And now, my old Dino no. 05020 is on BaT.

A friend of mine alerted me to the fact that my old Dino was being auctioned on BaT.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-ferrari-dino-7/


I do not expect it to bring any record prices. It is my experience from other auctions (Scottsdale, etc.) that genuinely good original cars tend to fly under the radar. Flashy new paint jobs and sparkling new restorations tend to bring the top prices. And, of course, the usual ”hooks” like Chairs and Flares. This car has none of those.
Instead, here we have an unmolested standard US model, correct and original (except for a repaint 33 years ago), low mileage, in meticulously maintained rust-free condition. To me, those are very valuable qualities. To the auction bidders, we’ll see.

 

You may be right, Freeman. Yes, it is a smooth and sweet driving car, ready to use.
And it is proof that all unrestored Dinos are not necessarily hopeless rust buckets.

I have no stake in it now, of course, I just wish it will find a good home where it is appreciated, and where the owner perhaps will continue to preserve it. After so many years with the car, some emotional attachment is unavoidable!

 

No problem, Greg. I just felt I had to pitch in and tell about the history and background of the car. More openness and information is always good, I think, both for the seller and the buyer.

Yes, that driving video is unusual to say the least. Although I often shift just as fast in my freshly rebuilt Euro Dino, I never use as much force as that driver appears to do. That looked a little disturbing.

And thanks for that link! I did not know about that particular site. Very interesting and useful.

 

The bidding was very good and very fair, in my opinion. The seller had simply set the reserve too high. After all, he paid 360,000 for the car 2 years ago, and has put 700 miles on it since then. It is no longer as immaculate as it was, and no longer detailed to a show level, as a buyer would expect in order to pay a record price. 380,000 would have been a good and respectable price to expect. The top bid of 429,000 plus 5% = 450,000 was a very good and generous offer.

 

OK, thanks for that correction. Still, conclusion is the same: I agree, it should have sold at that price.

 

Andy,
Congratulations!! And welcome to the forum!
You bought something good, and something real, I can tell you that!
I am also very glad that you found this forum and chose to join it. The members here are very helpful, and there is a lot of accumulated knowledge available on this site.

I will be happy to fill in any detail in its history, or any other question you may have about the car. If it is something of general interest, post it here. Or send me a PM, if that is more suitable.

Anyway, I am very happy that you have come forward here. With the demise of the Dino register, we do not know who owns a specific Dino, unless the owner chooses to appear here. I never knew who the last two owners were, not their name or where they lived, and there was no way for me to contact them. All so secretive and so much hush-hush. But now, a real person with a real name, and on this forum. Wonderful. Again, welcome!

I am sure you will come to love and enjoy this sweet-running, gorgeous Dino as much as I did.

Drive and enjoy!
Lars

 

Most likely, the heater valve is not closing properly when the lever is set to cold position. It is a very common problem with the Dino and some other Italian cars from the period. So common, in fact, that some owners install a cut-off valve to the heating element that they keep closed during the summer time.

But first, look under the dashboard when you move the heater and vent controls. Check that the wires behind the levers move correctly. If they do, next step is to remove the batch-board in the front compartment so that you can see the arm of the heater valve when you move the heater control. Often, the cable sleeve is sliding, or the inner wire is bending when you move the heater control from hot to cold position.

If the heater valve is moving properly from open to closed position and the heater still remains hot, the heater valve should be replaced.

Hope that helps.