[Fogash73]

I changed oils and filters 2 days ago (Enigne Agip Novecento 20W50, Trans&Diif Agip Novecento 80W90 API GL-4). Yesterday I just had a ride, some 30km (20mi) in and around the city to wash throug the entire gearbox with the new oil. Greatly improved the gear changes, now smooth like butter.

And I started to hesitate about my riding height, but I try to open a new thread to that topic.

 

[Fogash73]

took a road trip close to 300kms, including a farmers’ market at lake Balaton, ferry crossingthe lake and meet a (modern) Giulia QV with manual gearbox. (Only 500 built!)

 

[Fogash73]

Major update today. Can you find it?

 

[Fogash73]

those who guessed the license plate frane, they won. I just find this one (fits fo EU standard plate sizes), bought for 10€ (2 similar pieces in the package).

 

[Fogash73]

You washed it


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Haha, no. 🤣

 

[Fogash73]

Man, I blew that one guessing the top! Hungary has really cool plates.

Actually this is the temporary license plate only (I-22 stands the hungarian word for “temporary” = “ideiglenes”, 22 is the issue year. The regular ones are AA-AA-123 format, no indication or reference for the state or region (unlike the german etc plates for example).
Historic vehicles has OT-AA-123 format, where OT = oldtimer = older than 30yrs. I go for that plate, but until I can get that, i can drive this temporary one.

 

[Fogash73]

Similar in Croatia. The oldtimer plates have format CC-PV-NNNN, where CC=city of issue, PV signifies historical vehicle (Povijesno Vozilo), and NNNN=3 or 4 digits of your choice (if available). My 71 Spider will be ZG-PV-1750 (1750 engine).

If I don’t succeed with OT, than this will be
AL-FA-115 😁

 

[Fogash73]

Happier! Last week my Spider failed the technical inspection for the first time. In Germany we also have the so called H-Kennzeichen (vehicles older than 30 years, which have to meet certain standards). Without successful technical inspection, no H-license-plate.

However, now I have 4 weeks to fix the defects, which of course requires test drives within this time! Have me then first consoled with a small test drive (see youtube here from September, 30th). 😎

Ergo: the work continues ...

Yes, H-Kennzeichen in Germany = OT in Hungary. Yesterday I went to pre-check for OT. They mentioned a few small issues (dust cover of brake rotors must be repainted, etc), but they recognised my spider’s rear tilts/slants to left.

Unfortunately they are right, the entire left side is 2cm lower than the right side (measured on the top of wheel arches). Bad news: so can it get NO OT plate. 😡

If interested, see the entire struggle in the separated discussion:Tilted spider

 

[Fogash73]

Leveled the front of the car. Took out front springs, pans, spacers, etc., cleaned everything, repainted the parts (except bolts) combined springs and spacers, assembled everything together.
Now the front of the car is level (was slanting ca 20mm to left).

 

[Fogash73]

Parts look great! Now you will have to keep going cleaning up everything to match!!😊

…on my way…

 

[Fogash73]

Put down heavy duty vinyl garage flooring- the final step in my garage renovation. Replacing the slab was way beyond my budget. The vinyl will provide a slip resistant surface, is easy to clean, covers the cracks and stains, and provides a moisture and heat barrier to help in heating the space, and is much more comfortable than concrete. It has to flatten to remove the roll "humps" so I'll wait until spring to make the final adjustments, seam and trim it. Lots of Alfa work to be done this wint

I broke my bench vise (it was a cheap chinese one). So I bought a rusty, old fashioned vise, which was made in the times, when engineers made the design, not accountants or marketing people. As you can see on the first picture, my only goal was to have one with all its parts and having no cracks on the cast iron parts.

After some (a lot) steel brushing, chemical passivating the surface I used Hammerite to give new shine to it, washed, re-greased the screw and installed it on my bench. Now ready for the next 50yrs…

 

[Fogash73]

So I tried to start my '85 Graduate a while ago and for the first time in a long time it doesn't start, and, being a bit foggy on it, I could use some help. 've a lot of experience with the car, sort of fixed a lto of things and body work for 20yrs or so. It sits mostly, and I start it from time to time and it always starts. But now:

1. I turn the key, I hear the fuel pump, I turn the key to start it and it starts feebly and runs for 30 seconds or so. It sounds like it isn't getting any gas to my 79 year old ears.

2. I check/clean the air filter, take off and clean the connector to the air flow meter, no difference.

3. I pull off and replace all the fuel pump connectors, no difference.

4. Battery is good and I'm keeping a charger on it.

5. Fuel is probably ok but there is a far out chance something has happened to it. Far out, always have good preservative in it and mostly alcohol free fuel.

