Plexiglass covers mounting system. Please post photos...

Hola Alberto,

Permiteme por favor una modesta opinion personal: Olvidalo!

Las cubiertas de faro en un Dino Siempre lucen mal, siempre parecen algo pegado que no deberia estar ahi. El coche fue diseñado por Pininfarina para NO llevar cubiertas de faros. Ningun coche salio de la fabrica con cubiertas, y Pininfarina no las puso por un motivo: en el Dino quedan feisimas!

Yo no entiendo como se puede tener la arrogancia estetica de pensar que es mejorable un diseño ya cercano a la perfeccion.

Para mi los faros cubiertos en un Dino son solo un poco mas acceptables que los pateticos logos de Ferrari.

Esto por supuesto son solo opiniones y gustos personales. A cada uno los suyos!

Estoy en Texas. Estamos en contacto para vernos en Madrid, me alegro de conocerte.

Saludos, Julio

 

No Problem Lars,
I bought my Plexis in Italy from Brandoli.
For me it seems that he has the "right" mould for the fender curve.
Of Course they were "too big" and had to be modfied to my car.
My way of fixation can be seen in the other headlight cover link at the beginning.
Nicolai

 

Oh, well THAT'S just showing off!

 

Lo siento, Urobasura. No era mi intencion!

 

Sí, tengo gusto de eso. ¡Mi nuevo nombre, UroBasura!

 

The design of the Elise draws much from the Dino (the designer Julian Thompson had and I believe still has a 246). Accordingly, the Dino came without headlamp covers and, of course, enthusiasts want to them!

The covers Lotus makes for the Elise are a nice shape, with the right compound curves, and thankfully are an exact fit. They are held on mine by 3M automotive double-sided tape. I now worry how I can remove them!
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This was subject of some discussion in one or two threads here, Alberto. My impression is that Maranello Concessionaires (the UK distributor) fitted them on many (but not all) Dinos they sold, either motu propio before sale (this is subject of debate) or at the request of the buyer. I don't recall anyone saying thet the factory every fitted them; if that is true, then the covers and brackets were probably developed and manufactured by Maranello Concessionaires.

Doubtless other versions were developed elsewhere, by distributors probably and certainly by shops, as is evident in this thread, each with their own ideas of shape and fittings.

Accordingly, the covers are not "original," if by that we mean developed, manufactured, and either fitted or sold as an option by Ferrari.

There are historians and experts on this topic among our colleagues on FC, so I will defer to them.

As I noted before, my car is a U.S. model, with the front turn indicators set into recessed sockets, much like the exposed headlamps. Accordingly, faired-in headlamps (i.e., with plexi covers) won't go well in my car. They would in yours. Alberto, as it seems you have the European model with the flush indicators.

By the way, the better material would probably be Lexan or some polycarbonate, rather than plexiglass, which is fragile and crazes.

Regards,

Andres

 

I saw them at Maranello Concessionaires being installed on a customer car, I had not seen the before so they were not common. I bough at pair directly from them.

 

Hello Its pretty much the other way around. Lexan is great, no doubt for deflecting a puncture but will shatter and it is more difficult to get scratches out while Plexi is softer which you can buff out. Ive got Plexi covers on for 20 yrs that look as good as when I made them. People still cling to the idea Lexan is bullet proof (not unless thick then it still delaminates) while its tougher than Plexi its also harder to form in compound curves as when you heat, its very moisture sensitive. Nascar uses polycarbonate which is fine for a race car that you will change out every other race notice they use layers of film over the glass, one to protected it from dirt and sand which you wont be able to wipe off as then you are scratching the surface, second its faster than wiping. Ive been using .220 thick and its plenty tough, plus you can countersink the screw heads for a cleaner look. The front of a B-17 were made from Plexi and they got shot at, LOL. Thanks Norm

 

Count me in for a pair if you make them please Bob

 

Norm, polycarbonate (Lexan) is specified by most historic or vintage race regulations, and it used to be the choice for some yachting applications. It is also recommended for motorcycle screens. So, I was convinced you were wrong. Then I did some research.

You are right. The ability of Plexiglass to polish out, its resistance to yellowing, and better clarity make it the better choice for headlamp covers. Your experience over many years of course bears this out. Polycarbonate used to be a knee-jerk choice for me. Now I know better. Many thanks, Norm.

Andres

 

Count me in too please.

Snowy

 

By the way, the Lotus Elise headlamp covers, including the covers standard on the current model, are polycarbonate. They must have decided on the material for product liability, safety reasons.

