When the whole van rocks!

Daniel Reinhard
06/30/2017

Rockn'Roll Bulli aus Italien (© Daniel Reinhard)

Every now and then you can still be pleasantly surprised. At a friend's birthday party, a colorful and rocking van with Italian license plates suddenly pulled up. It stopped in front of the crowd with the side door open and continued to rock peacefully. The sound was good, very good in fact, and the guys immediately got the whole group moving. Everyone, young and old, was totally enthusiastic. The Bulli band was the absolute highlight of the evening.

Rockn'Roll Bulli aus Italien (© Daniel Reinhard)

So how did the Italians end up in Central Switzerland? My friend tells me the background: "We saw them last year at the "Expo" in Milan and I took a photo of them. On the way back, we kept talking about the van and were fascinated by the idea and the sound. As my milestone birthday was approaching, I wrote to the Tifosi rockers and asked them to come to central Switzerland and lo and behold, they came, on the road of course."

Tao, the band leader, tells the story as follows: "In 2005, I bought the 1974 Bulli to have a vehicle with space for the band. At the same time, I was reading a book about the hippie scene, in which the van also played a leading role, which gave me the idea of using the van as a stage. An engineer and technically very talented friend said it was possible and so it was built."

Speakers and power generator on the roof, the two guitars and drums in the bus and the sound control in the trunk.

Rockn'Roll Bulli aus Italien (© Daniel Reinhard)

"We "drove" our first concert in 2007 in the city center of Milan. We rocked all over the city streets. The response from the people was so great that I was sure we were on the right track."

Rockn'Roll Bulli aus Italien (© Daniel Reinhard)

Tao is the right choice for anyone who wants to add a musical touch to a festival or classic car rally and is also looking for something very special. Without any additional infrastructure such as electricity or lights, the extremely likeable Italians rock everything from Beatles to Chris Isaak, from David Bowie to Led Zeppelin and, no matter where they are, are sure to get even the most boring group going.
If you want to book the guys, check out the band's websiteor call them directly on +39 328 0367425.

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If it takes a little more effort to sell the classic car

Bruno von Rotz
06/29/2017

Oldtimer verkaufen (Einduck von einer Messe)

As we all know, we are living in the automotive gold-rush era, or at least that's what classic car magazines, management journals and investors would have us believe. The demand for old cars is unabated and prices are rising and rising.

However, if you want to sell your car yourself, for example because you are getting on in years or want to look for something else after years of loyalty, you often find that it is not so easy to find a new owner for your classic car.

So you happily show and advertise your car and then? Zero response, hardly any interest, at most a few penny-pinchers on the hunt for a bargain.

Oldtimer verkaufen an einer Messe

So it's all garbage with the rising prices for old cars? Well, as always, the world is more complicated than that. If you want to sell your gem, in which you have invested many years and even more sweat, at a good price, you need patience and a bit of luck, as the right potential buyer is looking for exactly what you can offer at the right time. The expectations on both sides often don't match. A sale will then probably not work out.

Of course, it is easier with the models that everyone is looking for, but these include Ford Zephyr, Opel Olympia or MG TD, to name three examples, only to a limited extent. And after all, you want to take cash and not a dodgy trade-in.

But take comfort. Just like you, there are hundreds of classic car owners who are willing to sell. Either you hold out or you compromise on the price.

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"Another brick in the wall" - or - the Mercedes-Benz as wall decoration

Daniel Reinhard
06/28/2017

Mercedes-Benz Coupé als Wandschmuck (© Daniel Reinhard)

"Another brick in the wall" was the title of Pink Floyd's rock opera record "The Wall". The band landed a big hit back then.

The picture shown, however, is neither about a wall nor a brick.

Mercedes-Benz Coupé als Wandschmuck (© Daniel Reinhard)

The Mercedes-Benz 1960s coupé is hanging in half on the aluminum façade of Autoverwertung Lustenberger AG in Werthenstein in the canton of Lucerne.

