La Voce Online

the on-line newsletter of the delaware valley alfa romeo owners' club

April 2000

In this issue

 

GM Introduces 2004 Alfa Romeo Spider

Detroit - General Motors unveiled the first product of their newly minted alliance with Fiat S.P.A. A spokesperson from GM said, "This new vehicle combines the best of both companies and benefits from the efficiencies of sharing components. As a symbol of our marriage, we've named it the Alfa Romeo Spider SS. The name evokes the best traditions of both of our companies." As expected, the new spider will be a performer. In a nod to enthusiasts, it will feature rear wheel drive through a proven live rear axle. Power will be provided by V-8 engine in the greatest Italian tradition. The spokesperson explained, "For years, Alfa powerplants have been constructed from aluminum with cast iron cylinder liners. At GM, we learned years ago with our Vegas that the use of aluminum in engines can be disastrous unless carefully applied. So, we opted to construct this V8 with cast iron throughout. In order to keep weight down and to appeal to Alfisti, we fitted the engines with aluminum rocker arm covers. We think they look zippy as well. Our expertise with materials is just another example of how Fiat has benefited from this relationship." GM appears to have benefited from Fiat as well. While the engine is essentially the same push-rod V8 used in the '55 Chevrolet, under Fiat's suggestion, the chain driving the camshaft has been replaced by a belt utilizing a sophisticated hydraulic de-tensioning system. Fiat also suggested fitting the new spider's driveline with multiple rubber donuts to eliminate those pesky universal joints. In addition, Fiat is supplying the power steering racks, electronic control panel, power seats and HVAC components developed from their successful Milano and 164 models. Fiat will also be leading the marketing strategy and will be providing customer support. The new spider will be available in a number of trim levels with the "Zagato-28" as the top of the line version. The Zagato-28, or Z-28 for short will be only be available with a hydraulic transmission dubbed "Selespehydromatic" which is an evolution of the Selespeed auto-manual gearbox offered in the Alfa Romeo 156. In this newest version, the driver is spared the need to use paddles to shift. Rather, one needs only select from one of three positions, reverse, neutral or drive. The sophisticated transmission takes all the guesswork out of shifting and allows the driver to concentrate on the built-in video entertainment center instead. The Z-28 models also come standard with Fiat engineered self-leveling systems and cockpit adjustable shock absorbers. The spider is the first of several joint designs planned. The next to be introduced is said to be a luxury sport utility vehicle developed in conjunction with the Cadillac division. It will feature radical tail fins as a nod to history as it was Alfa Romeo's use of them in their B.A.T. series that inspired Cadillac to use them during the 50's and 60's.

Editor's Notes

Bob Brady

I had every intention of getting this "April Fools" edition of LaVoce in your hands before April 1st, but turmoil at work and my ever-dwindling free time conspired to make it run late. Please accept my apologies. My lack of access to good printing facilities is also hurting the look. Hopefully, that will improve soon. But enough whining, it's Spring!!!

To me, it seems like forever since the last La Voce went out. In fact, it's only been two months. But since then, green has replaced white as the dominant landscape color, we had a wonderful afternoon together at La Fontana, and maybe most significantly, announcements have been published confirming plans for Alfa Romeo to return to the U.S. market.

They're Coming Back! It was with mixed feelings that I read the news of General Motor's strategic alliance with Fiat S.P.A. My first thoughts were, "Great, now we'll be seeing Luminas bearing cross and serpents being hawked as Alfas." Maybe they'd even provide some body cladding and resurrect the 'eurosport' badges thankfully dropped long ago. I could hear Bob Seger singing "Like a Rock" in the background as the image of a 501 red SUV power slides through a water-soaked parking lot. The announcer introduces, " The 2001 Alpha Romero La Traversa, a rugged sport utility vehicle honed from the best European traditions for people who'd rather climb the Alps than drive around them. Now available with 2.9% GMAC financing." As the details of the alliance unfolded, however, the story seemed to get better.

