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Mass Alfisti Meet Up

14K views 90 replies 16 participants last post by  AntonioNG 
#1 ·
The winter is (almost) over. Temps are increasing.

The extra salt and sand will be cleaned up. I am getting good with the ONR.

Let's have a meet up!

I know this was briefly discussed in an earlier thread. But if we can get at least 10 committed, that would be great.

The two owners I have met recently would be up for it. Who else?

And, then: where and when?

I think the Burlington/Waltham area is central for Metro N/W/S and might work on a Sunday in April. There is a SBux at the Market Place off 128/95. It should be quiet on a Sunday...

Please respond with interest and any ideas.
 
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#2 ·
I'm interested. I have Easter with family to go to but my brother lives up there anyway. I am getting more familiar with the area but anything outside of Easter should be OK. I still have to pay my excise tax so maybe I should shut up and put my money in the bank. ;)
 
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#3 ·
I'm down. still not putting summers on yet as new england is known to get nasty end of april blizzard/snow storm in the past before.

if we are going for a cruise, rest stop on 95S near Wellesley, 90W Natick/Framingham, 95N Lexington might be decent place w/o worrying about parking in sbux.
 
#4 ·
Great. I was thinking post Easter/Passover, too.

Xc1097, those spots can definitely work. Let’s hear from more folks and then carve out exact date/time/place.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Easter is 04/21.

i believe first cars & coffee for larz anderson is on 05/11.

we could post bunch of dates or make a poll before or after easter and go from there as well.

@Nik @Bella Berlina @nells18 @Joshinator99 are other MA members i remember that are here as well who might be interested.
 
#11 ·
All right! Thanks for all of the responses!

Sunday the 28th is the day after Passover, the week after Passover. If that is not a good date for some other holiday/other reason I may have missed, please let me know.

I will be in Burlington tomorrow and scope out an area there that might work

-John
 
#12 ·
please no mall parking lots. gets too much attention with burlington cops & mall security even in small numbers.
what's the purpose of the meet? just meeting for quick coffee? light drive/cruise?

there is starbucks on burlington mall road, but gets pretty busy in the morning on sundays and parking lot isn't too big.
i still think rest area meet is better idea to not get crazy attention with ample parking.
95n bound has rest stop between exit 30a & 30b.

soldiers road starbucks parking near acura of boston is another place w/ ample parking w/o causing much attraction/attention imo.
 
#15 ·
I'm always game for an Alfa meetup. There are also quite a few AROC members with Giulia's and Stelvio's.
 
#16 ·
Just a heads up to those of you in the Greater Boston area, Central Alfa in Norwood, MA where I bought my Giulia is no longer in existence. I just called them to schedule my first maintenance and they no longer support Alfa Romeo service. They do have all the other Fiat/Chrysler brands, but no Alfa anymore.

It looks like the only option is Alfa Romeo of Boston in Wayland. Kinda sucks.
 
#20 ·
Central isn't only one that shut the door. Kelly in Danver has shut it's doors too.
So only Herb's 2 locations are only place for Alfa, until new Alfa dealer next to Acura of Boston opens up.
Heard it's opening in late summer so we'll see.

So, we have quite an interest here! Stelvio's are of course welcome @Greg Stidsen, especially the Quads!

Since there is some digression on where - which we can vote on now or later - either

95N Reststop between exits 30A-30B Lexington

or

1 University Ave Westwood or similar office park

Let me know your thoughts.

But now, let's lock up a date

Sunday the 28th 11a-1pm

Will this work?
BMW has autocross event at Xfinitiy center on 28th.
so 11am~1pm won't work for me.
let's do more like cars & coffee schedule of 7am~9am on saturday or sunday morning instead.

if we are plan to do on rest stop, I vote for 90E/90W Natick/Framingham stop. doesn't matter which direction tho.

regarding office park, security can still harass or call cops for trespassing so i wouldn't recommend it.
 
#18 ·
So, we have quite an interest here! Stelvio's are of course welcome @Greg Stidsen, especially the Quads!

Since there is some digression on where - which we can vote on now or later - either

95N Reststop between exits 30A-30B Lexington

or

1 University Ave Westwood or similar office park

Let me know your thoughts.

But now, let's lock up a date

Sunday the 28th 11a-1pm

Will this work?
 
#22 ·
Date is fine with me too. Westwood is closer but I know Burlington pretty well too. I can show you my favorite driving route in Westwood/Dover too. It's off the beaten path, twisty, narrow, rural, riverside, colonial, with a couple cool bridges on it, and a spillway. Basically around the tributaries of the Charles and through Dedham, crossing Route 1 and 95, where you can open it up. ;)
 
#24 ·
I just got back from that route. My day off ;) . Traffic is bad through Dedham and Readville on Friday evenings but should be better on a Sunday. It is really pretty back there and a couple horses were out grazing at the farms along the route. Several new houses too. Dover is also doing roadside clean up so there were several landscaping trucks every so often along the shoulder. Just be careful and look way ahead. Be aware of hill crests and bends. Observe the children playing signs. A dog ran out ahead of me around a FedEx truck that was parked along the shoulder too. Plenty of room. I honked and no sign of the owner. The dog stayed put so I rumbled on by. It's very wooded and no leaves out yet. The streamside views are really nice. And yes, I opened it up crossing 95 and on the long stretch near my house :D Just be careful and size up the space available. Drive within it.
 
