246 DINO F1 0007 or 788FT | FerrariChat

246 DINO F1 0007 or 788FT

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by Gilles, Apr 12, 2004.

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  1. Gilles

    Gilles Karting

    Aug 10, 2003
    236
    South of France
    Does anyone know the story of this car ?
    A time, this car have a very strange GT(o) body from Christchurch in New Zealand. I heard that Stewart race with ?? (I never seen a good pic of this body...)
    Is this body was destroy in a crash at goodwood revival ?
    I know his car is now in his first configuration (It's the last front engine winner of a GP with Hill in Monza)
    Thanks
    Gilles
     
  2. Napolis

    Napolis Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 23, 2002
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    Jim Glickenhaus
    That was some crash at Goodwood! I believe this V 12 Dino has been rebuilt once again.
    PSK?
    Best
     
  3. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

    Dec 11, 2002
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    Gilles: I found the story of this car in Issue #1 of "Historic Race & Rally" magazine, July 1992. After describing the competition history of this car, the author goes on:

    "Meanwhile, an old friend of Mr. Ferrari, New Zealander Pat Hoare, had set his heart on a 'proper' Ferrari V12 monoposto for racing at home after experience with a 4-cyl special assembled at Maranello. Mr. Ferrari sold him the retired '0007', fitted with a Testa Rossa V12 and renumbered 'F0788' in the customer competition car series. Hoare finished second in the 1961 NZ Gold Star Championship (behind Denny Hulme), then won it in 1962.

    A 2.5 litre limit was applied for 1963, so Hoare found himself with a redundant 3-litre car. Eventually, in 1965, he had its single seater body removed and stored, replacing it with a ghastly aluminum body derived from the GTO - O for 'Orrible in this case. The chassis frame was slightly modified to suit and the Dino became a 185-mph roadgoing gT, capable of 0-150mph-0 inside 16 seconds, 0-100 mph in 10.8 sec, and the standing quarter mile in 11.98 sec...

    In 1967, Hoare sold the car to a schoolteacher called Logan Fow, who christened her 'Charlotte' and ran her proudly for a while as a road car. After years of negotiation, Neil Corner acquired the car in 1978, giving Fow a brand new Boxer and enough money for a holiday in Europe in exchange. Delivered to the UK complete with its original body and excised frame tubes, the Dino was subsequently revived to superb raceworthy condition by Crosthwaite and Gardner."

    The article was written by owner Neil Corner. I'm looking for a picture of the GTO-style body.
     
  4. Napolis

    Napolis Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jim Glickenhaus
    Neil being a period correct kind of guy went to race at Goodwood with out seatbelts. The pic of him flying through the air is not one you'll soon forget. They were still picking pieces of grass out of his back 3 months later. I beleive he has since sold this car.
    Best
     
  5. El Wayne

    El Wayne F1 World Champ
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    I'm at work and don't have access to my magazines, but there was an article on this car in either Prancing Horse or Cavallino many years back, complete with a black and white photo of the car with the 'orible body.
     
  6. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Cavallino, IIRC
     
  7. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

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    Interesting. I am a bit confused regarding the story about the 'home made' body which resembled a GTO.

    My understand is that this car was rebodied with a Morris Minor body and raced in NZ Saloon car racing. I have seen photos of this (?) car with the Morris body on it AND the Ferrari wire wheels, etc.

    But I have also heard of this home made body ... thus my conclusion is either:

    1. This car did have a Morris body at some time, and this was missed in the story above, OR ...

    2. Another Ferrari lived with a Morris body.

    While these things sound like a crime now, NZ is a long way away from anywhere and motor racing thrived on older racing cars modified to race passed the end of their racing lives.

    In fact my father raced a Cooper Norton with a Ford 1172 (?) cc engine bolted to a Hilman Imp gearbox (upside down I believe) ... after the Norton expired. I also believe that this conversion was done either in one weekend or in some other very short time ... so as not to miss the next hillclimb round and thus loose points.

    I also know of Bugattis repowered with Jaguar engines and Alfa Romeo P3's modified with Preselector gearboxes, etc.

    Infact many of these cars probably were their fastest in NZ ... before being lovingly restored back to original condition.

    Basically NZ'ers will race anything and race it hard. Times have changed and now new and modern chassis's are imported but the laterial thinking is not far away ;)

    Pete
     
  8. Gilles

    Gilles Karting

    Aug 10, 2003
    236
    South of France
    #8 Gilles, Apr 13, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Thanks all.
    Napolis : If here is a pic with driver flying, so the car was in original configuration (one seater).
    Miltonian : Thanks for the story. No sign that Stewart race with it ?
    W. Ausbrook, Sppedy308. We don't have this magazines in France... Very bad for us !
    PSK : I have a very little and bad pic, but it's not a Morris body. An interesting other car ?
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  9. macca

    macca Formula Junior

    Dec 3, 2003
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    The car with a replica Morris Minor body was an earlier, 4-cylinder, GP car, and IIRC it also had the Ferrari engine replaced with a Chevy (I think it's been mentioned before).

