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Alfisti is originated by
John Griffiths AROC East Midlands Section Secretary
0774 8881317
Email: [email protected]
See our website for all the latest . . .
AROC-UK.com/EastMids
The final Alfa 4C Spiders for the UK are captured
here at Portbury awaiting delivery inspection.
Coming up ...
AGM & Alfa Quiz George & Dragon Thringstone
Weds 10 October from 7.30pm
Our only remotely formal meeting of the year.
We will be electing our committee, reviewing the
year’s events and looking forward to 2019, all
followed by a fun multiple choice quiz set by last
year’s winner Brian Smith. Nice prizes too. The
formal bit starts at 8pm. New ideas for events
and activities are always welcome at the table.
(Please arrive early if you intend to eat.)
Sunday Scramble
Bicester Heritage Centre
Sunday 7 October (9am-2pm)
The specialist businesses of Bicester Heritage
will be open to the public, and it’s a great
opportunity to see inside the workshops,
showrooms and buildings there and to catch a
glimpse of their latest projects, restorations and
stock. Meet at M1 J15A services to convoy in,
leaving at 8.15am. More info on page 3.
Please let John know if you’re going.
@AROCeastmids
We’ve had lots of enjoyable navigational and
convoy runs in our group over the years - pioneered
by Section Chairman Bryan who christened them
“The Fox Run”. Last year’s autumnal edition saw us
travel around west Leicestershire ending up at the
Bosworth Battlefield centre and was enjoyed by all
who took part - and nobody got (badly) lost either!
Well this October we’re off on another one...
Start the day with a FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST at
our regular haunt, the George & Dragon in
Thringstone. It’s £7 a head including tea or coffee.
We will gather from 9:30 with breakfast from 10am,
so no big rush to be early. Suitably fuelled, it’s then
a simple navigational rally with full instructions
including ’Tulip’ diagrams NOT designed to get you
lost! All that will be explained to the uninitiated. The
route covers around 50 miles or 90minutes, with
cars leaving at 2 minute intervals from about 10:45.
Navigators are required if you want to enjoy the
Tulip style run but if stuck you can ‘convoy’ behind
someone.
Cars will arrive at the finish between 12:30 and
1:30. That is a SECRET popular venue in the south
of our region which is FREE to enter bar a small
parking charge, The venue has a café for snacks
and drinks around lunchtime and you could bring a
picnic if you fancy, (OK, being a bit hopeful there in
late October!) and people are free to stay as long
as they like in the afternoon. For those interested it
is a ‘dog friendly’
finishing point too.
The day is designed
to appeal to all ages
and is great for kids too. Friends and family are free
to join in as there is no real restriction on numbers,
and in any car too. It doesn’t have to be an Alfa
Romeo - French cars may be wheel clamped, don’t
push it. ;0)
I do need to know numbers of cars so I can
organise things at start and finish and produce the
right number of route packs, so PLEASE contact me
to book. A quick email is all I need. Also,
VEGETARIANS, please let me know if you’d like a
veggie brekkie so we can advise the G&D. Now, it is
October and the weather could do absolutely
anything of course and the roads may be muddy in
places, so please be prepared! Anyway, it should be
a lot of fun, so do please ‘sign up’.
So, Autumn begins but we still have good stuff to
enjoy in the run into Winter. The NEC Classic Motor
Show is a big favourite for many in November and
we’re planning a special talk night in December too,
plus some more things. I hope you can make it to
the AGM as well when we can discuss ideas for next
year. The Section has been really well supported
this year, thanks to everyone who’s
contributed - even be it just bringing
their lovely car along. Cheers! John
Join the Fox Run! Sunday 21 October - please BOOK via John
THE OFFICIAL
ALFA ROMEO
OWNERS CLUB
EAST MIDLANDS
NEWSLETTER
■ October 2018 ■ Issue 213
Gazetta
NERO EDITION COMING SOON
Giulietta Giulia and Stelvio ranges will get a
special Nero edition, featuring gloss black
mirrors, grilles and wheels. No word yet on
engines and other trim specification, only it
is “coming soon” according to Alfa UK.
They will first appear as the B-Tech Edition
in Europe, the concept following the
pattern of other manufacturers’ black
editions, e.g. Audi, Jaguar and BMW.
