Car Washes From Heaven(The 44th Annual New Hope Auto Show)
the on-line newsletter of the delaware valley alfa romeo owners' club
An idyllic scene from a previous fall picnic... psyched
yet?
Car Washes From HeavenBob Brady
As I was trying to drum up the masses for this year's New Hope Auto Show, Dennis Murray expressed his reservations about attending. "It looks like it might rain, and I just had my car detailed," he told me. Of course, I reassured him that while it might be cloudy, it was unlikely to rain. In retrospect, I'm not sure if I was being optimistic or naive.
On the Saturday of the show, I rolled out of bed to cloudy, but dry skies. While I washed my little red GTV, I thought about my father's claim that washing your car was a sure fire method for bringing rain. Tempting, fate, I continued to wash anyway. Once on the road, I serendipitously met up with Jim Itin and his wife driving to the show in their lovely Giulia Spider Veloce. The sun even teased us as our impromptu caravan carved its way through the head turning traffic on I-95. Later, we'd find out how much of a tease that really was.
The overcast skies provided comfortably temperate conditions for the scores of classic and antique cars on display. There was something for everyone's taste. From a model T paddy wagon to a Hummer; from a Fiat Abarth Bialbero to a Ferrari 355; from a Rolls Royce formerly owned by Tony Curtis to Rolls Royces on sale by Kerbeck, the fields spanned the history of automobiles worldwide. And then, there were the Alfa Romeos.
The local Alfisti from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware were out in force with a contingent of nearly thirty cars. They spanned all the decades of major importation to north America, from the fifties to the nineties. Dave West's Giulietta Spider Veloce was the earliest model represented. A Montreal, a 2000 Spider [102 series], and Dan Scolaro's 2600 spider each were the rarest Alfas at the show. Bill Conway's Sports Sedan, showing just 16,000 miles on its odometer was clearly the best preserved of the marque, although a '67 Sprint Veloce shod with original, yes 33 year old tires was a close runner up with a re-spray detracting from its as-purchased condition. Dennis Murray's and Arthur Jones's Spiders provided a contrast of more than a quarter century of development. Gerald Janssen's 164 provided a fine example of the last of the U.S.-bound Alfas while another, a 24V version showed us the best of Alfa Romeo's last north American imports.
Bill Conway's remarkable Alfetta Sports Sedan time machine is only
16,000 miles young.
Jim Itin's immaculate Giulia Spider Veloce is a testament to his
attention to detail.
New member Quinn deMenna's Alfetta Sprint Veloce reminded everyone what a pretty and technically interesting design that model is. Rounding out the field were a number of GTVs (including my own), GTV-6's, Spiders, Milanos, and 164s. While no pre-war Alfas made it out, the numerous post-war models showed everyone that Alfisti aren't intimidated by the threat of a little wet stuff. As I heard one British sports car owner say as I passed by, "you wash your car with water, don't you?" While that certainly is true, most of us don't regularly use or treasures as mud boggers. Unfortunately, as lunch arrived, too many of us were given the opportunity to play in the muck.
Three snapshots of the state of Alfa Romeo art: a
front-wheel-drive 164 with 24 valve V-6, a GTV with DOCH
four-cylinder, limited slip differential, five-speed transmission and
four-wheel disc brakes, and an Alfetta Sprint Veloce with a transaxle
located by a de-Dion suspension.
The Alfa Romeo muscle car: the Montreal
Just as the masses were sitting down to their culinary delicacies provided by the many different grass-side cafes, the clouds opened up with a helping of free car washes. While the rain drops made for some interesting photo opportunities at first, the torrential downpours that followed turned the fields behind the New Hope Solebury High School into a water park.
A field of spiders in the soon to be "field of streams"
Fortunately, the many sponsor tents provided ample dry shelter and cozy confines for car conversation. After about an hour, though, the novelty began to wear off. The "Parade of Champions" turned into a rush through the rapids while the organizers struggled to stay positive. In the end, though, the rains prevailed and the show was called early. As one could expect, after about half the field had emptied the downpours turned into trickles. By then, though, most of us were on the road heading for home. I even ran into Bob Daniele heading for the show in his Spider, as I made my way out.
