B20 at track day

[Kevin MacBride]

Kinda surprised myself today....A friend of mine has a garage called 'TI Autos'...so with a name like that you'd expect Alfa Romeo and you'd be correct. Celebrating 30 years as TI (although the garage has been in the family since the 20's) he had a track day for his customers. Dozens of Alfas turned up, mostly from the Giulia era up to present models.
I was asked to bring the B20, so as the only 'outsider' didn't want to let the side down.
I need not have worried, apart from the 'moderns' nothing could keep pace with the B20, 'specially on the twisty bits. As an example, one of the quickest older Alfas there was a 2.0 'GTV', quite a special car, original inner shell, with fibreglass outer panels, doors, bonnet and bootlid, plus a later twin spark 'Nord' engine, with multiple webers, and some tuning.
I have to say I was pleasently chuffed with myself, and at least one customer has booked some 'tuning time'

[JohnMillham]

Kinda surprised myself today....A friend of mine has a garage called 'TI Autos'...so with a name like that you'd expect Alfa Romeo and you'd be correct. Celebrating 30 years as TI (although the garage has been in the family since the 20's) he had a track day for his customers. Dozens of Alfas turned up, mostly from the Giulia era up to present models.
I was asked to bring the B20, so as the only 'outsider' didn't want to let the side down.
I need not have worried, apart from the 'moderns' nothing could keep pace with the B20, 'specially on the twisty bits. As an example, one of the quickest older Alfas there was a 2.0 'GTV', quite a special car, original inner shell, with fibreglass outer panels, doors, bonnet and bootlid, plus a later twin spark 'Nord' engine, with multiple webers, and some tuning.
I have to say I was pleasently chuffed with myself, and at least one customer has booked some 'tuning time'

Barrie would have been proud of you!
 Regards, John

[fay66]

Well done that man
Brian
8227

[chriswgawne]

Well done Kevin,
A nice photo.
I realise looking closely that your front bumper mountings have diasppeared (as have mine after my big accident at Oulton Park in 2009). A bit of a problem I think though as certain race organisers such as Julius Thurgood now want to see 1950's cars with original bumpers, not for safety but for appearance. What to do?

[Kevin MacBride]

There were no bumpers with my car. I'm fairly certain the supports are behind the panel. My bodyshop friend replaced a lot of metal, but also left a lot of 'stuff' hidden in case I need it in future.
I use one of the rear bumper supports for the required 'towing eye'. I suppose you could leave the front ones in place a plug them when not in use.
I have to say, I'm not a fan of all these 'originalty rules. Do you honestly think that back in 'period' a racer was going to leave heavy items such as bumpers in place, or not try to upgrade his engine or brakes if he could find a way.
I realize that some old photos of B20's racing, showed them with bumpers in place, but there are probably just as many with them removed.
I've no idea how much a pair of bumpers would cost, but I think I'd prefer to spend the money on tyres, or entry fees as an example.

[HF_Dave]

Nie picture kevin, Was the track wet ? it looks damp.

[chriswgawne]

Kevin,
Your car had towing eyes underneath back and front positioned centrally when new and, assuming the integrity of the bodyshell in these areas is still good, they are extremely strong. I still use these as my 'towing points' on my racecar, albeit with large woven loops attached as per the new regulations to enable them to acceopt a large towing hook.
Before I had my 'incident' at Oulton Park, my front bumper fixings were protruding from the outer skin of the car and on one occasion at scrutineering, the official expressed concern at these protrusions.
Chris

[Kevin MacBride]

Kevin,
Your car had towing eyes underneath back and front positioned centrally when new and, assuming the integrity of the bodyshell in these areas is still good, they are extremely strong. I still use these as my 'towing points' on my racecar, albeit with large woven loops attached as per the new regulations to enable them to acceopt a large towing hook.
Before I had my 'incident' at Oulton Park, my front bumper fixings were protruding from the outer skin of the car and on one occasion at scrutineering, the official expressed concern at these protrusions.
Chris

