16" Dino Wheels Cromodora Design from Superformance

I have to say it would be 14" for me every day of the week.

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/ferrari/dino.html#page=1

 

Pirelli have a selection of 16" tyres. This is the famous P7 that came out in 11974

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/cinturato-p7/245-45yr16-pirelli-cinturato-p7-n4.html

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/cinturato-p7/225-50yr16-pirelli-cinturato-p7-n4.html

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/cinturato-p7/205-55yr16-pirelli-cinturato-p7-n4.html

If you want to go low profile, these tyres will have a less derogatory effect on the handling than more modern tyres in that size.

 

Presumably these are now available through Kevin O'Rourke (Mototechnique / Telaio).

 

The ones he made were 17”. I think there would be a good market for a 16” version.


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Freeman, you have seen that car - what do you make of the headlamp covers? Mine has covers, and the idea of covers that don't let in soapy water every time I wash the car is very appealing.

 

The idea is good but the shape/curvature is wrong. These are really flat. The shape should be like Brandoli’s. You’ll always get condensation no matter how well you seal it. I would work out a quick and easy to remove system to clean and reinstall.

 

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These images show the Brandoli covers.

 

John, is Kevin related to Robert O’Rourke of Coachtrimmers?

 

Robert, a.k.a. Rorky, is Kevin's son.

 

Thanks, John. I visited Coachtrimmers a couple of years ago. It’s a very nice crew and the work is impeccable.

 

I am not so sure that the curvature of the headlamp covers is straightforward, and I guess this comes from the fact that they were not factory-supplied in the first instance.

The covers on mine (which may or may not be "original" - they are listed on Maranello's original invoice, so they could well be the set with which the car came, back in 1973) are "flatter" than those in your photos. I have also looked at photos in contemporary UK road tests and they appear to be "flat", too. They certainly look more like the shape of the covers on my car / the Mototechnique version, than the ones in your photo of the red car above.

By "flat", I mean that if you take a line from bottom front to top rear of the covers in a profile photo of the car, it is almost a straight line.

My car:

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Yes, when you look at Maranello Concessionaire’s covers, you can see they were made from flat plexiglass sheet. I believe the original covers were “design intent” when you look at the early blueprint and see how it continues the curvature of the fender. In 1968, the US regulations changed to not allow covers. Most manufacturers eliminated covers. I believe Scaglietti developed and offered the covers originally and then Brandoli took them over. Hopefully Matthias or Marcel can confirm and/or add to this. The covers are handed left and right (mirrored) as to the nuances of the left and right fenders.



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I wonder who made the covers that Maranello fitted? And were covers commonly fitted in countries other than the UK?

 

The ones by Maranello Concessionaires seemed simple to create by just heating and rolling the flat plexi over a cylinder shape. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were made in house or locally. The ones by Scaglietti/Brandoli are more complex and are drape formed. Maybe Matthias or Marcel could chime in?

 

The aero testing prototypes had covers installed

Shawn

 

For those that are still interested in 14" tyres i checked the date code on our XWX today https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/tyres/205-70-14/205-70wr14-michelin-xwx.html

they were made in the 39th week of 2019.

 

I’m bringing this thread back from the dead! Earlier this year I got a matched set of four 7”X16” Cromodoras from UroTrash. Thank you UroTrash!!! I’ve always been curious how they would look and work on my Dino. They needed to be restored so I had a local shop blast them and powdercoat them. They came out amazing (we masked off all the lug and mating surfaces). I decided on Pirelli P7’s (205/55-16, 225/50-16) from TireRack at a great price. I figured they were period correct from when the Dino was current. I also did some research on adjustable shocks as the Konis aren’t really adjustable for height w/o experimenting with springs. I decided on QA-1’s with adapter perches from Verell. This according to what I’ve read requires no modifications to the A-Arms as in other setups. I haven’t assembled them yet. They have great reviews and aren’t priced too badly. I move pretty slow on this stuff since my day job takes most of my time (and passion). For me a great stance, great drivability annd a great look are priorities. I’ll also restore the original 14” Cromodoras with new XWX’s so I’m able to swap out whenever I want. Everything I remove such as the Konis, I carefully pack away as I know it’s important to keep these. I have a lot of fun with my Dino. My philosophy on it is that whatever I do it’s easy to return it back w/o any mods. The center caps are from Superformance. I’m saving the correct ones from Calisi for the original 14” wheels. I’ll share more if there’s interest.


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Thanks, Freeman. Please post pictures when they’re on the car.

 

I will. Here are all the parts to get the job done. I did a lot of research. Every coilover I looked at required modifying the front upper A-Arm. There is someone modifying the original Konis to make them adjustable but the cost was prohibitive and it wasn’t reversible. I want to keep the original Konis unmodified. I found the QA-1 setup and it looked ideal from a performance, adjustability and cost perspective. It also didn’t require any mods to my Dino. I saw that the 32V Stratos engined Dino used the same setup to good effect: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-ferrari-dino-246-gts-9/.

There’s also valuable info on the 308/328 forum on this: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/qa1-front-shocks-with-no-a-arm-modification.134442/





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Hi

By now i have had enough discussions on here about this sort of subjest you know my view about sacreficing handling and ride quality for extra straight line grip. grip. Im baffled by taking a road car like this and changing the front to rear balance in a way tending more toward understeer.

With those different damers and equipment is this to adjust the geometry of the car to try to get the balance back or is it because the wider rear tyres don't fit without them?

do 225/50R16 tyres fit on the rear of a Dino without any modifications?

just for fun i thought i might do some amuising contrast photos of the tyre differences.

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They aren't exactly labratory condition precise photgraphs, but you can see the dramatic difference in shape of the tyres and see how much they will effect the chracteristics of the car. even in the first picture with the 205 tyres being compared you can see the difference in tread. Without doubt, if you are going to go down this route then the P7 Collezione tyres are the one to go for. However with all that extra rear footprint when you hoof it you are just going to go straigh on.

 

Dougal, I haven’t tried it yet but the tire OD’s are close to stock. It seems like the combo has been successfully previously used without modifications. Corbani’s Dino coming to mind. My goal is to have my stock 14” set with XWX’s and also the 16” set. I am curious on how the car will behave with each. Bolt on, bolt off!

Dougal, thanks again for the correct Dunlop Race Tyres for my Brabham BT8!

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Corbani’s adventures with his Dino fascinated me. I loved that he really used and kept “improving” his Dino. The philosophy I have taken with my Dino is that whatever I do respects the original car and is easily reversed. Life is too short not to have a bit of fun! I grew up with the air-cooled Porsche world. My love affair with the Dino comes from that I connect more with “Dino” people. There is something about Dino culture that is still grassroots….

https://www.forza-mag.com/issues/80/articles/the-do-it-all-dino?page=2

It’s also interesting to compare the 246 Dino to the 308/328 where the tire sizes eventually went to 205/55R16 and 225/50R16. The 308/328 share a similar wheelbase with the 246 Dino.

 

I just installed the 16” wheels/tires. In this photo I photoshopped the height by lowering it by about 1” (hubcaps are photoshopped on as well). They fit and work beautifully without any rubbing. Next at a later date I’ll install the new adjustable coil overs.


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too wide. especially the front wheels. would look ok if the dino had “flares”.

 

My colleague previously owned the Blu Scuro Dino with the Stratos Group 4 motor. It had the 7.5X14 Campies with 205/70V14 tires. This is the mod he did. I thought it was really clever. You absolutely couldn’t tell as it was subtle and aesthetically more successful than the factory flares. My Cromodora 16” wheels are 7” with 205’s at the front (225 at the rear).

That’s a bridge we’ll cross later



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