002 back to #78

...andIi thought pretty much the opposite!

What I Ithink I have) raed several decades ago somewhere is that Ferraris used Vandervell bearings, Tony Vandervell wanted to purchase an F1 Ferrari, Enzo said "nope, none available", Tony replied that unfortunately he may be unable to provide bearings to Ferrari- and suddenly, a Ferrari was "found" and sold to Vandervell to become the Thinwall Special!

 

The first TWS was in fact identical with the first Ferrari 125 F1 #02C, which was rebodied and sold to Vandervell as new car.

 

But I do not think it ran the 125 engine, but a 166 type no?, or 4.5 litres?

I'm pretty sure no 125 supercharged engine ever got into private hands ... plus they were rubbish anyway.

In the end Enzo Ferrari did not design these engines, Columbo did the 125, and Lampredi did the 4.5 plus Columbo also did the 158 engine (his greatest design surely?) but that really has nothing to do with when Ferrari first used thin wall bearings ... but if the Alfa did I'm pretty sure the 125 did, but then which came first?
Pete

 

Of course it did.
There had been 4 different Thinwall Specials:
#1 (sold 1949): 1948 tipo 125, SOHC, single s/c, 2160 mm wheelbase
#2 (sold 1950): 1949 tipo 125, DOHC, double s/c, 2420 mm wb
#3: #2 converted (1951) to DeDion and 375 engine
#4 (sold 1952): 1950 tipo 375

 

This is what I have found on http://www.vanwallcars.com/html/body_car_numbers.html

1949 -- Thinwall Special No. 1 / Ferrari 125 GPC, 1.5 litre supercharged V-12 engine in a short wheelbase chassis with swing axle rear suspension. It was returned to Ferrari (after being examined by BRM). No chassis number has surfaced so far as to the identity of this car.

1950 -- Thinwall Special No. 2 / Ferrari 125 with a 1.5 litre supercharged, twin-plug V-12 in a long wheelbase chassis with swing axle rear suspension. Chassis number 125-C-02. It was returned to Ferrari to be rebuilt as the Thinwall Special No. 3.

1951 -- Thinwall Special No. 3 / Ferrari 375 with 4.5 litre normally aspired single-plug V-12 using a long wheelbase chassis with de Dion rear axle. Used the same chassis as Thinwall Special No. 2, 125-C-02. This car was retained by the team and broken up in 1952.

1952 -- Thinwall Special No. 4 / Ferrari 375 with 4.5 litre normally aspirated, twin-plug engine and de Dion rear axle using "Indianapolis" long wheelbase chassis. Chassis: 010-375. This car was retained by the team.

So chassis #02 changed from 125 to 375 specifics, and #10 was a 375.
MPC

 

I know at least 7...

 

I don't know of problems with the Alfa 158 bearings, so they didn't need different bearings after the war. Ferrari instead had a lot of problems with 125 bearings and changed it. But were Busso and Lampredi to change Colombo's bearings, so if Alfetta was made by Colombo, the bearings should't be changed, and so should't be thinwall ones.
MPC

 

There were several Thinwall Specials. They were used by T. V. as a promotional platform for his bearings. In addition E F sold him these car also as a promotional platform for his cars. This continued for several years until the conception of the Vanwalls. just one man's opinion tongascrew

 

If I have understood the information on this thread, 002(C) today has a 166 engine.
Do you know when was it changed from the original 159 specs?
MPC

 

The artisans at work, nice!

Jim, how did you prepare the engine for the stationary period?

 

002C at the factory in September 1947.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Jim, I already asked on FB but is this an entirely new body?

Just wondering what the process was-- reconstructing from factory drawings or body bucks? (the wireframes aroused my curiosity).

Either way, can't wait to see her in action again.

 

Wonderful work!
I'm waiting to see it finished.

Before Modena with number 20, I think.

I repeat my question:

Best
MPC

 

Hi, what a wonderful picture. Never seen this one before.Where did you get it? Are there any more? just one man's opinion tongascrew

 

002 was originally built with needle bearings possibly for both the big ends and the mains. This was a Lambredi modification to the original Colombo design to solve the problem of the original "thickwall" and floating bearings which could not reliably produce the RPMs and power expected for the engine. To use the needle bearings however required lengthy hardening of the crank surfaces and variable diameters of the bearings all of which was very expensive and time consuming and not conducive to any kind of production process. The thinwalls solved the problem. just one man's opinion tongascrew

 

Great work on such an important piece of history.

Keep up the good work!

 

In the last weekend I had the pleasure to read the wonderful book "Ferrari Automobili 1947-1953", and in the book there is that picture. The photo was shooted (with some others) by Corrado Millanta, in one of his first visit to Maranello.
I'm waiting for a reply to my question: when 002(C) recieved the 166 engine, if you know it?
MPC

 

Thanks
So 002(C) in 1948 raced as 166.
Is there an engine number? is the same 002?
MPC

 

Here is some good info on the origin of thin wall bearings. http://forums.autosport.com/lofiversion/index.php/t126716.html