Mercedes-Benz Coupé als Wandschmuck (© Daniel Reinhard)

Perhaps this idea could also be incorporated into your possible new building: A façade full of cars, but with a glass front on the inside, like an aquarium. That way, the cars wouldn't have to be cut in half and could still be driven on the road with an internal ramp.

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About the "Tresorfund" barn find

Bruno von Rotz
06/27/2017

Chevrolet Corvette C2 427 1967 (© Mecum)

We have already become accustomed to barn finds. But what should we call it when a car has been well protected and safely stored, even preserved? The Americans like to call it a "vault find", which could be translated as a vault discovery or safe find. Of course, nobody will (be able to) store their car in a safe, but some garages are reminiscent of hermetically sealed rooms.

Mecum auctioned an example of such a "vault find" in May 2017. It was a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Coupé, a plastic sports car with just 8533 miles on the clock when Mecum sold it for USD 675,000.

It had been part of a family since the beginning, with son Mat taking it over in 1993. Only the batteries and exhaust parts had been replaced; a restoration was never necessary. In the last 15 years, the car had only been driven 15 miles, but was preserved to the best of our knowledge and kept in a climate-controlled room.

Interieur der Chevrolet Corvette C2 427 1967 (© Mecum)

Of course, the car with its 427/435 hp L71 engine represented a rarity and would have been traded at such a high price, but the story of the family who bought and kept the car but never drove it certainly played a significant part in its high listing.

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From the life of a journeyman mechanic - the water gets too hot

Der Mechanikergeselle
06/26/2017

Motorraum Mercedes-Benz 220

Right at the start of work, a passing customer rolled into our workshop with his Mercedes 220 a and had the work order written out in the repair reception. I got my hands on the order and read: "Engine is getting too hot (up to 95 C after a few minutes of driving). Remove and check the thermostat!"

The thermostat was removed in a few minutes and shortly afterwards lay in the slowly warming water of the electric kettle, which we tend to use as a test device for such purposes. An attached thermometer showed that the water temperature was rising.

To my astonishment, the thermostat opened exactly at 73 C, as it was supposed to. This was also the point at which my "thinking apparatus" kicked into gear. The first thing I noticed was that the thermostat was OK. Given the relatively short time the car had been running, the radiator could not have been clogged; nor was it clogged with insects on the outside.

My next thought was that the engine must have been working under exceptional circumstances and generating an extraordinary amount of heat, which the cooling system could not dissipate quickly enough. I was looking for the reason for this in an incorrect ignition setting or misfiring.

Just as I was about to start checking the ignition setting, I looked at the battery and noticed that the terminal of the earth cable was sitting very high on the negative pole. The reason for this was found immediately: The negative terminal was only loosely attached to the terminal and not tightened.

I fastened the terminal properly, and of course also checked the positive terminal. I then went for a test drive in the presence of the customer. Lo and behold, the motor was no longer over 80 degrees. The customer then told me that the built-in radio had been malfunctioning (intermittent) for some time and that the engine occasionally started less easily than usual.

This confirmed my suspicion that the ignition had been intermittent, albeit briefly, and that this was also the reason for the increased cooling water temperature, although this could not be readily explained. It is also not clear to me that the starter motor was able to move at all in this situation. In any case, I was one experience richer, and with the satisfaction of having thought things through to the end, I wished the customer a "safe journey".

This text was taken from issue 17 of the 1957 edition of the magazine "Krafthand".

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Go or go! Towing and towing vehicles with automatic transmission

Bruno von Rotz
06/25/2017

Chevrolet-Automatik von 1981

In the 1950s, but especially in the 1960s, cars with automatic gearboxes became increasingly popular. Many drivers did not want to miss out on the convenience of being able to change gears themselves. However, modern torque converter transmissions also gave rise to new problems, for example when the car would no longer start or had to be towed away. The vehicle could easily be damaged if handled incorrectly.

In January 1957 , Automobil Revue therefore published an article entitled "Abschlepp-O-Matic - Über das An- und Abschlepp von Wagen mit automatischem Getriebe".

