Intermeccanica Owners' Club                               L. L. Burnett

Newsletter #12                                                         R. D. 3

December 1975                                                        Huntington, N.Y. 11743

 

As of December 31st the Club has eleven new members,monies totaling $219.34 and excellent prospects for 1976 and beyond. Coming aboard are:(list removed)

 

Although others are waiting to become 1976 members (Gary Smookler '72 Italia Coupe) and some punctual members have sent in '76 dues, I would like to step aside a little and let another carry the torch. Therefore, I ask for volunteers. If none appear, I will offer to write sporadic newsletters when I have enough new information of interest. And I'll ask others to do the typing, reproduction, and mailing and be reimbursed. Each function could be done by a different member at little cost in time. So please consider volunteering to do the whole thing, or part.

 

D. Hamelink's solution was a Koni 350 lb/in. of the type used with their racing shocks. The only modification needed is to remove the shock collar which forms the upper spring mount and weld on a slightly smaller one. Springs are 14" long and are pretty stiff, so probably a 300 would be about right. These springs are sold by Kensington Corp.,150 Green Street, Hackensack, New Jersey, 07601 for $40 retail.Drew's cost $37 from a speed shop. Since Mr.Leekus of High Performance Auto, 40 Oser Street, Hauppauge, L.I.,New York provides Bilstein's to Club members or $39, you can figure on about $160 for parts. This contrasts with approximately $400 for the Koni shock and spring combination! Larry Simon says he thinks the B46-476-HA Bilstein includes a spring and collar but Mr.Vos says "no" and provides spring specifications: Wire diameter 13mm, Turns 12.5,Useful turns 11,Free length 333mm,405 Kg load = 240mm length,Internal diameter of top 2 coils 85mm. This gives 4.354 Kg/mm as a guide to spring selection.Please note that the specs on p3 of NL5 are obvioulsy early suspension data. Now if some member will work it all out, including the data for late rear springs .....

 

Number One

Numerologist members will have already noted that Griffith #1 is owned by Mr. Nibali. Well -- Bill Stamm is now proud possessor of Omega #1. Also N.W. Lancione has met the owner of Apollo #1 inFort Lauderdale and Early Italia #1 is in Beverly Hills (Ed Carter).

 

Windshields

Cracks and stars can be fixed, it seems. According to Jack Triplett:

I had a star-break in mine, as in the diagram, approximately 7/8" across. This was repaired with the Cifer System by Metroglass Centers (6700 Industrial Road, Springfield, Virginia 20151, is Cifer headquarters; my

work was done in Maryland, by a franchise). This is done by drilling a small hole ar the center of the star and forcing in a special, patented material, which moves into the cracks of the star, bonding the two edges together.  The material cannot be forced all the way to the points of the star, for fear of pushing the cracks further out, so the repaired place looks like the lower diagram (hole in the center shows)> The technician told me that stars are the hardest kind of windshield break to fix because of the difficulty of forcing the material into the cracks, and also claims that the NOVUS process doesn't bond and so is not as good as Cifer's. For me, it was worth the $45 to evade (or postpone) a windshield replacement."

  

Meanwhile Mr. Vos of S&V Imports has contracted to have new windshields manufactured in the U.S. Club members will receive a discount which should keep the cost below $500. I sugges those in need or wishing to have a spare contact him without delay. $495 FOB New York. Member discount 10%. Add $25 crating.

 

Hard Tops

Larry Simon, contemplating having a top made, has sent in sketches of proposed designs (filling in xeroxs of the fold-out from the Italia Owners' Manual).

Ranging from coupe through fastback to stationwagonback, they're intriguing. Mr. P.C.Pintler has a fiberglass top, apparently factory supplied. Dr. Shapiro has constructed an interesting Targa-like top from fiberglass. I'm using a steel top cut from a coupe and referring to photos of Mr. Pintler's top for detail guidance. This is an area that needs further exploration and development.

