Intermeccanica owners' club

 

Newsletter #21 Spring 1980

 

CONTENTS:

European Notes         1 Editor's Note 3

Indras Here         2 Movie Review 3

Rockville Car Meet 2 Price Rise         4

Rockville Remeet 3 Oil Sender 4

Indra Model         3 Tid Bits          5

Classified                 6

 

Club funds: $169.00 after expenses of 4162.00.

 

President:                             Editor and Mailing: President (Europe):

L. L. Burnett                      Rob Rowe                 Helmut Aulgur

Sea Shell Lane                      Route 1                 Carl von Linde Str. 4

Nortport,                              Dalton City,                 8500 Nurenburg

New York 11768                      Illinois 61925 W.            Germany

516-757-6116

 

Subscription is ten dollars per year. Members are welcome to contribute articles, technical Information, photographs, or other items of interest.

 

EUROPEAN NOTES: by L. L. Burnett

This initiates a section which will appear in all future newsletters. Our club now has a European branch headed by copresident: Helmut Aulgur.

Mr. Aulgur owns Indra coupe #18 which hag had It's 327 chev. replaced by a 350 LT-1; he'll report the too speed after break-in. Notice of the formation of the European branch will appear in Auto Motor und Sport.

 

Info of primarily European Interest will be published In German. However, correspondence with Mr. Aulgur will be In English, as will newsletter items of American interest.

 

At present, Indras sell for between 8 and 28,000 Marks, averaging 18,000 marks or $9900. Recently a good Italia was offered for sale at 23,000 Marks (1.82 Marks per $).

 

Mr. Aulgur can assist members with discount prices on wheel rims (ATS, BBS, Ronal, Cromadora, Campagnello, etc.), VDO instruments, Opel, Fiat (yeah), Alfa, and German Ford parts; and has a friend In the exotic car restoration business who can help with parts (switches, weatherstripping, maybe).

He reports that two Indra tail lights, complete (67 Alfa 1750), come to $112. I'm wondering if he could not have had them from Italy or even the U.S., paid 8-13% duty and still saved money. German high test is $2.46 a gallon and the "road tax" (discouraging large engines) is 800 M per year for his Indra. "Intermeccanica driving is an expensive hobby In Germany!"

 

We wholeheartedly welcome this new developement. I hope our U.S. members will do all they can to assist the new members to come. I'm sure those in Europe will prove similarly helpful to our domestic parts searchers.

 

INDRAS HERE!: by Frank Cimilluco

 

I got a real surprise last week. I was barreling down Rt. 17 around the Paramus area (New Jersey), and what catches my eye in a used foreign car lot? The sleek nose of an Indra.

 

In this country? I turned around and checked It out. It was at Rally Motors. It was a 2+2 fastback model, gold on copper color with low mileage. I thought these cars were not imported into this country because of federal bumper and emissions standards. It's an attractive car inside and out. If only I had the money! The interior impressed me the most. I wish my Italia had that interior.

 

ROCKVILLE CAR MEET: by Rob Rowe

As has been a tradition the past few years, there was an Italia get-together at the Sports Car Collectors Society of America Annual Meet. This year I was there.

It was threatening to rain when I arrived early the morning of the meet. Even so, exotic cars were being driven and trailered In. What caught my attention first was a pair of Ferrari GTB's. One was brown (a nice car) and one was red. The red Ferrari was the four cam model; I was impressed. There were also MG's (nice early ones), Healy's, TVR's, and Shelby's, to mention a few.

 

But where are the Italias?, I thought. Even though things were getting interesting as an immaculate AC cobra was trailered in, I decided to go for breakfast.

When I got back it was raining. My first thought was the guy with the Ferrari who said his car had never been in the rain. It has now! What a downpour! As I stood on the road on the side of a small hill the water flowed over the tons of my sneakers. I ran down the hill snapping pictures franticly as everybody left. If I hadn't held my camera over my head with one arm (to keep from dunking the camera, I might have been able to stop myself from losing my footing and landing in a small stream.

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent driving around the D.C. area trying to find Italias. In a back allyway I found Anthony Podrow's Omega. It's light blue metallic with an automatic transmission. I was impressed by the real knock-off wheels (but only in front?).

 

ROCKVILLE REMEET: by L. L. Burnett

Paul Gibson's Italia #26 and Burt Pompas' and my Torinos were there. Gibson is an officer of the SCCSA meet, I think, and not a club member. Tony Podrow, Brian Snow, and Jack Triplett stopped by also.

 

 

INDRA MODEL: by Frank Cimilluca

In case you're not aware, a 1/43 scale die cast (metal) model is only about three to four Inches long. Not much size for my interests and probably not that much detail. But, It's the only Intermeccanica model car I have ever seen for sale.

Indra models are made by Pilen of Spain. They are available from the adjacent address as #PIL-343 fro $4.50. Richardi's Auto Models P.O. Box 8 Parsippany, NJ 07054 201-887-0505.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: by Rob Rowe

Many may be wondering what's going on with the club since It is now almost a year since the last newsletter. The fault is mine, not the club's. As editor, I have failed to overcome the inevitable problems that occur when trying to complete a project of this nature on schedule.