CHIPEX DISCOUNT
Nobody is immune from stone chips, and
it’s a great idea to get them repaired
before the salt gets on the roads. ChipEx
offer an amazing colour match, with a
clever kit too to prepare and level chips, or
simply apply the paint with the supplied
‘sticks’. Note the small-size is more than
enough for most cars. You will just need
your Alfa’s colour code number which will
be located on a label somewhere in a
door/boot jamb or under bonnet. AROC
members get a 10% discount too - the
code is on the member services area of the
AROC Forum, or drop a line to John.
FERRARI / ALFA DRIVER SWAP
Charles LeClerc will be swapping F1 race
seats with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen for the
2019 season, the young team Alfa Romeo
Sauber driver having really impressed this
season. At nearly 40 years of age, former
World Champion Kimi will be bringing a
wealth of experience to the Swiss-based
team too. It will be fascinating to see how
both get on, meantime, LeClerc has helped
Sauber amass twice as many points this
season than the last 2 put together!
Sign up to get
latest news, info
and chat. See
www.facebook.com/groups/
arocukeastmids
News Snippets Date Activities
Friday 5
October
Curborough Circuit Track Day – Our Section returns to the
Nurburgring of the Midlands. £30 non-returnable deposit required
to book your car’s place via John. See information in the panel
below. (There still maybe a spot left!)
Sunday 7
October
Sunday Scramble – Bicester Heritage Centre. The specialist
businesses of Bicester Heritage will be open to the public, a great
opportunity to see inside their workshops, showrooms and buildings
and catch a glimpse of their latest projects, restorations and stock.
Lots of attending classics to see too. See page 3.
Weds 10
October from
7.30pm
AGM & Alfa Quiz at The George & Dragon in Thringstone We will be
electing our committee, reviewing the year’s events and looking
forward to 2019, all followed by a fun multiple-choice quiz with nice
prizes to be set by last year’s winner, Brian Smith. Expect something
a bit off-beat, but with multiple choice answers!
Sunday 21
October
The Fox Run – A scenic Sunday morning run to an attraction. With
Tulip-style navigation for added entertainment! We had a great run
around west Leicestershire last year, finishing at the Bosworth
Battlefield centre. It will be somewhere different this time. More
details nearer the time.
9-11 November
Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham, AROC display featuring
superb historic Alfa Romeos and something new. Our Section
members will be helping on the stand so do come and say hello!
Special ticket discount available for AROC members on the Sat and
Sun. See AROC publications or contact John.
Weds 14
November from
7.30pm
Monthly meeting at The George & Dragon in Thringstone - starting at
7.30pm. The meeting will include the infamous ‘What’s it worth’
quiz, with nice prizes! Nothing strenuous, it’s all multiple choice
guesswork and a good laugh too!
Coming up . . .
The Small Print: Alfisti is the newsletter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club UK East Midlands Section. Alfa Romeo Owners Club UK ltd cannot endorse or recommend services or products advertised in its publications. Any opinions published in ‘Alfisti’ or its sister website, Twitter account and Facebook Group are personal ones. Alfa Romeo Owners Club Ltd Registered Number 01106134. Please contact John Griffiths if you have any queries about the Club or our active local Area Section. See cover for contact details.
ALFISTI’S CONTENT, IMAGES AND DESIGN ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT. PLEASE ASK PERMISSION BEFORE ANY RE-USE.
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P2
TRACK DAY TIME! Curborough Circuit Track Day No. 2
Friday 5 October
After a great track day back in April we’ve
rebooked the Curborough Sprint track near
Lichfield for Friday 5 October. At time of
writing we can still fit in one or 2 latecomers
if you are up for it.
As always the hire cost will be divided by
the total number of drivers - so cost will be
around £60-£65 each.
It’s terrific fun, great for expert or novice.
With one car on track at a time for 4 lap
stints, taken as fast or slow as you like, and
as many goes as you like. We are there
from 9:45 to 5pm with a lunch break. It’s
not hard on the cars being the track work
done in such short bursts. Cars other than
Alfa Romeos are allowed too. (Note - the full
day is at your own risk.)
You can bring passengers and spectators
are free. It’s great for photography as I hope
you can see here with a shot
TO BOOK just drop me an email. I will
require a £30 non-returnable deposit to
formally secure it. You can PayPal that to
me - email me and I will give you the details.