While the show was truncated, it was great to see so many DVAROC cars and even more of its member out on a Saturday to share our common passion. I hope even more of us make it to next year's show. It can't possibly rain three years in a row, right!?
Editor's NotesBob Brady
Fall is the Season for Alfas On the way into work this morning, the announcer on the radio informed me that today is the first day of autumn. For whatever reason, this is my favorite time of year. Perhaps it is the crisp air, or maybe it's the foliage that attracts me to this season. Or, maybe it's because autumn is the ideal time of year for blasts down country roads in Alfa Romeos.
The image of tooling down a hedge lined lane in a vintage spider, or maybe even a coupe is a wonderful one. I can feel the cool air flowing around my head as the heater and adrenaline keep my feet and body warm. Between my fingers, I can feel the bumps carved into the back of my wooden steering wheel. I grip it firmly as my palms are slightly sweaty. My right palm burns in its center from the friction between it and the knob on my shifter. My eyes are busily scanning the narrow asphalt ahead, searching for straight lines through the curves. My peripheral view is filled with blurred branches splashed with ambers, scarlets and auburns. In the mirror, I see dances of leaves in my wake. Glancing down, the needles of my gages bounce and swing. A cacophony forced through my ear funnels fills my head. The whooshing air and crackling leaves compete with the orchestra that surrounds me as it transforms dollops of air and fuel into a mechanical overture. The reflections of my sounds pulsate off of the unsteady stream of tree trunks. I breath fast and deep. The fresh air stings my nostrils but fills them with the decay of summer's greenery, wafts of warming hearths and pungent puffs of hydrocarbons. My heart pumps, heavily as my chest heaves against the restraints. My mind is clear, no thoughts, no emotions. I am one with machine and environment.
For me, the above scene is the essence of owning a sports car. It's fall. It's the perfect time to celebrate driving and the marriage of man (ahem, person) and machine.
Annual Fall Picnic As if you need an excuse to take your Alfa on a country explore, your club is providing another, the Annual Fall Picnic. As past attendees know, this is the highlight of the year for the DVAROC. Henry and Nancy Wessells farm provides the perfect setting along a babbling brook and under some magnificent trees. In addition to the attendees cars, Henry's premier collection of significant Alfas will provide ample opportunities to ogle over beautiful machines. As usual, lunches will be available; see the event information on the previous page. Bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic with us. In addition to the picnic, we'll hold our annual elections for officers. Also, we'll award the traditional door prize. We made sure to put in an order for a sunny, Indian summer day. So, lets try to get everyone out there!
Deadlines I once scoffed at the notion that deadlines are a necessary motivation for getting things done. I am now a convert. From work, to La Voce, to my Alfas, it seems that nothing gets done unless there is an impending deadline. This does not have to be an negative thing, though. I've found that by engaging in strategic deadlines, I can successfully elevate neglected tasks into the priority list. For example, consider giving your Alfa some overdue attention.
My little red GTV sees the inside of a garage much more than it does the road these days. My list of items to do to "finish" its restoration has not gotten much shorter in two years. But, once a year, it gets a burst of attention. "Why?" you might ask. Once a year, I enter it into the New Hope car show. You see, the commitment to bring a clean, not perfect car there each year allows me to bubble it to the top of the priority list. So, once a year, it gets a thorough bath, has another section of red paint rubbed out, and even gets vacuumed. My ever-patient spouse even understands that I NEED to work on it in the days prior to the event.
So, if you're lamenting not having enough quality time with your car, enter an event. If mechanical work is needed, enter a track event. If cosmetics have been neglected, enter a car show. You'll be amazed at how well "firm" deadlines can realign your hidden priority list with the one you're normally slave to. By the way, if you're looking for a good excuse to get your car on the road and cleaned up a bit in the near future, look no further than our fall picnic. After all, it was that event two years ago that pushed me through several sleepless nights to "finish" the painting and assembly of my GTV.