6. It started and ran fine a few months ago (as it always has for 20 yrs) and no changes have been made.

Any suggestions of what to check/test?

Thanks
Mike

If it starts but then stops after a while, this seems to me as a fuel shortage. Maybe your fuel filter is clogged?
Do you have an option to open fuel line in the engine compartment, lead it to a bottle and switch on ignition? Than you could check if only the pump is running or there is a fuel flow actually.

 

[Fogash73]

Preparing the underbody to historic certification

 

[Fogash73]

I recently returned home after a 3 month road trip. I had left the spider in the garage with a full tank containing some Stabil and a charged battery. Before the trip I had been busy with a big project and couldn’t really make headway with the things I wanted to do to the Spider. Nothing major, just a bunch of things in the cabin to take care of. Now was going to be the time to tackle this.

First thing though before that list: earlier this summer I suspected that something not quite right with the brakes. They just didn’t seem to be as powerful as they were “supposed“ to be. Driving my friend’s Spider was a year or two in the rear view so I had no real way to judge relative performance. The Southern California restoration mechanic who has been helping me with the car suggested replacing the pads on all 4 wheels as a start.

So I started that last week, replacing the front pads. Everything looked ok, including the rotors. Even, moderate wear on the old pads. One complication for me working on this car is that my garage is stuffed, requiring me to move the car around inside and outside to get to different parts of it, especially if I need to jack corners of the car up, etc.

Anyway, yesterday I got to the left rear brake and found this when I took it apart:

View attachment 1753315

Outside pad worn down to 1-2 mm with a tear in the piston boot and the inside pad ****eyed in the caliper with very uneven wear. Oh and the spring was broken. Also fresh scoring on the disc, not deep though.

So now obviously there is a caliper rebuild in the immediate future. The question is, should this development also trigger a rebuild of the other calipers, even if not obviously needing it right now? Not sure how far to go here….. Open to suggestions. Thanks!

Step1:
Simply try to move the pistons in the calipers (all 4 wheels). Push them back with some iron (like a large, bent screwdriver, i dont knot its english name), than pumpnit back with the pedal. Do it 2-3 times. It often helps to reanimate those pistons. New brake pads will be needed here because of non-symmetrical wear.

Step2:
if it does not help, then disassembly and renewing the rubber seals in the caliper. Use some very fine (2000) sandpaper or COPPER brush to clean the inside of the caliper and the outside of the piston.

on my car these were the dustcaps yet I could save the calipers (picture soon, i dont have it on my phone)

 

[Fogash73]

As promised, here the pic of my dust caps. According the record (must at annual tech inspections in Belgium, where I bought it) the car was moving only 500km/year in the last 10 years. When I bought the car, I checked the brakes around and found that the inner piston of the right rear caliper is not moving. The push-back action helped it, so after cleaning it I only had to fit new dust caps, not rebuild the calipers. For reference, there are the new ones too.

I think if the rotors having the minimum thickness (more than 7.5mm or 0.30 in), than there is no need to replace them. A new rotor does not heal a jammed caliper piston.

Calipers are cast iron, if the running surface of the cylinder hole is clean and the pistons are smoot, than adding new rubber seals is the maximum you need.
And to rebuild a caliper is neither rocket science nor brain surgery, with a little care and general cleannes around you you can do it by yourself too.

 

[Fogash73]

Renewing the rear bumper, as it had scratches on the black part and the black was faded to grey...

It looks so nice, I'm afraid I'll have to do the front one too.

 

[Fogash73]

Looks amazing! I'm getting ready to do this on my own Spider, so I'll go ahead and ask... What paint did you use? Again, congrats on great results!

This is a local brand’s product of paint here in Hungary, called “bumper paint”, because (according the label) it was developed formplastic surfaces, needs no primer, remains flexible and gives a slightly textured surface.

IDK how long it will last, but for now it looks cool to me.

 

[Fogash73]

I also keep thinking about switching out the mirrors to the chrome ones


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Do chromes, I love them on mine!

 

[Fogash73]

My 2nd Spider arrived:

 

[Fogash73]

A 2ND!!!??? You are kidding!!!??? 😃

However, congratulation!!! 👍

What was the reason to buy it? And, the same coulor (Celeste green - I love it!!! 😉), right?

2nd = one in real life size and one in 1:18 scale model 🤣

yes, it is AR 365 celeste metallizzato, but celeste in italian means light blue. There is another color, which is more green, but that has another name.