Joining the vintage club - 1967 330GTC

Jack, it is good to know that my investment has already gone up 100%!


Onno

 

My. Oh. My. Oh. My!

What a couple of days I've had! With some friends of "the other" forum, we've been tackling some Alpine passes in Switzerland. It's the first real kilometers I've done in the GTC and I had this specifically in mind to really bond with the car and get to know what she is all about. Well - bond we did!

Basically, from the first pass going up, this car was talking to me through a megaphone. So loud, so clear, it's so easy to improve your driving style when you have coaching like that. And change your driving style on the most challenging passes of Europe (Susten, San Bernardino, Grimsel, Furka, and so on and so forth) - that is a necessity with a car like this. On the first day I could notice brake fade coming down one of the passes, so then I started to become smarter at using my brakes. Don't use them unless necessary, and if it is, try and minimise the braking time. Don't let the brakes "drag" through the corner, give them maximum time to cool down between bends. Because of less braking, I was carrying more speed into the corners and I was expecting to experience understeer as a result. Not a bit of it! I have not had her understeer yet, even with all those hairpins. Oversteer? Yes, but she's not tailhappy. When you really push her she starts skipping a bit but no lurid slides. Her handling is very, very neutral.

As I'm listening to her ("no! don't go back to first unless we're practically at a stop!", "no! don't try and drop from fourth to third at 100km/h!"), and learning, we are starting to get into a rhythm. It is addictive, and I''m utterly amazed at what this car can do. You know - I'm keeping my "colleague" in his 360 Modena honest, and he's got a lot racing experience. A 330GTC keeping up (well - almost, and more so uphill than downhill) with a 360 Modena! It's crazy!

The reliability has also been first rate. Today she broke down at the Furka pass (see third pic) but this was due to too much slow traffic going uphill and hot weather. The engine was close to overheating and combined with the 2.6km altitude, the engine flooded. After letting her cool down, there was no more problem, and she's been a dream of a car these 2,800km. Funny, though, how many sad g1ts feel the need to heckle you as you are broken down with your classic Ferrari. Grow up, guys (and gals!).

Yes - 2,800km already since I took delivery and still 1,000 to go before we're back home! I'm going to enjoy the heck out of the rest of this trip - what a dream come true.


Onno
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Blimey!!! 11 hours of driving in the rain today! But she's back home and all without issues (well - I lost an hour and a half on a vapour lock issue, but I think that's just me not knowing how to treat the lady properly!).

I've noticed a lot of sloshing in the driver door after this long rainy drive - it seems the rubbers are not quite up to the job... so we'll have to take the doors off and check for any rust or rot damage - I have to assume the car was driven in the rain before, so it is best to check.

But, after all is said and done, we had an amazing time the last week and a half and I would not have liked to change it. What a great car, what a great continent, what a privilege to combine the two.



Onno