Spider heater valve, Mille Miglia, events

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 5/26/99 6:13:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

<< Hal wrote:
 
 > What does it mean when I'm cruising along with the top down and the
 > stream of warm air that's been keeping my feet all toasty warm for the
 >
 > last twenty minutes suddenly turns tepid?  
 
 Hal,
 
 This sounds similar to when the heater valve on my former 84 spider
 began to die.   >>

Just back from close to a month in Italy for the Mille Miglia and just 
catching up on my Digests!

If you suspect the heater valve is going south on a spider, I suggest 
replacement ASAP if you're using the car.  Somehow, this valve is positioned 
(or positioned to leak hot fluid) directly over the pilot's accelerator foot, 
and it usually lets go when you're wearing a new pair of Italian shoes.  Ask 
me how I know.  Avoid a hotfoot and fix the valve.  After a while, they seem 
to dissolve, and I think especially if you live in a hard water area like Los 
Angeles and haven't always owned the car and suspect a PO may have foolishly 
added TAP WATER to the coolant.

Congrats to the Finkelsteins of Canada - how could we have missed spotting 
you lovebirds in Italy; we were in so many of the same places.  A note: we 
also pulled and prodded to rent an Alfa (156) through Hertz, which has a 
large fleet of them in rental service (N.B. - the 156 IS very popular in 
Italy, and no wonder!).  Also called just before leaving USA and a day or two 
before picking up the car in Roma.  Short story, we wound up with an Opel 
Vectra wagon which did not break down but which was a dangerous dog to drive, 
especially at speed or along the Amalfi Coast road.  This model also has 
craftily-hidden window lift switches, which caused no end of riotous fun at 
the Autostrada entrance when I couldn't figure out how to lower the window to 
grab the ticket!  Also, contrary to USA myth, Italian drivers (from Sorrento 
north, in my own experience) are great, and road and highway speeds are not 
usually any greater than here in CA... EXCEPT for brand new, black, large 
Mercedes Benz models, which universally whiz past at 130 - 150% of the speed 
of traffic, probably to show off how much fuel they can burn and not feel it 
in the pocketbook.

Did pretty well speaking Italian (thanks, mainly to the Italians!) and 
learned a couple of surprise new words:

CODA In music, this means an ending, but on the Autostrada it means something 
is wrong ahead, such as a crash or roadwork or ice, and instead of snaking 
around the problem as we do in the USA or in England, all traffic stops and 
waits until the road ahead is perfect, even if this takes several days!

GASOLIO is how all the stations I saw refer to what we call gasoline in the 
States, petrol elsewhere. Previously, and from the hints in the owners 
manuals I've treasured for all these years, the word was benzina, now never 
heard (even at boat yards).

For more and a presentation of pix of the Mille Miglia, Museo Storico, 
Biscaretti Museum, Stanguilini Museum, ItalDesign, and so much more, if 
you're in the LA, CA, USA area join us tomorrow night, Fri 5/28, at the 
monthly meeting of the ARO Southern California, 8 pm, Culver City Veterans 
Memorial Park.

And don't forget, AROSC's Time Trial and Race this Memorial Day (Sat - Sun) 
weekend at Willow Springs.  Even if it's too late to participate, this could 
be a good time to come to the track and see what all the excitement's about!

Buon voyaggio, Autostrada Family!

Charlie
LA, CA, USA
84 GTV-6
87 75 Gold

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End of alfa-digest V7 #758
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