 

They want you to buy new ones, when they get scratched and sand blasted. Also there fairly simple to make no real compound curves. IMHO there too short and dont add to the streamlined look as on the 246.

 

Alberto, Ferrari UK is doubly guilty, as they were also the first to screw on Ferrari logos and horses for clients ashamed of driving "just" a Dino.

Masterpieces cannot be improved, in my opinion.

 

Don't Dis the UK man!
I Like my UK Ferrari Dino, that's because it was never called anything else. I first saw Dinos as a small child, they were Ferraris called Dino, in the same way as some were called Mondials or 250. I first saw a blue GT in 1969 or 70, everyone from the doorman at the club, to the Owner, a gentleman from Saudi, called it a Ferrari. Speaking for myself, I do not care what one calls it, One can call it a Dino which it is, a Ferrari which it is, a Ferrari Dino which it certainly is. One could even call it a Fiat engined, Scaglietti built body designed at Pininfarina and assembled at Ferrari Dino.
Its all good fun! I, for one, made no conscious decision to buy a car with a little horsie on it, because there was no issue, until, that is, somebody without the horsie made it one.

salve
Luigi Battista Lodovico Marazzi

My apologies this is a thread about headlight covers!

 

Salve Luigi!

Whether a Dino is called a Ferrari or not is not the issue. The issue is the addition of unintended parts and labels on the body of a design masterpiece.

Call it a Ferrari if you wish. It is a Ferrari. But I believe it was never intended by its creators to carry horses and headlight covers.

But you are entirely right that it is all good fun. I hope you enjoy your Dino as much as I enjoy mine!

Julio

 

I remember when I saw my first Jaguar E Type in the early 60s. I couldn't believe a car could be so low, so narrow, so sexy, so beautiful. I didn't get to see a Dino until the late 70s. i can only imagine what it must have been to see a Dino when they were new. You are a lucky man, Luigi.

But we digress ...

Andres

 

To digress further...I never saw Dinos in any quantity until a European trip in 1973. I bought my first Dino three years later. To see new Dinos on the streets of the Italian and French Rivieras, in the heat of August, parked outside trendy nightclubs, was truly awe-inspiring. When a Dino finally graced my garage, I had reached Nirvana. Now, after thirty-five years of Dino ownership, and twenty-eight years with two, I know that I have been truly blessed. Digression over! Fred

 

I agree, Julio. Back in 2001 I had the opportunity to chat with Sergio Pininfarina at Concorso Italiano. I asked him if he thought it was okay to install covers over the Dino headlamps and he fired back with an emphatic, "NO!" That settled it for me.

 

The yellow second Dino prototype from the 1966 Torino Auto Show, the first Dino prototype to have fender-mounted headlamps (and in which I once had the distinct pleasure of sitting briefly) had headlight covers. Subsequent, closer-to-production-specs. prototypes also had the covers. The silver 206 personally driven by Sergio Pininfarina (lacking front vent windows), which had small cavallino stickers on both front fenders, nevertheless did not have the covers. In view of Mr. Pininfarina's response to the question of the correctness of headlight covers, I wonder now whether it was the U.S. safety regs.' prohibition on them or a in fact a discrete design statement that never saw the covers reach production. I remember, seeing early Dino shots in the late sixties, thinking that the open and recessed headlights looked very dramatic. I like Dinos with and without covers, and have one of each. I don't believe, however, that they merit the amount of derision that has been heaped upon them. Putting aside their aerodynamic properties on a race car, I can't imagine how a Dino 206 SP would look without headlight covers. I realize that covers were never factory-issued on production Dinos, but this back-and-forth is nonetheless somewhat analogous to the "Is a Dino a real Ferrari?" conundrum. Every Dino lover has his or her own opinion, and that's probably as far as we can take it. People love them or hate them. I just wouldn't castigate anyone for putting them on his or her own Dino. Life is not one big FCA National Meet Concours. Enjoy your Dinos, with or without headlight covers! I know that I do! Fred

 

I had a similar situation to Daryl, also in 2001. Sergio Pininfarina was an honorary judge at
the Pebble Beach Concours that year. My wife and I were fortunate enough to meet with him that Sunday afternoon after his judging chores were completed. He was quite happy to talk about Dinos, and claimed it was one of the prettiest Ferraris since "it looks good from every angle - don't you think?".
I then asked him what he thought about headlight covers. He immediately shook his head, glared at me and said "please don't ever do that"! That's good enough for me !
Regards, Bob.