It’s BRILLIANT fun - don't miss this great late
season opportunity. John
(Pics - suitable for ANY Alfas, here Dave
McFarland’s GTV and to John V’s Bertone…)
Join the Sunday Scramble Bicester Heritage Centre
Sunday 7 October The specialist businesses of Bicester Heritage will be open to the public
making a great opportunity to see inside the workshops, showrooms and
buildings there and to catch a glimpse of their latest projects, restorations and
stock. There are always a load of visitors’ classic cars to see too, including
Alfa Romeos. Several THOUSAND cars expected.
The event is open from 9am to 2pm.
CONVOY MEET UP
Meet at M1 J15A services from around 07:45am ready to leave at 8.15am.
We will then drive down to the centre, based at an old aerodrome, taking
the A43. On site, classic Alfas may be directed to park around the buildings,
otherwise those of us in newer Alfas will park up together in the public
parking area. (All types of cars are welcome.)
TICKETS
Good idea to buy tickets from bicesterheritage.co.uk in advance at around
£7 per adult, and a bit less if you are in in a classic car (over 25 years old)
THE ADDRESS
Bicester Heritage, Buckingham Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire.
For Sat Nav purposes please use OX26 5HA
Importantly, please let John know if you’re going.
Matt Cox is going again in his Bertone 1750 GTV. Thanks to him for the
photos here, bar the one bottom right which is off the Web.
Stelvio 24 Hour Test Drive
In early September Dave Atkins was contacted by
Research Garage (Nuneaton) to have a Stelvio on
a 24hr test drive. The time arrived and the car
was a Speciale 2.2 JTD 210hp 4x4. Dave and
Chris covered close on 290 MLS in the day, going
from Nuneaton to Wales, specifically Lake Bala.
Lake Vyrnwy then on to Barmouth. It was a
proper test drive with four up, The car drew
positive comments from all on board being very
comfortable all-round.
Dave owns a Giulia Super 2L turbo which he
enjoyed a trip to Italy in this summer, He says he
likes the Stelvio equally. It would be even better
to fit his flying model aircraft in too of course!
Meantime, the same car featured on the new
series of Fifth Gear recently too, and absolutely
trounced the 2-Litre diesel Jaguar F-Pace on
performance and handling, being over 3 seconds
a lap faster around the Anglesey circuit, Being
over 150kg lighter than the ‘all-aluminium’ Jaguar
helps a great deal of course on all things
dynamic. The Stelvio is selling well in Europe,
and deservedly so, with things beginning to pick
up here. John
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P3
Our September Meeting always plays host to the
Twilight Drive, and this year we had another nice dry
evening meaning a good attendance Alfas again at
around 40 cars.
A few people took the opportunity to ‘blag a ride’
so not every one of them took part in the run
itself. Relatively warm weather meant Brian Smith
lead the way in his 4C Spider sans-roof, Jason Hood
err, hood down on his white 939 Spider too,
matched by Geoff and Pam Cavers in their 3.2
version and Roger Smith in his 916 V6 Spider..
Brian’s route took in several local villages again,
mainly using left hand turns to keep cars together,
and was all linked up by some really good roads so
it was nice and brisk too in places. He’d supplied a
few copies of the route for cars nearer the back in
case people got split up, but as ever with these
things we lost a couple - but all ultimately made it
back. (The lure of the pub!)
We were delighted to welcome along several new
people including T in his stunning Maserati MC
GranCabrio (he has a Stelvio QF on the way lucky
chap! His car being the one which won ‘Best Exotic;
at MITCAR in August too, Then there was Marc in his
really tidy 159 2.4 Ti which he’s just bought; then
Katie Barker in her very shiny Giulietta 2 litre, Jimmy
Hall at in his smart grey Brera 2.4 and Jake Atkinson
in his eye-catching Misano blue Giulia Veloce. The
selection of other Alfas was fab too – the oldest out
this time being the relatively young 145 Cloverleaf
of Graham Paris. We think the classics are
becoming wrapped up in various garages now.
After the run and people had got neatly lined up
again in the car park and paddock we had a natter
under the floodlights before several retired indoors
for food and drink.
Inside we were delighted to welcome back Dale
and Karen Lowe who were Section regulars back in
the 1990s before emigrating to Australia in 2003.
They were over in England for 6 weeks so had to
come and see us! Great to see them both.
Anyway, a very enjoyable evening again, thanks to
everyone who came along and again to Brian for
working out such a fun route. John
(As ever, see more photos are on our website.)
Twilight Drive George & Dragon, Thringstone
Above - a nice variety if cars—including Graham Whiteside’s Giulia QF, Roger’s Spider, Dave’s 155 Q4 and Jason’s Spider 939. Above - Salvatore reverses his Giulia QF into place .