 

Hard Starts

Drew Hamelink added a wire from solenoid to coil (actucally a resistor just before the coil). He says there is one terminal wired through the ignition to the coil for normal operation. A second terminal connects to a bypass circuit leading directly to coil for use when starting the engine. Without the bypass he was getting only 7.5 volts to the coil.

 

Motor Heat

Cockpit heat on non-A/C cars can be difficult in summer. An asbestos sheet can be placed under floor-firewall mat or on engine side of firewall. Heater can be bypassed by making a loop of one heater hose.Batteries should be shielded with foil-backed fiberglass insulation.

 

Parts, Tid-bits and Update

 

Lower Control Arms

Mr.Vos advises that he has arms for the Torino - early Italia series.  Serial numbers beginning with 48, 58, 49, or 59.

 

Early Springs

Mr.Vos wants to confirm the length, number of turns and outside circumfer- ence, front and rear. Has anyone confirmed the specs appearing in Newsletter #5?

 

Bull Grill Emblems

Those used to be handmade of brass in Italy and cost S&V $22. Dr.Rapasarda is looking for a new source.

 

Air Conditioner Outlet Nozzles

Replace with those used on Triumph TR-6 as they open and close (L. Simon)

 

Upper Motor Mount

For 351 in late Italia use mount from '63 Ford Galaxy with 289 engine (L.Simon)

 

Mufflers and Tips

Faza in Daytona, Florida has them and are acquainted with Italia. Phone number ?? (L.Simon)

 

Brakes

Pads Front            - Girling 64325750 (Ferrari) Mintex M33 Volvo 1800S, Aston-Martin, Alfa 2600, etc.

Rear Rear            - Girling 64325738

Parking                - Girling 64932005

Calipers Front       - Girling 64032818 - LP19LP-16/3 (Torino), Volvo 122S #16/3 - SP2510/1

Rear                     - AC Cobra, Fiat 2300 Girling 64032734 - 5YN - 12/3H (Torino) Volvo 122S #12/3 - SP2542

Master Cylinder (double) - Girling Triumph TR5, TR250, TR6. 640-688-22 Kit #2490

Pressure Warning Device - Girling Triumph

Brake Hose   - Pirelli, Fiat 2300

Discs            - Intermeccanica

Booster            - Girling IL 427 (Torino) rebuild kit available Lucas, Girling 64049126 (Italia) Kit SP 2228

 

Window Washers

'70 - '71 Fiat 124 system works (L.Simon)

 

HEATER HOSE - OMEGA

Small L-shaped - John Bull #433 fro Jaguar 2.4 "56-'61, MK II '59-'61, cut down (L. Burnett).

 

Apollo Items

The following data, furnished by B. Edelstein, taken together with the factory data from J. Triplett (see Bibliography), should make Apollo-Vetta V. ownership even more of a pleasure:

Headlight rims, Lancia Appia 3rd series, part #2163-215.

Rear axel housing, '63 Buick 6340-41-4300, 1355912 - Housing.

Rear air bag, A-19 air lift, J.C. Whiteny #55-1520, p65, cat.312

Mufflers, A.S.A. 240Z.

Tail lights, Ferrari.

Door Locks, Fiat.

He states he had good response to part orders from the light manufacturer, Altissimo Aimone, S.P.A., 10024 Moncalieri-Strada, Genova, 216, Italy. He's using Pirelli 185S16's on his Borrani 175x400 wire with aluminum alloy rims.

 

Door Mouldings

G. Willetts suggest Solbe Supply 1008 S.W. 5th Street, Miami, Florida.

 

Parts Numbers

L.Simon reports that Penn Auto Part (717) 421-4050 has a computer exchange providing information on part numbers from manufacturers' serial numbers. It works for some Intermeccanica parts.

 

Recommended Repairpersons

Body and Paint

-- Color Creations by Danny, 50 Tolland Turnpike, Manchester, Connecticut 203-649-1370 (L.Burnett)

-- Action Auto, 1413 N. 5th, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 717-424-2242(L.Simon)

 

Grills

-- T. Haritos, Club member, New Jersey.

