The specialist: Alfa Aid

By Matthew Carter

| 22 Dec 2024

Classic & Sports Car – The specialist: Alfa Aid

With no more than 112 examples in the UK, you might consider a business that deals exclusively with Alfa Romeo’s late-’80s SZ and RZ, Il Mostro, to be a niche too far.

But Adrian Jardine of Alfa Aid begs to differ: “I have about five years’ worth of restoration work here, plus cars in for regular servicing and repair.”

At the time of our visit there were around 25 examples on site – almost a quarter of the entire UK fleet – and cars were on their way from Hong Kong and, ironically, Italy.

Adrian (on right) and Olly – yellow poles designed by Adrian to hold up the Alfa Romeo SZ’s heavy bonnet

Although recently established in a new facility, Alfa Aid has been a marque specialist for decades.

Adrian started the company while an engineering student at Brunel University.

Already a serial Alfasud owner, his initial business model was breaking ’Suds and 33s for parts.

The firm grew after Adrian became the biggest Alfa breaker in the country – among his clients was Minari Engineering, creator of the eponymous Alfa-based kit car.

In 2001, as the supply of donor vehicles dried up, a workshop and forecourt in Maidenhead were acquired, the company started servicing recent Alfas and Adrian became more involved in the SZ.

Alfa Aid offers a modified cambelt, tensioner and water pump for the ‘Busso’ V6

The SZ was launched in 1989, with just 1036 built by Zagato along with 278 convertible RZs.

The coupé was penned in-house by Robert Opron and Antonio Castellana, and it was the first car to feature Modar: injection-moulded composite body panels using chopped-strand glassfibre and polyester resin.

Little wonder it was originally called ES30, for ‘Experimental Sportscar 3.0-litre’.

“I had wanted to own one from the moment it was revealed, but I wasn’t able to buy my first until 1995,” says Adrian.

“Experimental is the right word; we are constantly finding small differences in apparently identical cars.”

Alloy wheels (left) and brake calipers are among Alfa Aid’s specially remade components

Such is the smallness of the Alfa Romeo SZ/RZ world that owners soon became aware of Adrian’s skills.

Alfa Aid was even sent an SZ by one-time UK Ferrari importer Maranello Sales, which preferred not to touch the car itself.

Towards the end of the previous decade, bread-and-butter servicing wasn’t making economic sense.

The pandemic made the next move obvious, says Adrian: “Everyday work dried up, but I had six SZs in, so I came in solo to work on them.

“By the time restrictions were lifted I’d decided to concentrate solely on SZs.”

The Alfa Romeo RZ on the ramp has body issues, but Modar panels need careful treatment

It’s a slimmed-down business now with just one qualified mechanic, Olly Yarrow, joining Adrian, but there is a vacancy for another “perfectionist” that should be filled soon.

Alfa Aid has developed some improvements to ensure the SZ’s V6 can continue to perform as Giuseppe Busso intended.

There’s a modified cambelt and tensioner system, and a new water pump that doesn’t foul the engine’s oil cooler pipes in the way aftermarket replacements do.

The company makes stainless-steel power-steering cooling pipes – the originals rust – and stainless-steel wheel nuts, plus replica split-rim Speedline wheels can be supplied in the original 16in and wider 18in sizes.

Long-time Alfisti Adrian focuses on keeping Alfa Romeo SZ and RZs on the road

An amazing-sounding stainless exhaust system has also been created.

Indeed, the list of parts no longer available that are either remanufactured in-house or outsourced to Alfa Aid’s design is long and diverse, ranging from washer nozzles and door seals to rose joints and calipers.

A windscreen run has been commissioned from Pilkington, and bonnet and bumper assemblies outsourced.

Adrian thinks Alfa Aid is the only company in Europe with the correct chassis jig brackets for accident repairs, too.

Inside Alfa Aid’s busy workshop

And then there’s Modar… When the panels were made, air and moisture were trapped in the fibre-and-resin mix.

Over time, the bubbles of moisture can cause micro-blisters in the paint, which must be carefully hand-sanded back with the panels gently warmed to remove all the remaining moisture, before the surface can be sealed and repainted.

It is a time consuming – and expensive – process.

Little wonder that Alfa Aid’s workshop is so busy.

Images: Jack Harrison