330GT 2+2 Series I Parts WANTED | Page 8 | FerrariChat

330GT 2+2 Series I Parts WANTED

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by Darren C, Oct 23, 2012.

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  1. PFSEX

    PFSEX Formula Junior

    Jun 30, 2006
    843
    Las Vegas
    Full Name:
    John Ratto
    the center hub assembly - with horn button - for your steering wheel?

    If so, PM me.

    John
     
  2. Vincent Vangool

    Vincent Vangool Formula 3

    Oct 6, 2007
    1,243
    Zanskar, Kargil district, Ladakh, India
    Full Name:
    Vincent Vangool
    Very cool of you.

    The one thing this guy has it talent and gumption to do all he can to bring a car back to life.

    I think he is a model of what a real Ferrari enthusiast is.

    He will spend countless hours massaging to perfection what others believe is junk.
     
  3. buster bram

    buster bram Formula Junior

    Dec 10, 2005
    439
    mussolini's Garage
    Full Name:
    Sean
    Hi Darren hope you are road to recovery I will take a grill for Damien's 330 let me know what you need

    Sean
     
  4. Darren C

    Darren C Formula Junior

    Feb 3, 2011
    308
    Chichester, UK
    Thanks for the kind words. I have another month to go "light duties" then I have to go back to see the consultant. Until then I can only tinker with light parts at my living room table. It's driving me mad, but at least I'm out of bed now and mobile. With time on my hands I have tracked a few more parts down :)

    Pm sent John. Thanks

    Sean, I'm having a single "trial" grille cut first so I can check each item and the assembly before I use a whole 8' x 4' sheet. Hopefully this will highlight any errors (which I hope will be few)
     
  5. simon klein

    simon klein Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 25, 2009
    28,802
    North Qld
    Full Name:
    simon klein
    Mate,Just saw this lot after arriving back from Bris to deliver my 330 to it's(hopefully)next keeper.
    Glad to see you're still in the land of the living and getting on with keeping active.

    You've probably gone through more than most here,to know,that is the most important part of rehabilitation(of any sort).

    Cheers,mate and good luck.
     
  6. Darren C

    Darren C Formula Junior

    Feb 3, 2011
    308
    Chichester, UK
    Following my recovery from surgery I have had to take it easy for a few months. Today I managed to restart the project and completed the rear armrest ashtray.
    Like most of the parts I have found the rear ashtray was in bad condition. I already refurbished the inner part and had stripped down the outer housing and chrome bezel. The bezel was very rusty and pitted, so I drilled out the aluminium rivets and took it off the housing.
    This went off to the platers and came back on Friday last week, looking fantastic as usual.
    To re assemble I needed to make new aluminium rivets to hold the bezel, housing and spring clips together. I managed to get a sample rivet at 8mm diameter. This was important to get the correct grade aluminium for riveting back together.
    [​IMG]

    I turned down the 8mm rivet to make two 3mm countersunk 5mm head rivets on my lathe.

    [​IMG]

    With a small hammer I hand riveted the parts back together.

    Externally

    [​IMG]

    and Internally

    [​IMG]

    Completing the rear ashtray restoration, ready to store away for the grand assembly!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. simon klein

    simon klein Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 25, 2009
    28,802
    North Qld
    Full Name:
    simon klein
    ....and more than likely.......it'll never get used..

    Lovely work,mate.
     
  8. Vincent Vangool

    Vincent Vangool Formula 3

    Oct 6, 2007
    1,243
    Zanskar, Kargil district, Ladakh, India
    Full Name:
    Vincent Vangool
    Hahaha.

    Amazing.

    Good to see you are back at it.
     
  9. DavewantsaFerrari

    Aug 23, 2014
    10
    Los Gatos CA
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Hope you were successful finding your parts. I just bought a shell of a 330 GT, and I really need a full rolling Chassis and floorboard to get started. Any leads for parts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks. You can email me directly at [email protected] Thanks!
     
