| Author | Message | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Member Username: Jay Post Number: 324 Registered: 10-2001 |
Bill I didn't think you were serious! Most of the terms that are in that manual are very difficult to understand unless Italian is your first tongue. Some things I just don't know what they are. I have that parts manual that you linked to, along with others in PDF format. Actually I have several along with owners manuals. Thanks for the offer. I take it that with a name like Sebestyen you aren't Italian right?  How about Sebestyeno? | ||
| Bill Sebestyen (Bill308)
Junior Member Username: Bill308 Post Number: 170 Registered: 5-2001 |
Jay, That's a very kind offer, but it would be a big job. If you're really interested, there is an on-line version of the 1978 Parts Catalog at: http://www.ferrari.stevejenkins.com/books/308_parts.pdf | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Advanced Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2510 Registered: 2-2001 |
Jay, With the feeling and meaning as there is in your essay I don't think there would be any question about printing it. Nice Job. Magoo | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Member Username: Jay Post Number: 319 Registered: 10-2001 |
Bill my parts manual is in English I think, but sure I could translate. Vince, Feel free to send it to anyone you like. Nika, I was thinking you could put it on your site (If you want). I love writing and am going to start contributing to the Newsletters (If they'll print it) | ||
| Vince Canipelli (F308vc)
New member Username: F308vc Post Number: 9 Registered: 2-2002 |
Jay.. Your "Ferrai Essay" is beautiful! my Grandfather was from Naples and came to US as a child. His wife's parents were also from the old country. Two of their sons became doctors and my father, the oldest an Electrical Eng. and helped put his 2 brothers through med school. One of the brothers has owned 2 Fcars, 330 GTC and 308 GTB. it was always my dream to own a Ferrari and finally it came true. Your essay brought tears to my eyes. I hope you don't mind my sending it to my special Uncle. THANKS!! | ||
| Bill Sebestyen (Bill308)
Junior Member Username: Bill308 Post Number: 163 Registered: 5-2001 |
Jay, Could I persuade you to translate the 308 parts manual? | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 433 Registered: 12-2001 |
for $100 um...oh I don't think so Today is the last day you can get in on the Early Bird Draw - call them! | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Member Username: Jay Post Number: 316 Registered: 10-2001 |
If you win, I'd be willing to buy the car off of you for the price of the ticket! | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 432 Registered: 12-2001 |
Jay - I bought a Princess Margaret Hospital lottery JUST for the early bird prize - the 456M GT well, actualy I bought it because the proceeds go towards cancer research BUT the early Bird is better than a toaster right? | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Member Username: Jay Post Number: 313 Registered: 10-2001 |
Nika, I would buy the Daytona for myself! I love the long hood! My wife is partial to the 456. That's alot of floors to sand! | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Member Username: Jay Post Number: 312 Registered: 10-2001 |
Thanks for your kind words. Dominic, I also can speak, read and write Italian, unfortunately I may be the last of my generation. My wife is not Italian (Trinidadian) but she understands the disease that is Ferrari. She wants to learn Italian but I have no patience for teaching! I just felt like I had to write about the struggles of my ancestors in relation to Ferrari. | ||
| Marcus Mayeux (Mmayeux73)
New member Username: Mmayeux73 Post Number: 26 Registered: 4-2002 |
Very nice essay! I know exactly what you are talking about, my step-dad is Italian American and his Mom and dad were from Sicily and they had moved to New York and went through many of the same struggles. I would have to say I have learned a lot from my step dad and I know how proud he is that he is an Italiano. He is the VP of the Italian Club of Dallas and I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most giving people! Italians are truly hard working, proud, and giving people. Ciao | ||
| Andrew (Mrrou)
Junior Member Username: Mrrou Post Number: 120 Registered: 3-2002 |
Jay...WOW what a well said essay...i sent a copy of it to my friends so they can understand my passion as an italian for a ferrari..hopefully they can too..thanks again | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 430 Registered: 12-2001 |
Well written Jay! I was thinking - you should buy your wife a yellow Ferrari too. There was a yellow Ferrari Daytona at the dealer here....whaddaya think? It's a great chick-car! Anyway - thanks for your help again with my battery issue | ||
| Mitchel DeFrancis (4re308)
Member Username: 4re308 Post Number: 493 Registered: 6-2001 |
I LOVE reading about how someone can share similar feelings that I feel...and put it on "paper". Well done and well written Jay, thanks for sharing that. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2448 Registered: 2-2001 |
Well said Jay. | ||
| Dominic L. DiMento (Domenico)
New member Username: Domenico Post Number: 22 Registered: 2-2002 |
That's a nice essay Jay. As a first generation Italo-Americano I can relate to it and I think anyone who came from another country can relate as well. I am of the few born here that speaks the language and understands the sacrifices my grandparents and parents made to make a better life for me. Ferrari is about hard work, determination and dreams coming true. Those three things were key in Enzo's success and also we as a people. Ferrari is rolling art appreciated by little kids and grandparents alike. Just mentioning the word "Ferrari" evoke all sorts of responses from everyone but if you're Italian you smile with a little more pride knowing it's part of your culture and heritage. Caio. "E veramente una bella machina" | ||
| Greg Owens (Owens84qv)
Member Username: Owens84qv Post Number: 327 Registered: 10-2001 |
Very well put. By the way, I recently purchased the 1984/1985 Annual Yearbook and there was a paragraph talking to the same topic: "In the secret dreams of every man, there is, or has been, the desire to sit in a Ferrari, one day. Perhaps not everyone dreams of sitting in it as a F1 driver, but most would at least like to sit at the wheel of a coupe or, if not that, even simply as a passenger. Ferrari has risen to a rank which has never before been approached by any other car maker. It has become a symbol, a myth, a legend. Whether it wins in competition or not, is totally irrelevant; what really matters is that Ferrari was there." When I read that paragraph from the yearbook, that encapsulated my feeling for simply standing beside a Ferrari prior my purchase and even now that I've bought one. | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Member Username: Jay Post Number: 310 Registered: 10-2001 |
