the ground strap between the fuel sender base and chassis ground?
 
#405 ·
I have been driving Alfas since 1968 and use 1/0 welding cables in Giulietta cars. The battery mounted in the trunk is a problem and welding cable usually solves starting problems. You should always use the largest capacity battery as well as the heavy cable. I call old Alfas dinosaur cars because everything is manual and there are no computers. I will have fun until gasoline is outlawed.
 
#406 · (Edited)
Yes, I grounded the body of the fuel sender.

As I devine the circuit, the “T” output is the level variable, and the “W’ is the “nearly empty” light. Both shunt to ground. The gauge has a 12V input and the level variable, plus the empty light.

I’m not getting any sweep on the level, just “full”. Haven’t tested a light yet. I have two senders, and both test good for variable resistance. Another question is that both of my fuel gauges were just overhauled by Sahines. Maybe he reinvented the wheel?

Speaking of wheel, plus hood latch.
 

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#407 ·
FWIW, franco-veloce had a similar problem and posted here that some of the wiring diagrams show incorrect termination points for the blue and pink wires on the instrument side. This may be worth double checking.

The steering wheel looks great.
 
#408 ·
You probably need to talk to your gauge guy.

The amount of ohms resistance that gauge manufacturers used on the senders change in the 70's. They also reversed it. So if you senders are new they probably won't match what your gauge is calibrated for. It would also be the same if your fuel gauge had a new movement and you were using your old senders.

If your gauge guy can't help you then send me a PM and I'll send you the contact info and he can help you figure it out.
 
#410 ·
Original senders. Original, but freshly overhauled, gauges.

I’ll have to look around to find the documentation of the sender resistance range(s).

The gauge goes full span on power up, and nothing done with the sender affects it.
 
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