Double clutching/Fred shift/matching RPMs/Syncros

[ALFAXTC@domain.elided]

Here goes my 2 cents and question on this long lasting subject.  
1. Double clutching I've never done in any of my Alfas.  

2. I tried the FRED shift yesterday, but got the same results as Joe, the car lurches when I shift that way.  I may be doing something wrong.

3. I understand the concept of the Fred shift, it's basically matching the RPMs, but I just can't get it down right.

4. Matching RPMs I do by "blipping" the gas during shifts.  It seems to work well, I've never had a 2nd gear crunch on any of my Alfas and my previous 2 (1 Spider, 1 Milano) had a bad 2nd gear syncro.

Here is something I find strange.  I've bought Alfas where the owner tells me the 2nd gear grinds, but when I drive it, it doesn't!  I've had perfect 2nd gear syncros and a non Alfa owner drives it, he'll crunch it.  I truly believe you have to know how to drive an Alfa.  It takes careful shifting, easing the gears in and RPM matching to drive the Alfas smoothly and not to grind the gears.  You can't slam these gears like a Mustang.

On that note I too wonder why 2nd gear on Alfas are so weak?  These are ZF trannies that are used in MB, BMW, Ferrari, and many other makes that don't seem to have this 2nd gear syncro problem.  Could it be that Alfa says o.k. "ZF, you'll have build a tranny that cost $X" and ZF uses cheaper material to offset the costs?

Alan
88 Milano 3.0 (No 2nd gear problems when I drive it)
87 Spider Quad (Again no problem only when I drive it)
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