-- L. Simon knows a man in Pennsylvania.

 

Wiring

-- O.F.Thomas, 9th and Sarah Street, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 717-421-6789

 

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The following bibliography obviously contains errors and needs completion. Please help if you can.

 

Intermeccanica Literature

1-63           Driver's Report            Apollo Buick 3500 GT ?? (J.T.C.) pp. 70-72

3-63    Review                 Apollo Apollo 3500 GT ?? pp.47-49

6-63    Mention of Apollo Motor Trend

9-63    Road Test                 Apollo 3500 GT Car and Driver pp. 30-32

?-63    Road Test                 Apollo 3500 GT Road and Track pp.12-15

9-63           European Report Apollo 3500 GT (Note on bodies) ? p. ?

12-63 Salesman's Guide Apollo 5000 11 pages

11-63 Road Test                 Apollo GT Road and Track pp. 34-37

?-63         Factory Assemby Notes Apollo 5000 GT (Parts and Procedure Lists)

2-64           News article               introducing Apollo 5000 GT Automotive News one page

2-64           Magazine article Apollo 5000 Town and Country one page

7-65    Photos from N.Y. Auto Show "Griffith" (Apollo 2+2) Road and Track p.28

1-66           MAGAZINE ARTICLE Apollo 5000 Motor Trend one page

2-66           Brief article         Griffith 500 GT Car and Driver pp. 73

7-66    Article                 Griffith 500 GT Road and Track pp.51-52

1966          Specification Sheet Omega

12-66 Magazine article         Phoenix Car and Driver pp.57-60, 118

3-67           Magazine article Omega Car and Driver pp.66-69, 102

mid-67 Magazine article         Apollo? Automobile Quarterly Vol.5 #4 pp.408-9

4-68           Road Test                 Omega Motor Trend pp.52-53

1968? Magazine article         Omega ? ? p.73

?         Road Test                 Italia

11-70 Road Test                 Italia Sports Car Graphic pp.36-39

12-70 Road Test                 Italia Auto Motor and Sport pp.120-125

early 71     Magazine article Intermeccanic '71 Automobile Quarterly Vol.9 #3 pp.308-317

'71             Road Test                 Italia High Performance Imported Cars pp.85-89

9-73           Newspaper article Intermeccanica Competition Press and Autoweek 9-27-73 pp. 27-28

 

Car Valuations - Insurance

The value of your Intermeccanica car is not only what you will take to let it go. In case of accident it may become what you prove it was worth before the crash. Some early cars were registered as Fords. You can imagine the problems that causes. It is wise to investigate and receive a written statement as to the value the company is basing premiums on. Special forms of coverage are available on either a stated value or a per $1000 of value basis - just try to make sure you don't find yourself in Steve Olson's predicament.  Mr. Olson is requesting from all members a written description of your car (including year, ID number and value). He's already received a few and they look like this: (note - retail prices unless otherwise noted)

1969 - $3400                 1968 - $4400 1969 - $6000

1969 - $3700                 1969 - $5500 1967 - $8500

1967 - $4000(wholesale) 1070 - $5500 1969 - $10000

 

He will summarize all his data and place it in the Newsletter. However I suggest that the above estimate do not reflect the fact that inflation has struck.  They do emphasize that car condition outweighs year in making estimates. I'm not sure how insurance companies think, however. Anyone who can enlighten us further on all this, should. So do help out Steve (and yourself) with a statement, trying to keep your conservatisms somewhere between Eldridge Cleaver and Louis XIV.

 

Notices

Please return the car photos which are being passed around. Can anyone provide enlargements so that each member could start a collection?   Thanks go to those sending in parts data, restoration tips, photos, literature, references, etc. Apologies for being late with this Newsletter. 1976 might find our Club with over 100 members. It is now registered on two major media lists of car clubs.

 

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