F40 LM Restoration

Very glad to hear that. Getting the machining absolutely correct for those LM pistons is very difficult.

 

Generally I would leave it blank, however being an LM, I would totally do the red letters. It just seems like the right thing to do.

 

well, I have a couple of schools of thought.

1) paint the letters black, it just seems to go with all Ferrari logo's in an engine bay.

2) LM's seem to have them painted red (it kinda goes with the feel of the car)

my personal preference of the two would be to go with black to be different. I just couldn't leave a Ferrari logo naked, it seems disrespectful.

my 2cts anyway, hope it helps.

 

I don't feel qualified enough to voice my opinion at anything more than a whisper, but I think the manifold looks great unpainted. It feels more purposeful to me.

Anyway, thanks for sharing this project, all the wonderful photos, and even asking for opinions from the gallery.

 

I would also go for black letters! Otherwise leave it blank.

What a nice restoration, keep it going!

 

unpainted gets my vote or black, red makes it looks like something cheap and tacky from the ferrari store

 

On one hand, it would be a shame to leave it blank, and on the other, painting it might look a bit tacky...

Other option, perhaps, as the rest of the intake manifold is coated and rough, why not polish the top of the letters? Would not be so "screaming" as red letters, look more classy, and still be something special...

But as you know, "de gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum"

 

I just spent the last 5 hours reading through this incredible story (and that's what it is -- a story). After I read your first post when you had almost decided to not tell the story, I was disappointed and then I saw the page 1 of 53 LOL. Thank you so much for letting us follow along on this journey with you -- it has been a wild ride at times. You have had so many difficult decisions to make and I think it speaks well of you that you asked for input and in most cases took it.
I've been captivated by super cars ever since I stood by the side of the road as a young man watching and listening as a Lamborghini Muira howled by -- passing a line of saloon cars in my native England. It was I believe owned by the much pampered son of the chairman of the old BOAC.
I digress. I shall follow you on this journey to the end when you hit that starter button for the first time and drive away in an incredible car.
Thanks
Alan

 

+1. It's a race car not a magazine
Pete

 

I'd say: go with the red.

Gr. Martin

 

What is the story on the wing mirrors? Are they re-appropriated from a TR or a custom LM touch?

Amazing build once again!

Steve

 

These photos drive home the short wheelbase of the F40 -- only 96.5 inches. I guess this was common practice in the era. The front overhang is very large, and one has to wonder at the packaging job in getting that little V8 and transaxle in that small space just aft of the bulkhead. I have not driven one but it must be almost cart-like in its reflexes.

 

Leave the lettering unpainted. Looks much more purposeful.

 

... and please don't polish it. But you are building a LM so I can understand you will want to paint the letters red.

I'm not sure what it is with Italians but they love to have way to many names and badges on their cars. Even my Alfa GTV constantly reminds itself that it is an Alfa ... why?
Pete

 

That's the thing, It's a proud statement. They're Ferrari's, they want you and everyone around you to know what you drive, make you feel like you belong. When you look in the engine bay you're seeing heart and soul, it's beauty reminding you when you drive her, this is what powered her.

Seeing the name evokes emotion, a shudder like seeing the most beautiful woman in the world, her name is Ferrari and she wants you to know it.

That is why you see it, that is why you touch the name when you open the hood. Just like the first thing you do when you sit in the drivers seat, touch the emblem on the wheel, why you run your fingers down the subtle lines and stop to touch the shields.

Emotion, pure and simple.

paint it. let her wear her lipstick and maskara.

 

Beautifully put. I had voted the other way but you convinced me.

 

You could just borrow some of your wifes long lasting red lipstick and just dab it on now and again and wipe it off later (on the emblem I mean!). best of both worlds

 

Nice.

 

I signed up and spent the last two days going through this thread.

Whilst there is certainly no shortage of people telling you what a great job you've done, and how much we appreciate you sharing the story and pictures - I do feel it is important to say my personal thanks.

The F40 is the car which adorned both the wall of my room as a child as well as in my room whilst I was at university. It made me a fan of flames and turbocharging, externally vented wastegates, and showed that function and form were (and indeed ARE) a very real and achievable combination.

As a fan of the 80s, turbos, bright red, stylish gregariousness, I stand, hat tipped, glass raised and loudly bellow my intercontinental CHEERS!

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

I think we're all qualified to give our opinion, we all love Ferrari's or we wouldn't be here!
none of our opinions are wrong either, they're what we'd like to see if we were blessed to be able to restore a beautiful Ferrari.

Tim willingly asked us for our opinions, to get a look from fresh sets of eyes not attatched to the project as much as he is.(vicariously I think we all are though)

After reading every single post by everyone here I feel as though I know Tim, even though I obviously don't. I would however like to think we'd be fast friends with our shared enthusiasm for his beautiful car.

/salute Tim, the incredible journey continues, those intercoolers are HUGE, I hope they make all the difference.

 

Going back to that inlet manifold. Here is something else to consider as shown in the F40 factory folder N. 479/87. The two outer pieces are painted black as can be seen in the image you provided. If you look at how Ferrari started off in the beginning they also painted the inlet manifold itself black to. Curiously the 'Ferrari' name was cast in a position close but slightly lower down at the start. It is just over the back side of the inlet manifold so it faces the rear of the car rather than on top at the back where it appeared on later examples.
With 'all black' the color is consistent on the three parts and no need for the red color.
CH
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