    The 1960 Italian GP-winning 246/312 car was owned by the Corner family for many years (together with the Monaco GP-winning Lightweight Maserati 250F from 1957, a Bugatti 57, and at one time in 1990 both a Mercedes W154 and an Auto-Union D-Type from 1938) and was raced by Neil Corner, one of the UK's top historic race drivers through the 1980's. He retired from racing in 1990 and his son Nigel continued to race it until the Goodwood crash in which he broke a large number of bones when landing from about 40 feet up. If he'd stayed in the car when it rolled after snagging another car's wheel off the grid he wouldn't be with us now. Nigel decided he'd ridden his luck to the limits and after his recovery decided to stick to 2-seaters, and still races an E-Type Jaguar with great success.

    The car was repaired and sold to Tony Smith, who is something in the management of a popular and long-lived beat combo or something similar, and is still raced regularly in UK historic races. From an aesthetic point of view it is unfortunate that the nose section came out a different shape from before the crash.

    Here is a thread about the 1960 GP Ferraris (Doug Nye is the author of "Dino: The Little Ferrari", by the way, and actually wrote the article in 'Historic Race and Rally' . The other article about the 246/312 '0007' was in Cavallino a few years ago.


    http://forums.atlasf1.com/showthread.php?threadid=57357&highlight=Neil+Corner

    Forza Ferrari!

    PWM
     
  10. macca

    macca Formula Junior

    Dec 3, 2003
    692
    "..........Tony Smith, who is something in the management of a popular and long-lived beat combo or something similar,............"



    OK, before questions are asked or comments made about quaint English, Tony Smith is in fact the "management mastermind behind rock supergroup Genesis".

    Oddly, in the UK there have been a lot of amateur racers with musical or theatrical careers - Steve O'Rourke who sadly passed away recently was manager of Pink Floyd, whose drummer Nick Mason has a huge colection of classics including many Ferraris and in particular a 250GTO with the UK road reg '250 GTO'; then there's Chris Rea who made the film 'Passione' about von Trips and had replicas of a 1961 'Sharknose' F1 and 250TRI built specially; Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits who races a 1956 Maserati 300S in historics; Rowan Atkinson of Mr Bean fame; and many others.
    And of course there was actor/director/raconteur/UN ambassador Sir Peter Ustinov who died a couple of weeks ago, who made a brilliant spoof recording of 1950s GP racing called 'The Grand Prix of Gibraltar', featuring an American named Bill Dill who drives for the Fanfani team!

    PWM
     
  11. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

    Dec 11, 2002
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    Here is an enlargement of the photo of Nigel Corner being thrown from the cockpit of 0007 during his accident at Goodwood in 2000. Photo courtesy of Classic & Sportscar 11/2000.
     
  12. ztspcm

    ztspcm Rookie

    Jan 20, 2005
    2
    Hi,

    Are you still looking for photos of the GTO-style body? I believe I may be able to dig a couple of colour photographs out if you are interested. I am actually trying to track down this body. Did it go to the UK with the other parts of the car?
     
  13. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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    #13 bigodino, Jan 20, 2005
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    In Classic & Sports Car magazine issue June 1986, page 16, there's a letter from a Mr. Quentin Hardley from Wanganui, New Zealand about this car:
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  14. ztspcm

    ztspcm Rookie

    Jan 20, 2005
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    Do you still have that photo? I'd be interested in seeing it.

    Likewise, I'd love to see the articles you mention.

    BTW, In the article posted by bigodino above, the author refers to another article in an unnamed publication by an unnamed New Zealand author. Any ideas what this might be?
     
  15. bitzman

    bitzman F1 Rookie
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    i was trying to remember, seems like years ago I read that
    there was this Ferrari in Australia that had been a single
    seater but someone rebodied it as a two seater. I sort of
    connect the name Hoare with it but not Ronnie Hoare of Maranello Concessionaires.
    Anyway I was wondering if
    the sports car body was way off what Ferrari would have done, or made in Australia,
    and if the car has been found and restored back to a single seater or still a sports car?
    I have seen other marques converted from F1 or F2 to sports car but usually the steering wheel is in the center.

    I found the story on the net but want to know what bodywork it has now and what the approximate worth of it is today? Here's the story I found:


    In 1960, New Zealand businessman and enthusiast racing driver Pat Hoare made a trip to Maranello to purchase a V12 engine for his Ferrari 625 (ex de Portago, Hawthorn and Gonzales) to replace its problematic 4 cylinder unit. Hoare was a personal friend of Enzo Ferrari, and it was Enzo who'd had Hoare's 'Tasman special' 625 fitted with its larger 2996cc engine when he purchased it in 1957.