  10. Darren C

    Darren C Formula Junior

    Feb 3, 2011
    308
    Chichester, UK
    Dave wrote "Hope you were successful finding your parts"

    Dave I'm real upset you hijacked my thread to post a wanted ad of your own as your second post on the forum without even bothering to read my thread.

    There is no mythical elephants graveyard full of ivory, you have to put in the time and effort.
    Whilst I've been laid in bed recovering I have put in 4 to 6 hours a day on line looking for parts across the globe.

    I wish you well, but unless you are a very skilled engineer (not a lawyer as your email suggests) my advice to you is buy a complete running car as it'll cost you many times the value of a complete 330 to pay someone to turn your shell into a roadworthy vehicle for you.

    So if you decide to cut your loss and run, I'd be interested in some parts off of it
     
  11. 330 4HL

    330 4HL Formula 3

    May 12, 2005
    1,540
    Vancouver
    Full Name:
    Rick Bradner
    "So if you decide to cut your loss and run, I'd be interested in some parts off of it"

    Darren, I like what you did there :)

    +1
     
  12. Darren C

    Darren C Formula Junior

    Feb 3, 2011
    308
    Chichester, UK
    Today I got the final trial set of grille parts back from the laser cutters. This is the third version as there were a few small glitches/errors in my CAD plotting on the first 2 sets. Not bad as I've NEVER done this before.
    After some small alterations (basically joining a few dots and gaps in lines) they are pretty much mm perfect.
    The test pieces are cut from 2mm galvanised steel as this is what they had spare (no cost) The next stage is to save up over the next few weeks to buy a full sheet of 2mm aluminium!

    [​IMG]

    Next I checked the assembly.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Ed Niles

    Ed Niles Formula 3
    Honorary

    Sep 7, 2004
    2,493
    West Hills, CA
    Full Name:
    Edwin K. Niles
    Darren, this continues to be one of my favorite threads. The work you are doing is just astonishing. Thanks so much for sharing! Ed
     
  14. Vincent Vangool

    Vincent Vangool Formula 3

    Oct 6, 2007
    1,243
    Zanskar, Kargil district, Ladakh, India
    Full Name:
    Vincent Vangool
    Agreed. Wishing for your recovery so you can amaze us all with your commitment to a car most feel is not worthwhile. This is the mold of a true Ferrari enthusiast.

    Keep it up Darren.
     
  15. Darren C

    Darren C Formula Junior

    Feb 3, 2011
    308
    Chichester, UK
    Thanks for your kind words of encouragement

    The last few weeks have been quite tough, my cheap ebay Volvo needed a new rear tyre for its MOT test (it was picked up last year as on the minimum tread limit so after another 12 months it was pretty bald) Unfortunately it cleared out my savings for the Aluminium sheet I need to make the grille with, so it’s going to take me another month to save for it.
    In the meantime I decided to get on with some no cost work on the parts I’d already amassed.

    I started this week on the fuel filler flap. I took this off a very rusty 330 shell that was beyond salvage that had been parted out a few months ago. There was no key so the only way I could get it off the shell was to drive out the hinge pin. (Top tip if you ever get a broken fuel key or lock)
    Once the lid was off I could remove the bezel from what was left of the rusted out 330 shell.

    All the parts were in very bad condition so I got them for a good price.

    [​IMG]

    First I removed the lock and once painted insert panel from the top of the flap. The flap itself is made of stainless steel, so after many, many hours of working from a smooth file up to 1200 grit wet and dry; I got all the scratches and dents out. The once painted lid which is mild steel had rusted beyond repair and the rust had eaten in places into the stainless flap, etching and staining it. Again after many more hours I managed to sand it all out and polish it all up under where the painted insert sits. You’ll never see this once its all back together, but I’ll know it’s as good if not better than new.