Above - Mark Gunston’s 4C LE tucked in between Leah and XX’s Giuliettas Above - Roger Smith arrives—hood down of course!
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P4
Brian Smith leading the way, complete with new black graphics on his 4C Spider. Dave McFarland zooming by in his GTV V6 track weapon
Lukas’s 159 Sportwagon Salvatore’s Giulia Quadrifoglio (needs the soundtrack really)
Jimmy’s Brera Colin’s GT V6
Leah’s Giulietta Speciale ….. Then Geoff & Pam’s Spider V6 (Apologies I didn’t get every car in the ‘fly-by’ in focus. More on our website though.
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P5
Jason Hood in his Spider LE Brian leads the convoy back in
T brings in his mighty Maserati MC GranCabrio Deb & Liam in Deb’s Giulietta Speciale
Above; Graham Whiteside’s fabulous Giulia QF in flight. Below, Chris Child’s GT under the lights Below - Katie Barker’s Giulietta brings up the rear - all got back!
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P6
Karting Night At the Sutton Circuit
Another We were back to The Sutton Circuit near
Broughton Astley again this year, where after a very
wet event in September 17 we were delighted it
stayed dry!
We had 8 teams of 2 this time with four ‘first
timers’; Steve Weston, Liam Jones, Phil Gunn and
Alex Black. All of whom soon got to grips with
things. Happily, teams get 15 minutes of practice/
qualifying which at very least gets you used to the
layout of this challenging track. It has a great
variety of bends, 2 good braking zones, a flat-out
double apex corner and a tight hairpin too. The long
straight lets you relax a tad – before that ‘exciting’
sharp right hander!
Geoff Deacon the circuit owner had invested in
another big fleet of new karts so there were no
arguments over the equipment, and all had very
good tyres on so there was plenty of grip to be had.
There were very few ‘offs’ this year, though a few
of the new comers had to get to grips with things
(they are not all THAT easy to drive), and the odd
spin happened – but that’s really all part of the fun.
We had a reverse-grid rolling start this year which
was just brilliant fun. For a change I took the first
run in my team (with Phil Gunn), and those first few
laps were just brilliant fun as we often had 5 or 6
karts all going for the same bit of the tarmac! I had
one short-lived moment of glory then getting into the
lead – before the flying twins of StJohn Krog and
George Bunney flew past! It was great trying to
keep up with them then anyway…
We had done a draw to decide the teams so it was
all a bit of luck how teams finished up - bar the
obvious sensational kart control of course! Anyway
by the end of the hour first across the line was Mark
Gunston and George Bunney – winning by a scant
11 seconds from Alex Pope and Steve Weston. A
lap down came Paul Jones and son Liam – the latter
learning SO fast. We joked afterwards that we
should never have told him how to take that bottom
corner at the change over time! A great job anyway.
In the envied ‘Fastest Lap’ contest, StJohn Krog
pipped Alex Pope (41.09 v 41.24) – but looking at
the time sheets many drivers were putting in loads
of consistent fast laps, there was little in it.
So another super race night – and we enjoyed the
de-brief afterwards in the pub too!
Next year we are thinking of a challenge against
another car club. Keep an eye out for that in the
coming months. Thanks as ever for all who took
part and made it such great fun. John
This year’s victors - Mark Gunston & George
Bunney. Well done guys!
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P7
Matthew Manners exits the pit
Above - Getting set in the paddock. (Matthew did get his helmet on at he back!) Above - Alex Pope gets aerodynamic...
Above - Beth and Alex B observe the action Above - one of the brand new karts we had to race in. Above - Sal , being a tad tall, has the opposite of DRS… (DAS?)
Above - Matthew just ahead of Dave Atkins approaching the hairpin. Above - after sunset the floodlights add more drama. Here Sal (nearest) eyes a hairpin challenge...
Above - 3RD;- Paul & Liam Jones 2nd :- Alex Pope and Steve Weston WINNERS:- Mark Gunston and George Bunney
Left - Some of our cars at the track. Left to right; John’s Giulia, Dave’s 155 Q4. StJohn’s flying Punto Abarth, More photos in the gallery on our website.
