Berlina trip from Phoenix (too long)

["Watry, Andrew (LNG-SFR)" <Andrew.Watry@domain.elided>]

Here's an update, for anyone who cares, on my Berlina trip.  To recap, I
flew to Phoenix from Oakland Saturday AM to look at, and buy if I liked
it, a 1973 US 2000 Berlina with AC.  Thanks to some friendly Digest
members' offers of help if needed, the Berlina minded its manners and ran
just fine on the 900-mile trip from Phoenix to Berkeley Saturday and
Sunday. So it is possible to buy a 30-year-old Italian car, give it a
minimal look-over, and drive it cross-country.  Granted this car was a
pretty well maintained one, and had been in regular use its whole life,
so it was pretty well tested.  And the owner seemed like a mature,
reputable guy who took care of his stuff.

I left Phoenix about noon Saturday after being pretty convinced the car
was solid, took the I-10 route to LA, met a Berlina Register member there
and stayed over Saturday night, riding around in his Milano and enjoying
Pasadena.  Early Sunday AM I took I-5 and CA 99 up the Valley to CA 120
near Stockton, the across to Oakland. The Berlina ran fine at a regular
65-70 MPH cruise, hindered only by nasty Valley fog part of the way on
99.

Some specific points from the trip:
* No problems with the car after amassing 913 miles in two days; added
two quarts of oil and air for the spare tire.
* Boy can Alfa wipers be slow.  This car's wipers definitely have the two
standard speeds: slow and slower
* My ankle got stiff as a dead moose from the stock SPICA pedal height.
Ouch.
* Got just under 27 MPG for the trip as a whole including climbing 4000
feet over Tejon Pass.
* Got many long "cool-looking car but what the f**k is it?" stares from
passing drivers and passengers en route.  People definitely notice
decent-looking Berlinas but seem to have no idea what they are.

* Americans sure drive boring vehicles; only really interesting car on
whole trip was replica 427 Cobra making a lot of noise going 55 in slow
lane in Dublin, CA.

* Saw no Italian cars whatsoever on the road.  Did see the seller's five
other Alfas, and friend's Milano in LA.
* Only three cars en route older than the Berlina: 65 Mustang in
Bakersfield, 64 Comet on Altamont Pass, 54ish Chevy 3/4 ton on Altamont.

* Traffic in AZ is more sane than in CA; speed on freeway seems more
reasonable, and with less variation.  Not like I-5 with 90 MPH fast lane
and 65 MPH slow lane full of trucks.

* The only cars being driven fast were the type favored by readers of
Import Tuner magazine.  Some of them was checking out my bad ride too,
knowwhatI'msayin'?  Now that's affirmation from the young generation.

Sorry to be so windy.  The trip was a rush.  As a PS, the seller of the
Berlina has a nice red Montreal for sale if anyone's interested.  I can
pass along contact info.

Andrew Watry
Berlina Register
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