Hi all, Jonathan is right; the last threads was a rather large stray from the Verde Germoglio topic. Apologies! I'll start a new thread on this car to introduce it once I receive it (being shipped from UK to California) but want to thank all again for the good information about what has now become my purchase. I closed on #4486 last week and am now the proud owner of that vehicle. I have found more information about its origin, pushing the data back to 2001 in Japan (I had detailed information from 2014 when it moved to Europe but little before then). According to the Japanese owner from 2001 to 2014, a foreigner owned the car in Japan prior and sold it before he moved back. Unfortunately the 2001-2014 owner cannot locate the contact information. There was also work done then to change the car to yellow/black and to European trim. I see the car now has button side markers. It has also been noticed that the bumpers seem to have one support rod, not two as the US version would have. The Japanese owner did tell me they took effort to change the car to European trim. I wonder if that included changing the bumpers? He didn't remember but the work order, while somewhat vague, does discuss removing US specifications parts. I am interested in developing the provenance as much as possible. I have reached out to Marcel Massini to ask if he can develop a report on this car. I have also just received the Matthias Dino Compendium (2022 Edition). It is an impressive book!! I'll leave with the 2014 car sale link and the engine pic. Perhaps someone can point out the US vs European differences in the engine. I think there are differences in the cam lobe count? You can see from these pictures that many of the European trim features are now on the car. Note the reflectors between the rear tail lights are also missing. All the gauges are European/Km. https://www.axle-t.com/vcsMember/stockList_539-1/detail.html?shopNo=539-1&carNo=629 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Perhaps the @moderators could clean up this thread and put all the posts re Dino #04486 into a separate thread? Congratulations. You are now the owner of an example of the prettiest road car ever made. As I stated previously, early US Dinos had single bumper brackets, but I believe your car is in the chassis range where it originally would have had double bumper brackets (which also extend the distance of the bumpers from the body?). It looks like #04486 still has its original bumpers, but the double brackets have been removed, both from the body itself being the double body bracket extensions and the separate double brackets which attach to the bumpers in between the body and bumpers. See pics below from late US Dino #07826 which illustrates these: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Fast Cars Redondo Beach pictures above of restoration of late US Dino #07826. No, the same. The removed US rear reflectors was noted previously. A minor thing: I believe the Euro indicators on the front have been positioned slightly incorrectly with a marginally wider space between the headlamp bowls and the indicators. I am sure you must be very excited about getting your beautiful Dino.
Thank you Simon! # 4486 left UK already. I opted for air ship to California. First picture is of the car being readied for departure from the Swindon Ferrari dealership last week. It arrived LA last night. I am scheduled to receive the car Tuesday or Wednesday. Christmas came a little early! Image Unavailable, Please Login I have the garage space for it ready. The Dino just fits. The E-type nose is tucked in enough to allow the cars to coexist. It has been without an engine since February when the engine blew up. Another story but this car will likely get on the road by the end of this year. Image Unavailable, Please Login I have been slowly piecing more about the car's history, but would love to get Marcel to develop a report about this car. Hopefully that can happen and this can help plug the holes in the car's history, especially before 2001. If you read this Marcel, I'll also send you a private message. Not my first Ferrari. I recently found this old picture when I owned and tracked a 1987 328GTS. Great car. I was also in SCCA racing (group 2, Formula Mazda). The driver has changed a little since then.... Sold the car in early 2000's and almost immediately regretted it. Image Unavailable, Please Login I have started buying the special tools for the Dino. Valve adjust tool, shims. I don't see any tool for timing chain tensioning - I guess this is just a set amount? I'll do more research. The coolant, oils are pretty close to the fluids I use for the E-type and XK120. I'll flush and use Zerex G-05 after some experience running the car. I'll post after receiving it. I have not seen the car yet. Do I feel nervous? Absolutely. I think I feel like a man about to meet his mail order bride...involved AND committed Any pointers on what to look for to confirm good engine and other mechanical functioning appreciated. I'll be looking at the usual suspects. By the way, I found out this car has "Permatune" electronic ignition. https://permatune.com/portfolio/ferrari-246-dino-ignition-module/ I was about to explore using a 123Ignition system (bluetooth) as I have installed three of them on XKEs, two on the V12. My latest install was captured in this thread on Jag-lovers: https://forums.jag-lovers.com/t/installing-a-bluetooth-enabled-123ignition-distributor-on-a-xke-s3-v12/413476 I look forwards to start contributing in this manner as well for this car. I see that others have posted very informative content on this site such as changing fluids, timing, etc. Any experience or comments about this system? I now need to learn what this unit is all about. It seems the biggest plus is that it maintains the original look of the car. It also seems to have a BT or USB programming capability with options. I'll see soon if I have it.... Thanks for reading this introduction and I look forward to engaging with all of you to keep these beautiful cars on the road and sounding great.