Apparently, Fiat remains in control of their vehicles and no sharing of floor plans or designs is in the works, at least in the near future. So, if you believe the announcements, it seems as though GM is going to keep their hands off, for now. That's the good news. The bad news is that we won't be seeing new Alfas in our local showrooms any time soon. The latest article in Autoweek stated that the first cars to be imported will be the 2003 Spider and the replacement for the current 156. Neither are expected to be available here before 2003. So, don't sell your 164 or Milano (or Audi) just yet. So far, there have been few details on the new designs. Some rumors contend that at least the Spider will be rear wheel drive. We can only hope.

Not an Alfa, but it begins with A and is European. It seems like more and more Alfisti own another European car that begins with the letter A. Even our esteemed president has come to his senses and removed his rear-engined Teutonic tub from his garage and replaced it with an Audi S-4. At the Winter lunch, many of you had aspirations for an S-4. On the alfa-digest, many participants have Audis with license plate frames reading "My other car is an Alfa Romeo." Another popular Alfa garage companion is the Ford Contour SVTs (now discontinued). Still others, like myself, await the Subaru WRX turbo to be introduced here this summer. What all these cars have in common is interesting design and technical features. Perhaps Fiat or G.M. could learn a little about who will buy the new Alfas here when they arrive by looking at current owners. Then again, they're probably smarter than that and have already contracted with the marketing people who made ARDONA so successful in the past <cringe>.

Club Events for 2000

As you can see from our bulging events calendar, we'll be having a pretty full program for 2000 with a great variety from hard core track events to car shows to leisurely tours and everything in between. The events will continue to unfold as the summer progresses. I hope you can find some you like and that your busy schedule allows you to attend.

A lot of you expressed interest in the Matatawny Creen Winery tour. I hope many of you can make it. It should be a great time with a nice drive, a picnic and a winery tour. You might even get a chance to taste some honey wine.

Following the tour closely will be the Tech Session. Once again, Vince and Ruth have agreed to host this morning of ogling, donuts, coffee, and shop talk. The topic has not been set. If you have any ideas, please give me a call at (215)428-9646 or an email at mpbrady@bellatlantic.net. I hope you can break away from Saturday yard work or soccer games. This is a great opportunity to troubleshoot your car and learn more about it.

In June we've scheduled two events: a swap meet and a tour to the Concours d'Elegance. The swap meet is a wonderful chance to pick up that missing emblem or spare transmission. It is also a great chance to unload some unloved and/or unwanted parts from your cache.

The tour to the Concours is still in the planning phases. We'll likely leave from Bucks County and head north. Let me know if you have any route requests.

T-shirts, Hats, Patches - We Need a Logo!

About six months ago I started sketching some logos for the DVAROC. I've yet to get very far with them, so I'm officially announcing the Delaware Valley AROC Logo Contest. If you've got any ideas, send me, fax me, email me, or give me them. We'll publish them in an upcoming LaVoce and take a vote. It would be great to have shirts for the fall Picnic, so let's put a deadline on entries for July 4. We could also use a slogan. I've come up with a few such as "Passion by Design" and "Motion by Emotion" but we could use some others. Again, submit them to me by July 4.

Pictures of your cars for our gallery

We've had a whopping one more picture added to our website gallery since my last plea in January. If you have a photo of your car, please send it to me or email it directly to our web at: images@dvaroc.org.

Thanks!!

I want to thank Frank Gil for making the arrangements for our winter lunch. The event was a great success thanks to his coordination. I also want to thank Frank and his wife, Ada for taking, scanning and sending me the pictures of the event. It is a great help and I appreciate it immensely. Since the "Editor's Notes" wouldn't be complete without a plea for help, I'll finish with one. If you have any pictures, articles, memorabilia or scraps of material you could share with me to help produce La Voce, I'd be ever so thankful. In the past, people have sent old advertisements, articles and photos all of which help make my job much easier. End of plea. It's spring! Get out and drive! -bob

Lunching with the DVAROC

Bob Brady

On a beautiful Sunday in February, the DVAROC got together for a lunch at La Fontana in Hatboro. Reminiscent of a family meal in Italy, the cordial group was treated to a tempting variety of appetizers on our way to a five course meal. After a few hours of pasta, wine and generous conversation, we made our way into the parking lot across the street to view the cars brought out of hibernation by their brave owners.