Facel-Automatik von 1957

In addition to general advice - use a long tow rope, place the vehicles with the drive wheels on a dolly for long journeys, tie down the steering wheel, etc. - there were also practical tips for different types of vehicles. In principle, all the documented vehicles could be towed and also towed away, but the vehicle should not be expected to travel at more than 40 to 50 km/h on the rope.

However, we would like to provide our readers with two or three examples of towing:

Borg-Warner automatic drive (Studebaker, Austin, Aston Martin, Jaguar):
Ignition on, on Studebaker switch on automatic choke by depressing the accelerator pedal once, set selector lever to "N". Bring the car up to 40-50 km/h and set the selector lever to "D" or "L"
Mercedes-Benz 300 c:
Ignition on, set selector lever to "0" and move to position "3" at 40 km/h
PowerFlite (Chrysler, De Soto, Dodge, Plymouth):
Ignition on, switch to position "N". Bring the speed up to approx. 25 km/h, press down the "L" button and depress the accelerator pedal halfway

All the instructions can be found in the 3/1957 issue of Automobil Revue .

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Pass driving - a passion

Bruno von Rotz
06/24/2017

Fahrt über den Flüela-Pass anlässlich der Passione Caracciola 2017

In the past, driving over mountain passes was regarded as a freestyle activity. You had to learn how to drive up and down mountain roads properly, and experience was needed to climb slopes elegantly and safely.

Little has remained of this today. Modern cars drive themselves up and down most mountain passes without any major problems, you don't even have to change gear any more. And when driving downhill, the automatic transmission automatically remembers to ensure that the engine helps with braking.

Fahrt über den Flüela-Pass anlässlich der Passione Caracciola 2017

Of course, things used to be different. You had to adapt your driving style to the car at your disposal, making sure that the engine didn't get too warm when driving uphill and the brakes didn't get too hot when driving downhill.

Fahrt über den Flüela-Pass anlässlich der Passione Caracciola 2017

So it's not surprising that you have to do exactly the same things in a classic car. The only difference is that nowadays temperatures are higher and traffic is heavier, which increases the risk to the engine and brakes.

Fahrt über den Flüela-Pass anlässlich der Passione Caracciola 2017

In any case, the Passione Caracciola participants had the opportunity yesterday to hone their skills as pass drivers, as the Flüela Pass offered everything that the pass drivers of the time loved.

Today, the rally participants will have further opportunities to practise their cornering and mountain road driving skills, as the Lukmanier is also one of the real passes.

Zwei Daimler Dart / SP 250 fahren über den Flüelapass

We will soon be publishing a detailed report on the Passione Caracciola, although the two Daimler Dart/SP 250 drivers were not among them.

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Just like in the DTM - Alfa Romeo 155 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Bruno von Rotz
06/23/2017

Alfa Romeo 155 DTM und Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse von 1993/1994

In 1993, Nicola Larini won the DTM championship title in an Alfa Romeo 155, while Mercedes-Benz won the manufacturers' title. Both relied on the new Class 1 regulations for their top teams, which gave the constructors almost unlimited freedom as long as the bodywork came from a production model (the rear doors could be opened on the Mercedes!) and the engine had a maximum displacement of 2.5 liters and six cylinders. Consumption was limited, but otherwise the regulations allowed great freedom.

Alfa Romeo 155 DTM in Monza an der Passione Caracciola

Alfa Romeo built a four-wheel drive racing car, while Mercedes remained faithful to rear-wheel drive. A carbon fiber monocoque created the load-bearing basis. The gears were soon shifted sequentially. New wings and technical details were introduced from race to race, without prior homologation. ABS, traction control, computer-controlled chassis - everything that could save tenths of a second on the racetrack was installed.

Interieur Alfa Romeo 155 DTM

The costs exploded! The ITC, the internationalized DTM, was supposed to justify these costs. But the calculation didn't work out, despite exciting races and three manufacturers (Opel, Mercedes, Alfa) who were able to compete equally for victories. It even became too expensive for the spectators. So the end came in 1996, and with it the end for the Class 1 touring cars. And the DTM/ITC, at least temporarily.

