Hi all -- Anyone with first-hand knowledge of the Grifo? I'm not looking seriously yet - I just bought a 456 and that took care of the budget for a while - but eventually I would like to collect European sports cars with US motors. So, what is the car like to live with? What are the pitfalls of ownership and/or restoration? How much can one reasonably do oneself? Realistically, I am several years from jumping into this, so please don't try to sell me a car (especially a nice one - I might cry). I just want to know whether this is a reasonable type of collection to try to assemble w/o mega bucks. My idea is to pick up one of each Detroit powerplant: (1) Iso Grifo (corvette engine); (2) Facel II (mopar hemi); (3) DeTomaso Mangusta (Ford Cleveland). Anyone have this kind of collection, or even one of these cars? Thanks, Ron
Hey Ron, I have been into Iso's for a while now. They have become very hard to find in good condition and have several areas prone to rust. Mint condition cars are very expensive now and there is a big market with few cars. When the bizzarini got discoverd it pulled the Iso along in its wake, so better start saving. I find the design very attractive and you can mod them up like any corvette should you so choose. I have some old reprints of car mag articles, compliments of another very helpful board member, and could pass them along should you be interested. Drop me pm with your email address and let me know whether you are high speed or dial up. There is an Iso/Bizzarini club with many very knowledgeable members who can help you out when you are ready to really start looking.
The Intermeccanica Italia was a beautiful car built under a number of different names over the years. More info here: http://www.sportscarmarket.com/profiles/2001/June/Etceterini/
early TVR Griffith AC 428 very late Mangusta (became Qvale's ?) Some funny mid-engine AC's in the ?'80's-'90's? Some Intermeccanica's Iso Lele all I can think of now....... James
I had the pleasure of shooting a beautiful iso grifo at my friend's shop. Wonderful Italian styling with a throaty vette rumble. The best of both worlds. cheers kcv Image Unavailable, Please Login
The Grifo is basically the same car as a Bizzarini... The engine was a Corvette V8 The Chassis designed by Bizzarini Body by Drogo and others No 2 are completely identical they came in Alloy , Glass, and Metal They won LeMan's GT devision in a Grifo that had Bizzarini badges thus ending the relationship (Bizzarini was the team engineer on the Ferrari 250 GTO and also designed the 12 cyl in the first generations Lamborghini's. He also helped create the BreadVan undercontract to Volpe
The tale of the Griffo being the same as a Bizzarrini is often repeated, but the Bizzarrini has considerable differences and is much rarer, and more expensive. Here is a photochop that I've posted several times before when the question came up. They are not really that much alike. Image Unavailable, Please Login
True, but isn't that how the Grifo evolved into the Bizzarrini? The C was the competition derivitive of the Grifo which was a long way from the stock version. How many C versions did they build? By the way, there has been a guy with an ad in Hemmings for years WANTING anything Bizzarrini. The Bizzarrini market must have been cornered a long time ago.
I known 2 cars One 100 % restored ( 4 years restoration ) in Belgium Colour Blue Petrol Second is red, US title but car in Belgium was restored a fews years ago in US. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login