Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2003 23:37:31 -0700
From: Benjamin Kaupp <bkaupp@domain.elided>
Subject: [alfa] Roll barred, so now I won't die!
Instead I'll just get permanent brain damage should I choose to flip my
car. O well, I just wanted to share with the world what a wonderful
thing the roll bar from IAP is. And what a horrible thing. Wonderful
and horrible. Both. Anyway...
It definitely makes the car look better and it is obviously well
designed, doesn't interfere with the top or the rear window at all. But
it comes scratched (IAP dood: "they come scratched, but that's
normal"). My family was in catalog retail for five years and I know how
hard it is to ship stuff without breaking (NEVER ship a computer
monitor UPS) but it may help if you PUT THE ROLL BAR IN A BOX. Instead
it was just wrapped in bubble wrap taped to the bar, so by the time I
got it there were holes in the wrap, the two support pieces had rubbed
through and scratched the main bar, and the feet had all freed and
messed up themselves. It's not a horrible thing, but I'd like to have
the opportunity to deface it myself first. Oh, and the instructions
were in Swahili. I think. I don't do the African dialect thing, so I'm
not really sure. Anyway, I'm gonna supplement the instructions on my
website as soon as I have a break (work and school full time and
all...). I'll also write up the install of the Alpine speakers in the
oh-so-rare original Alfa labeled speaker grilles. And the install of
the Sparco/Sabelt Clubman harnesses that just came today.
Oh, and Biba - I got the joke, and I would love to be bamboozled into
that car (I admired it some time ago on your site) but I can't even
afford brakes for the Intestine at the moment, so I must just dream.
Unless you are willing to trade for some gum and a hotel sized bottle
of shampoo. I'm flexible on this, I also have some shower caps and a
Gideon Bible. If you really twist my arm, I'll throw in a NASCAR Jello
mold, but it has sentimental value (my girlfriend gave it to me) so
I'll have to do a bit of soul searching. Let's talk.
- -Ben Kaupp
'78 Spider (can't hear the engine above the grinding brakes, but it
seems to be running pretty well)