Hi - some advice please. When one nears completion of a building project, one often employs a ‘snagger’. Someone who can come in and review all the tiny details and level of finish to check for errors, omissions and quality of work. Even great builders miss things and owners are often in a rush to take their home back and move on and as a result, don’t spot small or possibly big issues. You can do this yourself, but having a professional (who can just be another interested homeowner with an eye for details, or a builder) can result in picking up more stuff. Or simply peace of mind. OK - to the Ferrari question! I am reaching the end of a multi-year restoration and while I have a reasonable eye for detail and know the car type pretty well, I am not a professional and given the costs involved / importance of getting it right, I do wonder if I should get some professional advice before signing off on the completion of the project? I in no ways wish to offend the company doing the work - I think they are great - but I think I do want to some independent validation of the work and that ithas been well done. Has anyone else who has had an early 1970 Ferrari restored taken independent advice? Does anyone have any recommendations as to who might perform such a service?
I'm not sure what you're looking for exactly. If it is to verify that parts are of the correct type etc. then you are best asking someone like Keith Bluemel or Tony Willis to have a look at it. Both know Ferraris inside out and have judged at Concours on many occasions. Or, if it is to check things not specific to the model, such as that the quality of the paintwork is up to scratch, then you could equally ask another restorer with a top notch reputation but who generally deals with other brands. Alternatively, perhaps you know one or two people, as I do, who have had restorations done to the highest quality themselves and you know they have an eye for the quality of the work.
Further. Another thread shows a 246 GTS photograph posted by Salmon & Permit illustrating #06348 a red 246 GTS, which amusingly was brokered by me to Bernard Fosker 40 years ago in early November. Feeling very old. Bernard restored the car in red/light tan (was black inside) showing it at the Modena Engineering Test Day at Thruxton in 1986. The next owner was an enthusiastic Ferrari man and was at all the events back then. Bernard's son Jeff later described the car as part of the family, which it certainly was. It was a lovely thing. wonder if the latest restoration is finished yet. Would love to see it.
It is indeed the ex-Foskers GTS, restored by them mid 1980s. When fully stripped back, shows they had done a pretty good job given overall good state of chassis and body. Only one area was a surprise and needed some attention. Should be finished early next year. Reason for having a specialist look over it is twofold: my eye is pretty good, but not as good as someone in the trade who has restored / bought / sold many of these and when I am paying for a 3rd party restoration, I want to ensure I am getting full value for money. While I think I managed to buy a ‘good one’ from Foskers that was indeed described as being ‘of the family’…. there were still one or two things that were not declared, or possibly known about, which took me a while to discover. This time around, no stones will be left unturned.
