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Alfa Resources on the Web David Wase This Internet “yellow pages” was
assembled to assist Chapter members in maintaining their Alfas and enhancing
the Alfa ownership experience. All of
the links cited as information sources have free access and in many
cases are almost encyclopedic in their depth and breadth. No longer must Alfa
owners rely on trying to find out-of print or scarce manuals and books or
agonize over not knowing where to turn for advice. The Web expands on the concept of the Alfa owners club, by
providing an avenue to tap the knowledge and expertise of the international
Alfa community via discussion forums and email.
My experience has been eye-opening, benefiting tremendously from the
advice of Alfa owners in the UK, South Africa, Australia and throughout Europe.
Whether you delve deeply into wrenching, focus on track and competition
or enjoy the “wine and cheese” social aspects of Alfa ownership, the Internet
has something to offer. There are sites
that provide in-depth historical information about sports cars, auto racing and
the people and companies that created great automobiles. Others provide
excellent opportunities to stay current with the contemporary race, rally and
production aspects of cars. Still others provide “how-to,” repair and technical
help on maintaining or restoring your Alfa.
The Internet’s most prevalent image, E-commerce is definitely a
plus for the Alfa owner, since hard-to-find parts can be sourced world-wide. This may be the best time ever for owning an Alfa! _____________________________________ You are reading an updated version of the original publication of
December 2006. If you would like to
recommend a link for inclusion in a subsequent update, please contact the
author at dw@metrogallery.net Broad-range Enthusiast, Tech, Restoration,
Event & Competition Info Alfa
Bulletin Board www.alfabb.com An
incredible wealth of information with a search engine for specific interests.
Discussion forums include: repair info, specific models, parts and cars for
sale, competition, history, photos, and more. AROC Oregon Chapter: www.alfaclub.org/tech_library.htm The Oregon Chapter of AROC has an excellent Tech section on its
website. AROC National: www.aroc-usa.org/tech/index.asp National AROC maintains a tech resource and bank of volunteers who will
take questions via email. Yahoo
Groups www.yahoo.com Over
60 forums and discussion groups on Alfa Romeo with many model-specific groups
for almost every post-war Alfa. Start by
typing “Alfa Romeo” in the “Groups” search box. Grassroots
Motorsport www.grmotorsports.com Forums
and discussions on a wide range of race and auto-performance issues. Repair & Maintenance & Tech Information Automotive
Lighting www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/lights.html Free, detailed technical information on headlights, wiring, auxiliary
lighting and auto bulbs. Bodywork Alfa Bulletin Board www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?t=19357 Is Bondo bad? The answers to
this and other puzzles about repairing sheet metal on Alfas are discussed. Brakes
Alfa Bulletin Board www.alfabb.com/bb/tech/Alfa-Romeo-MC-1969.htm An excellent article on rebuilding irreplaceable brake master
cylinders. Car
Care: Interior/Exterior/Maintenance/Repair/Ownership Advance Auto Parts www.advanceautoparts.com/english/youcan/categories.asp An encyclopedic assemblage of DIY articles, over 80 categories in
all. No advertising or product
endorsements. Paint Alfa Bulletin Board www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?t=19760 In need of new paint on your Alfa?
There are choices so what’s best?
