Donn Engler's Journal

A friend got this car and I towed it back to the garage for him. The garage is PF-Auto, connected with the Danish Technical University. We

were both members there, but he didn't have time to repair all the rust on the car, so he parked it in storage for about a year.

When my friend decided to move to Canada, he sold me the car for 3000 DKr. It would be another year before I could start on it. I kept it in

another storage garage, this time one with lots of other Alfas there. When the time came, I took it back to PF and started on the rust. I

hand made all repair panels because I couldn't afford new replaceent stuff.

I worked for a year on it, cutting out all rusty parts and welding in new metal. All four doors were repaced from the bottom third. Same

with rear fenders, rear valence, front valence and the bottom 10cm of the front fenders. The front valence was a very complex piece and had

to be made in 7 different pieces welded together.

When I bought my house, I parked it in my garage before I even took posession of the house. In the next few months I did all the necessary

bodywork and painted the car at PF. During the following winter, I did the head gasket, carb and manifold gaskets, valves and generally

cleaned up in the engine compartment, polishing everything aluminium along the way.

The brakes got a treatment of new rotors, pads, copper brake pipes and flexible hoses. When finished, I mounted some replica GTA wheels from

alfaholics and a new gas tank and exhaust system.

Since then the car has been sitting in my back yard, not even covered. The rust repair has been holding very well, though a couple small

places are coming back. I even start it occasionally.

The problem with registering it is not just the insurance. The Alfa is too new for veteran car insurance, being only 30 years old. Veterans

are 35 years old here. In this country, an extra standard car is a large expense. No discounts for multipule cars, even though I can only

drive one at a time. Even with a perfect driving record, it costs about 1200 per car per year. License plates cost 300 dollars. Inspection

every two years still costs 100 dollars. When the Alfa becomes a veteran in another five years, then it will be eligable for 150 dollars per

year insurance. I ride a bicycle daily and have no use for a car in my everyday life.