The collection on display included: Dan Scolaro's 2600, complete with non-working heater and very understanding wife; Frank Gils newly acquired and showroom perfect Milano Verde, Fred Sacks' spider complete with snow tires, Bob Daniele's spider which is experiencing its first winter since its arrival from California last year, newly acquired member Doug Krautheim's newly acquired spider, I took the opportunity to wash the salt off my Verde and even got the GTV out of the garage. Mine wasn't the only GTV at lunch. John Jeffries showed us what he's been up to with his GTV which sports a newly installed roll bar. It's safe to say that those back seats won't get much use anymore, not that they ever did. His still has the original factory sticker proclaiming that the rear seats are not intended for occupants. Unfortunately, Arthur Jones wasn't able to bring his Giulia spider as it was suffering from a dragging brake. Instead, he parked his Bavarian sedan behind the snow bank dividing the Italians from the Germans. Likewise, Jack Stoll placed his Audi in the German lot as he wasn't able to bring either his spider or his GTV as both were confined to the cozy garage.

With the combination of lovely weather, beautiful cars, delicious and plentiful food and cordial guests the event was a rousing success. The lunch format was easier on most people's schedules and allowed us to show off our cars in the sun. I'm sure everyone in attendance had a wonderful afternoon. It was great to see the "usual" crowd as well as some new faces and some very rarely seen faces. If you didn't make it, we hope to see you next time. (Photos courtesy of Frank and Ada Gil)


Bob Daniele sees how many kids can fit in his Spider. In front of Bob sits Antonio Gil, Emilie Brady and Matthew Brady.


The DVAROC family at their Sunday afternoon feast. Shown clockwise from front are: Andrea Daniele, Dan Scolaro, Bob Brady, Arthur Jones, Mary Nomicos, John Jefferies, Frank Gil and Antonio Gil.


Little Red Riding Hood in front of the Scolaro's not-so Little Red Convertible. Next in the line of Alfas are Frank Gil's beautiful Milano Verde, just imported from North Carolina, Fred Sacks' spider and new member Doug Krautheim's new spider.


Emilie Brady and Dan Scolaro ponder the origin of Frank Gil's Verde's front license plate (from Holland, I believe). Frank's car is an excellent example of this potent vehicle. He purchased it in North Carolina from a mid-Atlantic AROC member who was clearing his garage to make space for his second GTV, a '71 race car project.

 

In the Garage…

Bob Brady

The crocuses poking through the frozen tundra sounded the alarm that spring was around the corner. In the garage, my GTV was hemmed in by bicycles, boxes and trash cans. It sat there awaiting attention as it still was not firing on all four properly. The sun peeping through the still leafless trees taunted me to take it out for some exercise, but alas, it would have to wait as the Alfa I depended on to transport me to work every day was crying for attention louder.

I enjoy tinkering with the GTV. It is easy to work on. I understand it, or at least I think I understand it. And, most importantly, I don't depend on it. So, there's rarely any external pressure on me to get it on the road. Conversely, the Milano is not a joy to work on. It is far more complex in areas I don't appreciate, i.e. electrical. Since it is my daily driver, it is rarely clean. And, most importantly, I depend on it running. So, projects typically started on Friday evenings need to be finished by Monday mornings. Even with the magic of overnight mail, picking up unanticipated spares on a weekend for this less than ubiquitous machine is always an unpleasant adventure. Even so, I've managed to make some progress on it and make it a much more pleasant driving tool.

Curing the Shakes - For a while now, my Milano has had an annoying tendency to vibrate when driving over 65 mph. Since the speed limit does not exceed that there should be no problem, right? Ahem, well, on rare occasions I find myself needing to slightly exceed that velocity. After all, sometimes you need maximum boost when overtaking a vehicle. It's really a safety issue, right? Yeah, I know, the state troopers never bought that argument either. At any rate, with my new 120 mile per day commute, the shakes were becoming intolerable. Finally, one cold Friday night, I pulled it into the garage for some investigation. Once the front wheels were in the air, I shook them looking for loose or worn suspension components. It didn't take long. While pulling on the driver's side wheel, I quickly noticed that the upper ball joint had worn severely. Fortunately, I was able to avoid having parts overnight shipped in as nearby Alfa Performance Center had the part I needed. Although the Alfa Romeo parts catalog doesn't list the upper ball joint separately, it must be purchased with the entire upper arm, it is available from aftermarket sources as an individual item. The reason why Alfa doesn't list it separately is because it is riveted in place.