As hoped for, received the Dino on Wednesday and it is very close to my expectations. Very nice paint and overall finish. Test drive really made me a believer for this car. Took it up the Santa Cruz mountains this morning from Saratoga to the summit/Skyline to Alice's, a car and motorcycle meetup place here in the valley. The car tracks well, no shimmies, well aligned, brakes and clutch flawless. The car also does not leak, something that is surprising for an owner of two classic Jags. The sound of this car is really special. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login I had noticed a whistle/whine of the engine that concerned me at first but I also hear it on numerous YouTube videos of Dino test drives. A friend told me it is the straight cut gears of the oil pump and/or driving the cam chains. Is this right? No rattles, clunky noises, just solid. A short video taken during my first 10' of driving the car has the sound. Comments welcome - is it that or something else? https://www.dropbox.com/s/u69y631kzk14mbm/IMG_9379.MOV?dl=0 As for the bumpers, miurasv is spot on. It is a single bumper bracket, not two. I am convinced this was done in Japan during the "EU spec" conversion. I have to say it looks great. Still running UK tags...! Have not been tagged by the CHP yet but I have checked and have some time to register it. Will get this done next week if possible. There is only one issue and that is the transmission syncros. I have experience with cars and tracked a 328GTS for years. I just feel that the synchros are on the worn side since they do not engage easily, especially first sometimes after a stop. I have come to use double clutching for everything else and that's fine for now. At the stop light, getting into first is sometimes difficult and I have to go back to neutral and try again. Any pointers? I am avoiding exerting undue force and have waited for the gearbox to be fully warmed up. I am not sure but believe a tranny refresh is in my future. Maybe not even next year, but unless there is a trick to shifting I have never heard about that resolves this, I think the synchros are worn. One possibility is to change the transmission fluid to something else that may help engage more reliably. Any ideas? I heard Swepco makes a good formulation that helps in this regards. Overall, this isn't a big issue. I always try to image what I'd conclude if I saw this before I had purchased the car. The answer is a solid yes, I would still buy it. Thanks for all the good pointers and I look forward to engaging more as a brand new, freshly minted Dino driver...!
Dino's are notorious for the cold 2nd gear crunch, so just skip 2nd gear when cold and just go 1st<->3rd. When I switched transmission oil to Redline MTL, no more 2nd gear crunch even when cold...huge, huge improvement! https://www.amazon.com/Red-Line-50205-75W80-GL-4/dp/B002INJ69I/
Thanks HMB-Dino for the pointer. I have used Redline MTL in my long ago sold 328GTS with good luck. I also heard some other pointers at the Laguna Seca track today. Went there with the Dino to - well - to just drive it really and also to meet up with Edward 96GTS. Here is are some pics of the car there and one with Ed & I (Ed on right). Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login The car ran great and I am smitten. Took the long way home by going through Aptos & a winery at the summit. Any reason really to drive it. The pointers included Mobil 1 with some additives as needed (thickeners & another is Moly Disulfate). i guess not at the same time.... I'll continue looking into it but I think going to Redline MTL would be a good start.
