F40 LM Restoration | Page 31 | FerrariChat
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F40 LM Restoration

Discussion in '288GTO/F40/F50/Enzo/LaFerrari/F80' started by Traveller, Jan 29, 2013.

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  1. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

    Nov 7, 2011
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    Three Places
    #751 Noblesse Oblige, Jul 5, 2013
    On the orange peel question, I am reminded of my 1979 512BB which was finished in the old Glasurit lacquer and had no orange peel whatsoever. It gleamed like a brilliant red mirror. And it was soft, so it was easy to attend to the inevitable road chips.

    So I vote for the "flow."
     
  2. C311

    C311 Karting

    Jan 17, 2011
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    Thomas
    #752 C311, Jul 5, 2013
    Some of the exterior panels are sandwich type and have thin kevlar honeycomb layer in between the kevlar/carbon cloth layers.
     
  3. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

    Jul 28, 2010
    7,569
    Calgary, Canada
    #753 JeremyJon, Jul 5, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    So true, it's interesting to hear that you & others retuned cars based on the finish, I had not heard that before
    I have read that workmanship was, let's say 'highly variable', and that when they decided to ramp up from 300 to over 1000 produced cars, they were even hiring local students to fill the gap on the production line
    Many keep saying CF, but the bodywork is primarily Aramids, like Kevlar-Carbon weave, and the random smooth areas can be explained by the spot filler work in patches around the body, giving that inconsistent quality of finish
    Then again, filler and primer coats add weight, and they intentionally saved weight were ever possible, as was the point, so was a function over form thing
    So even to somehow rebuild the "weave" texture and show through, over the entire car wouldn't be really accurate either anyways, and as you say, crazy expensive to do, requiring to re-do the entire top layer of every panel in order to achieve
    I think your approach has been great, restored, but not over-restored!
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  4. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #754 Traveller, Jul 6, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  5. C311

    C311 Karting

    Jan 17, 2011
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    Thomas
    #755 C311, Jul 6, 2013
    I can't edit my previous post. Honeycomb were only used for the more or less flat surfaces as it dont bend around corners. The first fibre layer behind gelcoat is powder bound fibreglass chopped strand mat. This didn't stop the weave to show through when the laminate ages but it would be a lot more without the chopped strand mat. The interior panels with visible fibre have a carbon/kevlar twill weave mat. The composite parts were made by T.I.R. (S.R.L.) Trasformazione Italiana Resine.
     
  6. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #756 Traveller, Jul 8, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The first 'hit' of 5 days of major progress. Up until now either we have been stripping everything, preparing the chassis, bodywork, having replacement items manufactured off site but finally now we can try to bring all the elements together and start to fit them for hopefully the last time.

    Frame is now finally in silver, not just any silver but a paint whose code took endless, and I do mean endless, calls to Michelotto to reveal, and it is indeed a rather wondrous colour with a lustre that will be seen later this week. When seen against the Rosso Corsa, it is quite stunning. Typically Italian to pay such attention to the aesthetics.

    Meanwhile all the suspension has been stripped down to their individual component parts, and is in the process of being primed and painted as, being race parts, they were not really suitable for road use in their naked, unprotected condition. Tomorrow, we start to reassemble ready for installation.

    So the plan this week is silver today, suspension painting and reassembly tomorrow, and then all being well start to mount on the chassis Wednesday.
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  7. omd78

    omd78 F1 World Champ

    Dec 26, 2005
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    #757 omd78, Jul 8, 2013
    Keep them pics coming Tim. Much be really nice to see the car coming back together again!

    Gr. Martin
     
  8. Sunracer

    Sunracer Formula Junior

    May 18, 2005
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    Pierre Beniston
    #758 Sunracer, Jul 8, 2013
    congrats seems you are a big corner! I know all of us will be excited to hear your report when you first drive the beast, though not as excited as you! this whole project certainly seems worthy of amagazine coverage on completion. Thanks for sharing.
     
  9. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #759 Traveller, Jul 8, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  10. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

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    #760 Noblesse Oblige, Jul 8, 2013
    The silver really is quite beautiful even in photos. Must be breathtaking in person.
     
  11. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #761 Traveller, Jul 9, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The first delicious detail for this week which better shows the luster of this silver finish..

