Prugna Metallica

Far as I know, there is no gold in prugna. Gotta be bogus. While the paint may -look- special, it's just another color available from Ferrari. Somewhat rare, but that's it.


Btw, care to elaborate on your former 412? I was aware of -one- prugna(tan interior?) that for a long time was out in Arizona area. Last I knew, it sold to a guy in Chicago in 2008. I almost bought that car and have regretted passing on it ever since. I always wanted a 412 and shoulda picked up that one when I had the chance.

 

I previously had a prugna mondial coupe and there was no gold at all in the paint and it was 100% original from the factory.

 

Hmm, probably not the same car. I believe the one in which I was interested had a manual transmission.

I've only encountered -one- Prugna 412. Considering how few were made, I'm kind of surprised there was more than one, especially in the U.S.

Any chance your blue 412 was made in Nov or Dec 1987 ? If so, I used to have some(possible) pics of it at the factory(one or two w/ME next to it). Did the factory tour thing right around XMAS in 1987 and there was a dark blue 412 undergoing some sort of final adjustment and sitting a bit off to the side, as I recall...328 and 412 were my favorite Ferrari designs, so I was -very- interested in seeing a 412 in the flesh. Great looking cars, too Back then, the factory didn't mind at all if one took pics during a tour, so I too LOTS of pics of everything. Even got a drive-by of an F40 undergoing tests, while I was waiting at the bus stop out front of the main entrance.

Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't know the value/interest of tracking serial numbers, or I would have jotted it down.

 

I have Rob's old Prugna and they seem very rare. I only know of four of five. Its the perfect elegant color for the Mondial. And thank you Rob for all your elbow grease! There is one more thing about my Prugna. Its seems unrealistically fast. I am a very vigorous driver and the car got WAY faster over time. I have a 'virtual' 1/8 drag strip and the car did it at no more then 80 mph at first. And that was using the optimistic speedometer.

More recently I did it again and ran 90 mph using the tach at 7,700 rpm. And that time is validated by my Malibu 3.5 vvt that has actually timed 1/8 mile in 10.1 seconds at 71 mph. That Malibu barely makes that same speed on my virtual strip. So I am one happy camper. In addition, it seems to have low friction rings indicating a loose build. Specifically the oil gets very dirty very fast but the car runs like a scalded hound.

Further, I did a lot of 60-120 indicated hot runs (54-112 actual) and my times were not even in the same ball park as the published data from the era. Especially 100-110. I was doing 90-110 in roughly the same time. So I would be interested in your experience on the matter. Especially if your oil gets dirty quickly! I do not ask you to break ANY speed limits!

 

Rob, your Prugna is queen of the ball around these parts! My local wrench just loves working on it. He is a clever guy, and I believe he can do just about anything I want to have done. I actually think he would be willing to build an engine out stand and do an overhaul with competent enthusiasm! None of that seems necessary. In 12,000 miles the only thing I have broken is the clutch and I believe THAT was my failure to use robust Ferrari master and slave clutch hydraulics when I swapped them out. And it runs like a scalded dog and happy to hunt for the bone!

I have mellowed though. I seldom shift at 7,700 anymore, but keep it pretty much between 3,000 and 5,000 which seems to keep it happy. And this set of tires might last longer. I have a few favorite full tilt four wheel drift practice corners but they are tame enough. Although I still practice full tilt braking almost every drive I take. I just LOVE G -forces! But now I have them well practiced and they are mostly tame these days.

So I am just cruuuuzin! Right arm on the wheel and left arm out the window. Perhaps I should get a pack of Camels to roll up my t-shirt sleeve. OH YEAH. I got called out by a seriously cammed Chevy small block the other day. We were just driving down the four lane and he blipped his throttle on my left rear. I down shifted to third at about 5,000 rpm to let hem know I was game.

So we simpley drifted back from the cars in front, far enough to have about three to four seconds of run time going forward. Then nailed it. And he nailed it. I was mightily surprised when I right-now jumped three to four lengths ahead. He bogged for an entire second. Then his carb cleared and for the second second he simply paced right behind me. Then he hit his cam. OMG. Saturn V territory but he was one full second late.

I won that little street race fair and square. Gave him a thumbs up and drifted back behind. Frankly, I was a bit surprised how nicely the 3.2 jumped three or four lengths out in the first burst and kept it up. Sometimes the bear eats you, and sometimes you eat the bear!

