lead seals with string | FerrariChat

lead seals with string

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by Edward 96GTS, Jun 18, 2020.

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  1. Edward 96GTS

    Edward 96GTS F1 Veteran
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  2. 335s

    335s Formula Junior

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    FWIW-in 50 years, I have never seen these on a Ferrari...
     
  3. TTR

    TTR F1 Veteran
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    Maybe something to do with accessories, like luggage, toolkit, etc or their shipping ?
     
  4. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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  5. readplays

    readplays Formula 3

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    I presume that's Ferrari The Sports & Gran Turismo Cars by Warren W Fitzgerald, Richard F. Merritt & Jonathan Thompson.

    The standards around here are really slipping. :mad::p:D;):cool:
     
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  6. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    Uh-oh, it's the Fchat Church Lady:eek: Photo was from Ferrari The Sports & Gran Turismo Cars by Warren W Fitzgerald, Richard F. Merritt First Edition;)
     
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  7. readplays

    readplays Formula 3

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    1976. :D
     
  8. lancia

    lancia Formula Junior
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    A similar small round lead seal was wired to one of the bolts of the ZF steering boxes. Kilimanjaro Designs used to offer a reproduction of this seal; I do not recall what the image was on the seal.
     
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  9. TTR

    TTR F1 Veteran
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    :eek:
    I thought this is not only a Chat room(?), but one dedicated to Ferrari.
    So what, if any, "standards" can one actually expect "around here" ? :confused:
     
  10. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    Were these used as a final inspection seal by the factory?
     
  11. lancia

    lancia Formula Junior
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    From one of Parker's catalogs, it looks like the letters 'ZF' are stamped on one example he showed. On another example, the figure pattern is unclear. I suspect the steering box cover had this seal on it from ZF. If Ferrari re-opened the box, I suppose they could have put a new seal on. Have not recorded the seal application at a show. I'll pay more attention next time.
     
  12. John Vardanian

    John Vardanian F1 Rookie

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    The ZF box seal says simply "ZF", or at least that is how they came from Parker. The seals are typically placed on "pre-set" parts from outside vendors; like the ZF box, like the Marelli voltage regulator, etc. The intent was to keep the customer; i.e., Ferrari, from screwing with the part. It was kind of like a warranty condition.

    john
     
  13. TTR

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    Makes sense.
    OTOH, finding a seal on a restored steering box and similar mechanical component could be triple-edge sword.
    It could be interpreted as moot since during complete & thorough restoration, the box obviously has been screwed with (i.e. disassembled & rebuilt) and therefor manufacturers warranty no longer applies OR ...
    ... the box is NOS replacement (i.e. not the one that the car left the factory with) OR ...
    ... the box has never been thoroughly disassembled & reconditioned/serviced during any restorations or usage since it left the factory.
     
  14. lancia

    lancia Formula Junior
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    John, You are correct - the red box Marelli voltage regulators had a small lead disc seal wired to the cover screws. Ha, the warranties are decades gone!
     
  15. TTR

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    This just reminded me of an occasion many moons ago, when working on one of the first (maybe the 2nd ?) 365 GTB/4 I’ve had pleasure to service or restore and it required a major steering box overhaul/service.

    In preparation to said service, which required removal and complete disassembly, I noticed the drawings in owners/service/parts manuals depicted a box that looked different than what I saw in the car, which initially made me wonder if it had been changed/converted/updated to some other type one time or another, kind of like the first 365 GTB/4 I worked on, which had been converted to power steering (allegedly from C4) and therefor couldn't be used as direct reference either.

    At the time, I was also just learning to use computers, so I managed to contact (via email) someone with much more experience on these cars than I did to request advise or guidance, only to get a reply few days later saying that unfortunately he couldn't offer any due to never having taken a 365 GTB/4 box out or apart nor had ever noticed any discrepancies between boxes in the cars and the drawings in manuals.
    Well, by the time I received aforementioned reply, I had already removed, disassembled, rebuilt/serviced, photo documented, installed and test driven it...
    ... and have rebuilt/serviced few others since.

    Above example also (yet again) confirmed my long time belief, based countless personal observations in past 40 years, that factory manuals are not necessarily good source for reference.
     
  16. 335s

    335s Formula Junior

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    based on pics, seems to be a street car/electrical parts(Marelli)tag?
     
  17. johnaz

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    I have one on my 1972 365 GTC4. Original car with less than 4000 miles. String with lead seal is around the steering column. Believe they were on the cars that were exported to the US to show import or export fees were paid.
    Gentleman who writes the Ferrari Market letter told me they had boxes of them at FAF dealership when they cut them off cars prior to delivery.
    Rare to have one still on a car I believe as most have never seen one or know of them.
    John Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  18. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    Note that on racing cars in period they were scrutineering seals, i.e. proof that a car had been safety checked by race scrutineers (what is called mandatory tech inspection at race weekends in the US). When I did an extensive Cavallino article on 166P 0834 in the late 90's there were several on it: that car was an amazing tine warp, Leandro Terra had just pushed it into a cave in his park near Pescara and let it sit for almost 30 years.
     
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  19. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
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    Marc, the seals in question here (!) are clearly stamped with the prancing horse. Scrutineering seals never had the horse (or the Trident, or the Porsche Horse, nor the Mercedes Star) stamped. So these seals here have something do do with GT-cars from Ferrari directly...! No race cars!
     
  20. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    Dear Walter: you misunderstood. My English sentence "Note that on racing cars..."implied a change of subject since we all know the cars [the particular Ferrari models mentioned] mentioned in the posts above were not raced. So I was referring not to these cars but the seals in general as found on some racing Ferraris and other racing cars such as on 166P 0834 which was very original when I did the article on it over 20 years ago. Of course they have been removed in the course of many restorations.
     
  21. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
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    Marc,
    then you went out of topic as the seals in question (and those were the subject of this thread) had nothing to do with scrutineering of race cars. No need of mentioning 166P 0834 in particular.
     
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  22. johnaz

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  23. swift53

    swift53 F1 Veteran
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    Italian Govt. loved the "Piombatura" (lead seals) to prevent cheating, in Italy? Impossibile...

    Remember that it had a Monopoly on Cigarettes, Lighters, Matches and Salt. Thus the 'stamp on car lighters' and other.
    The stores are still called "Sali e Tabacchi", although now, they sell assorted stuff, lucky charms, even Ferrari key chains, et al..

    I think it went back to the times of Ancient Rome, when Salt was the soldier's currency. Salary, get it :) ?
    Venice, was built on the HUGE value of salt.

    Regards, Alberto
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  24. gcalex

    gcalex Formula Junior
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    For the future reference of others, here is a pic of the regulator seal...
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