This article tells all. Classic Alfa Colors (OEM) www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?t=3895 Includes links to examples of most exterior and interior interior
colors. Taken from 1972 charts, but applicable to many years. Paint codes for Alfas Search by year: www.Autocolorlibrary.com Photos
of actual color chips: www.glasurit.com A bit complex to use: Move cursor to
“Color” and then click on “Search for a Formula". Best to use * as wild
card where it calls for color name, and
some years only contain new colors for that year, so search prior year
(s). Useful because it provides images
of historic paint cards. Paint problems? http://www.standox.com Paint diagnosis tool: click “Paint Defects Catalog” Spark
Plugs An informative article on what sparkplugs can tell you about your
engine. www.motocross.com/motoprof/moto/mcycle/plug2/plug2.htm Another sparkplug analysis, written for the 2 wheelers, but pretty much
universal. With photos. SPICA Wes
Ingram Enterprises http://www.wesingram.com Detailed
maintenance, repair and tuning information from experts in SPICA. At the bottom of the home page, there are 3
links to click: Fuel Supply
Diagnostics Guide, Roadside Diagnostics Guide and Replacing and
Adjusting the Thermostatic Actuator. All 3 are invaluable to SPICA owners. Tires The
Tyre Bible (UK) www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html A
very comprehensive attempt to de-mystify tire information. Tire
Rack www.tirerack.com/about/techcenter.jsp Extensive
information regarding tires and wheels, some with interesting technical detail. Longstone
Tires (UK) www.longstonetires.com/help.php Excellent
article discussing vintage tires: cross section diagrams & tables of modern
equivalent sizes. Weber
Carbs www.members.aol.com/_ht_a/Dvandrews/webers.htm A detailed tech article on how to select and tune DCOE units. Wiring
Diagrams Alfa Bulletin Board www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=42 Many Alfa wiring diagrams are available to download Free Historical & Contemporary
Reference Automobile
Reference Carfolio.com www.carfolio.com/ Site with search engine. Stats and some photos of almost every car
made. Cars from Italy www.carsfromitaly.net/ Excellent
website with photos and specs of almost all Italian cars by marque. Cars in Movies www.imcdb.org A fun site. You can search for movies that a particular make and model
appeared in. Alfa Clubs Around the World www.theclassictimes.com/clubes/alfa.asp Links to Alfa clubs/organizations throughout the world. A few links are
"dead" but a search on GoogleÒ might locate the correct ones. Italian
Design Houses Italian
car design is one of the greatest manifestations of industrial design in the 20th
century. These sites provide a
perspective on the major design houses and designers who represent the
wellspring of many concepts incorporated in world-wide automotive architecture
(and of course Alfa Romeo). The
interview with Giugiaro underscores his significance and remarkable longevity
as a designer. Click the “History” links
on the Bertone and Pininfarina and Zagato websites. Bertone www.bertone.it/en/index_en.htm Pininfarina www.pininfarina.it/eng/e_index.html Carrozeria Touring Milan www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touring_of_Milan
Giorgio Giugiaro www.designboom.com/eng/interview/giugiaro.html Zagato www.zagato.it/ News Related to Alfas, Italian Cars, Racing, Events
& Automotive Interests Italiaspeed www.italiaspeed.com Wide
ranging news including racing, enthusiast, clubs and product news. Newsletters: Sign up for emailed newsletters with news and articles related to the
Italian automotive world: AutoItalia www.auto-italia.co.uk Newsletter from “The
World’s Leading Italian Car Magazine”
(per AutoItalia). Veloce Today www.velocetoday.com Newsletter plus
archived articles, photographs, event information & more. Ferrari Maserati & Lamborghini
of Washington www.fwash.com/tce/join-intro.htm Monthly newsletters
with information on new models and events. Importing
a Car www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm/entering_us/7importingyourcar.htm An explanation of the Federal laws and
requirements governing importation of automobiles. Free
Online Translation If you’re dealing with European parts sources or enthusiast’s sites, a
translation tool may be helpful. 2 sites allow you to enter words or phrases
for automated translation: www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html also:
www.freetranslation.com This site: www.online-translator.com/srvurl.asp?lang=en allows you to
enter the URL (web address) for a site
and will produce a translated replica on your screen. Racetracks:
Events, course layouts, calendar & courses Summit Point Raceway www.summitpoint-raceway.com Virginia International Raceway (VIR)
www.virclub.com Broad-line US Parts &
Accessories Sources These suppliers may carry specialty items as well as the most common
repair and replacement items. For hard-to-find items, check both (see specialty
suppliers, below) Alfapartscatalog.com www.alfapartscatalog.com Alfa
Romeo factory parts for US models.