See you at the picnic - Bob
On The Track....Scuderia Veloce Meets Watkins Glen
Bob Brady
Scuderia Veloce was out in force at the recent COMSCC drivers' school and time trial at Watkins Glen. The four little GTVs converged from New Hampshire, Boston, and the Delaware Valley to revive the spirit of Alfa Romeo's competitive dominance. Each of the cars looked similar, but was unique in its level of preparation. Similarly, each driver was unique in his level of experience. The car/driver combinations would prove to be good indicators of how they would fare in the timed event.
The Scuderia Veloce camp at Watkins Glen. From left to right, cars
of: Eliot Shanabrook, Bob Brady, Stephan dePenasse, and Bill
Shields
Elliot Shanabrook from the New England AROC drove to and from and competed in the two day event in his blue'74 which was resurrected from a combination of parts from his former '71 GTV time trialer and a recently acquired '74. The former car met its demise at New Hampshire International Speedway when the combination of cold tires and an immovable wall proved fatal to the car, but thankfully not the driver. After that incident, Elliot acquired a neglected southern GTV purchased at a charity auction by local Alfa specialist, Paul Glynn. With focus and determination, they managed to combine the two cars in time to stay in the running for the COMSCC time trial championship. The navy blue GTV currently sports some body parts, grill and wheels from the totaled car on the outside as well as the roll cage and seat from it on the inside. Underneath the skin reside a balanced but essentially stock two liter with Ingram-modified fuel injection pump and Sperry header. A 2 1/2" exhaust fabricated by Elliot complete the power package. Keeping that power grounded are a Ward and Dean race suspension complete with Heim-jointed, reverse mounted front anti-sway bar. At the rear, Elliot decided to retain the stock trunion arm but replaced the stock bushing with a Perform-A-Tek urethane unit. That and the essentially stock power plant allow him to compete in the ST-3 class, very successfully.
For a number of years now, Elliot and his GTV have been contenders in COMSCC's time trial championship. In between time trials, he hones his skills and tunes his car in SCCA Solo II competition. This continual refinement of man and machine paid off at the Glen.
Like Elliot Shanabrook, Bill Shields of the DVAROC is a skilled pilot of a well-prepared GTV. Bill brings with him many years of SCCA racing experience in everything from Giuletta Spiders to VW Rabbits. Lately, he has been spending most of his track time in time trials.
Bill's pretty green GTV arrives at events on a trailer, but is only an inspection sticker away from seeing use as a Sunday grocery getter. While that might make his car seem tame, it is clearly not your average GTV. Under the hood emblazoned with a large number 43, the balanced two liter, prepared by Vince at Nick Falcone Enterprises, resembles Elliot's in most details including the modified fuel injection pump with cockpit adjustable fuel mixture. The cars' similarities didn't stop at the engine. Underneath, the suspensions are similar with major differences being slightly less stiff Ward and Dean springs and a Panhard bar locating the rear axle. Bill's GTV also runs in ST-3 and with its racing numbers would look at home in a Trans-Am race of thirty years ago.
The third GTV in Scuderia Veloce is a beautiful, completely stock '74 from Montreal, Canada. This particular GTV is the latest in a series of GTVs owned by driver Stephan dePenasse. Stephan comes to time trialing Alfas via an agreement with his spouse after an incident in a kart race. He brings with him many years of experience racing karts. Although the Alfa is many hundreds of pounds heavier, that doesn't stop him from driving it as if it were an extension of his body. Unlike the others, the unmodified nature of his car allows him to compete in the SSB class.
The final GTV in attendance was Bob Brady's '74. Like Stephan's, Bob's is Alfa red and like the others is modified enough to be classed in ST-3. His GTV's engine is basically stock from the fuel injection through exhaust, with only an electronic ignition and Euro-spec cams adding some extra punch. A combination of Shankle and Ward and Dean suspension components and Spax shocks work to keep his tires on the pavement. Of the group, Bob's is the only one that competes on street tires. He is also the rookie of the group, with only a few events under his belt. This event was his debut at Watkins Glen.