Interieur Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse 1993/1994 DTM

You hardly ever see the Class 1 cars in motion today. All the better that the first Passione Caracciola day offered the opportunity to see both the Alfa Romeo 155 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class on the racetrack. Although they never raced at Monza (but at Mugello), this did not detract from the presentation.

Entspannter Bernd Schneider

Bernd Schneider, who was involved in much of the development work on the C-Class, was even there in person and talked about his experiences:
"I always got the new parts and was correspondingly fast. In the race, however, I often dropped out, while Ludwig was able to reap the rewards ...". Ludwig became champion in 1994.

Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse auf der Start-Ziel-Gerade von Monza anlässlich der Passione Caracciola

Acoustically, the cars are quieter and less conspicuous than one might have expected given the high power output. Operating such a car is not trivial! In the Alfa Romeo, for example, the cooling water was preheated.

Alfa Romeo auf der Zielgeraden in Monza

After yesterday's day in Monza and the drive to St. Moritz, the Passione Caracciola takes the participants from the Engadin to Arosa today, before continuing on to Lugano on Saturday, where the event ends on Sunday.

Teilnehmerfahrzeuge der Passione Caracciola 2017

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The problem with replica parts

Bruno von Rotz
06/22/2017

If you do some research on the Internet, you are always amazed at how many parts of old cars are being remanufactured today. Weber carburetors, replacement headlights, etc. - No problem, everything is available.

Webervergaser

However, the problems start after unpacking the boxes or when you want to fit the parts. The quality often does not meet the admittedly high demands. Production errors, poor assembly, fitting inaccuracies, etc. make life difficult for the user. Some parts are simply not usable, especially if the goods come from the Far East.

Alternatives? Sure, the original parts. But often no refurbishable manufacturer part is available, in which case a copy is still better, even if it doesn't quite fit. If necessary, you have to help yourself with a hammer/file and fine tools until everything works the way you want it to ...

We already formulated a " question of the week" in this direction some time ago and learned that the quality of spare parts does indeed vary, but we will submit more explicit questions on this if necessary.

Incidentally, you can also find spare parts on our parts market.

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Is it time for a new star?

Bruno von Rotz
06/21/2017

Drei Generationen Ford Escort

Of course, we all know the Ford Escort, production of which started in November 1967, around 50 years ago. The hot versions with Lotus or Cosworth BDA engines in particular were responsible for rally and circuit victories for many years. The greatest triumph was probably the victory in the London-Mexico cross-country rally, in honor of which a special model was then built for customers, the Escort Mexico. This was later followed by powerful two-litre variants, which were recognizable by their sloping front end with twin headlights and were very popular in this country.

The early, high-performance Escorts are still sought-after today, with 20 large bills or more quickly changing hands when an enthusiast sells his Escort.

In the slipstream of the "dog bone" Escorts and the RS-2000 rear-wheel drive variants, the front-wheel drive third generation with the tailgate typical of the time was offered from 1980, the hottest variant of which was initially called the XR3. The XR3 was clearly targeted against the VW Golf GTI, but with 96 hp the power was only just enough to cope with the 110 hp of the Golf. Thanks to an intelligently geared four-speed gearbox, which made it possible to reach 100 km/h in second gear, the sprint times at least looked quite reasonable compared to the competition.

Ford Escort RS 1600i von 1982

In 1982, however, a model appeared that was much more successful in keeping up with the popular GTI, the RS 1600i. Equipped with a computerized ignition, an adjustable front axle and all kinds of sporty accessories, this Escort with 115 was able to hold its own against the other hatchback compact cars, but also cost a lot of money.

Eingespritzter Motor des Ford Escort RS 1600i von 1982

Nevertheless, around 9000 were built and sold.

Hinterrad des Ford Escort RS 1600i von 1982

Today, however, the Ford Escort RS 1600i is seen much less often on the road than the Golf GTI and its value is also lower than that of the Wolfsburg. Yet the Escort was and is a really good car that is a lot of fun to drive. Perhaps it's time to reflect on it. Maybe it's time for a new star?

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