Online parts diagrams for 91-95 spiders and 164. Alfissimo www.alfissimo.com Specializing in parts for 164 and Milano. Inquire via their email link. Bruce’s Parts Bin www.fiatparts.com Has Alfa parts too! Centerline Alfa www.centerlinealfa.com Parts including performance and suspension upgrades, fuel, ignition and
exhaust system parts and more. Di Fatta Bros www.difatta.com Inquiries and ordering via email. Direct importer. International Auto www.international-auto.com Known for their Alfa and Fiat parts and accessories catalog, a
“must-have” for the Alfa owner. Italian Car Parts Inc. www.italiancarparts.com Replacement and performance parts,
hard to find items: windshields, authentic Italian wool carpeting,
original equipment interior vinyl and seat material for Alfas. Re-Originals www.reoriginals.com Extensive catalog of restoration parts: body, interior and mechanical.
Many are newly manufactured. Rock Auto Parts www.rockauto.com A
diverse automotive parts supplier. Online search by Alfa model and year back
to1962. NON-US Based Parts &
Accessories The Internet has made international purchases easy due to email and
online ordering. Parts that are hard to find in the US are often available
through European sources. Compare
pricing and shipping costs. A currency
converter is available at: http://www.xe.com/ucc/ AFRA (Italy) www.afra.it Major Alfa supplier for Europe for more than 55 years. Often has parts unobtainable elsewhere. Alfaholics (UK) www.alfaholics.com GTA replica wheels, GTA replica parts including aluminum body panels,
oil coolers radiators and other performance and replacement parts. Alfastop (UK) www.alfastop.co.uk Brake,
clutch, engine, steering, suspension & transmission parts, exhausts, books
and manuals Classic Alfa (UK) www.classicalfa.com Large variety including rare and specialized parts like replacement
dash knob sets for early 750 and 101 series, brand new fuel tanks, conversion
kits to replace US bumpers with Euro ones. EB Spares (UK) www.ebspares.co.uk/spares.htm Parts for Sprint through 164. Hackner (Germany) www.haeckner-shop.com Many hard-to-obtain items; Series 1900 through 164 with diagrams or
drawings for most parts Highwood Alfa (UK) www.highwoodalfa.com Many parts including performance parts/ accessories, paint stickers,
and other ID plates and decals LineaVeloce (Canada) www.lineaveloce.com Canadian source (Quebec). No
direct ordering from website, but email your needs Mt Carmel Spares (Israel) www.mtcarmelspares.com This vendor often can be found on EBAYÒ. OEM replica shift knobs,
decals and Roma-blok hose OKP Gmbh (Germany www.okparts.net/english/index.html Source with a search engine and good photographs of parts; some
hard-to-find items. Specialty Suppliers Badges Black
Bart’s Emporium www.blackbartsemporium.com Missing
a badge for your Alfa? OEM badges (so
you know they’re correct). Brake Master
cylinders Whitepost
Restorations www.whitepost.com Best
known for whole automobile restorations; they have a specialty service
rebuilding master cylinders. Body Panels Wolf Steel
Panels www.alfaparts.net/ Replacement
floor & body panels for Sprints through GTV6. Convertible
Tops Duetto
Motors www.duettomotors.com Convertible Tops.com www.convertibletops.com Dashboard
Replacement/Caps ARRICAMBI www.arricambi.com Vick
Auto (Hard Plastic Repros) www.vickauto.com
Centerline (Padded Repros) www.centerlinealfa.com Dashtops www.dashtops.com International
Auto Parts www.international-auto.com Just Dashes www.justdashes.com Heat/Sound
Insulation:Underhood, Firewall & Carpet Nitron
Industries www.nitronindustries.com Synthetic
lightweight padding, ½” foil faced for underhood padding, ¼” for floor & firewall. Ignition
& Fuel Systems RML Automotive www.rmlautomotive.com Manufactures systems to replace Motronic and Bosch systems; also fuel
pumps and fuel-injection lines. Lighting &
bulbs Service
Lighting. www.servicelighting.com Plain
and amber fog lights for GTV &
others using 5 ¾” ( PAR46); also aircraft landing lights in the same size if
you need something stronger. Replacementbulbs.com www.replacementlightbulbs.com similar to above Susquehanna Motor
Sports www.rallylights.com Auxiliary lamps (fog
