[alfa] Planning a fraud...or not

[alfacybersite <acs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I guess I'm supposed to feel chastised. Sorry. When someone is that
ridiculously and blatantly stating a 'situation', - yet your personal
moral values at the mere use of the word con or fraud make you wonder -
ya really oughta ask yourself, "What's in it for him?"

The answer was nothing. Then why do it? Because I do things like that
and I very much enjoy others on this Digest who don't take life all that
seriously. I've stated this in the past, but when working on an Alfa, I
take it Very seriously. Still I can sit back and laugh at much of the
intricate detail other's and certainly myself are willing to go through
to not just keep 'our' Alfas running, but often looking and running
perhaps even better than new. My opinion is there is a lot of
ridiculousness in doing this and going to the nth degree of anality. The
only thing that makes me feel okay about my own anality is there are
others who certainly outdo me in this area (must I? - okay, happy face).

Back to 'what's in it for him / me': Let's say I really did pass the car
off as a 1750 and is sold on eBay to an unsuspecting buyer. He has it
shipped cross country. After a few thousand miles he takes it to his
non-Alfa-specialized mechanic for an oil and filter change. Mechanic has
a 1750 oil filter, but wait, this one uses a screw-on canister type.
Mechanic does a bit of research and tells the client it is a 2000 not a
1750. Buyer might be okay with it, but lets assume not. He contacts me,
possibly through his lawyer, and I would (if this is what he chooses) be
required to pay for his cost of the car and shipping both way. Plus I'd
get a major black mark on my eBay 'credit' remarks - if not kicked off.
Currently I have over 50 all positive remarks. Why-oh-why would I
jeopardize this and what would I have accomplished in the first place?
Personally if / when the time comes, I'll use it as a positive marketing
point (for some potential buyers - though not all) that it has a 2000
engine in it.

********

I'm a little confused by Brian O'Kelly's remark: "I think the body would
fit, but it would be a LOT easier with a 1759 kamm tail - lots more
space. And it would be MUCH easier to explain the 2 liter engine."

Perhaps Brian is having a bit of fun himself. First, I have the '69
Round-Tail. Secondly, not only did I get it without a 1750 engine, the
early 2000 engine it came with has either a broken crank or piston
stopping the engine from going through a complete rotation. Additionally
it came with No fuel system except (aha!) a 1750 injection inlet
manifold. It had been modified to use Webers (which were long gone). I
have a good running spare 2000 engine. I found a 1750 (US) air cleaner
without a 1750 plate at a swap meet. Have a nasty (but incorrect) 1750
air cleaner which has a 1750 plate.

What I don't understand is the 'lots more space' part. There really
isn't any. Some of the inside metal is different, but it is mostly in
the firewall since the 1750 Kamm-Tail has pendulum pedals and the '69
Round-Tail's are floor mounted. The hoods are identical - unlike the
Giulietta / Giulia Spider hoods whereas the latter required a bump to
allow for the extra 300 cc's height. The exterior measurements of the
two engines (1750 / 2000) are virtually if not exactly identical. The
increased (approximately) 250 cc's were obtained by changing the centers
of the two middle bores, using a bore of 3.30 rather than 3.15 (keeping
the stroke the same at 3.48 and casting a new head to fit the 'offset'
bores.

Possibly, just possibly the engine sheetmetal is different between the
Euro and US 1750 Kamm-Tail versions since the Euro versions used the
round canister type of air filter / box whereas ours use the larger /
wider oval type.

********

I'm sure most, if not all are incredibly bored with this by now (if not
sooner), but want to add a final comment: Last French / Italian Car Meet
('03 one coming up Sunday November 2 - Woodley Park) I took client's
Very freshly restored '60 Giulietta Spider Veloce for it's first real
drive (60 miles round-trip) in almost 20 years to the Meet. Put it up
for judging. Knowledgeable judge asked, "Was / is the rubber edging
around the grill and whiskers original?" I said no, but thought it
looked cool (that's elderly CA hip talk). He agreed, then knocked off a
half point, maybe a full one. I believe the same vintage Sprints came
with edging, but the Spiders didn't. Everyone complains how the grill
and whiskers dig into the paint. Not with 'my' car it won't! Client can
remove if he wishes. Sometimes originality sucks.

Oh, it got first place in open cars - in spite of my attempted
'fraudulent con'.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided