I got the camera charged for one photo, ran out, and took this quick snapshot. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Its the original battery and won't hold a charge. No one carries the battery so I need to order one. I'll do it today! Just to illustrate my indolent character I managed to order a battery from Amazon without leaving my seat since typing the first sentence a few minutes ago. It did not even cost me anything. Turns out my credit card [which rebates me some small amount on every purchase] had more then enough. Amazon has a deal with my card company to use that rebate as a credit. Why the credit card would choose to do that rather then keep the money is beyond me. Once I had several hundred dollar in credit and bought something or other for "free". This little item was $6. Its been years.
To me it is part of the car's history and character. Either that or I am to lazy to take it off. Like I keep promising to cut off that dangling speaker from the visor. I promise you I will do it today! Thaks for keeping up with things! Rap
I think its pretty cool you leaving the inspection sticker on there! As far as the dangling speaker I think once you cut it off you will be glad you did.
One of a kind, for sure! Never seen such color on a Mondial but it is indeed exquisite. The crema interiors add class imho. Classiche it, I say! Kind regards, Nuno.
I got a bit wet, but got some shots. Just hope I know how to post them. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Your are a man of taste refinement and of a discerning appreciation. For instance Mustangs and the various Chrysler offerings! Not everyone has this appreciation for what things are, in and of thmselves.
Thank you kindly for your compliments, David! At the end of the day, you were the one with taste refinement and discerning appreciation to acquire such an unique Mondial! It looks particularly stunning with the great state of Georgia in the background. As with all Ferraris, I bet it looks even more striking on the spot, live. No photo ever does a Ferrari true justice. Your Mondial does our community proud. It's very, very nice to see a one of a kind Mondial (I wonder how many were ever produced with this color combo!!!) being treated the way it deserves. All the best David, enjoy in good health! Kindest regards, Nuno.
Very nice Prugna coupe. Not something you see every day? I noticed the Wounded Warrior sticker, are you a Vietnam Vet?
Yeah. Outside Pleiku 1969. I was even offered a purple heart by mistake. Was at the Red Beach medivac when helicopters came in. About a dozen guys put on gurnies not one of them seemed to have a hangnail. The only medical personel on site was a guy walking around taking serial numbers for purple hearts. I just could not do it. Hurt myself falling off a surfboard. I did have an opportunity to trip and fall into my own barbed wire when a 122mm round detonated a hundred yards away. That would have qualified, I believe.....
David, I'm not american by birth but I am by heart. My great grandfather (Infantry - WWI), my grandfather (Army) and my father's godfather (Navy - Portuguese Colonial War) were military officers and as you can imagine, I have the utmost respect for veterans everywhere. One of my best and closest friends is also a Navy officer. Thank you for your service! Can't wait to see more photos of that gorgeous, exquisite Mondial. Can't get enough of it! Kindest regards, Nuno.
Very kind post. I never considered myself much of a soldier since I was drafted and never had to do much but defend the perimeter of our maintenance base - and, well - the largest ammunition dump in Vietnam. That was a bit scary at times. But I do have stories to tell. The closest I ever came to getting creamed was 1) the fifth round of a 105mm salvo from our rear. It landed in broad daylight right in front of us in our own wire. Perhaps 150 ft out. Coming in at that angle all the bad stuff when forward. We did not even report it. Figured the artillery guys were already changing their shorts. Second, we were recieving 122mm rockets about one every five seconds. These normally came in a total of five which just gave us enough time to get to the perimeter and keep us up all nght. But this time the just kept coming. I have a tape recording of the attack [one of the guys was taping a letter home and left the machine running]. As best as I can count was probably about 40 rounds or a few more. This got my attention so rather then take the truck the short distance to the perimeter I decided to trot up the monsoon ditch. My thinking was this: If they get in the perimeter the first thing they would do is toss a grenade into that truck. I also had a rational. If they do get into the perimeter [the never did] they would be silloetted against the perimeter lights and I could return fire from the ditch. I was well aware my own guys, in such a case, might return fire on me. But I did not expect any perimeter breach. So up I trot to the perimeter. Every five seconds hear the woosh, hit the ground and then hear the bang. You can tell how far off they are by counting seconds. One second is about 1000 feet and none of them were closer then two or three seconds. UNTIL. I was up and running and there was a large explostion to my right at the two o'clock position. It was so close I could not detect a time lag. That means about 150 ft or less. But not a scratch on me. I did not have time to dive down so just kept runnning like hell and took up my possition. It took me years to figure out what it was. While working in Germany as a civilian I ran accross a translated manual on the RPG7. These are the pointy things every mujahadeen over the world still use. Mostly it is armed with a shaped charge to achieve forward penetration. I presume it was aimed at one of the guard towers but missed. If they do not hit something they self detonate either 700 or 900 meters from launch. Thats about as close as I ever got to our adversaries.
David, I'd say that's pretty close! I'm glad nothing has ever happened to you. There are several ways a soldier can serve his/her country, the most important being accomplishing the mission and coming back home to your loved ones. My great grandfather was part of the CEP (Corpo Expedicionário Português - A division of the portuguese army sent to war in France to combat the germans alongside the Allied Forces) that was slaughtered in World War One. The army estimates only 1 in 3 portuguese sent to war came back home alive. 2 out of every 3 soldiers, officers, staff you name it, perished. He came back home from Brest (northern France) in 1918, completely bald from gas and other chemical weapons, aged 20. He told numerous stories to my father, who passed them on to me, along hundreds of old photos. You risked your life for liberty and democracy. I thank you, sir. Although my ancestors were in the military and saw action, I'm only 29 and I've never been in the military nor seen action. That doesn't stop me from being very aware that the freedoms I enjoy today and that I feel "normal and legitimate", are not free. They had to be acquired, by people who risked their lives and put their country, principles and values above everything, including their own sense of self preservation. Even in peace time, I believe (over here in Portugal at least) that the military are the last resort of a nations identity, principles, good practices, chivalry and morality, not to mention the countless stories of the armed forces (told by my buddy in the Navy) or rescues they make to numerous ships in distress, saving countless lives (extremely important in a country with such a long coastline as ours). Kind regards, Nuno.
David, Forgot to ask, if I may: have you ever considered getting a Ferrari Classiche certification? Kind regards, Nuno.
Your observations on WWI and the other things mean a lot to me. I have repeatedly listened to an audio book called: "A World Undone - JG Meyer." Probably the best comprehensive treatise on the WWI matter. Although it does not specifically mention "the CEP (Corpo Expedicionário Português)" its not difficult at all to substitute any of those who are mentioned for any of those who were not. That was one hell of a thing..... And no, I have not considered working towards a "Ferrari Classiche certification." I know this might sound a bit strange, but to me this is just my nifty used car. It runs and rides like new. But the A/C does not work. Oil leaks. The central vent system is strong, but the openings on the sides of the dash do not do anything. I changed the battery out from the top last year and in so doing removed the windshield washer tank and mechanism [which did not squirt much to begin with] and had to remove the horn blower. All of those items are still on my porch awaiting reinstallation. Nobody honks their horns around here. And not one of the interior lights work other then dash, and none of the trunk lights work either. I don't need any of them so give them little mind. I am sure there might be a hundred other such small things. The big things are as follows: it is about the best looking chasis on the road. The chasis and engine might as well be right off the show room floor they have gotten so tuned. Starts first time almost every time. Runs like a scalded dog and never encountered a curve it could not carve like a diamond cutter. As a Yank it is, perhaps, in my DNA that if it does what I want it to do nothing much more needs consideration