Newsletter 22 October-November 1980


Intermeccanica Owner’s Club Newsletter
#22 October-November 1980

EUROPEAN NOTES by Helmut Aulgur
The ads announcing the birth of the **ta-da** Intermeccanica Owners' Club, European Branch, have all been sent out and will be appearing in the Auto Motor und Sport magazine. I'm expecting a response of seven or eight owners: if there is more, so much the better.

Other news: Tony Baumgartner sent the name but not the address of the company in Italy that supplied grilles for Indras and Italias. I procured the address and telephone number through telephone information. Name is: Renzo Pradella, 21 Via M. Tepasubeo, Turin, Italy: phone 619-9701 with out overseas prefix. I have called twice to see if they may have a few left-over grilles laying around, but the first time nobody answered the phone and the second time nobody was there that could speak English or German.

Since installation of the 350 c.i.d. engine in my Indra, I have had severe overheating problems. On a hot day, water temperature runs at 110-120 degrees centigrade. It doesn't boil since the pressure/antifreeze prevents boilover, but it gets hotter than bell inside of the car. I think next spring I'll have to pet a custom radiator made; and, also, installing a double oil filter system along with an oil cooler. This will allow a 12 quart capacity and lower the engine temperature about 10-15 degrees C.

So, that's all the latest news from the Fatherland, birthplace of the Bratwurst.

IM BODY REPAIR AND PAINTING:

member: Joe Prussack
4636 Martin Drive
New Olmsted, Oil 44070
216-779-9306

FORD PARTS ORDERED BY INTERMECCANICA by L. L. Burnett

Member Ron Patterson (A/K/A #5-174) has latched on to the Ford data sheets covering the parts bought by Intermeccanica from 1968 on. Parts are listed with numbers. One page lists every parts group and each group has a page - each updated as changes were made. So 289's through 351's are there, for example.
Several interesting points can be noted.

Radiators for 302 and 269 HP engines are '68 Mustang with automatic transmission. Transmission ratios for 30Z-4V and 351-2-4V('68 Fairlane) are 2.78, 1.93, 1.36, and 1.00 rather than those listed in Torino
and Italia manuals. Members may secure copies of all this from the club's IM literature expert: Bill Stamm, 320 W. 84th St., NY, NY 10024 212-787-5038.

TECH BITS

from Jay Horowitz for '67 Torino:
A-arm bushings - '67 Olds Cutlass (exact fit).
Door latch and plate - Mercedes
Front outer anti-sway bar bushing and bracket '71 G-10 Chevy van, 03927019, and 00334671.
Rear tail lense - '67 Renault Alpine 8550925OO.
Disc brake pads - Girling 64 325750 DB DON 55 FF 1269.
Front caliper cup and seal - disc brake kit Girling SP 2524 248.

from George Aydelott for Omega:
Power brake assist unit - Mazda Bendix 227-0-0104 (perfect fit).
Rear caliper seal kit - Girling SP 2524.

from George DeStefano for Italia:
Left upper control arm with ball joint Fiat 4099150.
Bushings for control arm - Fiat 4007923.
from Joseph Prussack for Italia:
Door lock striker latch - '73 Ford.
Upper ball joints '77 Buick Skylark.
Front shocks – rear shock from full size Olds.

from Ron Jackson for Italia:
springs made by Atlantic Spring & Mfg. Co., Philadelphia, PA, as suggested in an earlier issue, appear to be excellent. However it took four months from the date of order until I received them, and cost almost $200.

from Terry Schulte for Italia: Use mechanical expanders from a Gremlin for the deck lid. Works and looks original.

from Ed Janis for Torino: The heater valve is from both the late 1300 and the early 1600 Alphas. The part number is 105.00.57.036.01. It is available from Griswald Co., 1809 San Pablo Dr., Berkeley, CA 94702, 415-527-5823, for $23.67. The rubber diaphragm is also in stock for $1.25, #1493.90.117.

from L. L. Burnett for Torino-Italia: Anyone wishing to become the headlight cover source should contact me. I think I've found a way to get a batch made. Break even on the project would be, perhaps, twenty sets. Estimate $500 needed up front.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
Members are welcome to advertise free. Copy subject to editing or refusal.
(removed list)

THIS MONTH'S COVER CAR by Rob Rowe
In the fall of '72, Italia #50376414 was a show car at the Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona. Later that year, Paul Bonn purchased the car with factory fiberglass hardtop, off the showroom floor at Canyon Ford.
After three years in the Arizona sun the trick metallic green paint crazed so Paul had it stripped to bare metal and repainted metallic blue. The interior had also deteriorated so the black vinyl was replaced with tan leather. A four inch radiator core and a new air conditioning system custom manufactured by A.M.A. of Phoenix increase the cooling efficiency. Recently, he has had the mufflers replaced and the carburetor rebuilt.
As recommended in a previous Newsletter, he had a frame shop (which specializes in building race car frames) check for stress cracks in the frame near the engine and suspension mounting. They found no cracks in the frame. However, the shock towers were rewelded because they had been welded improperly at the factory, years before. Paul said he never knew how the car handled until after that.

SILICON BRAKE FLUID
Member Chuck Vanderberg is offering DOT 5 brake fluid to members who mention IOC for $13.50 a quart shipped UPS.

CLUB OFFICERS:
President: L. L. Burnett
Sea Shell Lane
President: Helmut Aulgur
(Europe) Carl von Linde Str. 4
8500 Nuremberg
W. Germany

Editor: Rob Rowe
217-864-2679

Intermeccanica Owner's Club
Hopewell Farms
Dalton City,
Illinois 61925

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