Joe Alexander and Michael Salemi

[mdsalemi]

For those of you that don't know--I certainly didn't until the Tech Session--Joe Alexander is actually of Italian heritage.  Same as me.

At the tech session, Joe's favorite "Uncle"--an older gentlemen operating as a "stringer" for an Italian newspaper published in Cleveland--talked with both of us.  He had a plan...

The results--not perfect but fun anyway--were published the other day in the Volume 14, Issue 5 of "La Gazzetta Italiana".  Sorry none of it is available online yet, if ever.

The article on Joe is entitled "A Joe of All Trades".  Basically a bio not unlike that which has already been published in the Columbus Dispatch some months back, but dwells more on family and the Italian connection.  But did you know that Joe really truly does have an "Uncle Guido"?

The article on me is entitled "280SL Roadster Restored Into Realms of Sculpture".  Goodness knows I didn't come up with that title..but its funny actually, full of little inaccuracies and glorifications which probably wouldn't pass muster with all of you...but there was a limit to how much I could edit the draft without insulting the honor of the publisher.  Maybe he has an Uncle Guido, too, I didn't want to find out!

BUT THE BEST part is, I added a little tag line at the end which they kept:

"There is an active international W113 club, which can be found at www.sl113.org...

So we might have some more Italians poking around the site!

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[Benz Dr.]

The Red Rocket is Italian.  Does that count?

Dan Caron's
 SL Barn
benzbarn@ebtech.net
 slbarn.mbz.org
  1 877 661 6061

[ja17]

Hello Dan,
Rodd has an Italian W113 in his garage also.

The article does have a couple very nice photos of his W113 and himself with daughter.

The other article has a  photo taken at the tech session by Roman of myself working on Bob Possel's W113.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[TheEngineer]

Tra il dire e il fare ci stà il mare

'69 280SL,Signal Red,007537,tired engineer, West-Seattle, WA

[mdsalemi]

quote:Originally posted by theengineer

Tra il dire e il fare ci stà il mare

'69 280SL,Signal Red,007537,tired engineer, West-Seattle, WA

Between saying and doing, is the sea.

In real English: Easier said then done.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[enochbell]

Michael and Joe, congrats on the fine press and for the plug for the site.

I just locked in a trip to Rome at the end of October, I would be grateful for any suggestions on stuff to do while there.  My wife gets her 5 days of museums, I think I could steal a couple of my own days to spend more productively.  Any thoughts?  Please feel free to use my email if you have any ideas:

gbellware@yahoo.com

Thanks,
g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[Douglas]

"But did you know that Joe really truly does have an 'Uncle Guido'?"



I had to read that twice. I thought it said "Uncle Guibo."

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[George Des]

My DB050 1967 ZF 5 Speed came from Rovigo, Italy. Purchased while I was there in Vicenza 1975-79. Also 100% Italian.

[Douglas]

It's amazing how many 5-speed 250SLs there are from Italy. Clearly, that configuration was extremely popular in Italy in the late 60s.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[George Des]

During the time I spent in Italy--1975-70 and again from 81-82, Pagoda could be seen everywhere and had quite cheaply. I paid about $3500 for my 5 Speed in late '76 and did not realize the relative rarity of the ZF 5 Speed until I took the transmission in for a rebuild in Kaiserlautern in 1983. The box had been running a bit noisy and I had noticed a small pool of oil on my garage floor. I brought it into the MB Torpedo Garage and came back a few days later to find my engine block on a shop table having the front and rear main seals replaced and the transmission off to Mannheim for a rebuild-the Germans are thorough for sure!

I believe the 5 Speeds were particularly popular with the Italians because of their experiences with the Alfas and Ferrari and Fiat Dinos--but especially the Giuliettas . Another very rare Alfa with 5 Speed was the Montreal. Two of my roommates had these and we referred to them as the "Rockets". Owing to the high gas prices in Italy back then(even higher now!), like the Pagodas, they could also be picked up fairly cheaply, but unlike the Pagoda and owing to our own DOT and EPA emissions standards they were next to imposssible to get back in the US. Some tried by shipping through Canada. Others shipped directly to the US ignoring all the warnings and had them sit for months at the docks in the US while they tried to bring up to US stds--many failed and I'm not sure how the cars were eventually disposed of--real hard lessons learned!

George Des

[Chad]

George--I've had several Alfa Romeo Giuliettas.  The 750F and 750D Giuliettas had a 4-speed tranny. Only the later Giulias 101 series had a 5-speed tranny ZF.  Many converted to 5-speed on the Giuliettas in Europe, but most American Giuliettas are typically 4-speed (original).  Surprisingly, a Guilietta that has the 5-speed is somewhat devalued for it.  The original 4-speed is preferred.  Perhaps this is because there are many 5-speed trannies that can be had and bolt on from the later Giulia (101 series) cars, and of course the much later and high production number 105-series spiders, the familiar roundtail design of the late-60s.  But as far as Giulieetas from the 57-61, the four-speed was original and preferred. Their higher end (and heavier) 2000 spiders and 2600 spiders from the series are later cars 5-speed cars, but these were all after the 750 series Giulietta line. The difference in drivability between the early Giulietta 4-speed 1300cc and the later Giulia 5-speed 1600cc is somewhat similar to the difference in drivability of the 230SL and the later 280SL with later differential.... being that the later cars seemed more drivable, at a sacrifice of significant fun factor and sportiness fell, in my humble opinion.

-CD-
1967 230SL, 113.042 10
1983 300TDT, 123.193

[66andBlue]

quote:Originally posted by mdsalemi

For those of you that don't know--I certainly didn't until the Tech Session--Joe Alexander is actually of Italian heritage.  Same as me.

Off topic .. Soccer World Cup 2006 l'Italia è campione del Mondo: Viva Azzurra
Congratulations to Mike and Joe and all our real and pseudo Italian members!

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[ja17]

Thanks Alfred,

I am sure they made Uncle Guido and the rest of us proud!



Joe Alexander (Alecandro)
Blacklick, Ohio