I've been wanting to put into words my feelings on why people, and Italians in particular love Ferrari for a long time now. I've finished a rough draft and submit it for your reading. I hope it's not too long for you and please share your feelings on it. Ferrari: an essay Ferrari...why does it make the blood race? Why does it instill such feelings of passion within us? Why are we so happy when Ferrari wins and why is it that we all stare and smile when we see one in person? What makes us work like dogs in order to acquire them? I think I have the answer...at least for Italians. It's safe to say that every Italian knows what a Ferrari is. Italians are a proud people. We love the fact that we have the best artisans and sculptures. We are proud that Columbus was Italian and not Spanish or Portuguese. We are proud that Italy qualifies for the World cup every four years. We know that secretly everyone wants to be and wishes that they were Italian. But it wasn't always like that. Back at the turn of the century when the influx of Italians came across the Atlantic in search of a better life, we were looked down upon. We were thought of as rats, dirty, dishonest. Italians were hunted down by the KKK and lynched, a fact that very few people know. We lived in cramped quarters with uncles, aunts, cousins, anyone who had at least a space on the floor where we could sleep. Italians worked hard building the cities and roads that made North America what it is today, an industrial leader. My grandfather never made more than $10/hr but he supported a wife, four children and myself. He has spent more time in North America then he did in Italy, but he still plants tomatoes, makes his own wine and speaks limited English. He is old school in the truest sense. After much hard work and even more sacrifice, the children of these immigrants got a better life. They got an education. They didn't have to work at physical jobs as construction workers. They could be anything they wanted to be. So how does Ferrari fit in? When Scuderia Ferrari was conceived by Enzo Ferrari, it was a bold move. Alfa Romeo and Maserati were the big dogs in the world of racing. Italy didn't need another racing team. But Enzo had a dream, a vision. He wanted something better. Starting with Alfa's he made modifications to their design. Improving, tinkering he made them faster and better. Eventually he left Alfa and began making his own cars and engines. The rest is history...he blew away the competition. In Europe he was now the big dog, but in America he was relatively unknown, both he and his cars. Ferraris did end up coming to North America though. People would import them from Italy, but they never got the respect they deserved. Back in the 50's you couldn't give one away! It was looked down upon as second rate. Even when they came to Indy to race, many laughed at the design as being "old fashioned". The little cars from Modena had an uphill battle. But Italians in North America were cheering for the little cars. It reminded us of our own struggles and battles with the "Ameriganos". The better our lives got across the ocean the better Ferrari was doing across the ocean, and this holds true to this day. Ferrari started getting the respect it deserved in the mid-sixties, and so were we. The car could not be ignored anymore and neither could we. Those children of immigrants were now in positions of power, both legally and illegal. Important people were being seen with Italians and with Italian cars! In this climate of cultural exploration, it was cool to be different, to explore different cultures and to be proud of where you came from. At first Italians tried to blend in to American society, they didn't want to be different. They had changed their last names. Dean Martin, Tony Bennett along with a host of others dropped the vowels at the end of their last names. This may be why so few Italian's born in North America can speak Italian. But the climate was changing, finally it was alright to say you last name ended with an "O". It was okay that your father made wine in the garage and planted fagioli in the back yard. By the 70's we had a slew of actors, politicians and gangsters who kept their real last name, and Ferrari was starting to be appreciated as a fine hand made automobile. In fact Ferrari was now becoming bigger than Enzo Ferrari could have ever imagined. Scores of Formula 1 wins, Rally championships, and endurance races made the Italian last name of Ferrari a household word. Ferrari came in 1st, 2nd and 3rd at Daytona causing a shock wave felt around the world. At the same time Italians were gaining recognition beyond their dreams as well. Italian films were being seen as works of art. Al Pacino had given the performance of his career in The Godfather. We began moving out of the "Little Italy's" and into the more prestigious neighborhoods. We began buying property and investing in businesses that had nothing to do with construction. Italian American children began to fulfill all the dreams that their parents had hoped in. It took a long time, but it happened. Today, when you purchase a Ferrari it is an accomplishment. That is true whether you are Italian or not. But if you are Italian it is special. When you realize the dream of ownership, you have validated the Italian struggle. You have in effect told your ancestors that they were right for coming here, that all their hard work was worth it. You have chosen to express the pride of your heritage by displaying it in a Ferrari. Sure, you could buy a Mercedes or a BMW or a Rolls Royce, but the fact that it is a Ferrari speaks volumes about who we are as a people. My grandfather has never been one to spend money. He would rather spend hours trying to fix something than spend a few bucks to buy it new. But when I brought the Ferrari over to show him I could tell he was proud of me. When he saw all the instruments and writing in Italian I could see the sparkle in his eye. But I really knew he approved when I caught him showing the car off to his friends when he didn't think I was there. "E na machina Italiana!" he said to them. At that moment it was like he said, "We did it!" You know what? We did! |