250 LM Picture Thread

Furmano,

racing cars in the 50s and 60s were...tools! They were made only for one simple reason: to become a potential winner!
No race car ever in its period saw the finish line in restored condition.

If you would have asked a mechanic from that period he would not even understand the word "restoration".

 

I get ya.

It was just my impression "every" significant Ferrari from that era has already been restored and are kept in that restored state.

But looking at photos of 250 LM's from the various shows and events over the last decade, many of them seem to have an "original" or at least a "not recently" restored interior. Unlike most Lusso's or most P-cars or most SWB's or most (all?) GTO's or whatever vintage model you can think of that are mostly (all?) shown or rallied in pristine condition.

I was just surprised to see worn the out interiors, different from just about every other Ferrari from that era that is "out in the wild" (not talking about barn finds).

-F

 

Apart from possibly 6025 did any leave the factory with the weight adding interior quilted lining?

 

You're welcome. Note that at Le Mans, the seats were black with Gray cloth inserts as shown.

 

I thought that you might like to see 6045 before it's fire. The first one shows owner Harold ("Hart") Isaacs (bending over) and Sal DiNatale (in white). You'll see his extra set of wheels (chromed) in the second pic. Hart used to drive it to work.
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P.S. That's the final remains of 0647GT in the back of pic no. 1, before it went to Rudi Klein's Porche-Foreign (sic).
One day I was at the shop and Sal had to test drive Hart's car, so I went along. We got stopped for speeding on the 405, by an angry cop. He really got mad as he started to lecture me and then he realized the I didn't have a steering wheel!
I think the other LM may have been my 5909; not sure.

 

On 5909 - before you sold it to Sony or after buying it back?

 

Before. Sonny trashed the trans, and then sold the car to a body man who was a Lola freak. He had cut the tops of the front fenders to widen the car! He had a shop fire, and some of his friends lifted 5909 out a window. My wheels got burned up, so I bought Hart's chrome set. 5909 has been restored several times!

 

Thank you for the correction. At the 1965 Le Mans Did #5893 have black headlight sockets or were they silver?

-F

 

Potentially the most times restored LM (at least trues at times in the past). Something was done to make it look as nice in the photos of pre-Sonny. Knoop had it done by Griswold to a standard of best for its day. Obriest had it completely redone. Don't know if it has been redone again (or multiple times) since that ownership.

 

Silver.

 

'nEd,
At what point was one of the/your LM's faded gold in color?

When it was gold Sal threw me the keys and told me to re-park it from one side of the shop driveway to the other... I think I was about 17, that would make it around 1966 or '67?

....Man, think'n about drive'n an LM, even just 20 yards then... and now.... WOW!!!!

BTW- That looks like Jimmy in the white shirt in the rear shot...

Cheers,
Chuck Miller .... aka (Sal's nickname) Chuck'a'da'lighter

 

Cars are only original once!!!!

p

 

You guys had it good. Cheap(ish) Ferraris and no speed limit, less traffic...

 

Around what year was that?

Going to work in a 250LM...!! So jealous.

 

Hi, the seats, as you see in the pics was black with a grey cloth in the middle.It is ok for the "quilted" black around.

 

I remember the LeMans winner on display at the Petersen in the 1990s. It was flat out decrepit, abused and beat on. It was no where close to post LeMans, it was post every race afterwards with all the damages and part changes that ensued.

 

The Indianapolis Speedway Museum had Bruce Canepa's firm do a lot of detail corrections and cleaning of the car prior to it's appearance at Pebble Beach a couple of years ago.

 

I know, I get ya.

Having some original patina from a significant race is one thing. A clapped out, tired, broke ass interior that looks like junk is another. In some cases it's best to just move on and restore.

-F

 

Yes, agreed. But certain basic items were still somewhat.....barely intact. It lead a hard life.

 

Dyke, I remember that showing, and also remember that for some odd reason, the font of the new race numbers that were put on the car was completely wrong. I always wondered how anyone could have gotten that wrong..... But at least since then/now that mistake has been corrected.

 

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Yes, Chuck, 5909 was gold when I bought it in the bay area and drove it home. I had it painted red, as I figured it would be a tough car to sell, and near impossible in gold. And yes, Sal had his own names for many of us. I was "Il Duce". I never knew if I should be flattered or not, as that was what they called Benito Mussolini, Dictator of Italy during the war years. His own people strung him up at war's end. Well, nobody has strung me up. Yet. On that subject, I'm planning on a premature death. Hell, I'm only 93. CIAO, and CIAO-FM.

 

Ok since you have owned more Ferraris than most ever will and the best ones too...what is your favorite from the ones you owned? Which one do you regret selling th most and which one is the one you always wanted or really wanted but never owned? Pics would be tremendously appreciated!

 

The space between patina and bad condition is very small!