Rostri/Guardi, cromati/inossidabile

[JHertzman@xxxxxxx]

Where I said I said the bumper guards were called "rostri ai paraurti" (based
on my infamous coffee-table anchor) Dana Loomis wrote "these pieces, called
"rostri cromati" in Italian books", and then said the 1969 1750 "had plain
bumpers with a thick cross-section.  The 1971 model - - had thinner bumpers
with chrome and rubber bumper guards, like the later 2000 coupes." (Ben Dixon,
in Australia, also wrote "There are two distinct types of 1750 bumpers here -
early and late types - - the early type is 'more solid' than the late type,
which is lighter weight, but not as nice looking"). I was thinking stainless,
not chrome, so went to the garage/library with micrometer and magnet. The
earlier bumper (in my case on a stepnose, but I believe the same) is more
massive in appearance (which is probably what Dana and perhaps Ben were
referring to) but miked up the same in thickness, although it is a different
alloy; the early one rejected the magnet which stuck on both the '74 coupe and
the '69 Berlina, which had the angular-section bumpers before the coupe did. 

As for "cromati" rather than stainless, the only references I found to
stainless were about interior trim; no mention of bumpers or other exterior
trim. The bumpers on my '62 Giulietta definitely had peeling chrome on the
inside surfaces, as did those of the 102 ironblock and the 1900, but the
Giulia Super and all of my other pre-rubberbumper cars had (have) what appears
to be stainless. That is good-news/bad news; bent American chromed bumpers of
the same vintage can be hammered-out, ground smooth, polished and rechromed,
while the thin stainless bumpers require more finesse in reconditioning. On
the other hand, particularly on lowered cars, these bumpers are unlikely to be
damaged in most parallel-parking encounters.

On the term "rostri" which both Dana's sources and mine used, I don't find it
in Alfa parts books. The 1750 GT Veloce book calls them "Guarda Paraurti" on
the fronts, "Guardaparaurti" on the rears, on sequential pages.

On Greg Morgan' questions about maintenance costs and parts availability for
the 1750/2000 105/115 coupes, Dana and Mark Battley have covered the field
very well; I can only add my opinion that these are by far the most affordable
of classic sports-cars, and the most classic of affordable sports-cars, and
the most practical of affordable classic sports-cars. Triple whammy. The base
Alfa started from is marvelous, the technical continuities from the Giulietta
through the last Spiders is an immense advantage, and the aftermarket support
network, while thin, is fabulous compared to anything remotely comparable (if
there IS anything remotely comparable). In reasonable condition, prudently
maintained, they offer a rare opportunity to live with a timeless masterpiece.
One could go on, but why? It speaks for itself.

John

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