My New Shitbox

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Thanks Paul, I'll be in touch.  When are you planning on being in Melbourne next?

[dfrye]

Sheldon, I've done much of that drive in a T model ford. The gulf country is truly awesome. Shame to be doing it so quick really. Sounds great.
//dean

[Sheldon McIntosh]

I managed to get some time this week to do the valve clearances.  Some of you may remember this video from a few months ago, Mario Speedwagon before...

Well, after getting some time to do some work on the little tacker, with lots of help from Bruno and Giancarlo at Maranello Pur Sang Motors, here is Mario Speedwagon after...

Now that the engine's a bit smoother, you can hear other noises unfortunately.  That rattle in the video (and it's really not that bad in real-life) is the lower timing chain.  I won't be fixing that, that'll have to last the 6000km.  It's still got a small misfire, so I'll renew the ignition, and hopefully it'll be all good after that.  I'll drive him a bit over summer to see if any other issues arise.

I'd never done any work on the inside of an engine before, so pretty happy to have got these done.  The intakes were all within spec, but all the exhaust clearances were out, so at least I only had to do one cam.  I got them all changed, and then Bruno came to check my work, and wondered why I was persevering with a cam which was "obviously fucked", which I believe is the technical term for a worn lobe on cylinder 4.  So after Bruno managed to find a matching cam and I put that in, suddenly cylinder 2 had 2mm clearance.  Yes, 2mm.

In hindsight I should have turned the engine over a couple of times, because maybe something was stuck under the valve?  Or maybe it's just one of those unanswerable problems you sometimes get with something which should be logical.  Anyway, after putting in a 1.5mm spacer, then a .5mm, then back to what it was originally, we were close to spec.  A few more calculations, and BINGO!!!  Now, he's running like a good 'un, and I can finally appreciate the beauty of a good Alfa twin cam.  It really is a lovely engine, just enough torque, and a bit of a kick up the top end.  I took the missus for a blast round the block tonight and it even stepped sideways under power a couple of times (it's pretty wet here tonight).  The missus even said, "why don't I keep this car and you can do the rally in the 33?"  Ha, no chance sweetheart.

Had a chance to get underneath him and have a good look, and it's all good news there.  All the donuts are fine, they look like they've probably got about 2 years of normal use left in them, rear pads and discs are fine, CV boots are all intact, exhaust looks like it was put on about 1 year ago, it's a nice system, even has an ovalised section for ground clearance.  I'm pretty happy about all of that, can't see any of that being a problem on the rally.

Other than that I replaced the right-hand-rear door handle on the outside..

And rigged up an interior handle using a couple of cable-ties...

Schweeettt....

Got a club rego for him today as well, see pics below, so all good for Spettacolo, see you all there.

[Paul Gulliver]

Sheldon ,

I really enjoyed the rear door repair video ( 7 seconds) featuring the return of the 1960's cult figure "Thing" from the Adams Family.

[Brad M]

2 thumbs up Sheldon

[Darryl]

You owe me patent royalties on Use of Polymer Based Loom Bindings for Automotive Mechanical Actuator Activation

In particular

Claim 347: Where the actuator is a door latch.

However, since it is for charitable purposes, I'll let it ride.

Regards
Paul Allen

[MD]

Hey Sheldon,

I came across your rescue vehicle at the Lakeside Top Gear Round 6 Italian Challenge. It's a pearler mate.

(with apologies to Rob Robson)

[wankski]

haha, saw it at the spettacolo, lol...

I overheard some guys talking to each other when they approached the only other, well done up, guiletta on display on the day... (the red one)

[paraphrasing]

"oh nice, guilietta, not many around, think its the only one here... oh well apart from that shitbox back there."

so... confirmed. U weren't kidding about the shitbox thing...

[AGM155]

Haha my friend said

"Geez the new Giulietta's dated faster than I thought"

[hammer]

Robbie Robson's Guilietta shitbox went through outback hell and made it back, almost in one piece - albeit with some accidental rear camber on the dedion - and now tows his race car to and from Lakeside and QR. This thing is a credit to Alfa engineering and Robbo's remarkable bush mechanics.

It may be rough but it's bloody resilient

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Hey Sheldon,

I came across your rescue vehicle at the Lakeside Top Gear Round 6 Italian Challenge. It's a pearler mate.

(with apologies to Rob Robson)

That car is an inspiration.  Thanks MD and Hammer.  That is the sort of future I dream of for my shitbox Mario Speedwagon.

[Darryl]

Yes. It is a cool car. Inspiration for Clarkson's next African challenge vehicle?

[GoldCLoverLeaf]

Just saw this thread, i recall looking at the shitbox rally website a few months ago and thinking damn i would love to do that!

I was originally thinking a mechanically simple Fiat 131 or 132 would get the job done but i can't see why a decently prepared 116 couldn't do it as well... lets not forget that Greg Carr won the 1987 Australian Rally Championship in a GTV6!

For my 2 cents worth i would be rotating the front torsion bars to get an extra 2 or 3 inches of clearance and perhaps even then make up some sort of basic sump guard. It will only take one sizeable rock to take out the fragile alloy sump.

The rear springs, maybe ad an extra rubber spacer to gain an inch or so, perhaps swapping springs from a 75 will give you more lift?

Other than that just add some nice big rally style mudflaps and she'll be ready to go =]

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Jeez, just realized I didn't even post any pics from Spettacolo to this thread.  Here's a couple I took with my phone, not great but better than nothing.  Also, a big thanks to everyone who donated money on the day.

As it stands at the moment, we're just over halfway towards our minimum of $4000 which is fantastic with 4 months still to go, and sponsorship deals are looking very promising.

There have been no more ill-informed wise-cracks about Alfas by the organisers unfortunately.  

The main guy organising the rally let me know that there is another team doing it in a 33.  I let him know that I'll be happy to help with any advice or with help fixing anything on the road, unless it's a waterpump, in which case that car can just go to Alfa Heaven (although I suppose if they had a new one - and a f***en big chisel - you could maybe do it in a night).  I think the team is out of Brisbane, if they were club members I assume we would have heard about the car by now?

The other thing is that the organisers are doing a (musical) album for the event, and every team has to provide one track, with 2 spares in case your first pick is taken already.  I'm thinking this should be ours, since it's by the band that gave Mario his bitchin' name, and it's their best song.

But if anyone has any other suggestions I'm happy to hear them, maybe for our 2 spares, but I can't imagine anyone else picking this one.  I can't think of anything particularly Alfa or rally related off the top of my head, but maybe you can?

Just for the hell of it, here's my favourite song of the moment....

No real updates on the little shitbox Mario Speedwagon.  I'm in the process of bogging up some rust holes and giving him a bit of paint and polish.  I'll try and get him ready for the Motorkhana in February to give him a taste of dust and dirt and sideways action!!

[Anthony Miller]

Just a little bump to see how Mario is getting on and to remind people to get on board with Sheldon and Stuart, pack some floaties boys it just might be a little wet out there.