heh, wish i could justify another $20k on the car, i'm in the midst of a likely ~$5k "service" at the moment. $10k perhaps... what's that engine and ancillaries weigh anywho? the twin-cam conversion adds about an extra ~50lbs in components, nothing really that noticable, especially with the buckets of extra torque on tap. just wondering how much i'd upset the balance, considering it comes from a car nearly 500kg porkier... didn't that shape come out with a dino engine in a certain model?
I'm always astonished (and scared) by how expensive Ferrari parts are. About half a year ago I spotted a 308 at a local panel repair place. The Ferrari's owner forgot to put on the handbrake in his sloped garage and the car had rolled nose first into the house (ouch). He needed a new front spoiler, and the mechanic showed me the replacement part they had received from Italy. It was basically two pieces of fibreglass, certainly nothing spectacular, the whole thing must've cost like a hundred bucks to make. I wasn't sure if the mechanic was having me on then, because he said the part cost them $11k It was probably cheaper to have the guy's driveway levelled off. I can't imagine fiat being too offended
the FIAT car club people would be horrified !!! The 2300S is a rare FIAT (60 world wide from the registry) and was FIATs answer to Ferrari and I defy any Fcar from that era ('61) with similar engine size to run with this car, it has been clocked by the Uralla police at 237kph and wasn't at full tilt!! The car looks like a cross between the DB4 and BMW3.0CSI of the same period. It was the first engine Lampredi worked on after leaving Ferrari and joining FIAT and if you see the cylinder head and the sump you can see his influences. The car is slow off the mark but will accelerate nicely from 80mph to the end of the speedo which reads to 140mph. I am about to put her up for sale as I really want a newer Fcar and the insurance from the GT4 crash just don't cut it
You're quite right, the FIAT 2300 is a beauty and certainly a gem in peformance. (Especially when contrasted with memories of my dad's first car, the FIAT 500!! ) In hindsight of course, it would be great if he kept it. However, the FIAT club people shouldn't be getting too mad, since Lampredi did design the 275S V12 engine before he did the 2300, maybe putting in another Ferrari engine now would be akin to 'the prodigal motor returns'? But all kidding aside, I'd love to know how your car hunting endeavours turn out. I have been sifting through some old threads recently and just found out about your accident. Forgive the lateness of my condolences, I am glad you and your loved ones are all right.
Thanks Phil and my endeavours so far have been unfruitful apart from some friends pointing out that the 328GTS has a design problem for someone like me that has severe head injuries. Apparently the top of the windscreen is very close to your head and in a head-on accident (like I want one of those!) the windscreen would take the top of your head off as it is so close to the noggin! I have been told about a 328GTB in the UK but they have salt on their roads for the winter and that is not good in an Italian car! A 348 would be nice but the maintenance on these cars is horrendous and if you are not equipped for the size of the bills you should not buy the car and although I can afford the bills the nagging from the wife I can't stand so 328 will just sneak in the door without the bills being too obvious to the other half I am selling the 2300 as it is not being used much lately and the OH is nagging me about the thing sitting around not being used so if you know anyone that wants a nicely restored 2300S for very reasonable price drop me an EM , it'll be in next months trader magazine for under $20K
call me and I'll tell you, or buy Unique Cars....but for friends JM I am always willing to RAISE the price
Hi John glad to see you are on the chat again. As for your engine it may be better placing an ad in the aero sports section as it seems this engine knows how to run upside down and at all angles. Hope you are well and getting back in shape for some more ferrariing we are heading to the mid way rally this coming weekend. if you want to buy a good car i am selling the tr it is on carpoint you will recognise it it is a rear picture which is the end you used to see all the time. Hope to see you at a rally soon ps there was a 348 for sale at mercedes toowong it looked ok from a distance perhaps it may suit you. regards Tony
Hi Tony, Just missed you at Macleans Bridge last weekend as I saw you going north on Mt Lindsay HWY while we were heading to MB Got the mail from you thanks very much, really brightened my day ) I think I'll go have a look at the 348 tomorrow while delivering the CT scan to my neurologist Thanks also for all the help with my family during the accident and a big thanks to all the other Ferrari QLD members that helped out as Leonie and Troy AND especially me, were unable to do much after the accident. As for only seeing the rear end of the TR I seem to remember just before the accident, in the dry and in a particularly safe place we zipped up the hill and a certain GT4 passed a TR as the road narrowed I love TRs but I like tracking the cars and as good as a TR is it is too heavy for tracks and runs out of brakes so I am looking for a nice 328/348 so thanks for the tip about the Toowong job. I will be in hospital next week for another operation on the head so midway is out for me but hope you enjoy yourself and collect a few trophies like we always do from the QLD chapter Cheers John
Forget German beer - lager/pilsner was INVENTED in the city of Pilzn (Pilsen) in the Czech Republic...and they DO make the best beer inthe word. The Czech Beer Firsts are many and varied: First in per capita beer consumption - see http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20000601.html and http://realbeer.com/news/articles/news-000245.php First Beer Museum in the world - see http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040410025812.u9uftbsq First beer brewing textbook - see http://user.intop.net/~jhollis/beer1.htm First Lager / Pilsener - see http://www.pilsner-urquell.com/ First Budweiser (aka Budvar, aka Budweis...not that American cr*p) - see http://www.budvar.cz/budvar/budvar-web/product/produkt_eng.html First president to have written an absurdist play based on his experiences working in a Czech beer brewery in AD 1974 I'm not going to list the beers like Wolfgang did as someone's already done that for me: http://www.radio.cz/en/html/breweries.html GO TO PRAGUE..and tast the real thing!!! <hic> Cheers, MARK