In order to replace it, you must drill out the rivets and replace them with bolts. This is standard operating practice for anyone who's replaced an upper ball joint on any 70's era GM vehicle. The operation went remarkably smoothly, thanks largely to my new DeWalt drill. In about an hour, my daily transportation unit was back on the road.... still vibrating as before. But, at least I felt safer.

About a week later, I finally had another chance to investigate the source of my shakes. Everything felt solid and tight in the suspension, so I had to turn to other sources. I next checked the aging General X2000 tires my car rode on.

Once the front wheels were in the air again, I held an indicator in position against the outside edge of the rim as I turned it. They looked fine with no signs of bends or flat spots. When I turned my indicator on the tires however, I found something completely different. Both front tires showed what looked like were slipped belts. They both had significant humps in the tread near the inner sidewalls. The excuse I'd been looking for to replace my tires had been found.

Tire Tales

Finding performance tires for the Milano is much easier than the GTV due to the 15" wheels it rides on versus the 14's on the little red car. My first reaction was to go with the Yokohama AVS intermediates that I'd been so pleased with on the GTV. But, I was growing impatient and Tire Rack didn't have any 205/50 Yokos in stock in their Delaware warehouse. Since I was working in south Jersey, I had hoped to just pick them up from Tire Rack. Well, a quick call to them nixed that idea as apparently they don't have a license to sell to the public in Delaware. They'd have to be shipped anyway.

Before I learned that I couldn't pick them up, I sought the advice of local and not-so-local Milano owners for tire recommendations. Many liked the AVSis, but there were just as many votes for the Dunlop SP Sport 2000s and Bridgestone Potenza RE71s. The Yokos and the Bridgestones were priced similarly and the Dunlops ran about 25% more. They all were billed as high performance tires and all had similar rankings in the Tire Rack buyer's guide. At first glance, none rose to the top as the obvious choice. After further investigation, I eliminated the Bridgestone for a number of reasons. First, it didn't seem to be as sticky as the others as judged from the reports I read. Second, I'd had some bad experiences with Bridgesones in the past. And third, they didn't garner as good opinions as the others from those I polled. It was now down to Dunlops or Yokohomas. From reviews and opinions, these tires looked equal. Both are very sticky and both have outspoken fans. The only real difference was price. The Yokos ran $77 each versus $92 for the Dunlops. Since these were going to get burned up relatively quickly due to the 600+ miles they'd see each week, I opted for the cheaper ones. As a bonus, I could now compare the handling of the GTV and Milano without being confounded by tire compound.

You might ask why I bother buying tires through the mail from Tire Rack. At least my wife does. Well, even though when it's all said and done the mail order tires don't cost much less than store purchased tires the problem I have is finding the tires I want. I confirmed that once again when I called a half-dozen local tire outlets who told me that they'd have to order them. So, I ordered the tires on Monday and they were in my garage on Thursday. I like Tire Rack.

Wheels Were Meant to be Round

In what has become an all too common Friday night ritual, I donned my garage clothes and jacked up the Milano to remove the wheels. Remarkably, they along with the new tires all fit inside our trusty Subaru wagon. With a half hour to go before closing, I sped off to Tire City in Bristol to have them mounted and balanced.

Normally, Tire City has been great about doing quality work for me. This time, however, I was stuck with some less experienced and less careful workers who struggled to put the 50 series sidewalls on to my rims. Fortunately, the manager had a bit more experience and showed them how it's done. The finish line was in sight when my jaw dropped to the ground. The wheels that I had confirmed to be round just a week before were visibly bent as soon as they went on the balancing machine. All of them had flat spots and one was bent axially. Since my chances of being struck by lightning while cashing in my winning lottery ticket are better than finding a set of straight Milano Verde wheels on a Friday night at 9:00, I decided to let them finish mounting and balancing them. At least I'd have something to drive.

