Miura, the original supercar

Shazzam Ed! you weren't kidding about the Ford mufflers (I think those are cats). From the location of the flanges it does look like it is from the Miura but I sincerely doubt it came from Italy that way. The air rails on the headers are pretty hideous as well. My inclination is to cut that crap off and return everything to the way God intended it. I will however defer to those with a more attuned historical sense of right and wrong. Perhaps those doodads have some intrinsic value.

 

i wonder if these Ford pieces are mini catalytic convertors with 2 final, cherry bomb type mufflers?

Do i remember that your Miura alternator had a V drive pulley added to it. Is it possible this was the drive for an air pump to supply the headers? Any pieces or plumbing to this air pump system contained with the parts?

Thank you for the photos.

As additional sharing, here is a photo of the rear manifold set on a USA SV. This shows the tube #1 welded in to connect all six rear manifolds. I believe the Espada has a similar setup. The fitting on the end #2 that would connect to a vapor source, i have never seen in service. You would expect to have a throttle position controlled valve that would allow flow at certain throttle positions.

Anybody have photos of these details to help with this knowledge? how large is the porting into the 6 manifolds? Doesn't an Espada have a rotary valve system to feed a similar?


Craig
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As i review my details on these USA SV smog systems, i remember the confusion on Weber/Bendix fuel return lines. So for further explanantion on these period SV smog compliant systems, here is a photo to bring you up to speed on fuel lines and gastank vapors. Luckily most USA SV owners have retained these zinc chromated, Savara, carbon filled tanks. I am labeling the 2 top ports that are visable. Someone tell me how these ports function or are plumbed please.

These tanks are rather large and dominate a large visable portion of the left wheel well. Probably perfect for coversion to Halon container!
Does the Espada use the same Savara, or what? Where is the gas tank vapor containment located on an Espada?
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These Savara charcoal cannisters are used on Late USA Miura's and Ferrari Daytona's and 365 GTC/4's. The vacuum ports on the intake manifolds are used for providing vacuum to the system. All USA late style Miura's have a factory modified gas tank with an additional 3 vapor tubes welded into them. These tubes are then plummed into a small 4 port vacuum can, located close to the wiper motor, and then from there, the vapors go to a purge valve, also located next to this can, which is hooked up to engine vacuum. This whole system is then connected with the charcoal cannister in the back. It 's system is designed to not allow raw gasoline fumes to be emitted into the atmosphere, but rather to be "cleansed" by the carbon canister. Kind of like a giant Parliment cigarette, with it's built in charcoal filter, when it was advertised back in the 1970's and 80's! Neither the cigarette or the Miura system worked very well.
Gary Bobileff

 

LOL. A classic case of the engineers telling Transportation authorities whatever they needed to hear! Makes you appreciate the early un-fettered ones, from an era when less was more. Thank goodness we have rescued the starting point...
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Factory postcard of he first Miura built.
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Here is mine, signed by Ferruccio. I think you know it.
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Very cool.

 

One of my favorite Miura images. The car in front is the ex-General Motors Miura P400.
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Same car, more recently...
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It seems that wing mirrors were fitted in between.

 

PS: do you have pictures of the interior? Especially of the steering wheel? This steering wheel is really the essence of Gandini's interior design: very very cool. A shame that younger cars don't have it.

 

Thanks Gary, Can you provide more detail around either component....meaning the 4 port can or the purge valve? Typically a vacuum storage can will only need one port, four ports indicates that this black steel can by the wiper motor might have some active components for valving. My photos show mount nut #5 for the can and it is the same nut in each photo to give a sense of position. The white plastic (purge valve?) is actually provided a welded bracket...quite amazing!

I see these gastank vent components only on USA SV, are they not used on Espada or Countach?

There were not enough USA Miura SV, Daytona, or GTC/4 built to justify these Savara components, so other Italian cars like Alfa, Lancia, Fiat, etc must have provided the quantity needed for Savara to manufacture these. I see the white plastic valve offered for sale for other Italian applications. Anybody have sources for these Savara parts?