#25 ·
So, the 28th seems like a good date for most, sorry if not ideal for some. It won't be the last local meetup I hope!

1 University Ave Westwood seems decent.

And I like the idea of taking up @John_K_348 on his Westwood/Dover route afterwards.

I know some Mass members might not see these posts. Any suggestion on how we raise the response ratio?
 
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#28 · (Edited)
So Sunday April 28th is on for 11a to 1pm. And where will we meet? I just remembered there are some speed bumps in Westwood on the way back towards Boston. They're on a short street with houses, but an easier merge back on to 109. Just two, 25 mph wide ones and I have no trouble with them in my cars especially the Miata or Ferrari. So if any of you are lowered, more than a 4 inch ride height should be OK. My favorite part is wooded, twisty and hilly. The street has an American Indian name but I will keep it secret for now. ;) It's single yellow line and narrow but fun with the gears and cornering. Stay alert and watch at bends and hill crests. You never know when some crazy SUV will lumber around, encroaching the line.
 
#30 ·
'You never know when some crazy SUV will lumber around, encroaching the line."

like the people who live in the area, and need something for winter that will get them out of their driveway and down the not plowed as often narrow roads? yes, they are out this time of the year too, picking up stuff for gardens, fences, etc
 
#32 ·
Sorry lost,

It appears I distracted from the point of my comment by trying to soften it. My point was, if you drive a large SUV, don't be "crazy" and don't text and drive, distracting yourself from an otherwise enjoyable road, _crossing_ the center line, and causing other alert and responsible drivers to fear for their lives. If not, those who do are welcome to buy me another upgrade, provided I survive the crash. ;)
 
#33 ·
the point? a large suv?

sorry, those attributes are just as likely in 2 and 4 door car drivers. how many threads are on this board about the radio, carplay, number of presets, etc? oh, and some craziness gets brought up on occasion too.

realistically, those who fancy themselves as 'sporting" drivers in sporting cars are more likely to be trying to use more/all of the road than the more "mundane" drivers. heck, plenty of them can't even get out of cars and coffee without issues.

as far as large goes, a giulia or 360 is as wide as a stelvio/macan etc, and the 12 cylinder exotics are as wide/wider than a Explorer etc. the "soccer moms" in suvs seem to manage the area roads when they are narrower and slippery in winter; maybe the forward visibility and definition of vehicle corners is better in the suv? or the women driving them are better and/or more attentive.
I rather expect the area residents "fear for their lives" when the fair weather sports car people start joyriding in their neighborhood.
 
#34 ·
I see your point. I also see all the "drive like your kids live here" signs and oblige them. I totally respect the neighborhoods I drive through and I'm sure many of the residents drive both SUV and smaller cars. It has just been my experience lately that more of the vehicles I see driving poorly and distracted are of the larger variety. My impression is that these days, many people purchase S/CUVs for the size factor and apparent "safety" factor (read crash.) Not all, just many. And this many also tend to get complacent, or "entitled" when it comes to road rules and safety. Once again, many, not all.

A couple summers ago, I was on the same route as we are considering here and a minivan came barreling around a bend, in a wooded section with single yellow line and crossed over into my lane. I veered off and slammed on the breaks. I was in the Miata at the time and slid about 3 feet in pine needles stopping short of a tree off the shoulder by less than than 3 feet. I had not repaired the front frame rail rot at this point either. If it had hit me I may have lost my legs or been killed. There was a witness, a home owner, working in their yard at the time and I yelled out, "Did you see that?! He almost killed me!" The owner just stared at me in shock. The van had swerved back and I may have cleared him by less than 3 feet. My Miata has never been a fair weather sports cars and that's why it had frame rot. It has wintered every year since new and performs excellently on a full set of winters. The rails were replaced 2 years ago with top notch work.

I often see people cheating over the double yellow line on bends regardless of vehicle size. That's just poor driving and inconsiderate. At fault and a citation in a collision. That free additional upgrade I talk about ;)

If you took offense or found fault with my singling out SUVs then I can agree to drop that from my statement. Poor driving is just that, regardless of vehicle. Let me then rather give a warning for all drivers...don't get complacent with safety features, driving aids, size or crash rating, and don't drive distracted!
 
#35 ·
"Poor driving is just that, regardless of vehicle."
yup, I've had idiots on motorcycles half way in my lane - and it's good I was on one too so could avoid them.
and I've been hit by an idiot in a vw rabbit, who enjoyed how quickly it could hop into a different lane.
other than often being aggravatingly slow, I haven't had "memorable" issues with larger vehicles.
 
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