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P8
AROC membership is, very pleasingly, continuing to grow this year. At
the start of 2018 in my item in Alfa Driver I stated that it would be a
challenge to grow at the same rate we did in 2017, ending the year on
3,600 memberships. Well, at time if writing we’ve passed 3,700 -
actually still 10% up month on month versus last year. The challenge is
the ‘drop out’ rate - the core reason people leave the Club is that they no
longer own an Alfa (which is fairly logical), though you don’t HAVE to own
one to be in the Owners Club - we’re really an ‘enthusiasts’ Club of
course! The Club’s main Facebook group grows steadily at 5% a month -
now 6,000 strong, and there are lots of sub-groups too for models and
selling items and area Sections. A small proportion from those join as full
members but the majority are coming in via the main website directly
having searched online, or join up at car shows Club Manager Nick
attends with the AROC Events Van. (People even joined up at MITCAR in
the monsoon!)
This is all against a back drop of a continued
decline in the number of Alfa Romeos on UK
roads, illustrated well in the graph on the right.
At end Q1 this year there were 90,740
registered Alfas in the UK, a year ago 93,052.
In August Alfa had to hurriedly shift pre-WLTP
emissions-spec cars (they sold a batch of
Stelvios to some Hire companies for example),
yet still the overall sales only matched 2017 so
they are on track for a similar 5,000 car sales
this year. But the old cars, with more stringent
MOT tests for example, are dying out faster than
that. The new models - notably the promised
‘small’ SUV, and the refreshed Giulietta, can't
come soon enough.
Back on our Club, and in the East Midlands
Section we’ve grown by 10% in the past 12
months, with 267 members now on the books,
and 6 or 7 joining up in the region each month - and a lower level of drop-
outs. It’s also most noticeable that those who do not renew are in almost
every case people who’ve never attended one of our events. I’d argue
they’ve then not caught the bug properly. John
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P9
Stats Corner
AROC National Alfa Day in July. (Pic Guy Swarbrick)
The graph above is from howmanyleft.co.uk which uses DVLA data. Pre-2005 is
to be taken with a pinch of salt, but it gives an indication of growth driven by the
wide model range in the 00’s. The 2008 economic downturn and the infamous
‘scrappage’ was off-set by the MiTo and Giulietta’s arrival.
Giulietta Range is Reduced
As mentioned in Gazetta on page 2, the Nero Edition Alfa Romeos are
expected in the UK this winter, mirroring the ‘B-Tech’ edition in Europe which
is pictured opposite. They feature special black trim (wheels, grilles, mirrors,
badging) and added technology, like reversing camera on the Giulietta.
Meantime, perhaps pending the expected major make-over of Alfa’s 8 year
old, the Giulietta range is being substantially cut back….
Just 2 engine variants will be offered, the old T-Jet 1.4 with 120hp and the
1.6 JTDm 120hp which is available in manual and TCT auto. That means the
Veloce 1750 is no more of course too. The range of models is cut to Giulietta
(i.e. ‘base’), Super and Sport. A new optional Tech Pack option has been
introduced with 7”touch screen, reversing camera and additional connectivity.
More details of the car’s promised major update (possibly in 2019) should
be out this winter. The rumour is there will be no major under-skin changes
bar the probable introduction of the new and highly efficient ‘Firefly’ engines,
in 1.3 4cyl and (possibly) 1.0 3-cyl guises, with potential power to 180hp in
the bigger unit. Otherwise changes are likely to the nose, lights and
dashboard but that is still conjecture.
Only around 1,300 Giuliettas were sold last year in the UK boosted by a
number of limited editions and various incentives like generous deposit
contributions. That rate of sales has been decelerating this year quite
markedly so an update is clearly overdue. To many the Giulietta is still a good-
looking car, practical and nice to drive if not right up there with the class
leaders. I’d argue its problem is it tries to be all things to all men, neither
being extremely fast (Civic Type-R), nor top-quality (Audi A3, A-Class), nor high-
value (Seat Leon) and pitching in the middle as it does it doesn't have the
range of versions nor perceived quality of - wait for it - the VW Golf. It was
close to that around 2014 but in the past 4 years it’s slipped as the Golf has
had its numerous updates. Now, I’m not bashing it here; I owned 2, my son
one too, and I did about 80,000 enjoyable miles in them with no real issues - I
still think they are really good machines and a 1750 Veloce is, to me, a very
desirable car in particular. The thing is in 2018/19 things have moved on
fast with the class leaders, even ignoring electrification, which it seems many
private buyers now want. That is at least 2 to 3 years off for Alfa Romeo.
