Marina Del Rey -- November 8, 2015 (Sunday)

This is a catamaran type of sail boat and the the picture is of the front of the boat...

Part 6 & Last: From the French & Italian Car Show

Brake Drum from a 50's Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Veloce.  The drum is alloy with a steel liner for the pad contact surface and a steel reinforcement for the area that meets the hub/wheel...  Overall, it's very light (compared to cast iron drums that I've picked up before...).  Very nicely cast and designed/finned...

It's been "cleaned" and a protectant has been applied (keep the steel parts from corroding).  Don't know what I'll do with it yet...  Wall display?  Base for something?

Carlo Demand & Mark Donohue

Part 12 of 16: Best of France & Italy Car Show and swap @ Woodley Park -- November 1, 2015 (Sunday)

Austin-Healey 3000 with an Alfa Engine (next picture)

Books recently purchased from the "Last Book Store" in Downtown Los Angeles

http://lastbookstorela.com/

This appears to be a factory official item.  Pretty slick and glossy book/glorified broshure...

This is the second edition of this book (I have a copy of the first one that I bought used but it didn't come with the soundtrack CD.  This one does...) printed in 2010, I think...

This one is pretty obscure in that it's about Vespa production and promotion for scooters build in the UK (didn't know that they had a factory in the UK...). 

Hot Rod History by the "National Street Machine Club" -- The Story of the Dry Lakes Era

What's unusual about this book is that the majority of the period photos are in color... (pretty uncommon in the '40s & '50s)

Part 11 of 16: Best of France & Italy Car Show and swap @ Woodley Park -- November 1, 2015 (Sunday)

Vintage Italian Road Race Bikes (Bianchi, Legnano & the one on the right I didn't get the brand...).

Direct Shifting of Gears with the levers on the seat stay tube.  One loosens the quick release to account for the different wheelbase required for the different sized gears (no derailleur to take up or give out the slack) (Campagnolo)

Classic twin cam 4-cyl aluminum head with cross-flow, hemispherical combustion chambers, inclined valves (2/cyl) that are as large as possible in the bore & bucket/tappet valve adjustment.  The two cams ride on 3 bearings each and are dual chain driven (with tensioner/idler gears).  This engine was in production in some form for about half a century...