As Scuderia Veloce departed from their rustic but historic accommodations, mist was still rising off of Lake Seneca in the valley below. After a quick stop a the local quickie mart for some caffeine and gasoline, it was back up the hill to the track. All was well until Bob Brady's GTV suddenly coasted to the side of the road. In a pit stop worthy of NASCAR, Bob and Bill Shields replaced the broken throttle cable and got the little red racer off and running again.
Upon arriving at the track on Wednesday, Scuderia Veloce staked their camp under an enormous Winston Cup billboard. Since most drove their cars to the track, the first task was to prepare them for the exercise to come. Preparation included: changing from street to track tires, taping headlights and affixing numbers and classes to their cars along with three "rookie" stripes required for new COMSCC competitors. Some went a bit further.
Elliot went as far as removing his engine fan to eek out a few more horsepower. (con't next page) Just as the torque wrenches were clicking off the last of the lug nuts, the loudspeaker called everyone for the drivers meeting.
Walking into the paddock area, it was evident that COMSCC competitors were serious. Some had rolled extensively prepared race cars off of enclosed trailers costing more than many cars. Others were systematically transforming their street cars into potent track machines.
The meeting reviewed the rules of the track, including passing zones and flags. The cordial nature of the track crew and instructors made for a relaxed, fun environment. The professionalism of them made everyone equally comfortable that they would be well cared for. After the meeting, it was time to get into run groups and get on the track!
Like most track events, drivers new to an organization such as COMSCC are required to have instructors inside their vehicles until they have been "signed-off" to solo. Thus, Bob, Stephan, and even Bill carried passengers with them during the first practice session.
Driving The Track Compared to Lime Rock, NHIS, Summit Point, and Pocono North, Watkins Glen, at 3.37 miles is a long track. It is also a fast track, which rewards high powered, fast cars. Its length allows ample time to think through each turn and rewards smooth drivers with fast laps.
A diagram of Watkins Glen. Note the "boot," lower right, and the
NASCAR route which short circuits it
Exiting the pits, the driver encounters a fairly long straight, the front straight, before entering turn 1. Turn 1, perhaps the most important turn of the track, is a fairly large radius, 90 degree turn and leads on to a long, fast back section. Turns 2, 3 and 4 are make up the sweeping esses of that section. That section also runs downhill after turn 1 and then sweeps uphill as one drives through turn 3. From the cockpit, it feels gradual. However, when viewed from the clubhouse, one realizes just how long and steep this section is.
For the GTVs, the drive from the exit of turn 1 through turn 4 is flat out with the goal being to minimize steering input and therefore any speed consuming tire scrub. Turn 4 leads to the back straight. After holding the throttle wide open since the exit of turn 1, the cars reach terminal velocity on the back straight. The trip takes about 45 seconds which gives plenty of time to review the gages, think about the next turn, and contemplate life. In a basically stock, 25 year old GTV, the speedometer is well into triple digit speeds by this point. Just as things were getting relaxing, the driver is confronted with a chicane, "the bus stop," approaching at about 160 feet per second. Although many contemplate making a straight line out of the bus stop's quick right-left-left-right combination, it is easier contemplated than practiced. The high curbs bordering the chicane are forgiving, but will upset the car quite a bit when driven on. This is not desirable, as turn 5 begins just at the exit of this obstacle.
Stephan dePenasse rounds turn 1 heading into the esses
Turn 5 begins a long sweeping downhill section. Like turns 1-4, it has been fortified with a concrete patch along it where NASCAR racers routinely tear up the asphalt. Oddly, the concrete provides significantly more grip than the asphalt. So, the strategy is to keep as much tire on the four foot wide strip as possible. Just below turn 5, the track splits. Winston Cup cars and their ilk stay right on a straight section leading to a truncated path to the front straight. Sports cars, like those at the COMSCC event, keep going left and downhill to enter "the chute," turn 6.
The chute is so named because all the altitude gained from turns 2 through 4 and then some is given away in short order. While veterans find the chute exhilarating, rookies can find it a bit discomforting as the downhill attitude, blind apex, and Armco-lined run out area conspire to create fear. That said, once one perfects hitting the late apex and realizes that the exit is actually banked a bit, it can be taken with quite a bit of speed, comfortably. Turn 6 exits on to a short straight which is the "instep of the boot."