An all-new Giulietta is still not confirmed. There’d been rumour of it being
based on a shortened RWD Giorgio platform but still no decision is made. The
small SUV - expected perhaps late 2020/21 will be the logical market
replacement, but still we don’t all want SUVs. Who’d be Mike Manley. John
BTCC - Silverstone
Rob Austin’s Giulietta charges through the pack.
Rob Austin was hopeful for a good outing in the 3
rounds at the BTCC Silverstone meeting. Carrying no
weight penalty, the Alfa’s slippery shape (for a
hatchback) should have been helpful on the fast
straights of the National circuit too, and as the FWD
cars go it’s relatively kind on its tyres. A brand new
engine had been fitted for the previous round too
(the Swindon-built 2Litre standardised engines are
capable of lasting a full season, but problems
had been detected before Knockhill, where
he’d had some consistent mid-fled finishes in
atrocious conditions. (MITCAR day!!)
Despite setting really fast laps in practice he
could only qualify 13th out of 32, meaning
row 7 for Race 1. Lap 1 completed, he was
hanging on in 12th, it all ‘elbows out’ as ever in this
most competitive and ‘equalised’ of motorsports
series, (15 different winners this year!), Lap 2—
BANG—he was clipped going into Brooklands and
triggered backwards across the track, taking out
multiple champion Matt Neal in his Hinda in the
process! After an agonising minute waiting for the
electrics to reboot, meaning a lost lap, Rob got his
Giulietta going again to re-enter battle. Despite a
later Safety car he just couldn't make up enough time
to get into any points, coming in a rather wayward
26th, the car sporting a very bashed-in tailgate and
rear bumper. (I called Paul Jones at that point who
was over with the HMS team on an AR UK Jolly to see
if he could lend them his off his Stoneacre Giulietta
he was over in!
Race 2 started with the cars in their finishing
positions. Rob’s car appeared all fixed, but without
any silver panels! From the flag BOY was he on it!
He scorched past 6 car in the first 2 laps, working
steadily up the field with some great cornering lines
and passing manoeuvres, crossing the line in 9th, up
a full 17 places. Some going in just 25 laps.
Race 3 saw him starting from 9th. Paul called me
before that to say Rob had got the softer tyres on and
was really up for it. Over in the Woodcote grandstand
where I was with Mrs G the excitement was building.
From flag drop the action was intense—
Championship all still to go for for many, though
sadly not Rob! Into the first corner Rob took a daring
outside line and despite a 15kg weight penalty for his
previous points finish he charged into 7th, then
outpacing Championship challenger Ingram’s Toyota
on the straight, so 6th by Luffield. Lap 3 saw him in
an absolute melee, surrounded by 5 cars, but his
fresh tyres dug in and he barged through to 5th. Rob
Collard’s BMW then in his sights, he drafted him at a
paint-thickness, all the time fending off overall
Championship leader Colin Turkington in his BMW.
Then—a stroke of luck! Ahead, Jack Gough had to
serve a drive-through penalty for an incorrect start,
so that made him 4th, then a stunning overtaking
move on Collard’s BMW saw him 3rd! Lap 9 of
10 saw a VW CC off in the gravel and the safety
car was deployed, closing up the pack. Lap
13—half distance, it all kicked off again, a
brilliant nose-to-tail fight from all the top
contenders. There was just nothing in it right
through to lap 20 when Turkington finally got
his nose inside Rob, pushing him off line and back 3
places. Once you’re off line you’ve had it. Rob then
had a titanic scrap with the Astra of Josh Cook and
Tom Chilton’s Focus but the laps ran out and he
crossed the line ultimately in 5th, but boy was it
exciting!
All in all it had been a brilliant day’s entertainment
with rib in the thick of the action—real underdog stuff.
Just one meeting left at the end of September - the
Brands Hatch GP circuit. He led race 3 there on the
Indy Circuit in April, let’s see if he can get back up
there. John
(Photos by John unless marked.)
Fighting through the pack!!
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P10
Above—Rob Austin’s HMS Racing Giulietta showed it ahs some real speed at Silverstone
You can see Rob’s bashed in tailgate at the end of Race 1 Jason Plato in a spot of bother in his Subaru LeVorg
Typical action at the end of the back straight! Rob punches past the VW A report on the final rounds of the 2018 British Touring Car Championship held at Brands Hatch GP Circuit will be in the next edition of Alfisti.