Also lots of special green tubing, maybe Cavis, used for this plumbing. Any sources other than Rutlands or vintage Ducati?
thanks
Craig
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The 4 way canister in front is strictly a separator. The interior of this unit has several inverted funnel like pieces in it.It was not used for vacuum storage, as this was a recirculation system, using the vacuum to allow the unburned gases to be cleaned, and returned to the fuel tank. Green Cavis tubing was used throughout. The purge valve was probably used on other Italian cars, but I am unfamiliar. The Daytona and C/4, as well as Countach, USA version Espada's had the same equipment.
Gary Bobileff

 

The old saying goes never throw anything way!! While getting the cars out of the warehouse there was a box with the exhaust in it, along with a newer looking smog pump that I did not think would be part of a Miura, So in the trash it went! I can only Pray now that my lack knowledge has not cost the car and its history any more blows! But as you guys are apt too say from GODS hands (the factory) to now do not change a damn thing. So back to shock it will go! Anybody want some old pipe fittings ?

 

Thank you Gary, I see a previous photo from Joe Sackey's 4884 that can help clarify more on this. i forget the post, but back some months in late 2008 time frame. The 4 port Savara can appears to be connected to the USA SV gas tank at three locations. The three USA SV gastank vent locations are hard piped (or actually steel tubing) over to the left side and then green cavis tubed to this canister. The forth port as you say is plumbed to the white plastic valve. The gas caps in these USA SV are threaded, not for the purpose of avoiding their loss, but to assure that a gastight seal is achieve on this USA SV gastank. Once the tank is sealed, the only point of air vent into the tank is thru this white plastic valve. Once the tank is sealed, the only point of pressure relief is thru this white plastic valve.

If the USA SV gastank overpressures, is this the only purpose of the large canister at the rear? To contain this small amount of gasoline fume laden air?

If the USA SV tank needs fresh air, for standard gasoline usage, does it get that fresh air directly from a small port at the white plastic valve?

The 6 gang Weber manifolds on a USA SV providing a continous vacuum is not clear in my mind at this time. However lots of other things fall into this same category.

Thank you for any help on this
Craig

 

Here's an interior shot for you.

When I purchased from Ed Taylor (ex Corvette designer and owner since the days in the GM design studio), I had Gary B do a fair amount of work on it which included the mirrors and interior among other things.

Alex
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Looks fantastic Alex, Ed knows its in a good home.

 

P400 3096 driving in Vancouver recently, image by Eric.
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Thanks Gary, i did a quick review of parts list for Espada and was able to extract the equipment for gastank vapour containment that was added to the USA SV Miura. The Espada seems to share the exact same pieces.

Just to fill in everone's knowledge, i still would like to know about the constant suction purge on the Savara carbon chamber. This must be a tiny orfice in #5? or does the carbon chamber have a restriction or ?

This system is not a perfomance detractor, in fact the USA SV owners could claim some "green", 21st century, environmental clean air connection. But I see that none of the USA SV are actually hooked up in service!
Craig
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"Also lots of special green tubing, maybe Cavis, used for this plumbing. Any sources other than Rutlands or vintage Ducati?"

Often the more commonly found clear tubing can be dyed with Rit type clothing dye found at your local supermarket.

Paul

 

It really looks fantastic!!! Thank you very much!

Does anybody know how much versions of this steering wheel have been used? I think I saw a different wooden one (different pattern an the wood) + a leather version.

 

P400=wood
P400 S = leather, 1st generation
P400S late vent disc brakes, SV , leather 2nd generation

You can look on my web site, in the parts section, for Miura's, to see the difference.
Gary Bobileff

 

Only the early P400s had wood wheels. The later ones had leather. I thought the change happened about the same time they stiffened the chassis.
Cheers Jim

 

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the link, but I can only find the round hole steering wheel on the link.

I am referring to the early P400, on which I would like to define which type of steering wheel were mounted. My guess is:
- Very early cars: wooden wheel with special pattern holes. I think I have seen two different type of these. One type like on 3186 previously shown and the one type like on 3171 with rivets.
- Still on very early cars, I have seen the same type of steering wheel but covered with leather. Maybe is it a later alteration?
- Then on the later P400, the standard round hole steering wheel. I'd guess, as MiuraP400, that the change happened with the increase of the chassis gauge.

Best regards,

Ed.
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