The Cortile
  • Home
    • Media Registration
    • About
    • History >
      • Proiettore 2022
      • Proiettore 2021
      • Proiettore 2019
      • Proiettore 2018
      • Proiettore 2017
      • Proiettore 2016 >
        • Friday 2016
      • Proiettore 2015 >
        • Wednesday 2015
        • Thursday 2015
        • Friday 2015
      • Proiettore 2014
    • Contact
    • Event Rules
    • Trailer Parking
    • Staff info >
      • Volunteer Form
      • Set up & Staging
      • To Do
      • Receiving Tent
      • Reception Tent
      • Parking
      • Clubhouse
      • Westinghouse
      • Emergency
  • News
  • Cortile Cup
    • Judging
    • Definitions
    • Cortile Cup 2021
    • Cortile Cup 2017
    • Cortile Cup 2016
    • Cortile Cup 2015
    • Cortile Cup 2014
    • Cortile Cup 2013
    • Cortile Cup 2012
    • Cortile Cup 2011
    • Inception
  • Marques
    • Carrozzeria >
      • Bertone
      • Ghia
      • Pininfarina
      • Scaglietti
      • Vignale
      • Zagato
    • Abarth
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Bandini
    • Bizzarrini
    • Cisitalia
    • De Tomaso
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Innocenti
    • Iso Rivolta
    • Lamborghini
    • Lancia
    • Maserati
    • Moretti
    • Siata
    • Stanguellini
    • Taraschi
  • Sponsors
    • Ferrari of Philadelphia
    • Maserati of Pittsburgh
    • Pitt SAE Race Team
    • State Farm
    • Become a Sponsor
  • Events
    • Proiettore 2023
    • Saturday
    • Sunday

American Lancia Club: Walt Spak   1948 - 2013

7/1/2013

1 Comment

 
Originally posted by Geoff Goldberg at American Lancia Club

A very dear Lancista, Walt Spak, passed away recently. He had struggled with health issues for some time, but his passing was unexpected.

Walt was widely respected throughout the Lancia world for his dedication to the cars, his search for authenticity in details, his careful workmanship and most generous spirit. For the club, Walt would always answer questions, treating all with a remarkable sense of fairness. For those who knew him, he gave more to others than himself.
His deep respect for the elegance of Lancias was an inspiration for those who had a chance to see share his joy. He built Aurelia engines visually just right, every detail well addressed, carefully machined and assembled from the inside. He was a master Lancista.

Walt started with Lancias in the early 1970s, as a young Vietnam vet starting to work for Tom Sheehan and the Lancia Parts Consortium in Pittsburgh. Interested in machinery, he and Tom had a long and close relationship, with many fun escapades. Tom would source unusual treasures and Walt would steadily bring the goodies home and keep all in good order.
Picture
I first met Walt getting parts in the mid-1970s. Our friendship took off instantly, as Walt taught me the intricacies of the Lancia way. we would walk up and down corridors of parts, each in their own special place, as he showed how each was carefully arranged according the Parts Books, which he made clear was the guiding work for all serious Lancia enthusiasts. Questions were carefully considered, followed by thoughtful investigation into the books, answers always found. His was a reasoned way, a voice of calm. Rare was a mistake - he always got it right.

We grew closer, and I bought his Flaminia sedan with 12 shades of primer grey, a lovely car. Along with it came discussions of which was the best B20, a subject we never let go. In later years, we’d mull which engine to put in a Fulvia, as he pondered how to get a hand clutch in a Fulvia sport.

He took leave of Lancias in the 1980s, and it wasn’t until some fifteen years later we reconnected as if nothing had changed. Walt enjoyed the club reunions, going on back roads only he could find. In later years, he undertoook that thankless task of organizing reunions, one lovely one in Northern Pennsylvania. Cars were interspersed with nature, and a visit to the Corning Glass Museum - Walt wanted to make sure we had some culture along with the cars. His was an enlightened view. He would step back from the cars and see a larger picture and share that with you - and life was better for that.

