Carpets finished and today I pick up the car and began putting miles on it. I am very happy with the results. I guess I need a new or used ashtray cover. Anyone? FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Home in my drive way after 4 months and 17 days. FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
101.916 with its new coat of paint. FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Congratulations for the result, Frank. Beautiful! I like the color you choosed for the carpets too. Alain.
Great Stuff Frank! In these photos, this car looks similar to my exterior color (if it had any paint left), and the carpet is similar also, although my interior matches the carpet. I love my color combination, or at least what it was supposed to be. I can't let myself touch the patina though. Guess I need another, shiny example, like this one! RF.
Looking gorgeous Mr. M! What tires are you running, and how do they perform? Are you taking this car to the 100 yr. cleb?? Ciao and best!
Pirellis 185VR-16 CN 67 I will not be shipping the car to Italy for the 100 year celebration nor will it go to Monterey. I had the Mitchell L. Mitchell 3500 #708 in Monterey last year where it was entered in the preservation class at Pebble. It is difficult to justify shipping a car every year. The so named Gray Ghost (916) will remain in the desert over the summer in a climate controlled garage along with the Latina. When I get back to Mercer Island at the end of this month I plan to start on Black Beauty (101.2818) Has anyone had any luck finding good replacement shocks for the front and rear? Ciao, FGM
With the Latina finished and 101.916 undergoing final sorting I am now turning my attention to my 4th 3500 number AM101.2818. This is a Fuel injected car that has had the injection exchanged for 3 original 42DCOE-8 webers. The car runs very smooth and the brakes have been rebuilt so it stops as it should. The 5 speed ZF shifts well both up and down but as you can see it needs some care and attention. 2818 was according to the factory serial number is one of the last 3500's built, however the build sheet says it was Mfg in August 1963, but the Avviso Spedizione says it was delivered to Cornacchia Automobili at Via Fontana N.2 in Milano. So it looks like Black Beauty sat around the factory for 6 months after it had been built. Why? It does say that it was delivered new with Nero (Black Paint) with iterno pellet in Netura (Off White) While the chassis number is NOT stamped on the engine in the normal place above the starter the engine does carry the number 2095 which matches the Factory build sheet. First up is to put the car into the sheet metal shop and have the small dents around the nose area attended to and a new grill surround and front bumper fitted. Next I pulled the radiator which had been working well, the car ran cool but the radiator is showing some signs of seeping and the lower tank had some serious dents that needed to be addressed. I am also a strong believer in a top notch cooling system so it gets done first. In this case I sent it to Chuck at Santa Monica Radiator he has done these for me in the past and is one of the best in the business. More importantly he has new cores in the original size which is difficult to find. He removed the lower tank and shipped it back to Seattle for me to have my guy straighten out. Below are some photos of the repaired tank along with some before photos. I would really like to keep the original carpets but the driver side piece is missing. If you have or know of a used piece of 3500 driver side carpet in wheat color I would be most appreciative in knowing about it. Ciao, FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
More photos showing Black Beauty. A true California black plate barn find stored and not run since 1986. Note the little dents around the nose in the last photo. Soon to be like new. FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hello Frank... Looks like a sound car, but you will have your hands full... Do you happen to know what the PAC number for the leather interior (off-white) is? Thanks... Mike
Ciao Frank, What would be the sound difference (tone/loudness) with and without the quicksilver rear muffler?? Does the original quicksilver system sounds too muffled?? Grazie Carlo
The rear muffler tones it down quite a bit, so by leaving it off you get a - IMHO - a much throatier sound. That straight six comes alive. Each car will sound different depending on the way the muffler ages and the tune up of the engine. FGM
101.916 continues to be refined or "tuned" as I call it. The following is kinda fun. It shows the punch list given to the technician 1959 Maserati 3500GT AM101.916 Punch List of remaining Items as of Oct 9th 2014 Install new hood struts Sort and repair windshield washers to be operational ? Install fresh air tubes under dash and under hood (tubes in trunk) See parts book table 19 Finish Horn operation at Steering wheel. Install the Re-chromed the spark plug wire tube Install chrome plastic trim around engine compartment Secondary repairs Provided to Technician on April 25, 2014 All of the below items have been completed as of Aug 2014 > Diagnose loud clicking noise coming from front of engine, confirmed Oil pump pulley issue, machined shaft and reinstalled pulley. > Trouble shoot electrical and fix all lights including fog lights. See Fog Lights and parking lights Operation below > Install the two new red coils (in trunk) and clean up the wiring to the coils > Install air horns on Webbers (horns and fasteners in trunk) >Adjust idle after car is run and warmed up >Adjust ignition switch so key is in the vertical position when OFF >Repair wire to license plate lights >Clean up Electrical where you can & remove non-original wiring Remove aftermarket horn button from under dash see tag. Repair all lights, wipers, horn fog lights turn sig, parking lights etc Clean up wiring in trunk so as not to be visible >Repair vacuum hose problem at vacuum tank (sample hose in trunk) >Check right rear brake cylinder for leaking 2 New brake cyc in trunk >Replace Differential seal and gasket (if needed) Does it leak? >Grab bar is loose tighten grab bar fasteners >replace all 4 shocks >Install new o-ring on dip stick (the existing one is hard and not working) >Install access panel in left front wheel well >Replace Upper and lower suspension bushings (parts in Trunk) >Replace Ball joint cups (parts in trunk) >When disassembling the suspension please rattle can the parts semi flat black. >Fender wells, Clean and rattle can semi flat black the fender wellsand other suspension parts that are being disassembled.
