[ATTACH] Another one: back to the origin!
52743, the ex-Turin Salon GTO, fresh from an extensive refurbishment. Image Unavailable, Please Login
No, but 52743 does have some discreetly-appointed unique factory features which I will highlight in an upcoming magazine article, stay tuned. Image Unavailable, Please Login
This is interesting. Why did some have this engine cover box and others didn't? Did they come from the factory that way?
Image Unavailable, Please Login The 'engine cover box' or dome was a Ferrari modification to house sensors & instruments for testing of the new GTO. Only the early 288 GTO models retain this feature. It is a detail that can still be seen on that yellow 288 GTO photographed recently on display at the California show.
Thanks, Joe. I was at Casa Ferrari this year and took notice of the box on the yellow GTO you reference. Thanks for clarifying this.
It's worth mentioning that AFAIK just 2 or 3 Prototypes had this feature, but other Prototypes, for example Tom Hartley's, do not. Image Unavailable, Please Login
As seen earlier the box was on the GTO at the Geneva show's Ferrari display in 1984. However *50255* doesn't have the box mounted above the motor in this picture> Image Unavailable, Please Login
The GTO *50255* still had the box above the engine when it was presented in Germany later in 1984> Image Unavailable, Please Login Ferrari did not seem to be in any hurry to remove the box from the engine cover.
Very interesting. So, does this "box" sit on top of the engine cover with the engine cover acting as the bottom/floor of the box or does the box serve as extra space for engine clearance (similar to the engine cover of the Countach 4 Four bale downdraft)?
I remember reading one of the 288 books that the Box cover was used to clear the carbureted engine on the first prototype. Not sure why the are more than one because the second prototype used the fuel injection intake manifolds like the production 288 and the box was not needed. But I know looking at these books they moved a lot of body parts around on the prototypes.
Alberto provided these quoted details regarding the box on the engine cover in post #128 of the thread how many 288 GTO are Yellow? > No carbed engine was ever installed on a 288 GTO prototype, so the purpose wasn't that. This is official. Ciao
Learn something new everyday. Anyway. It talked about the development of the 288 transaxle. They first used a ZF transaxle(like a G50) upside down to clear the chassis and that a custom oil pan was made for the f114 engine but it made the engine sit higher and for the hood clear the engine they made that box cover? I have to find that page on the book.
If you look at the back of this transaxle it doesn't say "Ferrari" on the back cover. Possibly one of the very first transaxles made? Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login That is a great picture with as you say the 'Ferrari' name is missing unlike on the production models. Something extra on that model is the number "288" above the GTO name! Thank you.
