Re: italian-cars-digest V7 #22

[hal meeks <hgm@domain.elided>]

>
>Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 12:50:26 -0500
>From: James Seabolt <jseabolt@domain.elided>
>Subject: Canadian Fiats and Lancias
>
>Francois <f.dion@domain.elided> wrote:
>
>>Hello,
>>
>>can anybody direct me to italian car resources in North Carolina? Triad area
>>would be best. Any chance that my Lancia Zagato from Canada pass emission
>>tests and get it titled here? If not, anybody is selling a Zagato in the
>>area? I'm in High Point.

I suspect that it will pass emissions, or can be coaxed to do so without
spending a lot of money.

Any Lancia is rare in this area, although there were certainly dealers here
many years ago. You will mostly see Alfa Sedans and Spiders, and Fiat
Spiders.

>>Up to now, i've seen some Alfa Milano and an Alfa Sport Sedan... this is a
>>bit of a disapointment, as i was used to see several I cars each day in
>>Montreal... (and not just Fiat or Alfa, but Lancia and Ferrari and Maserati
>>etc...).

I am not intimately involved in the Italian car scene here, but there are
some cars in the area. I have a 1982 Fiat Spider that runs well enough (it
is my only car), but is being consumed by rust, especially on the floor
pan. I have begun the hunt for a replacment car -- hopefully a 1984-85
model.

There used to be (and may still be) an authorised Fiat parts supplier in
Matthews, NC. There is Motor Italia (Ferrari and ex-Alfa) dealer in
Greensboro.

Durham has quite a few I-cars on the road, since there was a reasonably
thriving Fiat dealer up until 2-3 years ago, O'Briant Motors. They had a
decent parts inventory, and are missed. I think that one of the
mechanics/principals there bought the inventory and moved it to another
location in Durham.

In Raliegh, the local italian car authority would be Krause and England.

>OK, why in the world would a Canadian spec Spider have these stickers? Could
>it be that the requirements for both two countries were so similiar it
>didn't matter?
>
>I was told by a guy from Canada that his 1987 Volkswagon Golf didn't have a
>converter so it's weird that my 1982 Spider came with a converter.

Not that I have any special knowledge of the Golf, but some cars did not
need a catalytic converter to pass emissions. The Honda Civic CVCC comes to
mind.

I would imagine that emission standards would be quite similar for both
countries.

>As far as I know, N. Carolina has a saftey inspection system but I don't
>think they have to be smog tested.

Unfortunately, that is not true. Most counties, such as Wake, require smog
testing. They may or may not check to see if the catalytic converter is
present. If the numbers are good, it will pass.

--hal