Rick Grape 750 Monza Spyder ex-Portago

Thank you Sir.

 

Timing is everything and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time when we installed the Chevy engine in CB " Chuck " Nervines car. He was a close personal friend and I was happy to have been chosen to aid in installing the 61 Fuel Injected Corvette engine.

I was against the idea from the start due to the weight of the engine in the frame of a car that had been mfg to contain a 3 liter engine. It was never competitive after that...it continually overheated and pushed so hard in the curves the lighter cars with 1/2 the hp would sail past it. However, it was not my car and Chuck was convinced it would compete against the Chevarris and Corvette powered Listers at the time. Unfortunately, it did not.

When I first began my search on this forum on 0498M, I met one Terry Healey and Antoine Prunet, both historians, Rick Healy sent me photos and I was physically sickend to see the
condition of the car after 30 yrs in a cattle feed lot. Who in their right mind would ever allow this to happen to a racing Ferarri.

Thanks for your comments. I had but a small part in all this but if it filled in some blanks for you, happy you are pleased.

 

Thank you Sir.

 

When I entered this Forum searching for information, I was amazed at the response from some really great, knowledgable people on this great old car. Thanks to historians like Terry Healey, Willem Oostek, Antoine Prunet and leads from the UK,I was able to develop a full file on this car and a lot of great fotos from its days of racing down south.

I wanted to thank everyone who contributed to the effort. I know my friend CB "Chuck" Nervine would have been pleased that so many were interested in his days of ownership and driving success. These are great memorys for me and his children who follow this forum.

I would be pleased to answer any further questions you may have and its not necessary to call me Sir. I am no longer an active Marine.

 

My father passed away jan 31 of 2012. My mother and father were residential architects. Mr heasley has known me since i was VERY young, due to my father's association with shelby cars. I will try to answer any questions you might have, however, $$$ figures i will not. I even have quite a few pictures of where the car sat before we moved it.

 

Would you post these or you can e-mail me at [email protected] and I will send you my address. thanks tongascrew

 

well i lied in a sense. i have a few photos, however they have individuals included and i'd rather that stuff not be seen. please excuse the poor quality, phone pictures of old pictures don't show up very well. first picture is where the car sat from around 1963-4 till we picked it up in early 1995, second photo is the license plate from my father's viper.... And yes the Avanti was an original blower car.
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The resto here is nice. The treatment of the cockpit firewall however seems unique and not in keeping with any original I have seen. I would like to hear some thoughts on how this designe was arrived at. I can't recall ever seeing an original firewall like this. tongascrew

 

Hi Mr. Grape.
I am George Tilp's nephew. I have been following the postings on the internet since 2005. My uncle gave me a reel of film shot at Elkhart lake "Road America" Sept 11, 1955. The film also covers the 3 months prior when 0498M was painted white and the #3 was placed on the hood and doors. The film also shows personal video footage of Phil and Paul O'Shea racing both of my uncles Ferrari and 300 SL Gullwing to victory. If you truly are the Mr. Grape that I mention in my film documentary and know Terry Healy I would love to send you a copy. Not wishing to put my email or cell phone number on this chat room I'll be checking back now and again. BTW, Bobby Tilp and George Tilp were brothers. George died unfortunately in 1985.
Cheers,
G

 

I have spoken to terry via pm on this board. I was a junior in high school when my father bought this car, the car left my family when i was only 20.

 

Hello James,
Thanks for the kind comment.
Do you think the white and blue Monza shown in post #6 and strangely numbered VI-I
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps431c5a5e.jpg
has anything to do with 0498M? Where, When?
By the way Portago never had anything to do with 0498M but with 0496M.
Kind regards

 

0498 is up for auction at RM Paris 2014 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spider by Scaglietti | Paris 2014 | RM AUCTIONS

 

A photo of 0496 for the presentation of 0498, well done RM !

 

Oh heck. I thought it was the musician Rick Grape and his fine bunch.

 

I have been in contact with Mr. Harburg via email the last few days. He has invited my mother and I to come to the auction in Paris. Hopefully 0498-m goes to a fantastic, new loving home. I didnt enjoy it at the time, but im proud to say that as a 17 year old punk kid, i dug around in the dirt to put the straps around this cars chassis to drag it out of that field.

 

Dear Mr Horton,

As you know we are auctioning your uncles 750 Monza in Paris 2014. I have seen a brief video you have posted on another website showing 0498M at the stat of the 1955 Road America event.
We would very much like to discuss your family period pictures and videos of this car for both the catalogue and website.
Can you please contact me at [email protected]

Kind Regards

Marcus Willis
RM Auctions

 

Marcus,

I got your note about my 0498M Phil Hill Trophies... I've had the trophies for a few years and can't tell you off the top of my head where I got the photo of Phil Hill with them. I'm sure if I scanned it I still have the original in my files. I've got file cabinets full useless racing stuff.

Send me an email and I'll give you whatever I have. [email protected]

I sold off my related Mercedes trophies a little while back. I'd love to get these trophies back with the 0498M Monza if the new owner cares about history. They are stunning in person.

Josh
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Thanks for the memories.
Loved Gaston Andre' the Swift Swiss quote.

 

Recently I published an article about the custom Offenhauser Engine S/N 165 (which is for sale) commissioned by George Tilp in the 1950s.

Soon I am contacted by Geoffrey Horton, George Tilp’s nephew who knows quite a lot about his Uncle George and his racing activities.

Here on My Car Quest is George Tilp’s life story as told by Geoffrey Horton with the help from another relative and a historian.

Who Was George Tilp? - Part One
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Talking about de Portago's cars. Does anybody know where is 0428/MD today ? Any picture by chance ? Thanks in advance !

 

RM Auctions' video for the upcoming Paris Auction in February.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4328k2g1Kek]1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spider: Then & Now - YouTube[/ame]

 

Part Two

Who Was George Tilp? ? A Big Phil Hill Supporter - Part Two