1984
Porsche 911 S, year 1969, which I bought after the black 912, the four-cylinder. This one had a six-cylinder engine, a whole different story! It was also second-hand, with various jobs to be done, some of which I carried out myself. Lots of fun, lots of power, and I replaced the rear engine boot with the ‘high wing’ version, as the original one was flat.”
These are some owner’s and maintenance manuals from the 1970s for Alfa Romeo and Lancia that I own.
I have many more, and they are all original, in Italian.
2007
Another fun-filled day at the motocross track in Viterbo, Italy.
The challenge is on between:
Paolo, me, riding the old Fantic Caballero TX 190, 50cc (slightly modified and updated in a few parts), wearing a blue Dainese jacket;
Fabio on his Yamaha 50cc with a red Dainese jacket;
Lorenzo on a Honda HM 50, dressed in black.
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Full throttle, pure fun.
2007
November 2007, a sunny Sunday – everything was set for the first Sunday ride with the Fantic Caballero -.
The restored Fantic, although several decades old, proved to be mechanically sound and reliable. Over the 110 km ride, only a few minor interventions were needed, mainly small adjustments and checks, with no major issues affecting performance. Overall, the bike ran smoothly and confirmed the quality of the restoration under real riding conditions. Great!
2010
A souvenir photo, before the perfomance, among many others, with Marcello on the left and Luigi ‘Giggio’ in the middle.
2008
This is the Fantic Caballero 50cc that I bought in poor condition and restored so I could ride it both on the road and off-road. I fitted some newer replacement parts, keeping the original ones aside to avoid damaging them, already hard to find on the market even back then.
1984
It was a day with loads of snow, and together with some friends we had a blast riding our bikes.
I was on a Bultaco Sherpa 350 cc trial, Francesco on a Mondial 125 cc, Roberto on a Yamaha Ténéré 600 cc, Mario on a Puch 250 cc – he’s the one talking to the car driver – then Roberto, known as “Nencio”, on a Honda XR 350 cc, and Cesare on a Cagiva 125 cc.Lots of fun, for sure… but pushing those bikes uphill was hard work! Wow!
1982
Porsche 912
This is the 1966 Porsche 912, the little four-cylinder classic
I bought in 1982 from my friend Franco, owner and manager of a major furniture store in Viterbo, Italy in that time.
I was just 18, still a student and I put every bit of my savings into bringing it back to life even if only with a light restoration,
with a big thanks to the help of my dear friend Giovanni, from San Martino in Viterbo, who put in the hard work of stripping paint and rust from the inside of the 912.
I knew the engine wasn’t healthy, but I didn’t care. That was my dream car.
A few months later, though, the dream suddenly ended: the engine blew apart, a connecting rod bursting out of the block like a shot.
With a heavy heart I sold it, only to chase the dream again with another Porsche. The story, of course, didn’t end there.
1978
This was my very first motorcycle when I was fourteen, a Moto Morini 50cc with a four-stroke engine, bought second-hand from a friend. It gave me endless fun and excitement, racing up and down the woods and countryside around my hometown. Sure, it wasn’t very powerful, but with a few tweaks to the engine you could squeeze out a bit more punch. The front forks were oil-damped, and they worked incredibly well off-road.
One Sunday, I joined a vintage car and motorcycle club race near Viterbo, Italy. I showed up with my 1972 Kawasaki KH 500, a two-stroke, three-cylinder beast with pure racing attitude. I still remember checking the carburetion before the event, and thanks to my friend Marcello, a true engine expert, I was able to hit the track without any issues.
It was a fantastic day: lots of fun, plenty of participants – mostly friends – and we “challenged” each other on a stretch of road closed to traffic just for this event. Good vibes, good laughs, and the unforgettable sound of old engines roaring together.