Blue Dino at Cooper Classics

It's the February issue, Matthias, and so is almost off the shelves now. But we found one copy at the local bookstore. PM your mailing address to me, Matthias.

Best regards,

Andy

 

Unfortunately, the local authorities have announced that they will apprehend vehicles without license plates. This may be the last photo of my car without one. I installed the plate bracket after this photo was taken.

I wonder whether all Dinos were delivered with the front license plate brackets installed? Or were the holes at least pre-drilled?
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Andy, I bought my first (and now only!) Dino when it was two years old, from the original owner, and it came with what looked like a bracket for the then-current small front Italian plate! No holes were drilled, and I'm approaching 39 years with no front plate on display! Regards, Fred

 

I wish I could do that, Fred. My car's plate bracket was in the boot. l had lo drill two holes. Quite painful!

Andy

 

I decided to paint the bracket flat black, using a spray-can enamel, which turned out quite good. It was painful drilling holes in the Dino. Ancient metal.

Andy
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As with the rear plate, I used these rubber nuts to install the front plate bracket. I forget what they’re called, but the rear section is pulled against the panel as one tightens the mounting screw, like a rivet.
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Andy, It must have been very traumatic to drill the front valence, but you did a very surgical job of it! Regards, Fred

 

Thanks, Fred. Happy Easter to all.

Andy

 

Andy,
We have the same problem here with front plates, they ignored missing front plates for years but it seems times changed.
I really don't want to drill, there is an temporary plate called "plateclip" which look ok and attach to the grill but they are currently not being made. I contacted and tried to order a few times.
I bought Rob and Pauls magnetic rear plate which is great but the compound curves on the front doesn't really lend itself to a magnetic solution.
Maybe I'll have to take a deep breath and drill.... I understand your pain!

 

Yes, Andrew, you need to take a deep breath. I comfort myself by saying the bracket itself doesn’t look bad and makes the car look like it were sitting new on a showroom floor. And at least I don’t have an original part sitting in storage. Still, I wish I didn’t have to do it.

Andy
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This is just to record the new Heuer Rallymaster set I just installed in the Dino. Not original, but I think it goes very well in the Dino. I would have preferred a period set, but good ones are so difficult to come by. These re-issues (they call them "re-editions") look authentic, though, and I am quite happy with these Heuers (no “Tag” on the dials, just “Heuer). Now I have a clock that works in the Dino.
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My Dino was delivered to my home on January 3, 2006, which was when I first saw it outside of photographs. Ten years then since it first sat in my garage! I remind myself constantly that I have been blessed and truly lucky.

A Happy New Year to all.

Andres
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Happy New Year, and Happy Dino Anniversary, Andres! I will be celebrating my 40th with 04808 this coming May. How time flies! Best regards, Fred p.s.: I love the garage photos, and the lovely T-series MG! f

 

This thread has always kept me smiling....

I can so very clearly remember a long car drive talking to Elliot about this car before it was sold. We spoke for a long time about all kinds of stuff.

You can see my early posts, but always knew this was a cool Dino.

I am glad it found a great home.

What is scary, is it doesn't seem like that was that long ago.....

Shawn

 

Many thanks, Fred. You are four times more blessed than me. Four decades to enjoy #04808. Congratulations!

Best personal regards,

Andres

 

I never met Elliott Cooper in person, Shawn, but corresponded and spoke with him a great deal. He is quite an interesting man. I had just returned from New York when I discovered his advertisement for the Dino on the Web. I didn’t want to fly back to New York, so asked a friend who happened to be in Reno to visit Elliott and inspect the car. Elliott didn’t expect a woman, but my friend is quite a car person and, having worked in our concours, very competent. Elliott was quite impressed with her and drove her to the airport in a Rolls. She snapped this photo.

Best,
'
Andres
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Another Blue Dino at Cooper!

https://www.cooperclassiccars.com/1972-ferrari-dino-246gt-c-3810.htm?

 

Wow. Any idea of ask?

 

I'm back! Andy, here is an old photo I found of my wife in 04866, taken by my Dad using a Polaroid (hence the poor resolution). The vanity plate I got for the car was "FRARRI", the closest I could get to the real spelling in this early age of Connecticut vanity plates with limited number of letters allowed. A side note when discussing the paint on the car, remember that it was resprayed by Cooper. The photos they posted don't show the color shifting qualities observed in the factory paint. To answer a question asked earlier, yes, I know and remember the name of the individual that sold me the car, but for the sake of privacy I won't state that publicly. That original owner said he had the dealer, Algar, put on the Campi's, before the sale completed and he took possession of the car. Image Unavailable, Please Login When I first saw the Dino it was garaged at his house on Long Island, alongside his 1800 mile 365GTB (red, of course). He showed me photos which he claimed were some of his other cars, including a 427 Cobra and a Ford GT Mk4!

 

Wow, sixtiestoycar! What a joy it was for me to see that photo. I keep a journal for the Dino, so your story and the photo will go in there (as did your email to me a long time ago). I will share this with the local sports car guys.

Do you recall the approximate date when the photo was taken? It is quite a thrill to realise those are the same Campys, mirror, and so on in my garage now.

Best personal regards,

Andy

 

lovely stuff....

 

I reviewed 4866's history, Craig, and figure that the photo must have been taken by your dad probably in the early 1980s, perhaps shortly after you bought the car in April 1980. It is such a treat to see that photo.

With good wishes,

Andy

 

I keep a journal for each sports car I've had since 1977. In early days, the journals were handwritten, with drawings here and there. They had a certain charm and illustrated how my penmanship changed over the years. By the time #4866 came into my garage, computers allowed me to become more ambitious with layouts and photos, so #4866's journal has been fully digitally prepared.


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I record service and repairs, parts bought and replaced, drives, any issues that need to be addressed, and so on. But I sometimes also note events that affect my perspective on the car; those incidental, personal notes may mean the journal should probably not go with car, I suppose. But the journals, which I keep with the manuals of the cars in the garage, are a pleasure to take out and read once in a while, as they go back so many years.

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It must be wonderful to have such a write up on your endeavors with the car. I wish I had the back bone to do the same, but i find it hard to find the time for such a time-consuming job. I also find it quite exiting to read through some of my old Fchat stories now and then, mostly because it is all over and done and that I can enjoy the car fully knowing that I have touched every bolt and nuts in the car.

Best

Peter