 

Thanks for your patience. Please keep the technical pieces coming. If you haven't contributed articles in the past, please do so now and not just technical articles. Could we have some human interest stories about your experiences with your Intermeccanica automomobile? Send pictures, too.

 

During the coming year I hope to have the newsletter out on a regular basis, perhaps bimonthly. I've been collecting lots of pictures of Italias in my travels, and will be bringing those- to you In upcoming issues.

 

MOVIE REVIEW $1,000,000 DUCK: by Ed Janis

It's been years since I've seen a movie with Dean Jones. Now I know why. A 1971 comedy first telecast In 1974, this could be described as "zany" - If that's what you call trying to squeeze (with two hands) a golden egg from a duck, while barking like a dog!?

 

The highlight, of course, was when Joe Flynn, trying to Impress Sandy Duncan, buys a new yellow Italia roadster. The car lasts about one hour, which includes 45 minutes sitting In front of the house, before three people jump In (Dean Jones spends three minutes trying to get the door open), and roar off after a runaway duck. One high speed turn later "Joey Baby'' slams into the back of a truck - a total life span of about one hour, which is par for an Intermeccanica car on any city street these days. Cap it all off with a typical Disney ending and you have it ... I think?

 

PRICE OF OMEGAS & ITALIAS ON RISE: by John Lence

The Investment Auto Myers' Guide speaks very highly of our cars, and its author indicates an annual appreciation in excess of 20% per year.

The Publication is available from the following for $12.50:

 

M I Q Publishing, Ltd.

8023 West Dodge Road

Omaha, Nebraska 68131

 

ITALIA OIL SENDER REPLACEMENT: by Ed Janis

For 69 Italia with 302:

 

Parts:

Stewart Warner #279.A sender kit.

3 1/2" long by 1/8" blk pipe nipple.

1/8" pipe coupling, blk also.

large nut

220 ohm resistor (1/4 watt).

 

1. Remove old sender and extension. With any luck at all it won't break off in the block.

2. Join nipple and coupling. Weld nut against back of coupling. (This eases removal and installation).

3. Use adapter on back of oil pressure gauge and Install resistor between positive pole and ground car, as shown. This will calibrate the gauge properly. It           measures in kg./cm2.

        1.6 kg./cm2=22.7 psi, 2.1 kg./cm2=29.8 Psi, 3.6kg./cm2=51.2 Psi.

 

TID BITS:

Early master cylinder (single one Inch bore): Replace with Girling 64066355. Application and repair kit not known. LB

Ball joints and tie rod ends: From FRAP, Pizza F. LLI Bandino, 10045 Pio Ssasco, Italy- #71 tie rod end, #103 upper ball Joint, #102 lower ball joint. LB

Heater motor (early Italia): #3048RF12V7223, oversize, has motor bolts carried through bottom cover. (Some early fuses act as a resistor. For more speed they could be replaced with a larger fuse. Does anyone know how big a fuse is safe?). RP

Bearing for steering support column: #6005-2RS (available at any bearing distributor). RP

 

Late Italia springs front and rear made by: DA

ACC Spring Betts Spring

Gardines, CA San Leandro, LA

213-323-4833 451-352-0111

 

Switch unit for windows (Italia): Ducellier #09897003, Citroen #5407157.

Window Fears (white plastic- Italia): Citroen #5-441498. BD

Master cylinder repair kit (Italia): Girling SP 2490/2. BD

Rear shock absorber (Italia): Bilstein #446-476. BD

Late Italia side marker lights: Alfa. RR

Italia rocker panel chrome: Camaro works. RR

Italia gauges: Lamborghini 400 GT are very similar. JR

 

Bilstein rear shock specifications: (Thanks to Ronald Jackson).

Extended length         420mm

Compressed length 258mm

Travel                 162mm

Rebound valving         370kg

Compression valving 170kg

Upper connection pin

Lower connection eye

 

MECHANIC RECCOMENDATION: by Patty Domay

West Valley Sports Cars, Ivan Jadric 18422 Van Owen St. Reseda, CA 91335

Recommended for electrical, auto-air work, etc. on Omegas and Italias.

 

DECALS:

Any member lacking a club decal should contact L. Burnett. M

Many thanks to Michelle Somma.

 

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING:

Members are welcome to advertise cars and parts free. Copy is subject to editing or refusal.

 

AUTOMOBILES FOR SALE:

(removed list)

 

CARS WANTED:

(removed list)

 

PARTS FOR SALE:

(removed list)

 

PARTS WANTED:

(removed list)

 

PERSONAL NOTE:

Thanks for your help, Steve Olson, in mailing the newsletters in the past. L.L. Burnett. Thanks too, to Jim Shoemaker for excellent duplicating of past newsletters.

 

Intermeccanica Owners Club

Hopewell Farms

Dalton City,

Illinois 61925

 

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