That Modena plate MO79978 is fantastic. It's a plate (or at least, the original one) done in August 1962. I took a ton of picture of that plate: owning a GTO with the original Modena plate is my dream. ciao
I came across these 1984 factory images that I had never seen before. Interesting comment on the cars under the "umbrella": "Waiting for parts.....there was a shortage of certain parts for the GTOs and many cars had to be stored under canopies until they arrived and we're fitted before delivery" Copyright unknown, source www.facebook.com/Dominique13270/posts/995728307264006 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
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Restauration of a real GTO, but what about the indent for a license plate between the rear lights? source: a public fb post by "Al Albuquerque" (since his post is public I feel free to share here) www.facebook.com/groups/42802299619/permalink/10156708862349620/ Image Unavailable, Please Login
Repost. Some of the pix show 56651 (EE 074 AK). Photos copyright Ed Regner Photo Album and Collection. Marcel Massini
IMHO not a 288 GTO, this is the "construction" of Pat Lobb in TX, it has no serial number. Marcel Massini
Not a 288! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I know of Pat Lobb car, from Texas: nice, very nice. I have put two pages with some pictures of his 288GTO prototype-preproduction engine and gearbox (those are 100% genuine Ferrari factory precious parts) on my book about Ferrari Turbo eight cylinders, so I already saw (some of) those very nice pictures. Yes, that car hasn't the chassis number and this will be always a very (VERY) big problem for that "assembly", that cannot be solved by anyone. But it looks made by original parts, made by Ferrari or by its official suppliers. So the car in the worst case will be an assembly of original parts. In my opinion (and this is just an opinion, I never saw it nor I can prove that nor anybody could do) that car could have been a chassis to be scrapped (and so with the VIN plate removed) but that wasn't scrapped. Once Ferrari scrapped many things, for example crashed test cars, mules, test engines and so on. Sometimes it happened (many years ago) that who had to take them to the scrapyard "forgot" to do that and the item was "temporarily parked" at his home… Now Ferrari has a much more severe control of waste items, so this doesn't happen anymore (I think...) This said, Mr Lobb asked my help to complete that car with original Ferrari parts: I'm always available to help anybody that is a Ferrari enthusiast, but I warned Mr. Lobb that his car won't ever have the value of a 288 GTO, nor will be close to. Talking as a technician and a Ferrari historian: that's only an assembly of 288 GTO parts, even if with some parts very precious like the #003 prototype engine and the #001 gearbox prototype. Talking as an enthusiast : in my opinion (O-P-I-N-I-O-N) the chassis of that car comes from a scrapped (but saved instead of scrapping) crashed 288 GTO prototype/early test car, as there are too many things that LOOK to have been produced here in Modena many years ago. Unfortunately, this being true or not, it will remain a without Ferrari VIN car, VIN that (maybe) was moved on another car by Ferrari itself. Or maybe not, who knows. But I like this project, whatever it is. ciao Page and pictures ©: Alberto Mantovani (under Pat Lobb license) Image Unavailable, Please Login
I am guessing that the body has been taken from a replica that was originally assembled by Bob Norwood, he purchased the panels back in the day direct from Ferrari, they came off a prototype 288 hence the indent for the licence plate. The replica inc that style body was for sale on here a couple of years ago. I think the chassis of that car was a mix of 328 and 348, I doubt its using that chassis now though. Only the body appeared original 288. My assumption is that Pat Lobb was the buyer in order to put the panels together with the original 288 mechanicals he also probably owned and construct this toolroom type copy.
Maybe you are right, I think all you wrote is possible. Even if you aren't right, that car will forever be a private assembly and no more, won't ever be a Ferrari produced car, we all know this. I agree about the body panels. I already wrote all I knew, so I will seat here and read and learn what others will write: what came (and will come) from Italy are just original spare parts for a 288 GTO (or come from 288 GTO prototypes). I have no idea if the chassis is an home made in the basement. Ciao
Just curious, have you seen Ferrari SpA documentation supporting the engine & gearbox's claimed prototype status?
Lobb contacted me almost two years ago. Some photos. It may be an assemblage of some parts but certainly this is NOT an original and complete factory built 288 GTO and it has zero chassis number and also no body number. At the time I strongly recommended that he brings his stuff to Ferrari Classiche in Maranello where they will tell him what he has and what not. I understand he did not want to do that. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
This is the replica I mentioned that was for sale a few years ago with what appeared to be original very early 288 panels fitted. They look to be one and the same. Seems Pat is building a very nice homage car with as many correct parts as possible. The 250 GTO world has been doing this for years! and even presenting/racing them at prestigious events as totally originals. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here in Italy you can be prosecuted if you post without permission anything about your customers: it's called "EU Privacy rulement" and means you cannot post nor talk about what anybody asked or shipped you as you are a professional consultant or a firm and so on. I have no idea how it works in Swiss. So I won't write here what Mr. Lobb wants to do with Ferrari Classiche even if he wrote me that three times already and sent me a lot of pictures: privacy is privacy. With the word "prototype" I mean something that differs from the standard production: maybe you call them "pre-production" or "early production" or "test production" instead of "prototypes": I won't be offended at all if you want to call them in a different way. ciao
Mr Mantovani To keep the facts straight: Please be informed that this man is neither a client nor a customer of mine nor did he ship anything to me. Marcel Massini
Mr Massini, EU Privacy rules applies from the moment you receive something from another person, customer, friend, wife, son or whoever he is. It's not necessary he pays you nor anything else. EU Privacy laws protect personal data and info, nor only customers: I think it would be useful reading and knowing it, just to avoid any problem. Have a nice day. ciao