I meant to reply earlier, Steve. I was fortunate to spend a good bit of time around this car in particular. Got to know a fair amount about old #7.
Does anybody have noticed this damage at the 1962 Nürburgring race ? That could explain why the nose was slightly different at Le Mans one month after... Image Unavailable, Please Login
What did I see at Silverstone in 1997? Was it 3673 or just the body on a GTE chassis? Is ths s/n of the GTE known? Thanks. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
This is the original body of 3673 on top of a GTE chassis (SN?) at Coys Historic Festival 1997. 3673 was rebodied with a new UK build GTO body in the 80-ies.
Does anyone have a picture of the engine compartment of 3673SA (not 3765LM) with either the SWB body or the DK Engineering GTO rebody?
FYI ...if we are referring to the same Jay Koka painting ( straight head on of 330 LMB showing all of front end and hood detail )... that is one of the four 330LMB... LM4619SA
Re: 3673SA. Please would you be kind enough to let us know when this picture was taken, also if possible where, plus any other details at all ? Many thanks in advance.
Was #3673 SA built on a 400SA (Type 538) chassis with a 400SA engine (Type 538) and a 250 SWB Berlinetta body from the outset?
Terry, I have a copy of the Pourret/ Bluemel GTO book and it goes into some detail laying out the case that #3673SA may or may not have been a GTO. The GTO prototipo #2643GT was essentially a 400SA chassis with a 250 SEFAC/61 engine and for the first 330GTO there is little reason the engineers didn't repeat the experiment with the Tipo 163 engine. Theory one is that the so called first 4 litre GTO raced at the Nurburgring in '62 and then was written off during high speed testing on an autostrada and so #3765LM was wheeled out for Le Mans. Theory two is that #3765LM was the first 4 litre GTO, was raced at both Nurburgring and Le Mans and for whatever reason the works changed a lot of minor details such as lights and venting (?), although why would Ferrari have done that. Theory one follows that after the testing crash the car was either rebuilt as, or more likely replaced by, a 400SA while theory two follows that #3673SA was only ever a 400SA and built as such from new, either way the car existed with its original Scaglietti SWB style coachwork until Paul Vestey rediscovered its "past" and had it rebodied as a GTO. Various Ferrari experts have found proof for one or other theory (most significantly was #3673SA built in time for the Nurburgring, if not then theory one is dead in the water) so this is one of the handful of Ferraris that people can argue about "til the cows come home"
All questions regarding what 3673SA is are answered in this thread. Read posts by fchat users retired, DWR46, Piloti and Aardy.
With all due respect, a re-reading if this thread still creates more questions than answers. The early history of 3673 does not seem to be known. Was it based on a 330 GTO that was wrecked after the Nurburgring race or was it created later that year from scratch as a new car with 400SA underpinnings and SWB bodywork?
It is clear in this thread that the Nurburgring car was 3765, not 3673, which was never with a factory GTO body. Regarding the story that Willy Mairesse crashed 3673 as a 330 GTO while testing, which was then rebuilt with a SWB body, then very relevant is that Ing. Forghieri has stated that the car Willy Mairesse crashed, hitting a guard rail after being hit by a gust of wind coming out of a tunnel on the Bologna Firenze Autostrada, was a 250 GTO, and as a result of this accident the chassis of the 250 GTO was redesigned with a Watts Linkage and springs made with 1mm wide material.