I returned home with my tail between my legs and immediately started a list of potential sources for wheels. The plan was to start calling first thing in the morning. Maybe, I'd be lucky enough to find a set within a 500 mile radius. The potential still existed for me to have a vibration-free Milano by Monday. No dice. The wheel straightening guy I spoke with couldn't do my wheels for several days, and it would cost between $50-$100 each. The dozen or so people I called up and down the east coast in search of replacement wheels all gave me apologetic responses. It was looking like my best bet was either a new set of wheels, or a used set of GTV-6 wheels. Again, as part of the weekend ritual, I found myself at Alfa Performance Center talking with Woody.

After a protracted conversation that ranged from Fiat parts numbering systems to the relative strength of various wheels (many claim that the Verde "phone dial" wheels are particularly soft; some claim they are the strongest) he convinced me that what I really wanted was a smooth car instead of new wheels. Unbeknownst to me, he has the equipment to balance wheels on the car and has managed to love more than a few wayward wheels on to the straight and narrow.

Balance for Smoothness

Woody got into the on-car balancing business back when Alfettas were all the rage. Apparantly, they were notorious for the shakes and could only be made to run smooth by on-car balancing. Even modern Alfas are rich in folklore.

It wasn't until another week that I was finally able to drop off my car to get balanced. In the mean time, I experimented with using a bottle jack to make one of my wheel's flats round. It worked reasonably well. At least it proved the concept. With a little more effort, I'm fairly confident I could make them all round. But, since time is exceedingly scarce lately, the wheel straightening business will have to be put on the back burner.

Fortunately, the wheels really weren't bent very much and a little love and some strategically placed weights were all they needed. Immediately after I picked up my car, it felt better. That was probably a placebo. But, the next morning on the highway, there was no denying it, it was a changed car. It's a real pleasure to finally drive a smooth Milano.

 

On the Road…

Bob Brady

Milano and GTV Compared - Now that both my Milano and GTV wear the same tires, it's a good time to do some side to side comparisons of these two very different beasts.

While the engine of the GTV is essentially stock, the suspension is a different matter. It is sprung by Shankle Supersport springs in the front and Ward and Deane springs in the rear. Anti-roll bars are beefier than stock, both being Shankle Supersport models. Finally, the shocks are Spax adjustable units. To put it politely, the ride is firm. It is tolerable for me, but driving on a highway with expansion joints gets old very fast. For the price of that firmness, however, I am rewarded with go-kart like handling and a feel for the car that inspires the highest levels of confidence. I can't say that I've ever driven a car that I've felt more comfortable driving on the edge than this one.

The Milano is a Verde model which features a 3.0 liter engine, limited slip transaxle and taller final drive ratio than the 2.5 liter models. Mine is bone stock, and quite possibly may be original as well. I bought it with 98,000 miles on the clock. It now reads over 136,000.

The Milano drives and rides like a more modern sports sedan. It is quiet and firmly sprung but not overly so. It is incredibly well balanced. Alfa Romeo did a fine job on this suspension. On and off ramps are entertaining exercises in throttle steering where it will predictably swing wide or tuck in depending on how you control the throttle. On sweeping roads it, like the GTV, inspires confidence. On fast switchbacks or tight turns, its extra weight, higher center of gravity (or at least higher seating position) and greater tendency for body roll make it much more of a handful.

As I drive the Milano nearly every day, I often wonder which car would be able to turn faster lap times on a track. Although I haven't timed them, I'm fairly certain the Milano is the quicker of the two by a fair bit. I know the Milano has a much greater top end. But the tracks I like to visit have more than just straight sections. It's in the turns that I expected the GTV to reap the rewards of its barely streetable suspension. Now, since they both wear the same tires, reasonable comparisons are possible.

