Other Alfas

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Killarney Racer
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Other Alfas

Post by Killarney Racer » Fri 14 Mar 2008, 14:23

Here is a test of memory. Who remembers Emmet Barwell in his red Alfa Guilietta in the early 60's?

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ZA Perana
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Re: Other Alfas

Post by ZA Perana » Fri 14 Mar 2008, 20:47

A hugely forgotten name....he was Mr Alfa it seems in SA during the late 50's right through to the late 1960's. He also designed his own engine....

Will have a look at the archive but I beleive his conversions were highly respected. The Willie Meissner of Alfa's maybe....
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Killarney Racer
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Re: Other Alfas

Post by Killarney Racer » Fri 14 Mar 2008, 22:35

He was the guy to beat at Killarney and at many other circuits in the early 60's. I remember seeing him a few times clean up the track. Correct he did conversions.

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Hi-Fi
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Re: Other Alfas

Post by Hi-Fi » Thu 20 Mar 2008, 13:32

Here's one just like Barwell's. I wonder what happened to the two Alfa Giulietta TI's that used to race in classics at Killarney, one being red and the other in Gulf colours?

These were great little cars.

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Re: Other Alfas

Post by Firenza GT » Thu 20 Mar 2008, 17:36

Hi-Fi wrote: Here's one just like Barwell's. I wonder what happened to the two Alfa Giulietta TI's that used to race in classics at Killarney, one being red and the other in Gulf colours?

These were great little cars.


Quite right have'nt seen them in a while. .........

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Re: Other Alfas

Post by zahistorics » Thu 20 Mar 2008, 18:38

Alfa Romeos at Zwartkops 2 Feb 2008
alfa.jpg
alfas.jpg

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Hi-Fi
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Re: Other Alfas

Post by Hi-Fi » Fri 21 Mar 2008, 14:00

Beautiful old things. A while ago Railway was getting excited about the fact that the classic cars we run in this country are fiddled with too much and I agree with him.

The one thing which gets to me is the fact that guys are allowed to install Lexan windows in their cars and also remove the wing window. This should not be allowed. This is a modification and was not even done when those cars were being raced in their heydays. Firstly, there wasn't such a product such as Lexan in those days and secondly no one had thought about using common plastic as a substitute for glass to make the car lighter. Tke a look at those Alfa pictures and you will see what I mean. Have look at vitually any Anglia or Escort and you will see the same.

If guys tried that overseas they wouldn't be allowed to enter the car.

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Hi-Fi
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Re: Other Alfas

Post by Hi-Fi » Fri 21 Mar 2008, 14:02

Hi-Fi wrote: Beautiful old things. A while ago Railway was getting excited about the fact that the classic cars we run in this country are fiddled with too much and I agree with him.

The one thing which gets to me is the fact that guys are allowed to install Lexan windows in their cars and also remove the wing window. This should not be allowed. This is a modification and was not even done when those cars were being raced in their heydays. Firstly, there wasn't such a product such as Lexan in those days and secondly no one had thought about using common plastic or perspex as a substitute for glass to make the car lighter. Tke a look at those Alfa pictures and you will see what I mean. Have look at vitually any Anglia or Escort and you will see the same.

If guys tried that overseas they wouldn't be allowed to enter the car.

Firenza GT

Re: Other Alfas

Post by Firenza GT » Fri 21 Mar 2008, 14:39

Hi-Fi the thing here is as with most other things when one says something that goes against the grain you become viewed as some sort of troublemaker, gatkruiper or just an idiot.

We have always had a choice with the vast amount of stuff we have been priviledged to have especially the home brew stuff. We have a choice to operate like the rest of the country in certain aspects third world style of maintain a standard. For cars that have arrived at a workshop to be prepared to race in classics, cars that were complete even on the road and end up with lexan plastic fastened with dozens of rivets it's just a slightly jazzed up stockcar really it becomes that.

There are cars that maybe raced in Clubman's and later brought back to classics that have lost all that glass which in some instances is difficult to get, the least one can do there then is to do like the Momberg Capri if i remember correctly has some lexan on the sides but you don't see rivits everywhere. Trims are placed back and so on.

Other thing is that these days you CAN just about get anything that you could'nt before eBay was'nt around. Yes it costs especially the postage BUT how much has been spent on some motors and other modifications that are not ethically sound with classics as we'd like to remember how the cars were ?

We've discussed this before and I say again the state of affairs now is because WE asked for it. Either we just leave this so that it becomes chaos controlled by the dollar or you stand firm on principle. Being a ja-broer may allow a person some comfort at a point in time but look now there are unhappy racers now expressing their dissatisfaction with the re-alignment of the rules which now affect them.

Has anyone got the rules of those days ? Surely they MSA must have access to this ? What can be more difficult than running through that book and when it gets to mechanical stuff, stuff like blocks, gearboxes, brakes, tyres you tweak that slightly as some of the stuff is not available that easy anymore even on eBay.

This was actually the Alfa thread and just refering to them it looks so nice to see Bertone's work still evident on classic Alfa race cars. It looks absolutely kak when half these cars are cut out. Especially Alfa's as they are known for styling and character of their own.

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Re: Other Alfas

Post by Killarney Racer » Sun 23 Mar 2008, 22:08

Alfas are obviously not a favourite on this site, but they have an incredible racing heritage in this country and have been part of the saloon car racing mix since the late 50's, and not many makes can attest to that.

So to whet your appetites here is a picture of the almost unbeatable Chatz car. There were also Mick Formato, D'Olivera, Keizan, Damseaux, in fact too many to just roll off. I am not a huge Alfa fan but they are beautiful cars and if I could get a good GTA I would treasure it.

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