The boot is so named for its shape, with turn 7 making the toe and turn 8 the heel. The toe, turn 7 is the tightest turn and lowest point on the track. It leads up a very steep hill on to a short straight. The little two liter Alfas struggle to keep up enough momentum around the toe to make short time of the straight. At this point, the GTVs are typically in third gear in order to get as much power as possible. Some found the quickest way up was to let the inner rear wheel spin around the toe and partially up the hill. Unlike Lime Rock, speeds at the crest are pretty slow, so there's no chance of getting air there. Once over the hump, it's on to the heel, a straightforward, late apex turn.
While turn 8 is a classic turn, the pavement is a bit more slippery as it is all asphalt. Street tires, in particular, struggle for grip around this one. Once out of it though, it's a short, straight shot down and up to an off-camber left-hander, turn 9. By now, GTVs will have shifted to fourth gear and their drivers are focused on getting through turns 10 and 11 which lead back on to the front straight.
Elliot Shanabrook cooks down the front straight
Turn 10 is taken at or near full-throttle. By the time turn 11 comes up, it generally takes some braking or at least lifting of the throttle to get through it in one piece. Although 11 benefits from a sticky concrete strip, it can be somewhat intimidating as its exit is bounded by a concrete wall cushioned with enormous Styrofoam blocks. From 11, it's back down the front straight, past the start/finish line as the driver gets ready for another trip around.
The fastest GTVs make it around the 2.37 mile course in about 2:35. The fastest COMSCC cars make the same circuit in 2:16, or less. At shorter circuits such as Lime Rock, GTVs can hold their own with the Porsches, Corvettes and M3s. At the Glen, they are among the slowest cars. Even an incredibly modified 3.0 liter Milano was well off the fastest pace.
The "Milano from Hell" sits at grid, waiting to run
The Milano from Hell In the paddock, away from the BMWs, Porsches and many, many Cobra replicas was a different sort of beast. Immediately identifiable by its canted wedge profile, the black Milano was also obviously not your run of the mill beater. The first clue cam from the two round headlights it sported in place of the usual trapezoids. A casual conversation with the owner revealed many more extensive modifications. The 3.0 liter engine had been modified to improve power and reliability. The normally troublesome timing belt was supported by an additional idler pulley pulled from a Volvo parts bin. This was a Milano that wasn't going to slip a belt! Dual oil coolers and a massive aluminum radiator worked together to keep the engine cool. After a couple overcooked transaxles due to excessive heat from the inboard rear brakes, the owner mounted a set of Willwood calipers outboard, at the wheels. Although it increased unsprung weight, it also cured the hot transaxle problem. Looking at those rear calipers one also noticed that the wheels sported four lugs where there should have been five. Again, in a nod to the circle track racers, the owner redrilled the hubs to accept readily available dirt track wheels. The result of all those modifications developed over years of racing was an interesting, reliable and competitive Milano that could keep up with nearly all but the fastest few cars there.
The calipers peeking out behind those four lug wheels tell you
that this is no ordinary Milano.
Dinner and Day 2 Although track time was what attracted everyone to this event, the dinner sponsored by COMSCC on Wednesday night was an unexpected treat. Held at the clubhouse which overlooks the esses, it featured an extensive buffet and an ample bar. Wide screen TVs showed scenes from recent vintage events at the Glen, while the scores of racers swapped stories. It was a great way to end a hard day of practice.
Like Day 1, Day 2 started with some excitement for Scuderia Veloce. As Bill Shields fired up his green terror, he heard the painful sound of a starter fighting with a running engine; the starter wouldn't disengage! Being all too familiar with that agonizing sound, Bob grabbed a wrench and quickly disconnected the battery. When the dust settled, the crew checked out the car and declared the cause a sticky solenoid. The second attempt at starting was less dramatic and Bill was back in business.
Back on the track, it was evident that the pilots of Scuderia Veloce had made progress. Smoothness was up and lap times were down. By lunch time, everyone was ready to turn in their best performances in the timed runs to come.