The front tow eye is still used, and appears well secured. I also use the woven hoop when I race, I tend to remove it when not needed. The rear one I'm not sure about. My car did have the rear panel with a small reversing lamp space. Before I did the bodywork I collected as many panels as I thought I'd need, to save time during the restoration. All of these came by way of Nigel Trow (a big thanks). The rear panel was copied from his own car at the time, which had no reversing lamp.
It pelted with rain all morning, and almost to the second stopped at one o'clock. Then at almost 5.30, when the session endedthe heavens opened again.
Photo attached is my one and only fan, as for the car in the background, the less said the better, it's slowley beginning to drive me demented..!!

[the.cern]

HI Kevin, sorry , but you can't get away with 'as for the car in the background, the less said the better' !!!!! A B20, especially with the bonnet up may not be ignored. What is the situation and why the frustration?  Time to spill the beans !!!!                                     

Your fan looks very happy and long may he continue to enjoy the cars.

                                        Andy

[DavidLaver]

Your eyesight is good enough to spot the car - but not all the pink hearts on the fan's shirt.  My guess is that the fan is a 'she'...

David

[Parisien]

Kevin....remember the story about the spider.....making his web...........persistence always wins the day.


This forum has every confidence in you!


P

[chriswgawne]

Kevin,
I stand to be corrected here but IMHO only 4th series B20s had a reversing light fitted as standard below the rear bumper. The light fitting being a sort of 'hooded' red glass lamp with a chrome surround was so exposed that many got damaged in reversing manoeuvres over time. Therefore they are like hens teeth today to the extent that I have never actually seen one for sale. Neither have I seen them fitted to any other 50's Italian car although I am pretty certain they would have been.
Chris

[williamcorke]

I'm with Chris in that my understanding is that the central reversing light was (like the tinted glass) a 4th series only thing.  My project S4 came without one, but Ron Francis managed to unearth a slightly ratty one for me, which I think will respond to treatment.  Not sure if Ron has any more; you never know...

[ColinMarr]

On the subject of bumpers and racing, the images below might be of interest. The quality is awful because they are taken from Xerox copies of the originals. They are from a classic saloon car race at Silverstone in the 1970s.

One is of Barrie Crowe racing DXP (now Kevin’s car) complete with front bumper. The other is of Barry Waterhouse’s B20 without a bumper. The Wolseley in pursuit of Barry appears to have front bumper and a big bell! Knowing Barry it is quite possible that the view in his mirror of just such a car might not have been unfamiliar to him.

Colin

[Kevin MacBride]

Great photos, wonder what ever happened to 'my' bumpers. Would the pursuit car have had a blue flashing light by any chance. And does the Barry Waterhouse car still exist ?
Regarding the B20 in the background. I'd previously started a thread on this car, however circumstances have prevented me updating.
I'd gotton the engine running, even took the car for a few test drives, and everything seemed ok. Till one day I dipped the oil, to find the dreaded 'mayonnaise' syndrom.
So, off came the heads, and new gaskets fitted (even that was a story in itself). Left head went on fine, Right head was going well up to the last nut, which stripped its threads. So, rather than take off the head again, I chanced trying to remove the stud. Using a stud extractor, everything seemed to be going well, but even tho' the stud unscrewed itself ok, it was taking a long time to clear the head.
Then I'd realized that the stud was not original, and had been replaced with a 'stepped' stud, as in the head threads were 10mm, whilst the stud shank was 8mm. So the head had to come off.
I could not get a similar stud, so had to fit a 10mm one, and bore the head accordingly. Off with the head.
On fitting the rocker blocks to the LH head, one of the studs sheared off.
I made the desision to remove both heads, and fit a complete set of studs, both head and rocker.
28 head studs came out ok, 2 would not budge, and 2 sheared in the block..........
Tommorow the engine is coming out, and off to the machine shop, where hopefully they can remove the studs.