Thank you very much Marcel for your very knowledgeable and precise reply regarding the placement of the two GTO show cars at Geneva back in 1984! Image Unavailable, Please Login Marcel just out of curiosity, do you recognize the gentleman admiring the GTO motor there? Was he a dealer or customer in those days? Is it perhaps Peter Mann??? Don't know who took the picture...
50255 at the Galleria Ferrari in Maranello in March 1990. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login
Apologies if this has been addressed, but what is the engine cover hump for? Was this on a certain number of production cars or just on prototypes? I noticed it in the yellow car when it was on display at Pebble Beach in 2017. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
This has been covered. But I don't mind. Those where used on some of the Prototypes. Used on the early carbureted engine as it needed more engine bay room. Used for testing sensors and such. But some may say otherwise. What I have never seen is that engine cover from the back side. Curious to know what it looks like.
Simply put, it would also go back the the important Geneva Salon Prototype GTO 50253 as created, under the auspices of it's maker Ferrari SpA. If I wanted a GTO Evoluzione, I'd aim for a purpose-built one that was created a GTO Evoluzione and has so remained ever since. But that's just me.
The only purpose of the dome was to make room for testing sensors. No 288 prototype was ever fitted with the carbed engine. The carbed engine was fitted only on the first mule of an aborted project, then erased and replaced by another project that is the car we know (and the prototypes like 47649) Mule 1 with carbed engine here below: project aborted. I suppose this car below is also the one Massini was showed when he visited Maranello (I Think in 1982) and he saw a carbed engine in the car Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Mr Mantovani Interesting to see my own photos posted and re-posted agin and again, naturally without respecting copyrights and without mentioning my name. The one marked on the lower left with "Daidegas.it" is MY Photograph which I did on the 18th July 1983 near Fiorano. I did a whole series that day. All color transparencies (slides). That Italian website is one of many which simply STOLE my photographs from ferrarichat. Marcel Massini
Disagree. The 288 GTO with the carburetted engine (type F114A) is one of the six real 288 prototypes and it is chassis#44725 and the one on my color photo. I was chasing this car 18 July 1983 from the factory in Maranello towards the Fiorano track entrance/gate. Marcel Massini
Marcel, I found those two pictures on internet: I have no idea of who took them. And no commercial use of them, of course. Are they yours? Congrats, all the world knows you are a great expert: that's one of the reason why you are an Honorary member here. You are one that know the story as you was there: I was not, and this is something that's is 100% clear. I just write here what Nicola Materazzi, 288 GTO project leader, told me in person: "no carbed engine ever fitted on the car i did " and " the dome on the engine lid was just for test sensors housing". He did both engines F114A and F114B, the carbed and the injected and was the project leader of the injected car. I think he is one that knows the car story very well. I have no idea of who of the two is wrong: I just know what you say and what he says. This said, I Always read what you write and I have to say that I learn every time a lot of things: who say no, you are a great expert. But maybe that sometimes anyone can add something: not me, as I wasn't there at the times of the events, but someone I spoke with and so I repeat here what he (or them) told me. So, my question is: why are you so angry when I write here something I learned from others that did (even a small part of) Ferrari history? Marcel you are a piece of history: you have to think that everyone here consider you like that, me included of course. Even if you sometimes write here in a way that I don't like: not what you write, buy the way you do it. ciao
I am not sure who took the photos. Feel free to quote reply what I post that's yours. Like you said "daidegas.it" put their name on what's yours. I would more than give you credit if I knew. Tks in advance! Here's another website with possibly some of your photos http://en.wheelsage.org/ferrari/gto/1984-85/prototipo/pictures/
One interesting characteristic I notice with the dome above the engine is it's shape. While rectangular in shape it is also 'raked'. The back of the box towards the rear of the car is noticeably taller than at the front. Plus the back edge of the dome is also tilted outward at the base. Was this dome ever considered as an aerodynamic device? The dome is shaped like a mini spoiler on the rear deck were there is a lot of venting of air from the engine compartment. The picture below is still the best example I have found to illustrate the shape of the dome. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here's 50255 dome-less. Taken by me September 1986 in Maranello. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login
Marcel thank you very much for sharing your picture of 50255 with the dome panel removed. Amazing picture in that condition and it also gives some indication of the construction characteristics for the attachment of the dome!
I don't think anyone is angry. Fascinating image of this GTO at the carwash, it sits lower than production cars.
So Auto Motor und Sport got the 288 GTO to test and then came problems. To make the car nice for photographs they took it to the car wash. Then after washing, the 288 GTO would not start. Eventually after some time the GTO worked again and the test continued. Top speed I think was 303KPH during their tests. I wonder how it worked out for 50255 there at the car wash with the dome cover wide open?! Image Unavailable, Please Login
It would seem the dome on the rear deck of these early 288 GTO models was created with some thought and built in series as these bodies were assembled. Marcel's photograph shows the flange for attaching and securing the dome was built with a horizontal rib around the perimeter. This work must have been done when the bodies were built including the unique rear deck treatment. This rear deck design feature was also retained on the two show cars as well. The 288 GTO 'dome' design reminds of an earlier Pininfarina dome configuration that they created for a 1977 308 GTB show car s/n. 23611. That dome was a much more elaborate design than what was created for the early 288 GTO models. The 308 GTB dome design can be seen in these Pininfarina studio photographs. I wonder if this earlier design solution was recalled when the dome was designed for the 288 GTO version? The large number of vents built into the rear deck certainly influenced the possible size of the dome for the 288 GTO version of this feature. The dome was a distinct feature for that 308 GTB as they highlighted it with silver instead of leaving it painted all in red. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
It's funny that in the final production design, the area where the hump resided was actually made with a small recess instead. I wonder if it was a backlash response from the designers against the hump? It was certainly an unattractive and disruptive design element. I know in new model development, designers and engineers are always at odds with each other. The engineers will say we need this here and the designers will so no that's ugly. There really isn't any reason to have it slightly recessed there other than an extra design detail to break up the large flat lid. Interesting......
It may sound silly but they could've gotten water in the distributors? I've done many times I would let it sit for a bit and once dry it would crank right up.
I've noticed that as well. recessed in instead of out with the hump. Like so. Image Unavailable, Please Login
that's the famous engine failure Materazzi told me and that he predicted to Enzo Ferrari as soon as Fioravanti changed the design of the air filters intakes that Materazzi did. I think he told many times that very amusing story that always makes him very upset when he tells it. Then they fixed the air intake error and no more failure. ciao
I don't think I've shared these pics I took at Lingenfelter's collection. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login