Sleepless

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 11/15/2002 8:10:39 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> Question:  what do you guys do when you need to find rare Alfa parts 
> (besides panic).  I am starting to lose sleep over this- am I 
> over-reacting? 
>   I would hate to have a beautiful Alfa that is missing one part that is 
> impossible to find!
Dear Sleepless:

After all, it is only a car.  Enjoy it while you can.  One day it may get 
broken, stolen, dissolved, or beamed up by aliens.  One day you may not be 
able to depress the clutch (how depressing!).  It is not worth losing sleep 
over.  You are wound up like a two dollar watch (remember watches that wind 
up?)

Get over it.  Fred di might suggest a grappa (an acquired taste), but I think 
a pleasant afternoon spent in the sunshine with a sympathetic individual, 
perhaps Nessun Dorma playing, and a nice Montepulciano would also do the 
trick.  

Meanwhile, you are in luck since there is a world-wide underground of people 
suffering from an affliction similar to your own.  

A few old parts for old and obsolete cars cannot be found any more.  Luckily, 
the Spider began its run during the Mesozoic Era and plenty of them were made 
for plenty long, so parts can usually be found, even if not under ever rock 
or at the NAPA and Pep Boys stores.  That just makes the whole thing more of 
a challenge.  After all, anyone can get a widget for an A*cord, so where's 
the fun in that?  Some parts can be fabricated (especially if you know a 
crack machinist) and others are newly manufactured by outfits such as 
Re-originals.  Along the way you will probably meet some real characters.  
Think of it like stamp collecting, only interesting.

Pleasant dreams.

Charlie
LA, CA, USA
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