Re: alfa-digest V7 #1196

[KDHX@domain.elided]

Scott, my thought's exactly about a 'tinned' Alfa.  My project Duetto, sanded 
to bare metal with an orbital sander has the glow of stainless,  I hated to 
put on the etching primer.  It was great to learn the evolution of the 
'tinker's dam' expression.

Here's the Alfa content and I realize I'm taking a chance here.  
I recently got back into Alfas and did the typical massive 
reading/reeducation phase and the learning curve/scare of rust in the early 
Alfas.  
I had an idea that may be rediculous but here it is.  Since a nice looking 
Alfa with a 
'dupont overhaul'  can fool even the experienced, and since the true blue 
older car owners are always fighting rust and concerned about those famous 
'hidden areas', how about using an endoscope?    For those not familiar, 
these can be rigid or flexible shaft viewing devices with the ability to 
record on video or camera.  It seems to me that the same holes used for 
access would be no larger than those for rustproofing and it would allow 
current owners to assess the state of affairs or for potential owners to 
evaluate what level of rust they are buying.   I'm in the medical field and 
could investigate the price of an older scope that would not have all 
fiberoptic fibers intact so that it would not be of sufficient condition to 
make it expensive to buy but would certainly accomplish the task involved.  
It wouldn't need grasping forceps or other additional goodies either.  It 
would probably require temporary placement of a grommet to protect the shaft 
from metal edges, but these are available in sizes small enough for babies 
noses,  urethras and surely would not require an access hole very large.  
Maybe it could be owned jointly by a local Alfa club and rented to others or 
taken to the larger events and used there or whatever works.  
I also saw an Ad in my son's lowrider magazine about a device called a Spot 
Rot auto body damage gauge available from Pro Motorcar Products, Inc.  It is 
supposed to allow a used vehicle buyer to better evaluate hidden damage even 
under slick paint jobs.  It is supposed to check for thickness of body filler 
and even thickness of paint.  I wondered if this was everything it was 
described to be or another of those venturi devices that create 50 hp from 
exhaled plant gas.   I can't imagine it being of any use for evaluating a 
middle rocker panel or similar areas where you want to evaluate the 'other 
side' of the metal.   OK,  I'm braced,  fire away.  
Tim Malaney 
St. Louis, Mo.
67 Duettos

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