The time trials followed a familiar format. Cars were grouped by lap times so that they wouldn't bunch up after they were metered on to the track. Because the cars were ordered from fastest to slowest, there was plenty of waiting for our four Italian stallions.
Bill Shields grids for the timed laps with Elliot behind
Bill and Elliot, being the fastest of the GTVs, were the first to go. Elliot beat his practice times with a quick 2:34.8. Bill, on the other hand, seemed to run a little slower, though still managed a respectable 2:38.1. After some more waiting, it was Bob and Stephan's turn. Like Bill, Bob turned in a slower time than expected, an unimpressive 2:41.8. Stephan, on the other hand, pulled out all the stops rolling up his passenger window for aerodynamics and making a B line out of the bus stop. It paid off, as his stock GTV turned a 2:42.1. In the end, Elliot, Bill, and Stephan managed to keep the proud tradition of Alfa Romeo victories alive. Elliot and Bill brought home first and second trophies in the ST-3 class, respectively. Stephan managed third in SSB. Embarrassed by being beaten by a Subaru Impreza and a Volvo 242, Bob vowed to return with stickier tires.
As the sun moved into the western sky and the Scuderia packed up, they all agreed that it was a thrill to be driving the best cars in the world on a world famous track. The quarter century old Alfas, having been well exercised, then fired up their engines and made their ways on to the highways ahead. Unlike the other marques that were being loaded on to trailers, these Alfas would be driven home. How many 25 year old cars can do that?
A GTA at full-tilt. Note the well-placed rear wheels
(Getting)On The Track....Bob Brady
My GTV and I had been itching to get back on the track for some exercise all year. With all the added stress and confusion that this year brought however, it wasn't looking like we'd be seeing checkered flags any time soon. But then, Bill called.
As we talked about our cars and upcoming events, I sheepishly mentioned that I let the COMSCC (Corvettes of Massachusetts Sports Car Club) application for their July event at Watkins Glen expire while sitting on my pile next to the phone. I didn't have the stomach to just toss it in the trash. I figured I'd just quietly let it become useless. I do the same with leftovers. It just doesn't seem right to throw something perfectly good away. Once they go bad, however, I can toss them away without guilt. Come to think of it, that same thought process applies to my cars and parts collection as well. Perhaps Marie is right. Maybe it is time for therapy. Had I not been imbued with this guilt complex, this story would end right here. Fortunately, that isn't so.
"No, the deadline hasn't passed," Bill said, "You can't even mail it in until NEXT Monday." "Ut-Oh!" I thought, "this is not a good thing." Before my left brain could rattle off all the reasons why this didn't make sense, my right brain already schemed a plan to make it all happen. The next Monday I was at the post office as it opened, submitting my registration. The easy part was over. In order to make this event happen, a complex web of events would have to come together flawlessly.
The event was to occur on a Wednesday and Thursday. Getting off from work was the easy part. What made things more challenging was that: My family and I would have moved out of our house by then and would be living with my parents as we awaited settlement on our "new" house, and We would be in Mexico during the prior week visiting Marie's father. To run at the Glen, I'd have to pack all the necessary spares away from the movers, since nearly everything we own would be put into storage. Also, I'd have to complete nearly all of the car preparation in advance of vacation as I'd only have a couple of days before driving to the Glen. So, with the plan clear in my mind, I proceeded to execute it, at first.
The plan began to unravel at the outset. With my commute to and from work consuming three hours of my day, my "free time" was reduced to an hour each night. The first casualty of that was the car prep. The laundry list of stuff to fix and/or modify on the GTV was reduced to a half dozen "must dos." Not even fixing the marginal cooling system made the cut. It's cold in upstate New York, right?
The roll bar took priority as it was a safety item and I wouldn't be able to weld at my parents'. I managed to weld it, and paint it, but final bolting in would have to wait until later. After all, I had an attic full of spare parts that needed to be crated before the movers arrived, just days away.