The Verdict

The other day, I drove the GTV to work. On the way home, there is a long off ramp that I like run the Milano on looking for its adhesion limits. On that same turn, I explored the limits of the GTV. As far as I could tell, the GTV didn't even come close. I could easily run the Milano around that sweeper at 10-20mph more than the GTV. Now, of course, in neither case did I really explore the limits of adhesion since it is a public road. But, the Milano just felt better, more comfortable than the GTV. It was much like the drive I had around Lime Rock as a passenger in a BMW M3 (the older, E30 style). At that time, I kept glancing at the speedometer in amazement. The car felt so smooth and effortless at speeds well above those that the GTV could turn on the same course.

After the off ramp, I was seriously thinking that the Milano should become my track car, at least for a few moments. A little while later, I was entering another off ramp. Unlike the previous one, it is extremely tight, with a decreasing radius and a stop sign at the end. It requires very heavy braking, fast turn-in and more heavy braking while cornering to stop in time. It was this turn that made me remember why I loved driving the GTV so much. The responsiveness of the GTV is worlds apart from the Milano. You simply point it where you want to go and hang on. The Milano, in contrast, prefers to "take set" in a turn and rely on its greater total adhesion. While you pilot the Milano, you wear the GTV. It is an extension of you, not simply a vehicle you ride in.

Within those few miles of road I came to understand why I own both of these great cars. The Milano is a potent, refined sports sedan, capable of high velocities and lateral g's. The GTV is an un-isolated extension of the driver. It's not particularly fast nor does it have grip in excess of modern family sedans, but it does connect you to the road and the machinery in a way that no modern car can. They are truly complimentary vehicles and together are able to satisfy nearly every desire you may have in a car, unless of course, you want to go topless. But, that's a topic for another time.

 


A Milano Verde is the perfect compliment for a GTV. Pictured from left to right: Jackie Scolaro, Mary Nomicos, Arthur Jones, Marie Brady and Ada Gil.

 

On the Track…

Bob Brady

A Milano Track Car? - As I mentioned, every once in a while, I start thinking that my Milano should become a track car. It's certainly powerful enough, handles well enough, and has a pretty bullet-proof drive train. That's the good news. With a little modification, it could be made into a serious and reliable time trial car. Racing it, is a different matter.

The most logical place to start racing a Milano is either in autocross or SCCA Improved Touring. As an autocrosser, the Verde is a pretty poor choice. It is not light, is geared far too high, and the standing starts could chew up a lot of donuts. A GTV-6, 2.5 liter Milano and even a 164 make better choices for V-6 Alfa autocross cars. So what about I.T.?

The GTV-6, 2.5 and 3.0 liter Milanos are all classifed in the ITS category of Improved Touring. There they compete with Porsche 944s, Honda Civic Sis, older RX-7s, 16v GTIs and BMW 325s, all of which can be pretty fierce. While the 3.0 liter engine has significantly more power than the 2.5s, it is hampered by higher gearing. So, on a short track like Lime Rock, the extra power may not provide any benefit at all.. The one advantage the Verde has, however is it's limited slip differential. All things considered, the Verde's drivetrain is better suited for cruising than racing. But, power isn't everything. Being able to carry speed in the turns and braking are as important as shear acceleration, if not more.

From the factory, the Verdes display excellent, neutral handling though they do have lots of roll. There is some confusion on suspension components among Milanos. The Verdes mostly have stiffer springs and larger anti-roll bars than the others, although this is not universally true. To be competitive they all would need some stiffening. Few aftermarket components are available for upgrading Milano suspensions, which makes them even more difficult to successfully campaign. And then there are the brakes.

The Milanos benefit from substantial brakes. The Platinum and Verde models also came stock with anti-lock units. Unfortunately there are some problems to be overcome. First, all GTV-6s and Milanos have inboard brakes at the rear. While this is great for reducing unsprung weight, it makes keeping them cool and performing maintenance on them difficult. Furthermore, their close proximity to the transaxle can cause heat problems there. Vented discs and brake ducts would help, but both can be against the rules. Finally, while the ABS system works well, they are all now over ten years old and reliability not to mention replacement costs are serious issues to consider.

So does the Milano belong on the track? The answer is maybe. In the 80's they competed in endurance racing. More recently one is being campaigned in SCCA rallying. All things considered, the Verde is probably best put to use in time trialing. If fender to fender racing is desired, the 2.5 liter cars are probably better choices considering their better gearing and reduced complexity.