Hello Im investigating 246's after a ten year love affair with them. I've resisted reading too much until I was in a position where I felt I could reasonably afford one. I'd rather not waste members times with asking silly questions, so could anyone recommend a warts and all book about 246's ? Ownership etc. I am in the UK and have absolutely no mechanical skills whatsoever ( ask the guy rebuilding my motorbike - he'll tell you ! ) Any essays, website recommendations would also be great. Thanks in advance Pete
If you can find a copy of Ian Webb's "Ferrari Dino 206GT, 246GT & GTS, Pininfarina V6 road cars" (Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1980), it has a chapter entitled "Living with the Legend" that describes the "warts". I think that Webb over-emphasizes some of the faults, actually. Nevertheless, it's an informative little book with a lot of background history and interesting photographs. Doug Nye's book, "Dino" (Osprey Publishing, 1979), is much more in-depth as far as the development history, etc. of the entire Dino lineage. The last chapter is a compendium of contemporary road tests of the various production models. That's just a start. I hope it helps.
From a driver's point of view, make note of the clutch pedal feel when depressing it. In a good car, this will feel smooth and flowing. If there is any sign of rough, hesitant or uneven action then the internals might be suspect and that usually occurs when not being driven. These cars need to be driven regularly and are better for it. The clutch line is a mechanical linkage and not hydraulic. Furthermore, it has a special ball bearing "carrier" in it that is susceptible to gritting if the car has not been regularly driven or has been neglected.
Nathan Beehl has a nice book on Dinos, too. Out of print, but readily available. There's also a really good list of books and articles at www.dinoregister.com root around in there a bit. I'd skip "Dino, the Little Ferrari" by Doug Nye. Good read, but not really about the road cars. DM
And Anthony Curtis's "Ferrari Dino" ain't half bad, either. And it's out in paperback. http://cgi.ebay.com/FERRARI-DINO-206-246-308-GT4-GTB-GTS-TARGA-NEW-BOOK_W0QQitemZ300127945260QQihZ020QQcategoryZ1132QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
If you read French, consider one of Jean-Pierre Gabriel's three books on Dinos. They're pretty good, and full of nice photos.
I started to get obsessive about it, and Jim S. convinced me to cut it out, and just buy the best car I could find. Boy was he right! If you're worrying too much about the cost of running a $160-200,000 vehicle, maybe you should reconsider. I wouldn't trade the last 2 months and 700 miles of driving the car for $25,000.Time is wasting. If you really want to ruin his day, offer Dave full price for his car (dm n stuff) and watch him agonize. Besides, none of these books captures what it's like to drive a good Dino, and it's a lot more fun to read thiese books once you own one!
[size=+2] THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!![/size] well, ok, it was a little funny. Besides I think Peter is a Brit, my steering wheel is on the wrong side. DM
I agree with MRONY - save your money and stop buying books. Get your accounts figured out and start looking and driving. Times a'waisting. One other thing - before making an offer on a Dino, make sure to follow the advice of dm_n_stuff (from another posting here) and visit: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.dinoregister.com. search by the serial number, or by a prior owner's name. The folks at Ferrari Market Letter may be able to help also. They have an immense database of Ferrari information. Gerald or Carol Roush. www.ferrarimarketletter.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark
I think prices have stabilized for now. He's got time to do his homework and find a good car. Plus the pound is VERY STRONG vs. the dollar right now. He gets a nice discount on a US car with the exchange rate where it is. Take a good look around before you buy if that's what is needed for you to find your comfort zone. For lots of folks, myself included, buying a Dino represents a significant investment of time and eventually, money. I was very fortunate to find my Dino on the first look for $40K 4+ yrs ago. Not everyone gets that lucky. $160K and up may not be a ton of dough for some folks here, but for others it is way more than pocket change and needs to be spent wisely on the best possible car for that money. DM
I know of a one-owner, 29K mile, RHD drive car in the US. Recently $5K spent on a complete suspension rebuild. However, it's VERY expensive.