I could have sworn I threw out more of the parts car I stripped a couple of years ago. But, after about a hundred trips up and down the attic stairs, the pile of spares was still growing. I'm surprised the ceiling didn't collapse! The light stuff was packed in cardboard boxes. The bigger stuff, like rear axles would have to be crated. Using wood from a previous move, I recycled it into three coffin sized crates. After packing them, I tried to move one. I'm glad the movers were big guys, as those loaded crates must have weighed more than 300 lbs. each! Eyeing my pile of crates and boxes, felt a sense of relief, until I realized the size of the pile of stuff that wasn't going into storage.
I didn't want fragile parts like windshields, sheet metal and engines going into storage. So, I commandeered my parents' garage. I also commandeered my brother's truck to move all the junk, er, I mean valuable spares. When finished, the tiny garage was bursting at its seams and I was ready for moving day. It was now time to get ready for vacation.
Vacation was, how should I put it, not much of a vacation. Although the ocean view was beautiful, and my father-in-law offered us the use of his '65 Rolls Royce, it was not all rosy. The beach was laden with washed up trash and the Rolls lacked a battery, not to mention registration and license plates. But hey, this was Mexico, and that's why they invented Tequila. After a week of that, Marie and the kids decided to return early with me.
Waking up at 4am to catch our rescheduled flights home, we felt a sense of relief. In a few short hours, we'd have water we could drink and some control over our destiny. Or, so we thought.
Making the connection in Cleveland, we were nearly home when the pilot turned the plane around. "Sorry folks, all the flights are cancelled due to thunderstorms." Frantic, I raced to the car rental counter. We were within driving distance of Philadelphia and there was no way I was going to risk missing the Glen.
The drive home was uneventful, but left us bleary-eyed, to say the least. After work, the next day, I managed to finish up a few "must dos" on the GTV, including replacing the hinges on the side window so it wouldn't fall out. Nearly on schedule, I drove the Milano to work on Monday rationalizing that the GTV really didn't need a shake down cruise to work.
On Tuesday, I headed out for work in the little red car. What a pleasure it was to drive it again. It ran flawlessly on the 80 mile commute to work, or at least most of it. About 10 miles from work, I realized what those two clinks I heard moments before were. As soon as the exhaust down pipe separated from the manifold, the car sounded like a real race car, how appropriate. At lunch, I struggled to replace the bolts and managed to get the system together enough to make it to Falcones. There, I'd made arrangements for Vince to do a quick pit stop for me.
Stuck in traffic on the Schukyll, I watched my temperature gage rise uncontrollably. "No mater," I though, " the electric fan will cool it down." As it creeped higher and higher, the fan remained dormant. In despiration, I cranked up the heater. Finally, when I was about to pull to the side, traffic subsided.
While Vince worked on my exhaust, I worked to fix the fan. Fortunately it was just a blown fuse. Ruth gave me some driving pointers for the Glen as Vince secured the exhaust. After the short stop, I was finally on my way.
As I drove up the turnpike, I noticed that the throttle seemed sticky. While making a fuel stop, I managed to diagnose and fix the problem. The long rod for the fuel injection was scraping against a clamp. Yet another bullet successfully dodged! The rest of the ride was uneventful, even traffic was light. As I pulled into the town of Watkins Glen, my excitement grew. I was finally going to make it. Bill Shields and Elliot Shanabrook, both GTV drivers greeted me in the motel parking lot as I pulled in around 10pm. Although the restaurant had just closed, the bar was open. Beer, I'm told, is one of the five food groups. Unbeknownst to me, the next morning, I'd be thrown yet another test of my commitment.
After grabbing some gas and coffee the next morning, I made my way up the hills towards the track. As I accelerated up a hill , the pedal dropped to the floor and the engine dropped back to idle. "Ackkkkk! not something else. This event just wasn't meant to be!" I screamed. But, with the help of Bill and a Campagnolo bicycle cable, I was back on my way. "Would this be the end of my misfortunes?" I wondered.
Fortunately, the answer to that question was yes. Finally, persistence paid off. My pangs of anxiety and notions of calling it quits evaporated the moment I got on the track. The car ran flawlessly at the track and on the way home. The event that was never meant to be turned out to be one of the best, warts and all.