[alfaloco]

I drove mine. A lot. :wink2:

 

[alfaloco]

Whatever it takes to get those Hoosiers to bite, George! :wink2:

 

[alfaloco]

I do like that red piping on the seats.

What you can do with that Spider is only limited by the money you have to put into it, and the time you spend here on the Alfa BB!

And I agree joining up with AROC is another great resource, as well as a terrific bunch of people. AROC | Alfa Romeo Owners Club USA

 

[alfaloco]

Beer is good!

I'm checking over my Spider for the convention trip...about 3-1/2 hours from here. Pack front wheel bearings, found out my A/C needs a new relay (not just a recharge), check T&D lube levels, belt tension etc.

 

[alfaloco]

I drove the pee out of my S4 this morning, and hey did it love that cool, foggy dense air out on Bowman's Mill Road!

Well done, Ricambi chip :grin2:

 

[alfaloco]

I replaced the 10 year old trunnion bar thrust washers with new Performatek poly spacers. There's still about 1/16" to 3/32" daylight in there, so I may shim the bushing housings themselves. Lubed the spacers with the supplied grease. It's a bit quieter back there...

 

[alfaloco]

I did the real fix on my emergency brake lever today after work. Filed and reshaped a couple of worn ratchet teeth, and resharpened the pawl piece itself.

I'm taking Conedriver's advice also, and pushing in the button as I raise the lever, to lessen the wear on the pawl. Works just fine again! Wish I could have hardened the pawl with a torch, but all I have is a butane soldering torch and that won't put out enough heat to get the steel up to a red/yellow temperature.

 

[alfaloco]

Well, I went to back the S4 out of the driveway last night, noticed I had no brake lights flashing. The fuse was fine, since the interior lights worked on the same circuit. I looked in my backup parts stash I bought from IAP waaaay back when, and behold a brake light switch!

I put some pliers on the old one, turned it out of the slots in the tab, plugged in the new one and tried to rotate it back into the locking slots. Man-- very tight fit! Not wanting to break the new switch, I put a dab of lithium grease on the three small fingers that fit into the slots, put the pliers on it and it rotated into place. Pushed the switch down a bit to ensure the lights would go out. Presto - chango... brake lights.

But I'm still postponing the heater core R&R on my trusty little Nissan pickup... :surprise:

 

[alfaloco]

Mounted New Front Bumpers On My '74 Spider Project. Didn't Use The Rubber Tips That Originally Came On The Car. First Photo Is Of The Bumpers After Initial Install. Second Photos Is After Taking The Bumpers Off, Trimming Back Rubber "Isolators" & Reinstalling Numerous Times. I Copied The Bumper Position Of A '71 Spider. Total Time About 5-1/2 Hours; I've Got To Be Crazy!

-John

No John... you're not crazy at all! You took the time to make them fit and look right! Hats off to you, sir! Great looking Spider.

 

[alfaloco]

Looks terrific, Rich, with those wheels.

 

[alfaloco]

So see you in Pittsburgh next year, in YOUR GTV, right Bud? We'll hold you to that! :grin2:

 

[alfaloco]

Gave myself a bit of physical (and mental) therapy after working out in the yard most of Saturday... took the S4 out for a nice long drive.

 

[alfaloco]

Reassembling the rear suspension on the autocross Spider. The torque link cross brace that replaces the T-bar and accompanies the panhard bar broke in two at last week's autocross. The super-sticky Hoosier autocross tires have previously fractured the panhard mount in another location, so there are more forces at play here compared to the road race environment this modification was intended for. My good welder buddy came to the rescue yesterday with repair and reinforcement.

We have another event this Sunday so maybe I can remember to take some Go Pro video.

Just an indication of the magnitude of the G forces at work, with those Hoosiers! And, we are talking about all those loads going into gusseted sheet metal, however strong it may be. Amazing...

 

[alfaloco]

I pulled a cracked tail light off my '91 Spider, and installed a good used one with a matching white lens bar.

I also used my Dr. Color Chip kit to touch up a few very small chips on the bumper. The secret's in the smear... I use a small piece of thin, flexible plastic.

Finally, I took it out for a nice afternoon drive in rural Bluegrass country. Should have mowed the lawn, but given the choice... :grin2:

 

[alfaloco]

Nice. I have cowl shake. I hate railroad tracks.

The chassis stiffener won't make your old Spider feel and ride like a Mercedes Benz 500SL, but it WILL definitely improve it in several ways. It is worth the installation and money. Improves ride, handling and rigidity.

 

[alfaloco]

I took a Father's Day drive in my S4 yesterday, after the sun went down a bit and the heat moderated. One day, it will belong to my son Mike.

 

[alfaloco]

Last evening, I did what all Alfas need and love. I drove it. Great therapy for the both of us.

 

[alfaloco]

I backed my Spider out of the garage, into the rain, so I could lower the parking lift and reinstall the plenum back onto my son's GTV 6! It did a plenum pop today when it backfired on startup!

 

[alfaloco]

I got out my S4 on Saturday, aired up the Kumhos, dropped the top and blew out some cobwebs!

 

[alfaloco]

Due to a recent fuel leak at number 4 injector hose, my one owner '91 Spider is getting new injector seals, new 7.5mm hoses, new rubber intake tubes for the runners, a new oil pressure sender while I'm in there, and a replacement low side hose for the A/C compressor (fitting broke). Probably a new hose connector for the throttle body, also, due to age cracking. Cleaning out the oil vapor separator, also. Check the intake manifold nuts. And whatever else I happen to spot that needs attention-- while I've got the intake plenum off, and out of the way.