    [​IMG]

    The bezel that sits in the car was in a terrible state. It’s made of plated aluminium, with a stainless hinge riveted at the top with stainless rivets and a mild steel latch riveted at the bottom with copper rivets. This then sits in the steel body of the 330 held in place with 3 mild steel screws. A recipe for massive galvanic corrosion!
    Suffice to say it was in poor shape. After a week of 3-4 hours every evening with files, wire brushes and wet & dry, I got it back from the dead. The hinge interestingly was made from stainless plate with a stainless tube brazed along the edge making up the hinge part. This still had glass hard braze flux on it so after a damn good clean and polish I can say it is better than it left the factory now.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    With the painted mild steel insert on the top of the flap too far rusted to save, the only option I had was to make a new one. Again the original design is poor when it comes to corrosion resistance. The painted disc sits on top of the stainless flap in a recess. I would think that every time it got wet, capillary attraction would hold water under the disc and rot it from the inside out.
    To stop it rusting out ever again I chose to make it from stainless steel. After roughing out with a hacksaw and chain drilling the flat sided hole for the lock; I filed in into shape.

    [​IMG]

    The lock was the next big problem.
    Having got the lock out by driving the hinge pin to free the flap, I could then unscrew the securing ring on the back to take out the lock assembly. The lock casing is chrome plate Mazak and was again starting to crumble with age. After a few hours fiddling with the lock, a key from my house window double glazing locks (closest key blank match I could find) a set of Swiss files and marking blue, I filed a match and got the lock working.
    Now with a working lock & key I had to do something with the bezel that was falling apart with corrosion.

    [​IMG]

    Having took the lock apart it became obvious that the Mazak body of the lock that has the bezel cast into it was something that could not easily be remade. After searching over 2 years for 330 parts I’d not seen another for sale, so I came to the conclusion that all I could do was try and make a discreet repair. This again was problematic. The lock bezel is barely 1mm in diameter larger than the lock body. This 1mm is all that holds the lock into the flap (as the head of a bolt does, with the lock ring acting as the nut). This caused me more trouble as simply turning down to loose the damage so the bezel was perfectly round again would mean it was undersize and would fall through the flap. The only solution I could think off that would be pleasing to the eye (albeit TEMPORARY until I could find a good new lock) was to turn down a tiny counter –bored sleeve. Again this was fiddly as it would need to be a neat fit around the damage bezel but only 0.5mm in diameter larger over all in comparison to the bezel, with a hole in the centre that the lock fitted through, but with a 0.5mm step inside the counterbore. The base of the new sleeve would also need to be around 0.25mm to stop it holding the lock too high in the flap and not latching properly. After an hour or so grinding some tool steel to make a bore tool I turned down the sleeve from some spare stainless bar I have.

    [​IMG]

    After a very tricky and fiddly de burr just trying to hold the part the lock was then gently pressed into the new bezel sleeve.

    [​IMG]

    I just need to clean up dress in and polish the new sleeve and once the lock is fitted in the flap it will have a perfect circular bezel edge without chunks missing as before.

    [​IMG]

    As I said earlier, this will please the eye and only on close inspection will you see it has a 0.25mm band around its circumference, but again I have to make good what I have.

    [​IMG]

    Should a good lock turn up some time in the future, or someone have one spare (please pm me) I’ll swap it over.

    But for now, after a week working on it, I have a presentable fuel flap ready for the grand assembly one day.
     
  16. Vincent Vangool

    Vincent Vangool Formula 3

    Oct 6, 2007
    1,243
    Zanskar, Kargil district, Ladakh, India
    Full Name:
    Vincent Vangool
    Once again, thanks.

    Even though I'm getting use to your dedication, I'm still completely amazed.

    I feel this thread is a great documentation of how the car was originally built, down to the materials, and as time goes on will show many fixes that will help future restorers in repairing various items that are far gone.

    I want to start some sort of Kick starter campaign but fear that doing that would take away the epic battles and thus the documentation of how to turn very little into a lot. It's somewhat great to see what is too far gone to be pieced together on a budget. And that fuels many lessons on how one could bring a car such as this back from the dead with more love then money.

    I appreciate you explaining how you found that they built the car, materials, construction, etc., and explaining where, how, why you've strayed from that path.

