The corrosion of conformity (slight Alfa content) - and getting slighter

[alfacybersite <acs@domain.elided>]

John, I'm surmising the email below from you is a 'pre-published' copy
and the final draft will appear soon in 'book' form. I'm assuming this
since I received a copy from Brian Shorey along with his comment. Hope
you don't mind my reply being sent to the Digest.

If I didn't know better I'd almost think I was being 'gently' chastised
for being such a conventional guy and expecting everyone else to conform
to my sense of 'cool'.

Well, actually, not a bad assessment.

Bought my 1950 2.5 Litre Riley sporting saloon in 1958. True, the basis
of the twin cam (with pushrods) engine was designed in 1927 or so, it
was, still is, a very cool car. I lift the car cover from time-to-time
and promise her...someday I'll finish you up. But I'd never want a
Harley.

Have always thought they should remake the 'Wild Bunch' using Ducati's
this time around.

Speaking of the Wild Bunch, did a pretty poor imitation of the brief
visit of Tom Sahines and his friend / client, Joel on the way to the
convention. I entitled my email masterpiece "The Boys Is Rumblin' Into Town"
or something like that. Those who know Tom probably would never mistake
him for Marlon Brando nor his Junior Z for a Harley.

Funny thing, a couple of hours after returning from the The Convention
concours, 'They' began rumbling into this mostly deserted (it was Sunday
afternoon) industrial area while I was on the Internet bothering people.
They being about 15 Harley's. Don't believe any had what would be
considered CA legal mufflers. There were three or four drop-dead
'babes', all with legs up to here - no higher. Still, I'd never want to
own a Harley.

Not too many years ago, would drive out to the end of the San Fernando
Valley to listen to an ex-girlfriend's husband's band entertain folks at
a very large and popular Mexican restaurant. Inevitably there would be
20 to 40 Harley's lined up outside. They were owned by 'bad-boys' (and
girls) such as camermen, gaffers, actors / would-be actors, etc.
Definitely never wanted one.

When did HD reinvent themselves? The mid eighties? One of my all-time
favorite ads was a great photo taken at night of a Harley. The headline
read something like, "Just to make it a little easier for them...". All
of the body copy was in Japanese. Still...

My single nod to being a 'bad boy' was in the late sixties acquiring a
'63 Ducati Elite 200 bored and stroked to 250 cc. With much effort I got
it running (run & bump starting only), dumped it, pushed it home
bleeding, took it apart, and over time, managed to carefully over
restore it. It lived in my living room on a custom stand. Okay, beyond
garage queen, a living room queen. Wouldn't want a Harley in my living
room though.

My final Harley story: In the sixties a young fellow and his wife moved
into the same apartment group I was living in. He seemed like such a
nice young man (worked and went to USC) but one day brought home a very
tricked out Harley. It came with two exhaust systems, fairly legal, and
no way. He preferred the 'no way' version. The entire apartment complex
vibrated when he started it up in the mornings to drive it to wholesome
USC. He talked me into going with him to the Long Beach drag races.
Shortly after arriving and my friend had signed up to race, an older
shiny black ambulance drove up, three guys and a babe got out. They
opened the rear door and using the casket track, slid out a made for
drag racing only Harley. Little was said, but they readied it to race,
did very well. After each run, the smallish guy who was obviously the
owner and in charge would drain the oil. The babe would then dip her
fingers into the still hot oil, rub them together, and give 'the dude'
her analysis. I managed to shoot a few transparencies. Must be around
here somewhere. This to me was one of the epiphanies in my life at
trying hard to be cool. This was way far beyond cool. I would gladly
park that Harley dragster in my 'living room'...along with the ambulance out
front.

Dontcha just hate it when old people come up to you and poking a scrawny
finger into your chest say, "Let me tell you about the time..."

Biba
With four Alfas and a somewhat dismantled Riley inside, one Alfa
outside, still trying to figure out how to be both cool and accept
oldness at the same time in Irwindale, CA USA

***************

John Hertzman wrote:

> Biba, lJust musing in Irwindale, CA USAn, wonders lwho could possibly
> obviously have appreciation for Alfa's engineering then own a vehicle
> which was for all intents and purposes obsolete (engineering wise not
> to mention aesthetics) in what? 1919? Or was it
> earlier?n<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
> "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>
> Practically anyone who doesnmt have a one-track mind. A narrow-enough
> focus can aggregate a vast quantity of identical objects; a slight
> broadening can lead to collecting subtle variations on a narrow theme-
> say, each of onems Duettos a slightly different shade of red. At the
> other end lies zero redundancy, with, perhaps, each entity being a
> choice specimen of its peculiar class. I was surprised (and slightly
> delighted) to have run into not one but two Alfa owners whose other
> car was a Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible. I donmt know Tim
> personally, but his three Alfas- a '71 Giulia 1300 Super, '78 F-12
> Diesel Van, and a '92 Spider, certainly tilt in the direction of his
> being someone whose attic, bookshelves, and pantry might be very
> interesting indeed, even if difficult to grasp inuitively, and the
> Harley reinforces that impression.
>
> Reminds me of Joe C.ms felicitous formulation, YMWillV. Vive la
> difference -
>
> Cheers
>
> John H.
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