    But rather than return to NZ with a V12 engine in 1960, Hoare returned with a whole car. He ended up purchasing a Dino 256, chassis 0007, the car driven to victory at that years Monza GP by Phil Hill, and the last front engined car to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. The 256 (originally designated 246 when it was built in 1958, but modified in '59, and given a new designation) had raced with a Dino V6 engine, usually around 2414cc, throughout its GP career, but the Tasman rules, being those used in both New Zealand and Australia, allowed for engines up to 3000cc. Therefore, Ferrari had the 256 fitted with a 2953cc 60 degree V12 Testa Rossa motor, one of the engines usually used in the teams 250TR sports cars. Producing over 330hp, the V12 was around 50hp up on that of the smaller Dino V6.

    Hoare qualified the 256 14th for the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore in January 1961, and finished 7th behind a star-studded cast, including race winner Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Ron Flockhart, Denny Hulme, and Jim Clarke. The Ferrari was the first front engined car home. Hoare finished 2nd to Hulme in the Dunedin Road Race in a much depleted field that included few internationals. A 4th placed finish behind Jo Bonnier, Roy Salvadori, and Hulme at the Teretonga International, and victory in the Waimate 50 road race, against a New Zealand driver line-up, were other highlights of the 1960/61 season.

    For the 1961/62 season, Hoare was again the local star in the New Zealand Grand Prix, qualifying 11th, and finishing 6th, behind Stirling Moss, John Surtees, McLaren, Salvadori, and Lorenzo Bandini, and again the big Ferrari was the first front engined car home. He won the Dunedin Road Race, and placed 2nd in the Waimate 50 behind Jim Palmer, and emerged from the '62 season as the winner of the New Zealand Car Clubs Racing Gold Star, for New Zealand drivers.

    Sadly, Motorsport New Zealand introduced a 2.7 litre engine limit following the '62 season, deeming the magnificent 256 ineligible. No longer would the buildings of Dunedin and Waimate rattle to the sound of its booming V12. Hoare placed the car on the market, but unsurprisingly, there was little interest in the outdated racer with its over-sized engine, and it sat for some time before Hoare decided to convert the Ferrari for road use.

    He considered the different road going Ferrari options available, but there was really only one choice. Given the 256 was a race car, the logical option was that it be built into a 250 GTO, a close replica of the 1963 notchback models. Hoare had Enzo supply him with blueprints of the '64 GTO, along with some components including the large wrap-around windscreen. Firstly, the plans, which were in metric, were converted by an architect friend of Hoare's. They also had to be modified, as the 256 had a wheelbase 6” shorter than the GTO. At 6 foot tall, Hoare would struggle to fold his large frame inside a genuine GTO, so his shorter example would need to account for this.

    Hoare's long-time racing mechanic Ernie Ransley removed the single seater body-work from the Ferrari, which, fortunately, was kept and stored. Ransley then set about the task of converting the steering from central-steer to right hand drive, for the local NZ roads.

    Hec Green, a very clever New Zealand race car designer, was given the job of building the tubular framework on which the body could be shaped and mounted. The frame-work itself was a work of art, as it had to follow the exact contours of the curvaceous GTO lines. Once that was fitted to the chassis, the car was sent to a local coach-building firm, G. B. McWhinnie and Co, where Reg Hodder, a metal craftsman with over 40 years experience, shaped the body from sheets of16 gauge aluminium, over a 9 week period. G. B. McWhinnie and Co also applied the Ferrari red paint work.

    Once the bodywork was completed, the Ferrari was sent to 18 year old George Lee, who crafted the interior, which included semi-reclining bucket seats, and fully upholstered door cards, dashboard top, and transmission tunnel, all covered in leathercloth. Curiously, all the instrument gauges were mounted on the left side of the dashboard, the opposite to where the driver sat.

    From most angles, the Hoare 256 closely resembled a genuine GTO. From a side profile, the shorter wheelbase was more pronounced with the cabin side windows being extremely short, but overall, this was an extremely high quality conversion, and all New Zealand made. Indeed, this was part of Hoare's motivation for converting the 256, to showcase New Zealand craftsmanship.

    All the 256 running gear was retained, as well as the wheels, brakes, suspension, steering wheel, and even the clear perspex cover on the bonnet, that housed the 12 gleaming trumpets of the six Weber carbs.

    Weighing in at around 700kg, the Hoare Ferrari was around 200kg lighter than a genuine GTO, had around 30hp more, and with its independent rear suspension, was considered to be the fastest fully equipped road going Ferrari in the world, even by Enzo Ferrari.

