The Holey Daytona

This is the story so far of the Holly Daytona [mine]
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After 20 year's of wanting and lusting and dreaming and never really thought I could actually owning one [ I did have an RS Daytona replica] I took the plunge last summer and bought a UK Daytona Spyder conversion done by EG Autokraft in 1985.

The car started life as a Celeste Blue car with a light blue interior and was first sold to the then young managing director of World Wide Artists It was then owned by a guy who painted in British Racing Green and changed the interior colour to red, then in 1985 it was converted to a GTS and a few years later bought by the Earl of Chistchester, he kept it for a few years and it was then sold at Christies in Monaco to an ex formula one driver who had the car for around 20 years and as far as I can tell was hardly used.

This is where I come in, when I went to look at the car it was showing only 16,000 miles but the history was not available to substantiate this, the interior was tired and the car was in an unloved state, the were small dents and scratches all over the place, the front of the sills had cracked and the underside was going rusty but did not appear to bad. [Thanks to Mark Shannon for the pic’s of my car from the early 80’s this really helped with the history file I have been accumulating]

So I took the plunge, and now came the hard bit of what to do should I go for a quick cover up respray knowing that the under side of the chassis would need treatment or should I go the full hog and risk the costs involved.
I took the car to my local Ferrari specialists who assured me that they could work on the car but when in took the owner 5 mins. to find the dip stick and he then told me he had never worked on a Daytona before I though it best to leave them out, I then took the car to a well know specialist south of London but I left feeling unsure.

I drove the car for about 1000 miles this year it was uncomfortable, the steering was heavy the hood was useless but it was one of the GREAT experiences in life you will never forget [ I even drove the 260 miles to show the guys in the Daytona Replica club my car, they are a great bunch of people who know a great deal about Daytona’s as most of them have built their own from EG Parts]

So after 4 months of looking I got a tip of about your site from a guy in the states who was selling some cams on e-bay. I then found Tim’s thread Daytona rebuild, and after reading that I new where I would like to take the car.
So with some help from Tim a contacted Mike Osgood [ 30 years as Ferrari Uk workshop manager, now semi retired and only take’s a few jobs a year, in between fishing] and after speaking to him and taking the car up to him to look at we decided that the job “had to be done properly” in Mikes words and we embarked on a quest for all the information we could find on the different structural changes between the GTB and GTS [ Thanks to Bill B for his tip off about his article in Forza magazine about this subject.

I was never happy about the proportions of the rear of the car [ just did not look quite right but could not say exactly what] and at Christmas wile doing my usual cruse on E-bay looking for parts I spotted a genuine Spyder rear clip that had never been used for sale In the US. This was a lot of money for me but I thought that I would have a go for it knowing there was all the extras of getting it over here, the auction finished on Christmas day and mid day and would you believe it I was the only bidder at got it for $10 + a few 0’s Mike was as pleased as I was a was also watching on Christmas day. some one was looking after me that day!

I went up to look at it, at Mikes a few weeks ago and meet Rob who work’s next door to Mike’s [ another top bloke] and is doing all the mech. Work and talked through with him the way forward.

So that’s where we are at Rob has started to take all the mech. parts off ready for Mike, the trim is all out ready fro the trimmer to look at and may be modify the hood do that the frame will not hit the seats when the hood is folded down.
I would just like to say thanks to everybody on the site that has given me lots of help on various matters and here’s some pic’s I took a few weeks ago.
P.S. if anyone has any Spyder chassis info or pic's, these would be gratefully received.
Grant
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I do look like Fred only fatter
Here's a pic of my two BAM BAM's .
Chassis no 16611
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Thanks Tom
the loops were designed by Mike who is doing the bodywork on the car when he was at Ferrari.

 

Thanks Daytonasme and Matt and Donv.
I am not expecting the car back this year, so you can bet your life, it's going to be a good summer, as for the color i am not sure other than i won't be green, it could be red or Celeste, very undecided yet, when i gave the trim code to the trimmer he told me it was an odd sort of antique finish light blue so i am waiting for a sample of this to look at, in an ideal world if i had to buy a Daytona and could choose the color it would be red with beige so may be i should go with that?

 

Yes i was there, i did meet quite a lot of people, were you the chap with a DBS ?

Even though we were slightly out numbered we managed to blag a good spot. Did you see the helicopter? The lenghts people will go to get a look at a Daytona LOL.
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Thank for all the encouragement everybody.

Ian. Look forward to meeting you next month.
This is the list of mech. jobs I drew up before speaking to Rob:-

Generally check over the car for mechanical problems.-
ALL REMOVED PARTS TO BE PLATED OR PAINTED AS PER. THE ORIGIONAL PLEASE INC. TRIM WHERE NECESSARY and used parts kept.
Various oil leaks from hoses around engine.
Slight oil leak from gearbox/finial drive rear casing, RH shaft seal and side gasket area.
Engine oil tank slight leak.
Gear box trans axel to be rebuilt?? If necessary [ is it easier to do while the car is in bits, the only problem I have noticed is when stopped in first gear if you rest you hand on lever it sometimes jumps out of gear].
Fuel tank on driver’s side has small leak where the spare wheel has been rubbing.
All suspension to be rebuilt and plated or painted as per original [the back shocks have been replaced]
Front shock absorbers, bush’s nuts and bolts to be replaced.
Water pump to be rebuilt
Lots of oil leaks on the engine please can you advise if it is necessary to fix and work required.
Starter motor to be changed
Hand break lever faulty needs weld on the worn tooth I think
Windscreen wipers sometimes hit.
Noise like a dry bearing from engine area when hot and going over 50mph [could be water pump
Cooling wing fan in driver’s side front wing not working [could be switch]
Radiator has traces of oil in the water [I think from water pump?].
Air-con not working
Heat plates on exhaust rattle
Whole car needs a good service.

Parts I have:-
Wheels
New high gear reduction starter
Front shocks
New air con unit
New exhaust if required
Reversing lights.

Tim thanks very much for the offer of the exhaust, I have a stainless steel system on the car [ and also a brand new Stebro stainless steel one I got a good deal on [ if anyone wants it at cost they are welcome] but am looking for some Ansa rear box’s. Rob is going to get a quote for stainless headers, as for the tools please don’t tell anyone you have them as they go for silly money, to be honest until I know costs i need to save my money.