After asking Marshall Buck about what do with an old Pocher Alfa model, we figured he, or his staff at AutoMobilia, might be able to help us with other odds and ends which have been hanging about the VeloceToday office for decades. So I sent a few images to Marshall of a particularly nice piece- an Alfa valve shim box. I have no idea when I acquired this or from where, or even the year it was made. Marshall in turn sent the request to John C. Lutsch from www.aeromobilia.com, and here is his answer:
By John C. Lutsch – www.aeromobilia.com
Alfa Romeo Factory Shim Box 1950s to early 60s
Back in the 1950s and early ‘60s, Alfa Romeo was more of a ‘boutique’ automobile manufacturer than it is today. Just look at the remarkable variety of coachbuilders who used the Alfa chassis and engine as underpinnings for their gorgeous sculptural body panels. Alfa was ‘Ferrari’ before Ferrari hit the streets and race courses of Europe and the Americas.
This lovely Alfa Romeo factory-supplied valve shim container is typical of the over-the-top attention to detail that surrounded Alfa at the time. Valve shims are used to adjust clearance when the valve is acted upon by the cam lobe, as opposed to a pushrod. As the valves and seats wear, shims of different thickness were installed to keep clearances within specs. As the photograph illustrates, 40 different dimensions (in millimeters) were available to make certain the clearances were just right.
A mechanic’s jewelry box: Hard to imagine mechanics having this on their bench while tuning an Alfa.
This valve shim box would have only been available to Alfa Romeo factory authorized service departments. The stair-step molded plastic is very precise, with incised red-painted lettering on the lid, and all capped off with an inset cloisonné Alfa Romeo badge. A dumbbell-shaped metal stick secures the lid, and doubles as a magnet-tipped lifter to remove the shims from their holes. The lid is secured by a full-width piano hinge.
In today’s world of throw-away packaging, this valve shim box is a vivid reminder of the care and attention that was brought to seemingly mundane items by people who venerated craftsmanship in all respects. The box is a rare item indeed, and if complete, could easily fetch $500.00-$750.00 in the current collector’s market.
In this view, the small ball and peg that keeps the cover closed is not in place; if you buy one make sure it is included.
Our thanks to Marshall Buck and John. C Lutsch
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What a great find and story behind this interesting and beautiful storage piece! It’s really incredible what attention to detail was placed on these cars and their components back then.