New 512M engine on the Testarossa box with one of my billet carriers. Will be mocking it up to fabricate mounts with the engine lowered like a TR/M is vs a Testarossa and BB. Its interesting that the engine was lowered in the testarossa vs the BB then the TR and M had the engine lower again but a good 1.5". So they were working on the high center of gravity of the flat 12 especially by losing 18lbs of mass in the crank and rods in the M version. I estimate the TR/M engine is close to 3" lower in the chassis than a BB then add less ground clearance, no wonder they corner flat. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Paint is at minimum straight. Meaning more material removal makes it less straight. See material thickness on my gauge which is in thousandths of an inch. Some places are bare others have a few layers. Next is sealer and polyester, most of which will be sanded off again but its required. The car will be dead straight. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Body in polyester primer which is essentially a sprayable filler. Block sanding next which will remove most of it then primer then paint. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Should be interesting, the muffler is a one-off with an M engine in front of it. Should wail pretty good!
Now it gets a final primer, sand and colour. Trying to pick a red. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Bare metal wasn't required because the car was a clean example with too many coats of paint. Cost is always a factor but so is intended use and you have to ask yourself if it makes sense to remove everything then put it all back on again. We took it down to metal in places and .009" in others (which was up to the shape of the panels) and thats pretty thin on hand made panels. Windshield stayed in for two reasons. One is its original and NLA and secondly with the gap between the trim and body we have the ability to get product down in beside the window without removing it. If it had rust radiating out from the windshield opening we would have to remove it. In this case the cure would be worse than the disease if we pulled the windshield, broke it and bought a reproduction one to achieve nothing in the end. Its not the first boxer Ive left the windshield in during a repaint.
Thanks Paul. I need to give you a call. I'm Considering a bare metal respray on my project 95 355 Berlinetta and the way the windshield trim is done, I don't see any possible clean method to leave it in. The rear window can stay in I believe as I think the moulding can be pulled down to get a nice clear tape edge. I need to find a good shop to do this and that is going to be a challenge. I think I would be better off installing a booth in my shop and doing it myself but I've almost filled my 2 year old building.
In final primer and sanded. Guide coat still on doors. Very close to applying colour! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
After lots of going back and forth, I decided to do a color change. I love the red/black boxer scheme but with this car, its a different and unique example. I remember seeing a black car just before I originally got this (a very long road ago ), and loving the low sinister look that black gave the car. With the boxer trim being satin it will remove all the low end from the fussy end of black care, which will help. So back to black we go...
Well I love this thread, looks like the car ended up in the right hands! Paul is a master. It will look outrageous in black!! I can't wait to see it
John, are you going metallic or non metallic black? Just a few BBs came with factory metallic, I have seen it in person and find the extra fine flake in the Ferrari metallic very appealing. Great project, I am following with great interest!
Absolutely. Its nice to be working with someone I can totally trust. Has not always been the case, so this is great.
William, we talked briefly about metallic black and honestly, I did not know they even offered it. I think non metallic is where I am going, although some metal flake in the paint makes it much easier to live with!
Black or blue are the two best colours on a BB in my very biased opinion. Im debating pulling my car apart this fall to do a colour change from factory red to black with boxer trim and keep the koenig stuff. Could end up blue last minute when its in the booth.
Paint on, car is super straight. Slight peel but thats right out of the gun. Body colour on everything like they did at the factory then we will add the boxer trim over that and all the other areas that need to be satin like the inner fenders etc. The car will be wet sanded and polished of course. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
well with a Bb being a good couple of hundred pounds lighter than a Tr, and shorter wheelbase, with a 512M motor this baby is going to fly. To get an idea of possible performance. We are talking 512BBLM power or betetr, better tires, and maybe 400 more lbs than a BBLM. Nick masons BBLM lapped goodwood faster than his F40. So there is 288/F40/F50 levels of performance possible in this package. It depends on how stiff it is, brakes springs shocks, but the potential is there.
Wow holy cow what a build! Just amazing! Not a cheap progress but will for sure be worth it in the end. Best luck from Sweden Skickat från min SM-G928F via Tapatalk
Front clam is just resting there, safest place to be. Polishing to follow. End of the week the boxer trim will be on Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Looking good Are those the actual wheels or something that can be used in the shop without worry of incidents?
