 The events below are the ones we know about that are of interest to New England Alfisti, listed in chronological order. To submit new events, or changes to listed events, please contact the Webmaster. Look forward to lots more fun stuff happening as the new AONE management team gets rolling! And don’t forget - you don’t have to be a Director to pitch in - give one of them a call and offer to lend a hand! Mark your calendars with the events that interest you - we’ll see you there!!! |
AONE Tour of Paul Russell and Company Saturday, November 9 For those of you who haven't signed up for the Paul Russell tour, we have to report that it's sold out! They can only accommodate 50 of us! Event organizer Jim Miga is maintaining a waiting list in case there are cancelations -- you can contact him at 781-729-7567 or via email at jmiga@gis.net. If you've signed up but can't make it, please contact Jim so that he can make room for one of your fellow members. A $5-per-person donation will be requested at the door to help defray expenses and support our club. Click here for printable directions. Do NOT miss this! On Saturday, November 9th at 10AM, AONE members will be given a private tour of Paul Russell’s state-of-the-art restoration facility located in Essex, Massachusetts. As most of you know, Paul Russell is one of the most highly regarded automobile restorers in the United States. After working several years for various independent shops, Paul opened his own shop in Topsfield in 1978 under the name of "Gullwing Service Company, Inc.," catering to Mercedes-Benz cars from the 1950s. Since the mid-1980s, "Paul Russell and Company" restorations have been consistently winning awards from Pebble Beach to Castle Hill. One of Paul’s best known restorations is Ralph Lauren’s 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe (known for its amazing riveted "spine"), which is parked in their reception area alongside a 1934 Bugatti Type 59GP.
Last year, I had the privilege of touring the facility, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute, not to mention the dozens of extremely rare and beautiful cars all around the shop.
Briefly, here is how the tour will go. To begin, we are lured away from the Bugattis in the reception area, to the coffee and doughnuts in the mechanical shop area. After our coffee and some socializing, the tour begins. We start with the fabrication shop. It is amazing to see complex panels being made from scratch that would otherwise be impossible to obtain. These skills, and some of the equipment, hark back to the coachbuilding days of the 20s and 30s.
Next, we enter the body shop. This is where we see a Ferrari 250 GTO completely stripped down to bare metal (it may still be there!). This area is "high tech" to ensure super quality paintwork, as well as addressing environmental issues. We also see a well-stocked paint room, as well as a BMW 507 in primer. Several other rare sports cars are in various stages of bodywork. Looking at these cars gives us a rare glimpse at how they were built.
Adjacent to the body shop and mechanical shop, we see the parts cleaning room. It is filled with a wide variety of chemical baths and media blasting cabinets. Check out the car-sized sandblasting room!
Next, we see the largest area in the facility: the mechanical shop. Restoration projects as well as cars in for routine service adorn this area. It features eight work bays, five hydraulic lift bays, a second paint booth (for small components), and a room dedicated to rebuilding engines and transmissions. There are some gorgeous engines here—ready to go!
Next, we step into the upholstery shop. Along with rebuilding seats, door panels, and convertible tops, they can produce a set of custom luggage that duplicates the missing set that originally came with your 1929 Hispano Suiza!
Last, but certainly not least, is a walk through the back storage area. Here we see some more Ralph Lauren cars, as well as an Aston Martin DB6, 1949 Ferrari Barchetta, 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, and a 1940 Ford Woody, to name a few. For the next hour or so, we all roam around the shop, looking at everything for a second and often third time. It is a great experience! If you still aren’t convinced or can’t wait for the actual tour, check out their web site at www.paulrussellandco.com.
See you there! 
—Jim Miga
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Tech Session and More In Stamford
Sunday, November 3 The Northeast Coast Chapter of Fiat Lancia Unlimited has graciously invited all AONE members to join them in a Technical Session and Social Gathering for Italian car owners on Sunday, November 3rd starting at 11.Joe Magnifico of Expert Auto Repair and Danny O’Donnell of Fun Imported Auto and Toys will demonstrate and explain such things as inspection/replacement of brakes, ball joints and flex joints; electronic ignition pick-up replacement; valve adjustment; and preparing your car for winter storage.
For lunch, pizza will be ordered with the cost shared among everybody. There will be plenty of time to meet other owners of Fiats, Lancias and Alfas and check out each others’ cars. After the demonstrations, a drive will be led through the Stamford/Greenwich area.
To help planning this event, please RSVP by contacting Tim Beeble at 203-977-4864 (Stamford days), 203-743-4954 (nights), or by email at tbeeble@aol.com.
Location: Expert Auto Repair, 480 West Main Street (Route 1) at
corner of West Avenue, Stamford, CT, 203-348-8844. Take I-95 South through Connecticut to
Exit 6, right onto West Avenue. Expert Auto Repair is three blocks north.