'The Ratarossa': The Testarossa Spider Rebuild Project

Also had a hunt around and found the missing pedal trim piece.

Such a good feeling finding these bits and figuring out where they go.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Still a bunch of bits left plus boxes more. But i know where pretty much all of it belongs now.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Interior is almost ready to go back in the car. im just awaiting a couple of items to arrive in the post ....plus the bloody rain here to stop as I need both door open and plenty of space to get the dash in
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thought I would share this. 'Stradale Alarm Clock'

How I wake my mate up in the morning during our trip to Lemans 24hr

 

Finally found where I stored the exhaust to go on the Ratarossa...... where everyone stores car parts, in their old porsche
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

This is what I need when I eventually take the car out, you never know with the British weather !!!
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

These are the front under panels that are missing and I need to acquire.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Final dash items arrived today:
1. New nav cable (I had purchased the wrong type before)
2. Aerial convertor adapter.

Just tested and now have Radio and working Nav .

Next job is to reinstall everything.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Having a spring clean with my two little helpers
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Cheers Mark
Thats my 4th 355 over the years, I just think they are a very pretty classic Ferrari shape and pleasing to the eye. 456GTA is a new addition, for the money they are such a lot of car, very underrated and subtle for me with two young daughters, its my practical family Ferrari

 

Finally what feels like some spring weather here in the UK.

Need to ramp up work on the Ratarossa so she can get out and some miles under her belt

 

sitting pretty waiting patiently for me to do some more work after the Easter break
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Finally got a bit of time to play today and with the weather being half decent the Ratarossa emerged from the garage into the open air once more.

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

With a little more space and doors open I was able to start the dash refitting process.

However as per usual with Ferrari's nothing is every simple and straight forward.

My new dash must be a Euro LHD spec version. The US cars have the extra lower knee protection and further reinforcements behind the dash to support this.
What this means is that the US v Euro dash is slightly different, not much but enough that it will not simply bolt into the car and required some modification in order for the corners to fit and the lower part of the dash to clear the extra mounting for the knee protection lower dash fitments. So out came the tools and once I had compared my old dash with the new one measured up and worked out all the differences it was just a case of cutting away a few corners on the fibreglass shell.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

After checking it all lined up (about 20 times in and out for more cuts) I was finally able to get it to start to fit and bolt to in place.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Then gradually started to assemble the switch gear, dash pod and all the wiring into place testing as I went along.

Its a slow process but its now starting to take shape.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I also thought the same Romano when I bought the car and started researching all the parts that came in the boxes with it. I was comparing it against the Euro Spec 1990 TR I had back then and noticed this mileage counter difference.
With the history on my car I thought maybe it had been changed then figured all the main wiring loom would also have had to be have swapped to ???

I then did a bit of investigation, looked at a few 87 US spec Testarossa’s for sale at the time and they were the same as my car with mileage counter in the speedo on dash.

It is strange though how Ferrari changed the design, maybe some Euro/US law forced them to have to reposition it ?

Have a look at this one currently for sale ...

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1070230/1987-ferrari-testarossa-for-sale-in-fort-lauderdale-florida-90405


Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Sure is good. I really couldn’t have done this project or even thought about taking it on without FChat, over my years of ferrari ownership on many models it’s been amazingly helpful and kept my cars on the road ..... or in this case helped put a long lost ferrari back on the road where they always all belong.

 

What a surprise, British weather raining again.
Back in the garage with the car and starting on the lower dash now.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Anyone recognise this plastic part ?

Again it’s in my Testarossa bits pile of unknowns
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login