    Hoare enjoyed the Ferrari for a few years until his death, at which point it was purchased by Logan Fow, who took part in a number of club racing events and standing sprints, recording a 13.9 for the quarter mile. It was later owned by Donald McDonald, who attempted to break the 3.0 litre New Zealand land speed record in 1969, coming up just short with 144mph (233kph) and 155mph (249.6khp).

    The Ferrari was eventually purchased by Neil Corner, along with all the original 256 bodywork, and restored back to its Tasman guise by Crosthwaite and Gardiner. The only original item that couldn't be used in the restoration was the perspex carburettor cover, which had discoloured with time.


    Quote
    Logan always referred to the car as "Charlotte" but I have no idea about the name's origin. Logan died several years ago and was a most eccentric but engaging person. His Grandfather was a 4 times mayor of Hamilton during the '20's and the Fow's Furniture (or was it Flooring) store in central Hamilton was one of the family businesses.

    The photos are actually taken in front of my parent's house in Hamilton where John Anderson and I removed the body after I brokered the sale to Neil Corner. I was back in NZ for the Jan '78 Formula Pacific series but had had a major pre season testing accident at Puke (after a mechanical failure but doesn't everyone say that) and was in plaster waiting to go back into hospital for more bone grafts at the time so had a bit of time on my hands!

    I understand the "GTO" bodywork still exists, to me the proportions didn't look right and it really was the most impractical road car imaginable. Although many people, including on this forum, think it was a loss to change the car back but it was the last Ferrari front engined Formula One car and I still think that is the correct historical spec for it. At least that's how I rationalised it at the time!


    Quote
    Somebody asked what it was like to drive. Remember this was 1967. Now just because I drove it, does NOT mean that I gave it any "welly", in fact I thought it was a bit of a bucket of bolts. My sports car, TF replica with a B series was actually nicer to drive. Obviously not the performance, but the GTO rattled and shook and banged around some. The box was not easy to use, and in all reality it took away any enthusiasm for the Prancing Horse which is yet to return. I suspect that being able to use it on other than suburban streets might have been a lot different.
    When Logan negotiated to buy the car, one of his stipulations was that it must have reverse gear.
    Not long after he got it back to Hamilton reverse failed, when the transaxle was pulled down it was soon apparent why. Someone in Christchurch had simply taken out a set of gears, and replaced them with sprockets and chain. This might have worked, had something a bit stronger than pushbike chain been used! The other notable thing was the bits of road metal inside the case!
    One of the other memorable things was the use of the fuel tank from the single seater days, this meant that to fill it you reached inside with the fuel nozzle and filled approximately where the parcel shelf would have been on any other car. Of course the fumes hung round too, as well as any spillage.
    Logan was an inveterate collector, had most of the remaining Mistrals in his yard at the time.
     
  16. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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  17. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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  18. simon klein

    simon klein Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Great story,though you'll have a few Kiwi's jumpin' up and down calling them Aussies!!
     
  19. The Red Baron

    The Red Baron Formula 3

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    Dont worry Simon. NZ used to be part of NSW.
     
  20. soucorp

    soucorp F1 Rookie

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    Wow, great shots !
     
  21. torquespeak

    torquespeak Formula Junior

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    #21 torquespeak, Jan 21, 2015
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  22. torquespeak

    torquespeak Formula Junior

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  23. torquespeak

    torquespeak Formula Junior

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    #23 torquespeak, Jan 21, 2015
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  24. torquespeak

    torquespeak Formula Junior

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  25. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    #25 Nembo1777, Jan 22, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2015
    Hello Wally,

    See -but do not post/scan here- my 10 page research article on "Charlotte" in Cavallino issue #112, August 1999.

    I went to Neil Corner's estate in remote Yorkshire in May of 1998 to meet up with him and his mechanic, examine, photograph the car and interview them. It is perhaps my favorite article in 23 years of work, what an incredible story.

    As to the appearance of the GTO imitation body I will quote Doug Nye: GTO'rrible:)! I said something to that effect in the article and had never expected the creator of the body to read Cavallino on the other side of the world but he did so I decided to post a letter of excuse just below his indignant letter in the following issue:)

    Reading the old article scanned in the previous post when I was 11 years old really fascinated me, it is as good as fiction so to write about it decades later meant a lot to me.

    It was on top of that a day to remember, I was staying for a few days at the home of major collector B. C. in London, had just driven for another Cavallino article his 268SP #0798 two days before on roads near Silverstone (it sounds better than any V12 believe it or not) and then took a train up to Darlington, Yorkshire. Corner picked me up and drove me flat out in his 550 Maranello through the moors and hills to his manor house, we did the interviews, had lunch then his dog Tina bit my tripod while I shot "Charlotte" and he drove me flat out sideways back to the train station in his robin's egg blue 250SWB: one of my best days as a pen pusher:)

    Best regards,

    Marc
     

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