Let's hang with some "cats!"

The Southern Arizona Pantera Club has graciously invited the Fun Italian Automobiles of Tucson crew to join them for a dinner gathering at Hot Rods in Vail, AZ on Sunday August 3, 2014.  This is a great opportunity to get together with members of another club and talk about all things "Italian car" while grabbing a bite to eat. Event starts at 6:00 PM

We need a count of all who will be attending so a group of parking spots can be reserved.  Please RSVP to "Rocky" at the Southern Arizona Pantera Club or me at the FIAT group to reserve a spot!

This event is Rain or Shine - it's OK to leave your prize Italian ride at home and show up in a SUV, neighbor's car, pickup truck, bicycle, etc!

I know we need the rain, but let's hope that August 3 is nice and dry!  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Ciao!
~Dave

Sunday Drive - Mt. Lemmon

The Sunday Drive up to Mt. Lemmon was great!  Only a couple were able to attend but the day was still very pleasant.  There were some poky drivers as expected but we had some spirited driving time which helped make the trip worth while.  A tasty lunch was had on the deck at Sawmill Run restaurant.  Afterwards we ran up to Ski Valley.  We had a treat of checking out a classic E-Type Jaguar before we took the chairlift up to the top - 9,125 feet!  The view was fantastic - and a bit chilly, too.

The drive down was nice but again there were some poky drivers to contend with.  We were treated to a view of the Thunderbirds aerial display as part of the airshow over Davis Monthan AFB on the last segment of the drive.

Check back here within the next couple of weeks for a video clip of the drive!

Tucson Coffee Roasters

Ian at Tucson Coffee Roasters has expressed interest in hosting our group's meet-ups!  TCR is located in the Basha's Shopping Center on the NW corner of Camp Lowell & Swan in Tucson.  TCR roasts its own beans.  Their lattes are smooth and delicious based on personal experience.  Try their green tea lemonade, too.  It's a great thirst quencher.

During meet-ups Ian said he'd provide regular black coffee for free to our members.  Awesome!

Check them out on their web site or Facebook page.  Better yet, stop by and them check out in person -- tell them you saw a posting for their business on the FIAT blog!

Ciao!

A birthday, Sunday drives, and a borrowed Fiat Spider

Photo: Erin Shearer

The other day I ran across an article titled "Me, a big road and a little Spider" by Dan Shearer, editor of the Green Valley News and The Sahuarita Sun here in Southern Arizona.  The article is from May 1, 2012.  It's an enjoyable read about his wife's birthday and the fun of a Fiat Spider.  > Select here < to read the article.

Does anyone want to tell Dan how difficult it is to cure a Spider bite?

 :-)

Ciao!

2014 Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts Collector Car Show

This show is typically held at the Tubac Golf Resort south of Tucson at the end of January.  There were only a handful of Italian cars at this show: an Alfa Romeo "Iniezone" Spider, a Ferrari 308GTB and Testarossa, a Lamborghini Gallardo, and about 4 Panteras.  There were acres of typical American muscle cars and plenty of classics from the early 1900's through the 1960's.  The Brits and Germans had a great showing with plenty of MGs, Jaguars, a Lotus Esprit, and Mercedes and Porsche respectively.

All in all a nice show.  The drive down and back was a blast. I took the frontage roads most of the way and there was not much traffic.  The temperature was just about perfect for a top-down cruise!  Can't believe it's January with the nice weather we've had while most of the rest of the nation is freezing.

If that silver car behind the Alfa pictures above peeked your interest... I believe it's a Renault Alpine. RARE sight here in the States!  It's French, but I'm including it here because it's so unique.

Autocrossed X

One of our group members, John Lawson, is also a member of the Sierra Sports Car Club.  He ran his X1/9 in that club's autocross event over the weekend.  Good car.  Excellent driver!  Here's a sample of what it's like to run last Sunday's course:  http://youtu.be/fRM_gGKvpm4

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year to one and all!  The weather has been really nice in southern Arizona lately.  So much so that I have not gotten to my planned down time for some upgrade work on my Spider!  The mornings have been chilly with afternoons being in the '60s with clear skies and calm winds.  I'm taking advantage of these nice days to take care of some items around the home along with running the Spider around a bit more before the weather changes for the worse. 

The FIAT group doesn't have a planned meeting this month.  Instead, members have been sent an email questionnaire regarding plans for 2014.  Once I have everyone's input back (January 10) I'll post a calendar of events for this year.

Best wishes to all for a safe and sane 2014!