Hi Guys Ive just taken delivery of this Testarossa project. The history of the car is very vague but at some point a spider conversion has been started and quite a large chunk of the body work has been done and chassis strengthened. Got my work cut out with this but it sure looks fun ... I'm planning on documenting the rebuild process on here & hoping at the same time you experts can help me with all the questions that are bound to arise. Its a non runner car but mostly complete, I'm waiting on two large boxes of parts to clear customs and at the moment it looks like they have lost the cars keys which is not good at all Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
as you can see I'm fortunate enough to have another Testarossa that is going to prove vital to help with where parts and wiring need to locate on the car.
Good for you. The second I saw the first pic I recognized the car from earlier posts here. Please give us the back story.
cheers thanks for the kind words. I know that its a sin in Ferrari world to modify Enzo's creations and hack the roof off but I actually love the look of the Testarossa Spider that Ferrari never officially made. Would love to see any previous threads about the car, I searched many times and couldn't find anything on it prior to buying ? Back story is, I had just purchased the 1990 TR (in my garage pic) and was doing some research when the spider 'project' appeared on my google search, anyway the ad was around 4 years old but i emailed the owner anyway and to my surprise it was still available (that should have been my first clue to run ha ha) anyway the more and more I thought about it, the more i fell in love and wanted to get the car back on the road and complete the project. Long story short I did a deal and got the car shipped over from the states to the UK. As mentioned I'm waiting for the 2 boxes of bits to arrive, but don't know the complete contents. I then need to piece together the puzzle and work out exactly the extent of the missing parts and where to source them worldwide. Ive already managed to collect a few known parts that are required. Hopefully they are also able to track down and locate the keys And thats where I'm at now ..... The project begins
Looks like great fun! I look forward very much to following your progress, hopefully starting with the reappearance of your keys! Cheers. Mark.
some engine pictures .... engine lid has been modified to hinge at the rear. Engine looks mostly complete, fuel pipe need to be modified and rehoused. No roof at the moment. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Cheers Steve, I know for a fact I will be calling upon your expert knowledge whist trying to resurrect this Testarossa
Only meant as encouragement -- look forward to seeing your progress, and seeing how it was done. That suicide rear bonnet is very Boxer-esque...
Wow, I think the missing keys are the LEAST of your worries!!! That's a Straman conversion, or no? WILLIAM H has a nice example of that.... But, I think they just started out with a Sawzall, and took it from there! Great thread....
take out one of the door locks and bring it to a keymaker. he can make one for you . if not, send a doorlock to me and I will make you
Wow! Gotta say, that engine appears to be in much better condition than I thought it was going to, based on the condition of the body! So what is the backstory on this? Guy started the spyder conversion and died / ran out of money / got divorced / all the above?
Fantastic project! It won't be easy but very rewarding to see it back on the road. It's crazy how much Outrun has marked our minds when you see a TR spider from behind... I personally think they've been completely under the radar so far, even mostly today, but they will be recognized and (very) valued for sure soon, especially the Stramann conversion. Good luck, and keep us posted! This will be a fun thread.
A spyder TR is just as pretty as a coupe. I remember seeing a picture of your TR in a backyard half covered by a shed. It looked like some place in Arizona. If you Google 'Testarossa Convertible Project' your car will come up in the first couple of result lines. If you got it for a good price, Im jealous. Sweat equity goes a long way.
Wow that is going to be amazing! Outrun was a big influence on me buying a Testarossa - and a spyder is as close as it gets. Can you imagine the sound with no roof! The ultimate winter project lol. Dom.
Good idea re keys Turbo Joe, I may take you up on that offer if they cannot locate them. Cost wise to ship from CA over to UK was about £800 then I've paid duty and tax etc.
They were, but some idiot has completed paperwork incorrectly so they appear separate on the manifest. Now I have to try and clear parts separate
Looks like I have managed to resolve the first problem and finally get clearance for my boxes of parts through customs. I don't know exactly what parts are in the boxes and which parts I will need to source, so quite excited
Started to clean some of the engine last night. From what I can work out I think this car has been off the road for about 20 years, so lots of dirt and dust caked up over time. Also picked up a rather cool T-shirt, I used to love this game. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
before you try to turn the engine with the starter take the engine out and replace the belts. nice T-shirt