Bob Norwood is building the P4 again.

Heh, I'm glad we have stayed away from this. By now everyone knows where they stand and it's good not to get into another debate where everyone just ends up mad but with the same opinion.

A big welcome to Mr. Norwood.

 

http://www.race-car-replicas.com/rcrp4.html

Don't shoot! Don't shoot!

As far as I have been able to determine this is not kit-car junk; it looks like some pretty high tech construction. Toss in (well, it might be a little more work than that) an engine out of a wrecked 348 and you could have a bunch of fun for not nearly so much loot.

No disrespect to the esteemed Mr. Norwood, but I certainly will never be able to afford one of his glorious works of art.

 

Randy. There is another perfectly good 'P4 replica' thread in the C,P,B & P section for discussing other makes of 'poor guys' P4 replicas.

See: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7565

But if you want to make cheaper comparisons, might I recommend these cars instead: http://www.baileyedwardscars.co.za/P4.HTML

.... as raced in the Springbok Castrol Tourist Trophy at Zwartkops, South Africa last weekend. The red one has a Ferrari V-12.
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Enough of those comparatively 'low buck' P4 replicas .... we need to get this thread back on topic !

Bob .... Tim .... where are you ? It's your turn, now.

This is an old photo, by the way, from the late 80's I'd guess ....
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+1

I talked to them and while the car is set up for a Ford or Chevy engine, you can put a Ferrari V8 in there. V12 doesn't really have enough room.

 

New Norwood P4 photos are now available for Ferrari Chat members to view at their leisure. For those of you interested, go to the following site P4byNorwood.com
Next click on the state of Texas icon with the Italian flag colors. This link will bring you the #14-P4 build site. Here you will find many photos, videos and up to date detailed build process. The process begins in Jan 2007 with building of the body bucks through chassis and drive train. My apologies the site is still under some construction, there for the photos are not all labeled. The site is generally updated with new photos on a weekly basis. Hope you enjoy!

 

Thanks for sharing with us all, Tim. So that's where all those photos come from, eh ?

.... and who, if may I ask, is the cute co-worker modelling some of the new body panels ?
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On the post about the title. We`sell the cars with a bill of sale for the engine and one for the chassis. There are several ways to get a title. It depends on the state and sometimes you can post a bond. I just went through the process with my 308/ GTO. Most of these cars are for off road use and are never titled.
Ed Cohen's p4 was fitted with mufflers when Bill Gordon owned it and it was driven on the street some at that time. We drove it to shows and to track events. I remember pulling up to a stop light next to a police cruiser and I had to look way up to see in the window of the cruiser! Most of the policemen think it is cool and will pull you over just to look at it! The last time that I drove it was a couple of months back when we were calibrating the spedo that we installed. It does make some good noises!
The cute girl In the picture at the fab shop (Kim) is an x nascar truck crewmember. She is part of the all female p4 panel beater team. Tim will post some more info about the team as he hangs out there to much!
Thank's for posting the picture of Raymond and me working on the p4 body. Raymond has retired from working panels but his son is carrying on the tradition. I am rebuilding a six clyinder maserati engine that goes in a car that he is building. Raymond dropped the engine off at my shop. Great Guy !
I am seeing pictures on here that I haven't seen for years! Keep posting! Thanks Bob .

 

Part of what I love about these cars is the wheels - what are they? Who makes them?

Thanks!

 

http://www.tawvehicle.com/mag_race.htm

Tell Ted I sent you.

 

As an aside ....

Not quite all the Norwood P4s got those wheels. Before Bob Norwood successfully sourced the Tecnomagnesio copies of the original P4 Campagnolo wheels for the first run of aluminium-bodied cars, he had also had some rather nice polished aluminium, billet-centre 3-piece rims machined up - by none other than 'Mr Hot Rod USA' - Boyd Coddington. These wheels were only ever fitted to the the first aluminium bodied Norwood P4 - the 'N°5' car built for Joe Marchetti. The car still carries the same wheels to this day, except at some point the wheel centres were painted gold.
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I was reminded of these earlier wheels by another of the photos that Tim Taylor kindly sent me, which started this thread rolling again, and showed Bob working on an 'old style' yellow Norwood P4 (see post #3). This one doesn't show Bob in the photo, which is why I hadn't bothered posting it before - but in front of the car are another pair of those same Boyd Coddington billet wheels, but these are powder-coated gold. Bob and Tim are apparently using this spare set of wheels as 'jockey wheels' to move the cars around their shops.
Note the 80's 'vintage' (and probably rather age-hardened) Pirelli P7F rubber fitted .... I did !
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Not sure how Danny would would feel about that, Bob !

And you know how the saying, goes, Tim ....
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Interesting. Very happy that you have joined Fchat

 

Some interesting photos, already, in the February 2008 section of the build album.

http://web.mac.com/trm1139/P4_By_Norwood_14/FEB08.html#20

What are these, Tim ?
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Another one of Kim working on the P4's mid-section panel-work, too.
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One`of the things`that I have wanted to change or impove on the older p4's was the shifter system.The system we used on the older cars was the product of a contest we had to design a shifter system for the p4. I don't thunk anyone won! The g50 transmission shifts very good in a Porsche and never shifted as good in a p4. The reason is that the trans is upside down and pointed the opposite direction . This means that the shifter comes in the back of the trans. The shift linkage has to go all the way around the the trans to get into the gearbox! I have seen a cable shifter that the shift finger goes into the side of the gearbox and connects where the stock porsche finger goes. I did not want to use cables as I like the ferrari shifter selector. As it worked out the stock ferrari shift rod runs right by the cable selector so I decided to modify the design of the selector to have the shifter rod run straight into the selector. This meant that the rod didn't need to go all the way through the selector. We decided that we needed to completly redesign the selector . That's what you see in the pictures less the selector shaft. This shortnens the linkage by 3 feet and makes it more direct and now the feel is like it's supposed to be. The GTO's will get the same treatment! Thank's Bob.

 

This is Jennifer welding on a 304 stainless steel tubular headers, she also knows her way around an English Wheel pretty good. She has her own pink plenishing hammer too.
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Careful of the welding sparks, Jenny !

 

Bob

I think the ladies you have working for you are the key to your success. I know from my own manufacturing company ( SMT Guitars) that they have a lot more patience than the guys and have better attention to detail. From what I see the fit and finish of your cars is superb.

 

Where were those gorgeous girls when I took Shop and Auto Mechanics? I'm sure my attention span would have suffered a lot....

 

That's truelly a woman after my heart! Great work ladie's and gent's keep the update's and pic's coming.

Gregg

 

Hate to see interest in this thread flagging - particularly as it's so close to the magical 10,000 hits.

So, Kurt, Michael, Jim and William ....

.... over to you guys.

At the risk of repeating myself (so soon) .... you know how the saying goes (not strictly true of course, but it helps):
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Hehehe......I was just thinking about this earlier in the week, that I should scan a few of the contact sheets and send to you. Then, I figured that that might border on cruelty..........even taunting. They'd be a bit grainy, I think, but you might also be able to pic out some "higher priority" pics to get done.
I'll try to remember to get some done for you soon. If you're up for the contact sheet idea, pm me an address, and I'll shoot that over to you in the next couple of days.

Edit: Yikes!!!! Just noticed that this is the 200th post in this thread - guess I'd better get on the ball with such expectations.