& driving lights) and replacement Hella headlamps and bulbs, relays, wiring
kits etc. Nuts, Bolts,
fasteners Bolt
Depot www.boltdepot.com McMasters
www.mcmaster.com Maryland
Metrics www.md-metrics.com (Baltimore based) Extensive
selections of fasteners and other hardware; brass, steel, alloy, stainless. Panasport
Wheels Paul
Spruell Motorsport www.paulspruell.com Replica
Panasports with modern alloy composition. Also performance parts including
Carrillo con rods. Supplies,
Chemicals and Specialty Refinishing equipment for restoration Eastwoods www.eastwood.com Extensive
source for specialty tools, chemicals and materials for the restorative
process. SPICA Wes
Ingram Enterprises www.wesingram.com Re-builders
of SPICA pumps, including special modifications for fast-road & racing
applications. Upholstery
& Carpet World
Upholstery & Trim www.worlduph.com Replacement
carpet,, seat sets & foam for most Alfas from 1955. DIY or take to a local
auto trim service. Weber
Carbs Pierce
Manifolds www.piercemanifolds.com Weber Carbs
Direct www.webercarbsdirect.com Specializing in
carbs, parts and conversion kits. (links courtesy of Frank Smith). Wiring Classic
Wiring www.classicwiring.com A
specialist in Alfa wiring harnesses.
Website lists Alfa models and prices for harnesses for each model. Rhode
Island Wire www.riwire.com Electrical
connectors, wiring harnesses, parts, & wire
Will duplicate old wiring harnesses. Books, Manuals Periodicals, Models Owners
& Parts Manuals on CD www.cardisc.com Available
for almost every post-war Alfa, includes
PDF file scans of service manuals and parts books. Books
4Cars.com: www.Books4Cars.com search engine turned up 269 items on Alfa Romeo. Libreria
dell’Automobile: www.libreriadellautomobile.it
Search
engine listed 174 items for Alfa. EWA1 http://ewa1.com A
website featuring many car models, F1 clothing, Alfa pens and other
collectibles. US representative for
many UK specialty auto magazines including Practical Classics and Classic
& Sports Car. Magazines All
of these magazines have websites that provide varying amounts of free
information and pictures as well as subscription info. ClassicCar (UK) www.classiccarsmagazine.co.uk Some
excellent reference material including a “Makes and Model” section that has an
extensive collection of photos of cars that includes many touring, rallye and
race cars rarely seen in the US. Practical
Classics www.practicalclassics.co.uk Website
contains a searchable database that gives specs and pictures and a “Financial
Details” tab gives available results for auction sales. Classic
& Sports Car www.classicandsportscar.com Free
content is growing with review and test
articles on classic cars, a search engine for cars for sale (Europe and UK) and
a set of reader’s forums Octane www.octane-magazine.com/ The
website for Octane magazine offering articles and news. A bit thin on content however, some archived articles for download
including one on a restored Alfa 6C 2300B and the Ferrari “bread-van.” To access the archives you will need to go to
the home page and click on the “Features”
tab. Hemmings
Sports & Exotic Car www.hemmings.com Has
car and parts ads for the most part. Their printed publication Sports &
Exotic Car is impressive featuring
articles on unique collectibles and restorations. ______________________________ Please note: no endorsement is conveyed by the inclusion of any
source, nor does exclusion of any source imply a negative judgment of
same. Information contained herein is
believed to be accurate as of the date of publication, is for reference
purposes only and is provided without any liability on the part of the
author. Names and trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
Copyrights are reserved and no part or the entirety of this article may
be reprinted or disseminated without the express written permission of the
author. This information is provided as a benefit to National
Capital Chapter AROC members through the courtesy of the Chapter and printed
and mailed through the generosity of Claren Court Studio, Inc. provider of
specialty framing and display services for automotive art, posters, badges and
collectibles. No chapter or AROC
funds were used. Published
December, 2006 by the author. |