HT lead colour on a 1978 twin distributor 400

Does anyone 100% know what colour the HT were leads originally ?

 

So no one has any thoughts on this ? I must say I'm extremely disappointed in all of you !

I need to decide by Feb 20 as that's when I've having new leads made and fitted so hurry up please !

 

Hi Russell,

Probably not much help, but my slightly older 365 has two distributors with red leads and white sleeving.

Howard.

 

I must have close to 100 books on Ferraris, including all the usual suspects and I will be danged if I can find a single one with a color photo of a 400 engine in it.

The Original Ferrari V12 by Bluemel only covers up to the 365GT4 2+2 and it shows the wires as white.

I can tell you that I am pretty certain that the sparkplug wires on a 400i were black and I am very certain (color photo in my 412 book by Murani and Pasini) that the plug wires on a 412 were a bright red.

 

I've looked online and have come across photos of all versions including the 400 however I've seen 400's with both black and what appear to be white leads (possibly these are covers as Howard mentions) but this isn't conclusive. I'm discounting cars I've seen with red or blue leads etc. as I'm positive these are just aftermarket coloured replacements.

In the grand scheme of things it's not that important but seeing as I plan to do a lot of renovation work to the car over the next 12 months I'd like to get this right to avoid buying replacements again

 

oh, it doesn't really need much renovation - I'm just stupid !

 

I was going to respond but because of the "100% know" was used, I reframed from responding. I seem to remember that white was used in the early 70's, then I think red was used in the later 70's, then I know they went to the black "400 CAVIS CLASS B" in the early 80's, then switched back to red on the 412's/later 80's...but not 100 % positive on all of this

It always puzzled me why Ferrari wouldn't show the engines in the sales brochures & what not that's half the car isn't it??

 

So that's 100% inconclusive then.

Please accept 300% unthanks for what was a pitiful attempt to help a fellow owner.

For anyone that remembers the comedy series "Soap" from the 80's, the opening titles ended with the words "Confused ? You will be !"

Well that'd be me after that answer !

 

Hi Russ
Mine are the white covers and need replacing the covers that is and i cannot find ht lead covers anywhere anybody got any leads on where you get lead covers (ho ho)
Regards
Alastair

 

Scottish humour - nuff said !!

What colour are the leads under the white covers - presumably black ?

Is there a technical reason why F would bother to have leads made of one colour and covers of another or is this purely cosmetic ? If cosmetic it's even stranger really.

 

You could get some custom leads made with tartan covers.

Aidan

 

Russell

I've seen black, white, red and even green leads.

Aidan

 

Thanks for the help Aidan,

That's 4 colours.

12 divided by 4 equals 3.

As a compromise should I have 3 leads made up of each colour ?

Or get 4 sets made up and rotate them every 3 months ?

Decisions decisions........

 

One of my all time favorite movie quotations comes from Gina Lolabrigida in the subject movie. In it her character says, somewhat hysterically: "I don't have to make-a sense, I'm Italian"!
Regretably, the Gina ego license plate was already taken when I registered my 400i here in Missouri.
Greg

 

I too have has a look through my collection of Ferrari books and so far have not been able to find an in-period photo of a 400 engine in colour

What I have found is:

412 Igniton leads have red covers ( ie black cavis lead with a red silicone cover). Pics on page 22 & 23 of Ferrarissima 3 (first series). Also on my car.

365 GT4 2+2 = white leads ( ie white cover) - colour picture on P111 of "Original Ferrari V12" by Keith Bleumel

400i = dark leads ( not white ), could be black or green ? Picture in B&W on page 109 of "Ferrari 4 seaters" by David Owen

Superformance UK web site shows white leads for the 365 & 400 carby, (ie twin distributor version and black leads for the 400i single distributor.

I'd go with white leads as yours is a twin distributor.

M

 

It's white silicon sleeving, one source is here:
Silicone sleeves, silicone sleeving, silicone cable sleeving, silicone tubing | Siegrist-Orel

They do lots of colours ? Pink anyone

Or of course new leads from Superformance

M

 

Sound advice Mike,

On the basis that there's no conclusive evidence I'd pretty much decided that I'd go for white as I like the old school look they give and prefer the contrast against the predomimantly black engine.

Now that my minds made up I need to check with the guy who's making the leads up for me using Taylor wires whether white is available.

After all the deliberation I bet they aren't !!

 

Seeing as the Italians are amongst, if not THE best car designers in the world I'm prepared to forgive them.

As for Miss Lolabrigida, I'd forgive her absolutely anything if I could build a time machine, go back to the 60's and bring her back so she was in bed with me right now!

What a stunningly beautiful woman.

 

I'm 100% sure they used red "Cavis" with white heatshield sleeves on the 400GT/Auto.
I'm also 100% sure they did not stop production when out of red Cavis, but grabbed whatever available.
I'm 100% sure that there are quite a few exeptions to both the above statements.

Get red Cavis & white sleeves -you will be more right than wrong.

On a sidenote:
If you are depending on 100% certainty to sleep well at night -you might want to look at other cars than those built in Italy before 1980

Regards

 

Harald:

I'm 100% sure they used red "Cavis" with white heatshield sleeves on the 400GT/Auto.
(That's very interesting - no one else could be 100% sure so where did you come across this info ?)

I'm also 100% sure they did not stop production when out of red Cavis, but grabbed whatever available.
(Makes sense - those crazy Italians !)

I'm 100% sure that there are quite a few exeptions to both the above statements.
(Thanks for 100% contradicting your "I'm 100% sure" statement....)

Get red Cavis & white sleeves -you will be more right than wrong.
(had just decided on white - confused - bugger!!)

On a sidenote:
If you are depending on 100% certainty to sleep well at night -you might want to look at other cars than those built in Italy before 1980
(I find large amounts of Scotch works to make me sleep very well but thanks anyway)

Seriously, thanks for posting this, I'll talk to the supplier and see what's available.

 

And the reason you started this thread

 

Russ,
The 100% wrong answer is white leads.
I agree with Hoverland that red leads with white sheath (heat shield?) is the way to go.
Now you just need to find a 100% original battery that works!

 

Well, in one way white is an ok comprise as this is how the leads would look, even if they should be red with a white outer sheath.

Hopefully the supplier will have red cable but i'm not sure about white heat shield, if not I'll try the supplier that WRXMIKE posted earlier.

Thanks Wayne, Harald. Howard, Mike, Alastair and everyone else who contributed. I now have the answer I needed.

Russ

 

Just to clarify my earlier post re white leads - the term was used to refer to the covering of the lead, not the lead itself.

365 GT4 2+2 = white leads ( ie white cover over a red lead) - colour picture on P111 of "Original Ferrari V12" by Keith Bleumel

Superformance UK web site shows white leads (ie white cover over a red lead)for the 365 & 400 carby, (ie twin distributor version and black leads for the 400i single distributor.

I'd go with white leads ( ie white cover over a red lead) as yours is a twin distributor.

Pic from SF website
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Mike - thanks for the clarification. Will 100% go with white over red.

Russ