 

Rapaylea, I suppose you barn storm those roads north of Helen, around Suches, etc? Fantastic even in a rental POS. I've driven them in smaller Merc & BMWs but never in the Mondial. Next April I'm threatening to take it to the Road Atlanta vintage races; if so, I'll do some mountain stuff before or after. I like your area & the roads on the south side of Smoky Mtns Nat Park ... Dragon, etc.
Got any pics of your Prugna Mondial in the mountains?

 

I do have some pics, have posted them in the past, but it would take me some time dig them back up again. Will do some digging this coming week. I am about 30 miles N. of Helen and do most of my driving in Towns and Union Counties. I HAVE driven the dragon, but not in the Mondial. I was driving my 1984 Z-28 HO 5 speed - with eight foot trailer. In Winter. Not one car did I meet and not one car did I see behind me. That was about 14 hours out of Chicago and I have no fond memories of The Dragon! What is it? One hundred and fifty turns in fifteen miles? Or something psychedelic.

OK. Back to Helen. If you leave Helen towards Hiawassee or Blairsville you will drive up Blood Mountain. I think this is Rt 129 or some such. It is mostly a wide four lane, STEEPLY banked, plenty of center space. Plenty of guard rails and plenty of run-out space, no place for a speed trap. In other words? White Lightening Thunder Road. The real thing.

The single most proud accomplishment of my entire meager accomplishment life is I Have Never Been Passed On Blood Mountain! One time and one time only I believed I would lose. Not to another car, but to a couple of crotch rockets. But when I say NEVER I mean NEVER. It was quite a dual.

I was passing and leading all the cars, of course, but noticed two crotch rockets making their way up the line of cars. The second one was a bit more timid, so I ignored him. The first one had his mind up to take me. That MIGHT seem a hopeless situation for me. He could squirt past in two seconds. But there were no three second straights! All the high banked, four lane roads were back to back 50-60 mph switch backs, and I was diving and drifting through every one of them. No sane person would have gone side to side with me.

But I knew there was, for him, a three second straight on the very top. Anyone who had ever seriously practiced his braking would take me in two seconds with one second of braking and tuck down to the right in front of me. Apparently he had not done so. He had me BIG time. But he also must have noticed that I was going hell pell mell towards that same right hander and, as I said before, no brake lights would be deployed. He seems to have pondered his fate for a single second and it was toooo late. No sane person would gone side by side after thinking about it for one lost second, and under those conditions. Well. Perhaps ME.

Well anyway. I have mostly since retired from that sort of thing.


PS: That was in my 2007 Caddy CTS. The one I later rolled upside down backwards over a fifteen foot cliff at very moderate speed but with very great sheet metal and paint damage. Single car episode. Complicated stability control 'failure'. But I have always said I am only permitted ONE bad accident. Well, at least I had three or four happy decades before that!

 

That would be a lot of fun but I doubt it would be much of a challenge. Mostly a snappy parade. I suspect Skip Barber might still have a two day driving school that would be more challenging. I took my MAXX and was cleared to use it on the autocross track AND the open track. You are not permitted to pass but they do push the envelope. The students got Caymens, 911's, BMW-M3s, some other big bucks stuff.

I really really screwed the pooch on this one. Although the MAXX dusted everything on the Autocross but the Lotuses, and they promised me my own lead/follow for the MAXX, I took a Caymen onto the main track. They were using a Prepped Mazda Miata for the lead car. In a line that included an M-3! If they had taken me out with just me, their Miata, and my MAXX it would have been a chase!

Instead I chose a Caymen and was placed with a group of guys who were seriously out of their league. Everyone and everything lapped us. I was despondent and simply retired for the day and went home. I do have fond memories of the autocross, however. I did some basic bushing preps on it, had good tires, and simply ate up that little track. Believe it or not the MAXX would do full power rotation slides in all the corners even though it is front wheel drive. Perfect!

After many many laps they finally flagged me and the instructor off the track and everyone gathered round. Later, one of the instructors came to inspect my front tires for wear or chunking. NOTHING. Even wear side to side! I should have told him of the prep I did but did not interrupt his investigation. Anyway, it was a fine and dandy day for the MAXX!

 

Glad you are enjoying the old girl Rap and glad she is getting exercised! I found myself looking through one of my photo albums this weekend that had a bunch of pics of the Mondial and I have to admit I do miss it but like I said I'm glad I passed it on to someone who is enjoying it.