David Piper restores the Talacrest P4

The Macca is the iconic CanAm car, the 917 the ultimate.

 

True, but the 917 is seen as the death of the series due to Porsche raising the bar too high

The fondly remembered times were (Bruce and Denny) McLaren days, but I'm biased as I'm a Kiwi.
Pete

 

The Bruce and Denny show was the Golden Age. No doubt about it.

But the ultimate CanAm car?
Gotta be the nine-one-seven.

 

I simply cannot believe that I have now read 828 posts on this thread! The very number suggests that it must be the ser # of an earlier P4!

 

Well, 0828 is not a P4 but it does look similar to one.

 

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Lovely color papaya.

 

I am sketpial about anyone who would make a comment like this about David Piper. I started reading about David Piper in Autosport in the late 1950s He became one of the great "independents" in European road racing in his day and his associaion with Ferrari and the P series cars is legendary.He was one of the most successful drivers of these cars which he owned and prepared himself often bettering the best that the Ferrari and Porsche teams could muster.When the P 2,3,4 series cars were no longer competitive he restored originals and built replicas.The three 900 replicas were built with the approval of S F who also provided most of the available origiinal parts that otherwise were destined for the scrapyard. When Steve Mcqueen was making LeMans he hired Piper to supervise the Ferrari P cars and filming of the racing. Over the years David Piper has been the leading authority on these cars and remains so today.His decision to restore 0858 to its original P4 glory rather than keep it as an unsuccessful CanAM car is for me the way to go.Time and the market place will have the final word.Both I think will go with David Piper. tongascrew

 

George,

I agree with you to a degree although I am sure someone who posts in these threads frequently would beg to differ but as the old saying goes those who shout long enough and loud enough get listened to.
And there are plenty of sheep here who are all to quick to swallow what is rammed down their throat.

Paul

 

Quite frankly, that's a cheap shot.

Without saying anything negative about DP's involvement with Ferrari so far, reputations take a long time to build and no time to destroy.
There is no way to defend what is happening other than someone has his eye on the money, with blatant disregard to everything else.
If that alone is justification enough, good luck to you, to me it is not. Sure enough, I am nowhere near a position to acquire a car of this magnitude, but that doesn't disqualify me, nor anyone else, to vent his opinion in a debate that concerns what we all love.

Best,

Jack.

 

There is not that much original about a 350 Canam car with a modified chassis to accept a replica P4-body.

Not sure why anyone would call this is restoration anyway.

 

It's not. It's exactly as you say, fitting a real 350 Cam Am with an incorrectly made replica P4 body by chopping off a section of it's original 350 Can Am Typo 603C chassis many years after 350 Can Am 0858 last left the Ferrari Factory.

 

To me this is rather simple, just take a look at the art world, this is like a pentimento in reverse. If one of the masters had painted over one their works in period, it ceases to be the first painting, no matter how much 'prettier' the first painting may have been. It is no longer the first painting, and you certainly can't come along and paint a replica version of the first painting over the newer painting.

 

No but you can, and they do, remove the later version to reveal the earlier painting.

But keep on chatting guys
Pete

 

Within an original Pentimento yes, but that is not due to someone replicating the original painting over the newer one, which is my point.

 

Just for fun ... If Piper put #0858's original doors and front section on #0858's chassis then what would be your view. My understanding is they live on his #0900. Note he does not own #0858's original tail as Jim does.
Pete

 

0858 still has its original P4 doors as well as its sills and wheels. They were used in the Can Am. I made the point earlier that P4 0858 was never totally rebodied for it to become the Can Am car. The 0858 P4 doors do not live on 0900. The body of 0860 lives on 0900.

 

Are you speaking about using 0858s doors and front section on the 'P4'? That wouldn't matter to me as too many other things are being modified. The frame is the biggest thing to me. Bodies were replaced in period all the time, the key to that sentence being 'in period'.

 

Oops ... the devil is in the details, and I got them wrong!

Regarding the wheels ... can't be 100% true because the Can Am rear wheels look very much wider.
Pete

 

Agree with your period comment, completely.

I do think many are overstating the chassis/frame modifications required here, but please note I DO think they are doing the wrong thing to #0858.
Pete

 

If the frame is the biggest thing to you, AFAIK it was only a section at the very rear that was removed/changed because the Can Am car didn't need a spare wheel so the car could be shortened and lightened without it. It's the same chassis/frame and the rear section can/will be restored to it to accommodate the rear wheel.

 

It's not just the frame that bothers me, it's all of it, it's just that the frame is biggest deal to me personally.

 

Didn't someone already make this movie?
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the point I tried to make in post #456

 

I first saw David Piper race in 1960 in a Lotus 16 2.5 litre Formula One car.
Thanks to him many became interested in old race cars and indeed kept that interest up to encourage young wealthy enthusiasts to realise that there was a lot of money to be made from collecting and dealing in old worn out race cars.
If he wants to make a buck with an old race car in his twilight years then let it go -should not be a worry to you.
You will be able to say I told you so, as you sit in/on your perfect collection.