56779, The Red Lady | FerrariChat

56779, The Red Lady

Discussion in '288GTO/F40/F50/Enzo/LaFerrari' started by Wtdoom, May 19, 2018.

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  1. Wtdoom

    Wtdoom Formula Junior

    Sep 30, 2012
    617
    Agartha
    Full Name:
    WT Doom
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    They say ,

    It’s better to have loved and lost than not loved at all. They say a lot of crap, it’s better to have loved and not lost at all than both of the above if you ask me . 56779 lived in my Florida home , our very own Joe Sackey found her for me a few years ago. What happened then was I ended up spending less and less time in the United States of America. Somewhere along the line I convinced myself that it would be better to sell the red lady (56779) and replace her with a car based in Europe , a car with lower mileage and one I could actually use , saving myself the import hassle , tax , duty etc etc at the same time .
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    I sold the car to a buyer based in Europe very quickly , she was a perfect and very well known example .

    Work kept me away from the uk for several months and when I did finally go there we looked at 2 cars neither of which was acceptable .

    Other cars came but inside I deeply deeply regretted losing the red lady . I had promised her adventures , road trips , track days , she was happy with just regular use .

    I used to imagine her polished and shiny in a collection , I can imagine her looking around and thinking " why am I here ? I am not a show car , I am omologato where are my race tracks ? Where is my glory ? This is not what the creator had in mind for me .". I bet she looked at the showcars with disgust , fearing that with each passing year she was becoming more and more like them .

    So many years she must have thought like this . Then I came along and promised her a different life , I whispered in her ear the promise of the life she was born for , a chance to meet her fellow Valkyries on the field of battle , a chance to flex her muscles , to show her grace and power , flaunt her perfection , finally a chance to claim her glory .

    Instead I betrayed her also , like so many before I passed her on to another . Promises unfulfilled , hopes and dreams dashed .
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  2. Wtdoom

    Wtdoom Formula Junior

    Sep 30, 2012
    617
    Agartha
    Full Name:
    WT Doom
    A couple of years later I hurt myself pretty badly .

    I was flown back to the uk for a pretty emergency operation which was mostly a success but needs a part 2. On strict dr’s orders for bed rest , against all council . I called a black cab and had him take me to a friends house in Kensington , he lived in a fine Little mews, just the place to cheer me up . I knew he would have a fine single malt we could enjoy . The taxi driver was an affable chap who helped me a great deal but I didn’t recognise where he was dropping me off , "just walk through the mews mate , it save us queuing in traffic , the other side of the road is very busy" he told me . Relieved that I was in the right place I did as he bid me . As I walked through the cobbled mews I came across a showroom (I won’t mention the name) , there shining in the window was a beautiful 288GTO . All the old feelings came back , multiplied by the painkillers and morphine flooding through my system . Just then as I stood transfixed to the window my friend Darragh came downstairs and remarked "you don’t like them do you?". I explained to him how fantastic they were and told him about the red lady (a story , frankly he was sick of hearing). It turned out he was not too keen on the gto , so we decided to go inside and settle the argument once and for all .

    By now I was pretty dizzy , I remember telling the salesman that I used to own one (he thought I was mad , drunk or both and met me with a "sure you did mate , sure you did") way too dazzled to notice his mockery we went some way of convincing Darragh of the error of his ways and exchanged details . I was very keen to pursue this car further , she looked like a fine example but was in no real fit state to follow this through . As we talked it turned out we knew many of the same poeple in the uk car world . We agreed to see if we could do something . The strange this was the more I looked at the car , the more she looked like the red lady . I was really to dizzy to even think to look at the chassis number .

    I sent emails the next day , no answer , I send text messages , I called the showroom , nothing . It was like he had no intention of selling .

    It was at this time I headed abroad for more work but decided to contact my friend Joe Macari about that car .

    You won’t believe what he told me . That was my car , it was 56779 , the red lady. I knew it was fate , there and then "we must have her joe , we must " was all I told him . By the end of the week she was mine . Again .
    The following pics show her being wheeled out of Joe Macari’s after he saved her for me from that other dreadful dealer to be sent to Aldo for prep and the car at Aldo’s being prepped .
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Wtdoom

    Wtdoom Formula Junior

    Sep 30, 2012
    617
    Agartha
    Full Name:
    WT Doom
  4. Wtdoom

    Wtdoom Formula Junior

    Sep 30, 2012
    617
    Agartha
    Full Name:
    WT Doom
    #4 Wtdoom, May 19, 2018
    Last edited: May 19, 2018
    Several weeks later I flew into the uk on a rainy night . I got off the plane at Farnborough , thanked the captain and told him I’d let him know when we were leaving the uk and jumped immediately Into the v12 Vantage my friend bought to pick me up .

    We drove directly to see the legendary Aldo at Riverside Performance Engineering , it would be around 2200 by the time we got there but he knew how keen I was to drive her and was kindly waiting for me . When I looked her over I swear I could detect some tension . Too proud to show she was hurt by my past betrayal she merely gave off a feeling of great aloofness . I would have to work for this .

