After sitting for seven years..........

Welcome!


I love your color -- it looks like mine.


As with any unused car, beware rusted bearings and such. Probably not a good idea to fire it up without carefully checking the cam belts and tensioner bearings.

What's your mechanical skill level?


And BTW: You're going to have to tell us about the plane next to it

 

Do the belts. That way you shouldn't worry. It's a pretty straightforward deal, and, judging by the tool boxes in the background, you must be ''wrench savvy".
My 308 also shares the hangar with a biplane, a Pitts Special. I am assisting in the total resto of a drop-dead gorgeous Stearman, but I don't want to hijack your thread.
TN
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Way to go on getting her back on the road.

Has the car been sitting in a nice dry climate controlled shop? Or, out under a tarp? Looks like the former. Has she been run at all in seven years?

If she hasn't been run in seven years then those belts may have taken a "set" and should be changed, even if she has been slumbering in a nice dry shop - just my $0.02.

Obviously, you have fuel issues to check out if the fuel is real old but you probably know all about that being an airplane guy too!

 

Would love to fly in that Stearman. Got to fly the Texan last August in Florida.

Two beautiful toys, Ferrari and Boeing..
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wow! i love the color, its a great car to save and get on the road again. do the belts / tensioners asap before you drive it. i would replace all the fluids, and fuel filter also. run some Seafoam in the car to help clean the injectors. tires are not safe after 5-7 years time, so look at them too.

more pics !

 

Wow!! Great car!!!

Yeah, I would do belts and check everything before trying to run her again. Entirely too much could go wrong and it might end up being another 7 years before she runs again.


PDG

 

Beautiful little plane you've got there

 

I'd hate to become a statistic, so I'd change the belts & tensioner just like everyone is suggesting. Fuel will certainly need attention, I'd drain it out.

I wouldn't be too concerned with the tires yet. It wouldn't hurt to check their age, but the 7 year recommendation is actually for your desert cars. Cars in more moderate climates can go longer, but that's too complex of a message to put out there for the general public. So I was told by a gentleman winning an award for research that would have predicted the Firestone-Explorer issues.

 

Love the car and the Stearman. No reason both can't be going again. My documents indicate my car sat in storage for 9 years through most of the 1980's and early 90's while the owner was in Europe. The 2nd ower went through the car (belts, bearings, hoses, ect) before putting it back on the road. Im the 4th ower. I have a GTB and a Pitts S2A. Joe

("Pitt's Pilot's are a different breed"- Curtis Pitts)
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Joe, that car looks stunning in white mate. I have to say thats the first of seen.

 

In addition to what everyone else has said, watch the brakes. Brake fluid tends to absorb moisture when it sits stagnant for long periods. Caliper pistons, lines, and master cylinder components can corrode and pit as a result. When this happens, the brakes will often fail unpredictably --- not what you want the first time you get her back up to 60 mph!

I'd disassemble and inspect the M/C and all (4) calipers, and also flush the lines out very thoroughly as a precaution ---- re-fill with new brake fluid, of course.

 

BTW, this situation happens a lot with Ferraris and other classic cars --- they sit in storage for long periods.

So, please post what you find as you go through the car. I think it will be very educational for the F-chat community

 

What.. red? Not this time!

Get her done and enjoy man!

Paul
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That white on red 328 GTB is really sweet.....

 

Hey Albert,

Cool pics....You and I talked about it before, but I would suggest doing the work on the
belts and fluids before you run the car....IF something were to go wrong it will be really
expensive...in the big picture, it's not worth the possible damage...if you need a "F" fix, I will bring mine out to the airport for you to drive if you want...I will be back in town June 6th and will have some time off after that and would love to swing by and give you a hand with your car...it's always fun experimenting on cars...when it's someone elses....will be
doing the annual on the Bird that week also....oh, and sweeeeeeeeet pics of the 275GTB...and the Stearman isn't too shabby either

 

paul what color is your car and the interior?

 

Hey Grigio,
Nice looking Ferrari and Airplanes. My wife has a Ferrari and I have an airplane. The Ferrari has never met the airplane though. Actually the Champ is co-owned by my dad and is in Florida. The Ferrari sat for 5 years before Shelton Ferrari prepped it for sale. After sorting the inevitable issues that crop up after sitting the car has been mostly problem free.
Glad to see you are bringing her back to life.

Dave
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Fluids, belts, tensioners (watch out for bad cam belt drive pulley outer bearings (they are sealed, "lubed for life", they receive NO engine oil lube! One of mine failed after I replaced the belts and tensioners, not pretty)

 

Great news that you are bringing her back to life...you may want to throw this question up in the technical area...we have some guys who work on these cars for a living that frequent that thread area.

Can't wait to see a pic of her back in action!

MB

 

85 QV, Grigio/Tan...

 

Take the taxi........ Got to be a joke in there somewhere - planes/taxi/breakdowns....

Good luck.

Cheers

Mark
Taiwan/UK

ps there was a great documentary I saw recently on the restoration or "return to flight" of a Stearman that was flipped on landing and caught fire in a corn field in the UK. Owned by an actor - Martin Shaw. The series was for the Discovery Channel and called Aviators or something like that. Fascinating for the detail (cost) needed to get it airworthy again.

 

AWESOME !