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P11
It is quite possible for the happy home Detailer like me
to blend their own wax, indeed some operations like
Dodo Juice will sell you the full kit do DIY. Car waxes
(rather than synthetic sealants) use natural ingredients,
the core part normally being a blend of Carnauba,
Beeswax, Montan Wax and solvents to make the harder
elements spreadable (products like Acetone, White
Spirit (Naptha) and other petroleum distillates,
including lighter fluid, which will ultimately evaporate
away. Then there’s a carrier element, normally oil-
based, to transport the wax: Almond Oil, and Coconut
oil being good examples. The approximate blend is
around a third of each; the blend of waxes, the solvent
and the carrier. If you’re brave you can buy these and
melt them together in a Pyrex jug sitting in a pan of
boiling water. When blended you then decant into nice
sealable plastic or aluminium pots ready to set and
then use. People have great success at this too,
creating some good end products at a fraction of the
cost of the premium waxes out there. At one point I will
have to have a go, meantime, I’ve started blending
liquids. Bear with me here…
I’ve become quite a fan of ceramic coatings,
especially after discovering Gyeon One (via son) - which
is available for a very cost effective price of around
£40. It will last around 2 years when maintained with
Ceramic-infused cleaners. Now, investigating these I’ve
come across products from UK company CarPro, who
also make a range of Ceramic coatings. Two I have
purchased are proving to be brilliant. Firstly, a
waterless wash and quick detailer spray - ECH2O - the
name a play on Echo and H2O I believe. This costs @
£15 for 500ml, however the best bit is it is dilutable,
so you can make litres of the stuff for that! For best
results, dilute with de-ionised water (very cheap) and
get a quality spray bottle. I’ve been buying aluminium
ones on eBay that are normally for hairdressing
salons—really good for a fiver, and you can swap the
trigger spray heads readily for your preferred as they
have a universal thread. For a Waterless Wash spray
where you want top lubricity, you go 10:1—so your
500ml will make a whopping 5 litres, and for the lighter
Quick Detailer (basically for adding more for ‘bling’),
you go 15:1 so that’s 7.5L! Now 7.5 litres of an
average QD like Autoglym’s Rapid Detailer would cost
you about £70!! Now that IS great value. Even more
surprising is the product contains cleaners, gloss
enhancers and genuine SiO2 silanes for added
protection and, the best bit, can be used on ANY
surfaces: any paint finish, any plastics rubber, and even
glass. It will not blacken tyres or plastics though, but it
can do enough! I’ve been using it mostly at 10:1 and
the gloss is terrific with a lovely smooth feel. It lifts dust
really well and being such great value you never feel
shy of using loads of it! It is great as a drying aid as
well down at 20:1 ratio. (Spray your drying towel, it
really helps, similar to using AutoGlym Aqua Wax.)
The other CarPro product, Reload, is more expensive
at £25 for 500ml. It’s a Ceramic spray sealant, applied
like a QD spray. Mist an area, then gently wipe away. It
leaves a slick layer which repels water extremely well
and leaves a stunning highly-reflective finish. Reload
(as its name sounds) is designed to boost a Ceramic
coating base layer but it will add protection to anything.
To use it as a quick detailer spray you mix it 1:1 with
Deionised water. The best bit though? You can add it
to your aforementioned ECH2O mix to create something
really special. Now I’ve been experimenting with blends
here just with these 2 products: 40ml ECH2O, 30ml
Reload and 430ml distilled water gives you a brilliant
end result. You can add to this with other clever
cleaners (Koch Chemie Fse, Bilt Hamber QD etc) all of
which being water-based… and the fun goes on.
Safest? Stick with just the CarPro products, but my
latest secret blend…. Oh boy!! Brilliant results and,
quantity for quantity it’s way cheaper than mainstream,
non-Ceramic Retail stuff. And Matthew, so far, no
explosions! (But I’ve not got on to the wax!).
I hope you like the new featurette below too. I can
see a series of these coming…. ;0) John
Concoct your own coating!
Of course, when you’ve sprayed the QD on you’re best using a 360gsm
Korean microfibre wiping in straight lines, lifting any dirt as you go. . .
When wiper blade judders drive you mad . . .