    After thanking everyone I jumped into 56779 and started the short journey home , in the rain . Now remember she had got some use in Florida traffic , not the ideal place for an omologato so I had no idea what to expect .

    The windscreen wipers were fine , the ac was perfect , the so often hinted recalcitrant gearbox was nothing of the sort . I was surprised . She built power so well , the small turbos doing their job excellently . Pedals are perfect for heel and toe down shifts and I was able to sit in a very comfortable position , so far so good .

    I turned off the a road onto some bumpy and very narrow B roads , the headlights are as good as the brakes but the real revelation was how well she rode . The took the bumps brilliantly , adverse cambers , broken roads she took them all in her stride . She danced down that road better than 99 percent of modern cars could ever hope to do .

    I jumped into the house , picked up some suits and shirts , a pair of shoes and a bad of clothes etc for a week and went straight back to the car . I had a 40 minute drive to the Dorchester hotel , it took me nearly 2 hours . I drove the long way , the car was magnificent . She was showing me what she could do , showing me the error of my ways and I was ashamed . I arrived very late , parked her up outside and gave her a long look as I walked in to check myself in for the week .

    Pics show her being picked up and arriving in front of the Dorchester
     

    Attached Files:

  5. Wtdoom

    Wtdoom Formula Junior

    Sep 30, 2012
    617
    Agartha
    Full Name:
    WT Doom
    More to come soon .
     
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  6. amenasce

    amenasce Three Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 17, 2001
    33,014
    Full Name:
    Joe Mansion
    Pretty awesome to have found her by sheer luck. I guess the cabby knew better :)

    How many years passed from the day you sold her to the day you got her back??

    Enjoy the lady in red, she shines so bright!
     
  7. Gmaccormack

    Gmaccormack Formula Junior

    Nov 30, 2010
    763
    Awesome story. Glad she's back with you!
     
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  8. GHG

    GHG Formula 3

    Jan 29, 2008
    1,882
    What a great story, thanks for sharing.
     
  9. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor

    May 23, 2006
    57,288
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    Fantastic write-up B, I can feel the emotion...
     
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  10. merstheman

    merstheman F1 Rookie

    Apr 13, 2007
    4,417
    São Paulo, Brazil
    Full Name:
    Mario
    Great story, and great to see you enjoying her so!
     
  11. ebw001

    ebw001 Karting

    Jul 10, 2017
    95
    Amazing...can’t wait to read your next update :D
     
  12. NürScud

    NürScud F1 Veteran

    Nov 3, 2012
    7,273
    Fantastic story. Glad that you've found her and took her back. Very emotional.

    :)
     
  13. international blue

    Jul 6, 2008
    13
    A great story, and a truly inspiring one. Take good care of each other....
     
  14. Christian.Fr

    Christian.Fr Two Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 9, 2005
    20,682
    Full Name:
    Christian.Fr
    Congrats, have a good drive
     
  15. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

    Mar 24, 2008
    41,300
    ESP
    Full Name:
    Bas
    Very cool
     
  16. piratepress

    piratepress Formula Junior

    May 18, 2009
    714
    Mississippi
    Full Name:
    Chip A.
    Incredible story!
     
  17. Makuono

    Makuono Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 15, 2014
    998
    Full Name:
    Ricardo
    Beautiful story.

    She will forgive....But won't forget. :p
     
  18. Schulz308

    Schulz308 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    May 21, 2014
    1,450
    STL USA
    Serendipitous Fate.
     
  19. dmaxx3500

    dmaxx3500 Formula 3

    Jul 19, 2008
    1,027
    great news,glad you saved her
     
  20. Nutbehinddawheel

    Sep 23, 2016
    14
    West Oxfordshire UK
    Full Name:
    Tony Scott
    What a story.
    Just wonderful.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     
  21. imahorse

    imahorse F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 25, 2017
    2,639
    WI
    Full Name:
    Dustin
    Awesome story. Congratulations getting her back.
     
  22. Caeruleus11

    Caeruleus11 F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 11, 2013
    10,860
    Thank you for sharing your magnificent The Red Lady story. Beautifully written. Bravo!!
     
  23. fbrs2

    fbrs2 Formula Junior

    Sep 7, 2012
    309
    UK
    Great story. I've lost track of the number of cars I never bought because a dealer never called me back after multiple attempts on my part. My search for my F40 was the worst and I also ended up buying from Macari who was a pleasure to deal with.
     
  24. George330

    George330 Formula 3

    Oct 19, 2009
    1,342
    Switzerland
    Full Name:
    George
    Amazing write up...I wish I could get my 288 back...Finding it will probably be easier than finding the money to buy it


    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     
  25. omd78

    omd78 F1 World Champ

    Dec 26, 2005
    13,137
    Breda, Netherlands
    Full Name:
    Martin
    Any idea where it currently resides?

    Gr. Martin
     

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