Looking very nice Sir! I'm interested in the,..."loud clicking noise coming from front of engine, confirmed Oil pump pulley issue, machined shaft and re installed pulley."........ Is this the secondary pump for the external oil cooling system, often referred to as the "scavenger pump"? What was the problem/issue and how did machining the shaft correct it? Many thanks!!!!
Sorry but I cannot be of much help here, as the car is in Palm Desert and I'm in Seattle. I would need to have a long conversation with the tech which would involve drawings and diagrams. As I recall there was an issue which required the tech to use his excellent machining skills to correct. As many of you may know these pumps are under engineered and in a very unfriendly location where they are subject to abuse. Given my experience with this tech, I am sure the problem is now resolved. FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I had been planning to convert AM101.916 to wire wheels at some point so over the years I have been acquiring the necessary parts. This included the spline hubs, the very rare rear 8 bolt drums as fitted to the drum brake cars and the necessary brackets/spacers for the new offset that would be needed for the front calipers. I believe I now have everything. Famous last words. In June I sent 4 rusty 16" 3872 Borranis (Trev, you may recall the wheels) over to Borrani in Italy for rebuild. I also ordered 4 new K/O spinners. Six weeks later they arrived back in Seattle and this is what they look like. They are simply magnificent! Having been to Borrani a dozen times or more, I can tell you they are a genuine work of art done by craftsmen who do it all day long. They use special machinery designed 75 years ago and still working today. They even restamped the RW 3872 lettering on the side and date stamped the wheels with 7-14 on the back side. I was blown away with the quality of the work and the packaging. I now have them mounted on 4 new correct Pirellis. They will be installed next month. I can hardly wait. Ciao, FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I will be making the conversion from hub caps to the new 16" Borranis in the next week or two. In the mean time I dug out the 8 bolt rear brake drums that will be needed to make the conversion and had them glass beaded and powder coated. Below are the before and after photos. Ciao, FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nice looking Borrani wires Mr. M! I do recall the "before" look, but I like the "after" much better! Just FYI, some people don't like to powder coat their drums because the powder coat can act as a heat sink and can hold the heat in the drums, but you probably won't have any issues. Well done!
Yesterday I delivered the original matching engine block and pan to Ed Pink Racing Engines in Los Angeles. They are one of the top, engine builders here in the USA. 25 years ago this block spun a main bearing and was deemed unusable. So now I will see what can be done. Like the general manager said "anything is possible." They specialize in doing what others cannot or will not do, so here we go. They will first zyglow the block and check for cracks. Then all the oil galleys will be opened up and cleaned out including the ones on the side of the block that have aluminum plugs. The line bore will be addressed which could open up a very expensive "can of worms" such as how the crank gears mesh with the planetary gear, the oil pump and distributor gears. At that point providing we clear all the above hurdles new liners will be installed and new pistons fitted thats after the head studs have been pulled and new ones installed. Of course all moving parts will be computer balanced down to a "nats ass" I clearly suffer for my 3500's Wish me luck. More later. Ciao, FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yesterday the car went into the shop to be fitted for his new wire wheels mounted on new Pirelli 185 VR 16 Cinturato tires. Up on the lift Pull the front calipers, disc and hubs. Pull the rear 4 bolt drums and expose the rear hubs. This is when things slowed down. They decided it was better to pull the complete rear hubs along with the axils. They can then be heated and pressed off, which took a lot of heat and hundreds of pounds of pressure. Next it was figuring out how to make the front 4 bolt disc fit an 8 bolt new wire wheel splined hub. Be sure to tune in later for the answer. Ciao, FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
We are making great progress in the face of curve balls coming from all directions. For example the axial keys used for the 4 bolt hubs would not fit the new 8 bolt hubs. The key on the right was 4 thousands to wide for the hub and the left hand side key was 6 thousands to wide for its 8 bolt hub. The solution was to machine down the keys so they fit the new hub and the axial. The hits just keep coming and the guys keep knocking them down. Another example you can see in the photos are the bushings we had to make to accommodate the 4 bolt disc brake onto the smaller 8 bolt spline hub. In the below photos you can see the top stud has no bushing but the one on the right nearest the caliper has the bushing installed. This turned out to be a very simple but timely solution which again required machine shop expertise. The complete job should be finished tomorrow. Ciao, FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
After 4 days the wire wheels are now installed and have been road tested with great results. To make this conversion one must be prepared to preform a lot of machining as there are many obstacles to over come. Not easy, but well worth it. Next up is some work on the trunk latch, radio block off plate, and a couple other small items. Ciao FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yes, I understand. This is not my first set of new wire wheels. The key is to not drive them in the rain and don't use the brakes. Ciao, FGM