    On this thread, there has been discussion about not over restoring and so for comparison I attach a standard F40 detail. I don't remember them being this bad, but this area never had much attention paid to it and was certainly rough, whereas personally I love the direction of our work and would never wish to recreate some of the factory effort. When you look at the restorations carried out today on Daytonas, 275's, and especially the earlier cars, they never ever left the factory in that sort of condition.
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  12. PAUL500

    PAUL500 F1 Rookie

    Jun 23, 2013
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    #762 PAUL500, Jul 9, 2013
    The car is miles from being how it left ferrari and if I had an F40 I would want it built how a half million pound car should be finished, so good on you and a wise investment.

    I reckon your photos could be time delayed and your actually out having fun in it already :)

    Best thread of the year for me. I must admit I was never a fan of the silver on the LM spec cars but you have turned me, its stunning.
     
  13. Hogatoshagooarnie

    Hogatoshagooarnie Rookie

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    #763 Hogatoshagooarnie, Jul 9, 2013
    That's the dogs bollox Tim, mouthwatering, great restoration ...x
     
  14. Scuderia-F1

    Scuderia-F1 Formula Junior

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    #764 Scuderia-F1, Jul 9, 2013
    Indeed!
     
  15. teflon

    teflon Formula Junior

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    #765 teflon, Jul 9, 2013
    Wow! That silver looks AMAZING! :D It just now occurs to me that I would probably break down in tears the second a speck of dirt lands on the car, almost making me not want to drive it. Almost, because, who am I kidding? It's an F40 LM/GTE!

    Congratulations on a stunning project, and thank you for sharing the progress with all of us.

    Greg A
     
  16. Jeronimo GTO

    Jeronimo GTO Formula 3
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    May 15, 2010
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    #766 Jeronimo GTO, Jul 9, 2013
    Thank you for sharing with us. Officially the FerrariChat Thread of the Year.

    A great source of inspiration (more about this soon)...
     
  17. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #767 Traveller, Jul 9, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Well that would be flattering but I doubt it!

    Meanwhile a few additional pics from today. All the suspension units have now been 2 pack epoxy painted so as to avoid corrosion (told by CM not to powder coat or apply any heat to them) and reassembled and should start to be mounted tomorrow. Exciting times as we start to pull things together and fit them 'for real'.
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  18. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

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    #768 Noblesse Oblige, Jul 9, 2013
    The look of the silver is well worth the trouble you went through to get it.
     
  19. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #769 Traveller, Jul 10, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Handbrake in so as to pass MOT (UK rules to enable the car to be road registered). Magnesium pedal box in temporarily but will come out for protective paint as we don't want this grossly expensive item going the way of The Sultan of Brunei's.

    This is a week of major visible progress as all being well we should have the suspension on for good and then next week will be slower as we start to work on the wiring and plumbing which, I am afraid is less exciting to see and report. Meanwhile it looks like we are going to need a new cabin floor-never ending.
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  20. fbrs2

    fbrs2 Formula Junior

    Sep 7, 2012
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    #770 fbrs2, Jul 10, 2013
    WOW
     
  21. PAUL500

    PAUL500 F1 Rookie

    Jun 23, 2013
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    #771 PAUL500, Jul 10, 2013
    It should really be a mechanical handbrake to pass the MOT,as per the separate caliper set up on the road F40, hydraulic ones are not allowed, though most rally cars seem to sneak them through. I guess the LM hubs dont have the mounting positions for the additional calipers though.
     
  22. M-individual

    M-individual F1 Rookie

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    #772 M-individual, Jul 10, 2013
    What a thread and what a car this is going to be. I'm short of words but it is a real treat for us Ferrari nuts to follow this restoration. Big thank you for sharing this with us and looking forward to the next chapters in this amazing story.

    M
     
  23. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #773 Traveller, Jul 10, 2013
    Oops-you are right on all counts.
     
  24. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #774 Traveller, Jul 10, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  25. PAUL500

    PAUL500 F1 Rookie

    Jun 23, 2013
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    #775 PAUL500, Jul 10, 2013
    I know lots of cars that manage to by pass the rule, so I doubt you will have any issues. Clever routing of pipework helps to hide the fact. Its more to do with having a separate circuit in case of pressure loss in the system so that the car cannot roll away at standstill. I doubt you will be leaving it on many hills though :)

    Re-assembly yippee -This is the part I love to see.
     
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