One busy night in Pittsburgh he and I designed his loft apartment for the warehouse where he wanted to live. With a lovely view over Pittsburgh, Walt wanted the windows to be garage doors and open all the way up, and so it was. He was a meticulous craftsman, working closely with Bob Williams restoring Aurelias, with them being responsible for the best Lancias in this country. He worked with other industrial companies and some other business endeavors, but in the end, his love of machinery took him back to Lancias.

His knowledge and understanding of Lancia logic was unparalleled. Walt could tell you the plating on the engine hardware, and when it changed from this to that, and even why. He knew each camshaft, castings, bits and pieces, and enjoyed hunting down that which he didn’t know. We tracked down cams, castings, obscure details, and looked for the one magic parts book with the rare index no one knew. He went from Lancia motors to the more exotic Fiat 8V engines, always with attention to details. He loved riding his Moto Guzzi, and was active with Volkswagen Vanagons in PIttsburgh. His was a steady voice for the underdogs and for seeing the beauty in unrecognized motoring treasures.

His long-term difficulties with MS did not ease, but his cheer remained undeterred. He planned to restore his Fulvia Sport to drive across the country, and he remained active in the American Lancia Club, helping to spread the word and keep interest going. He single-handedly kept the east coast branch of the club active, serving as its Vice President for many years.

Walt is succeeded by his two sons, Ryan and Nathan and three sisters, to whom he was close. He will be deeply missed. Details of a memorial will be posted once known. (I got a call from Walt's son Ryan, and they are planning on a small memorial for Walt in Pittsburgh on August 24 2013 (Sat).)

Geoff Goldberg
7.1.2013

1 Comment
Phil Miller
7/26/2015 16:52:59

Thank you, Geoff, for portraying Walt in such an enlightened way. He was a very good man and sadly I only recently learned of his passing. I first met Walt when he accompanied Tom Sheehan to one of my dad's (Mike Miller) summer Lancia Club picnics at our home in Westchester County NY. After many years of non-involvement with Lancias I purchased a very solid Flaminia 3C GT from Jaan Hjort of Eddins Moto fame. To make a long story short I chose to work on rebuilding the engine, suspension, etal with a very talented but unreliable mechanic in Columbus OH. Bottom line was that the car never got put back together. Business situations necessitated my trying to quickly sell the car, in pieces, and Walt was my first and only call. Ironically he was driving back to PA after showing the Siata at Amelia Island. Within 72 hours he drove to Columbus, and a deal was made...fair to all! How rewarding that this car, once owned by Tom Sheehan, found its way back into the hands of Walt who so diligently found the perfect place for all the parts...bringing this amazing car back to life...as pictured in your tribute...Thanks again Geoff for your carefully chosen words!!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Atribution