    As far as the parts you make, I think they are excellent whether completely original or not. You seem to fabricate amazing stuff down to making your own tooling. Usually I believe in as much originality as possible but here I feel the parts you've made are part of the cars journey. You truly are building a Ferrari. Not just grabbing parts of the shelf.

    The combo of before an after pics is great. It's nice to see where it came from and where it ended up.

    You had to do these hours of work sometime, as long as the car is moving forward.

    Just great.
     
  17. Darren C

    Darren C Formula Junior

    Feb 3, 2011
    308
    Chichester, UK
    Today I finally finished making the Fuel filler flap inserts in Stainless Steel.

    I had a wait to get hold of some 0.6mm stainless sheet to make the small tabs that bend over to hold the insert into the flap. After a search I got a sample off ebay. Since the tabs are only 25mm x 10mm I managed to make quite a few for trial welding from the smallest of sample sheet.

    The original has the tab spot welded quite crudely and this distorts the top surface of the metal insert, meaning a lot of preparation and even filler is required on the originals to hide the spot weld crater before the insert gets painted body colour.

    I didn’t want distortion in the top surface so after a little thought a layer of copper on the top surface acted as a sacrificial conductor for the jaws of the spot welder.
    This allowed a neat twin spot weld to secure the tab to the disc.

    [​IMG]

    Once cleaned up with a bit of fine wet & dry the top plate I previously made had no distortion at all and with a careful measure it fitted perfectly.

    [​IMG]

    As I said in my previous post the item can now be painted body colour to match the car without any worry about future rusting out.

    While I made my insert I also made a few spare inserts. These are on offer to trade with any fellow members restoring their cars in exchange for small parts that I am still missing for my car. Please pm me if you have anything you’d like to offer in exchange for one of the fuel flap inserts. They are fully hand finished and ready for paint

    [​IMG]
     
  18. michael bayer

    michael bayer Formula 3

    Aug 4, 2004
    1,292
    Darren Have you found a chassis for it yet? This may be a totally crazy idea but Bring a Trailer has a Ferrari 400 chassis listed, you might see if that could be be cut it down to fit
     
  19. kerrari

    kerrari Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 22, 2004
    23,482
    Coolum Beach AUSTRALIA
    Full Name:
    Karen H.
    Bump... Just wondering how this resurrection is going? Anyone heard anything?
     
  20. Darren C

    Darren C Formula Junior

    Feb 3, 2011
    308
    Chichester, UK
    Hi everyone,

    I'm still here.

    I've had a run of bad health, following the big C I had a section of bowel removed and then to top it off I had a TIA stroke, so it's been a very, very trying time.

    As a consequence I've not done much on the 330 the good news is I still have it and I plan on getting back on to it shortly following a brief distraction from working on a 914 during my recovery.

    Kindest regards
    Darren
     
  21. ArtS

    ArtS F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Nov 11, 2003
    8,880
    Central NJ
    Darren,

    I'm terribly sorry to hear about your health. I hope your path to recovery continues.

    Best of luck,

    Art S.
     
  22. simon klein

    simon klein Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 25, 2009
    28,802
    North Qld
    Full Name:
    simon klein
    Great to hear from you.

    Re your big c,I've just this minute received notification that I had a positive test for blood.

    I will be going for a colonoscopy to see what's going on.
     
  23. Vincent Vangool

    Vincent Vangool Formula 3

    Oct 6, 2007
    1,243
    Zanskar, Kargil district, Ladakh, India
    Full Name:
    Vincent Vangool
    Darren

    Best wishes on your recovery. Sorry you are going through tough times but glad to hear you still have the passion to complete this project.

    I wish you the best and look forward to updates when you are ready for that.

    IMO, this is one of the great threads on Ferrarichat and I look forward to your eventual progress.

    Is the garage still up?

    Cheers.
     
  24. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
    17,673
    Tauranga, NZ
    Full Name:
    Pete
    +1
    Pete
     
  25. peterp

    peterp F1 Veteran

    Aug 31, 2002
    6,510
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Peter
    +2 -- welcome back Darren
     

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