I thought I’d cleaned my front screen really well - then driving in a sudden downpour the
little-used wiper blades started to skip and judder like crazy. I gave the screen a good
few squirts with washer fluid, which helped a bit, but didn’t stop it. Back home it was
time to attack it! It was almost certainly as some stray chemical had got on the screen
and bonded to it, possibly a sealant spray for example, or simply a blob of oil chucked up
from a car in front. Anyway, I thought I’d try a tip I’d read and use some clay. I used a
weak solution of car shampoo as its lubricant rather than any QD spray and with a good
blob of clay (some old Autoglym stuff I had in its tin box) I wiped away. Well I was
amazed at the muck that came off! Lots of old bonded contaminants which came off
just like you get if using clay on paintwork.
A good wash down later, I applied glass sealant (AngelWax H2GO), buffed with a
waffle-weave glass towel and then gave the blades a good clean with screen spray
(AngelWax Vision). Once done I could immediately notice improved glass clarity against
a low sun and testing with water, no judder. Very satisfying that! John
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P12
Potions!
Claying glass.
CarPro
ECH2O
- SCOOP! -
P13
MiTo QV Adam Bowman
Adam is one of our younger members at just
20 years old. His MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde was
surprisingly cheaper to insure than a TwinAir
when he enquired. That must be something
due to the car’s record, who knows, but
nonetheless Adam is absolutely delighted with
its 170hp performance of course! It has the
slick 6-speed gearbox too and looks great with
the dark grey Turbine alloys against the white
paint. The QV manual is expected to be the
one many people will be after in future years,
they certainly are an absolute hoot to drive,
the rasp at the top of the revs in second being
particular fun.
Local Members’ Cars
Our Alfas Bertone 1750 GTV Matt Cox
Matt has been steadily improving his Bertone
since he got it—a thorough suspension rebuild
having been carried out earlier this year, and
the new GTA style wheels being added with the
race roundels added some other great touches.
To celebrate him having had it for a year, in
August he and Lorraine took it back up to see its
previous owner in Northumberland as a bit of a
road trip. Needless to say he was impressed!
As we reported last year, the car was originally
painted silver but really the racing red does look
the business.
Giulia Super TBi Chris Chinn
Chris has been along to 2 or 3 of our meetings
this year with his lovely Giulia in Bianco,
pictured here back in April at our first outdoor
evening meeting of the year - in the fog! He
loves driving the car but sadly is having to have
6 weeks off now as is going in for an Op. He’s
particularly saddened to be missing the Fox Run
of course. Anyway, a hearty ’get well soon’ for
all of us Chris and we hope to see you behind
the wheel again very soon.
Mito Veloce Liam & Debbie Pepper
Liam and Debbie had a very smart blue Mito
TwinAir Junior, but seeing this red Veloce at
Beechdale they just had to have it. Collected
ready for the new ‘plate at the beginning of
September in looks resplendent in Alfa Rosso
with the dark 5-hole alloys. Bellissima.
Safety Camera Group
on a new high
This speed camera in Kegworth near
East Midlands Airport has reportedly
issued over 2,000 speeding tickets
in the past month. Ryan Air, EasyJet
and Jet2 are all writing to complain
159 2.4 Ti Gavin Childs
Gav’s in that crazy Club of detailing
perfectionists - his 159 is just spotless with a
number of tasteful upgrades too including new
halo-style fog light surrounds as DRLs. His car
was runner up in this year’s Fun Concours as
car of the night, pipped by Paul Cooper’s green
1750 S1 Spider. Paul has now sold that, so
you never know what might happen next year!
Anyway as it stands it’s a fabulous car and one
he does really enjoy driving too.
145 Cloverleaf Graham Paris
The Alfa 145 is definitely on the endangered
species list, and Graham’s early example has to
be one of the best left. There are just 150 145s
of all types road registered and about 300 on a
SORN. Of those, 90 are Cloverleafs with 190
on SORN. That’s from a peak in 2001 of 1,900.
The quirky ‘breadvan’ styling is unmistakable,
and with the singing 150hp Twin Spark is a
genuinely rapid machine with 60 coming up in
8 seconds. The key problem area is the floor,
but with lots of underseal hopefully these last
ones can be preserved.
Giulia Veloce Jake Atkinson
Jake brought his Misano Blue Giulia over to our
September meeting to join in on the fun of the
run. It was another car sold via Paul and team
at Variava’s last year and looks terrific with its
tan interior too and yellow callipers.
ALFISTI - AROC East Midlands Section Newsletter October 2018 - Issue 213 - P14
Don’t miss
The FOX RUN
Join in on Sunday 21 October
Starts with breakfast around 10am, George & Dragon Thringstone. Just let John know if you’re taking part