    This is a compilation of articles from a variety of sources and contributors.  Attrition and sources are always provided at the top and/or the bottom of the posting.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    August 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    June 2019
    January 2019
    May 2018
    April 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    July 2013
    June 2013
    January 2013
    September 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    250-gt-lusso
    50-anni-di-passione-tour
    Alex Wakefield
    Alfa Romeo
    Alfa Romeo Giulia
    Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce
    Alpine
    Amelia Island
    American Lancia Club
    Amy Burns
    Artist
    Auriana
    Baierl Fiat
    Bandini
    Bernard Martin
    Bertone
    Bizzarrini
    Bobby Rahal
    Bugatti
    Cavallino Rampante
    Citroën
    Concorso Italiano
    Convention
    Cortile
    Cortile Cup
    Cortile Della Corsa
    David Adams
    Derham-custom-body
    De Tomaso
    Dwight Knowlton
    Ferrari
    Ferrari-308-gtb
    Ferrari-328-gts
    Ferrari Club America
    Ferrari-market-letter
    Ferrari Of Philadelphia
    Fiat
    Fiat-club-america
    Fiat-freakout
    Formula One
    Ghia
    Giorgetto Giugiaro
    Greenbrier Concours
    Hahn-and-vorbach
    Huracana110f686eb
    IndyCar
    Innocenti
    Innocenti Mini
    Insurance
    Iso Autoveicoli
    Iso Rivolta
    Ivan Ruiz
    Jason Moka
    Jeff Mahl
    John Campion
    John Walko
    Juan Manual Fangio
    Kate Gundlach
    Lamborghini
    Lancia
    Lancia 037 Rally Evo
    Lancia 037 Rally Evo Group B
    Lancia Beta Montecarlo
    Lancia Delta HF Integrale 8V
    Lancia Delta S4
    Lancia Flaminia Gtl
    Lancia LC1
    Lancia LC1 Group VI
    Lancia LC2
    Lancia LC2 Group C
    Lancia Stratos HF Works
    Lanica Fulvia 1600 HF
    Little Red Racing Car
    Luigi Chinetti
    Marque Of The Year
    Maserati
    Maserati-300o-gt-tc
    Maserati-century
    Maserati-of-pittsburgh
    Mazza Winery
    Miura
    Monterey Historic
    Monterey-motorsports
    Muira
    NART
    N.A.R.T. - North American Racing Team
    New York To Paris
    Peugeot
    Pitt FSAE
    Pitt Race
    PoloStorico
    Proiettore Macchina
    PVGP
    Pvgp Racing
    Ralph Gilles
    Renault
    Renzo Rivolta
    Restoration
    Rob Straw R7 Photography
    Ron Lewis Alfa Romeo
    Sergio Marchionne
    Sergio-pininfarina
    Sergio-scaglietti
    Siata
    Sponsor
    Stanguellini
    State Farm
    Stephan-winkelmann
    Test Drive
    Through The Gears
    Tom Bungay
    Tom Frasca
    Tom Tjaarda
    Vintage Racing
    Walt Spak
    Wayne Long
    Westinghouse Memorial
    Wine On Nine

    RSS Feed

Picture
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association is a federally registered 501c (3) non-profit organization with a mission to hold a world-class vintage automotive race event for charity. 

Since 1983 this volunteer-driven event has raised over $6 million to benefit autistic and developmentally disabled individuals through the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School. The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix remains North America's largest vintage race event, the only one run on city streets, and the 8th largest car show in the World.

© 2023 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. 
All Rights Reserved.

Created by Rapid Production Marketing
  • Home
    • Media Registration
    • About
    • History >
      • Proiettore 2022
      • Proiettore 2021
      • Proiettore 2019
      • Proiettore 2018
      • Proiettore 2017
      • Proiettore 2016 >
        • Friday 2016
      • Proiettore 2015 >
        • Wednesday 2015
        • Thursday 2015
        • Friday 2015
      • Proiettore 2014
    • Contact
    • Event Rules
    • Trailer Parking
    • Staff info >
      • Volunteer Form
      • Set up & Staging
      • To Do
      • Receiving Tent
      • Reception Tent
      • Parking
      • Clubhouse
      • Westinghouse
      • Emergency
  • News
  • Cortile Cup
    • Judging
    • Definitions
    • Cortile Cup 2021
    • Cortile Cup 2017
    • Cortile Cup 2016
    • Cortile Cup 2015
    • Cortile Cup 2014
    • Cortile Cup 2013
    • Cortile Cup 2012
    • Cortile Cup 2011
    • Inception
  • Marques
    • Carrozzeria >
      • Bertone
      • Ghia
      • Pininfarina
      • Scaglietti
      • Vignale
      • Zagato
    • Abarth
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Bandini
    • Bizzarrini
    • Cisitalia
    • De Tomaso
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Innocenti
    • Iso Rivolta
    • Lamborghini
    • Lancia
    • Maserati
    • Moretti
    • Siata
    • Stanguellini
    • Taraschi
  • Sponsors
    • Ferrari of Philadelphia
    • Maserati of Pittsburgh
    • Pitt SAE Race Team
    • State Farm
    • Become a Sponsor
  • Events
    • Proiettore 2023
    • Saturday
    • Sunday