Twinspark Racecar Rebuild

Giulia Super Engine Rebuild

On a Sunday in late July, William (a good friend of mine) and I took a trailer down to our rented aircraft hangar (read: cheap covered storage) and retrieved the race car. Not completely neglected, it wore the battle scars of several races, and the grime of several more. Upon first glance, it looked ready to race. We winched onto the trailer and headed home. Of course, we blew a trailer tire, and ended up limping in slowly. It could be worse, we said.

I wasn't planning to go racing this year, actually. Early in July, I received the fall race schedule from the Corinthian Vintage Auto Racing club (CVAR), a local group of enthusiasts here in Texas. I was anxious to get back to racing, but I didn't have the money necessary to prepare the car and pay the race weekend's expenses. The Lone Star AROC chapter had other ideas. They called and offered to pay my car's entry fee if I would entertain the Alfisti at the race in late October. Images of racing, friends, and fun came to mind, and I had to say yes.

And so, thanks in part to the AROC, by early September I was up to my ears in grease, dead grass, bits of tire rubber (which somehow migrate everywhere inside and underneath a race car), and little rocks. Using a pressure washer and various aggressive cleaners, it took most of a day to clean up the car, including all of the suspension parts, the underside of the car, the engine compartment, everything. It is important to work with a clean car so that problems may be more easily found, parts can be serviced without being contaminated, and so that one can show off the car to friends without mumbling a long string of excuses.