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Last of the "Hand-built" cars ?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by PerryJ, Nov 9, 2004.

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  1. patpong

    patpong Formula 3

    Jul 6, 2004
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    Patpong Thanavisuth
    #26 patpong, Nov 9, 2004
    I say the Enzo... Hand Assemble and all those carbon fiber panels are hand lay before the oven. The Enzo is still hand build but in a different way as the old days....
    Even F1 car today are put together by hands... not many robots
     
  2. atheyg

    atheyg Guest

    #27 atheyg, Nov 10, 2004
    Their is a difference between hand built automation like a $6 an hour factory worker vs highly paid skilled craftsmen that learned from previous generations to hand build a car fom nothing, using the same tools they did, thats the charm of a hand built Ferrari, built like a custom made racecar, each car unique like a piece of art vs a super robot that makes everything exactly the same like a photocopy, might as well buy a Honda.

    The old Ferrari engines were hand poured from hot aluminum in the foundry to sand castings and then hand assembled, I'll take the flaws and mistakes with the many things that are unique to the car its part of the charm, You know a 275GTB is different than others from the hand building, each is individual as its owners.

    You want perfection and automation buy a Corvette each is exactly the same.
     
  3. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    #28 Texas Forever, Nov 10, 2004
    While I understand your point, I don't agree with the premise. The key is not whether Luigi personally laid hands on the belly pans of your car. It is instead the care with which the car has built.

    Ask any experienced Ferrari tech or body man about the quality control or lack of it in the older production cars. Back in the day, for example, Ferrari had to use gobs of filler in body panels to get those pretty curves.

    Said another way, it doesn't matter whether the pieces to a jigsaw puzzle are cut by hand or a machine. What matters is the care used in putting the pieces together.

    Dale
     
  4. Ken

    Ken F1 World Champ

    Oct 19, 2001
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    #29 Ken, Nov 10, 2004
    Um...planes ARE hand built! But I agree for cars, automation makes for much higher quality control.

    Ken
     
  5. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    #30 Texas Forever, Nov 10, 2004
    Are you saying that the panels in a 737 are pounded out by hand? I'm never flying again! :)

    Dale
     
  6. PerryJ

    PerryJ Formula 3

    Jun 5, 2003
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    #31 PerryJ, Nov 10, 2004
    i think it boils down to quality or character.

    I like machine-made planes, but hand-made shoes.

    I think with Ferrari hand-made equals care. It shows they CARE about the cars not just about the money, (ok, it least I like to pretend it not all about the money for them) ;)
     
  7. Ken

    Ken F1 World Champ

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    #32 Ken, Nov 10, 2004
    I don't know about that, but all planes are assembled by hand, from Pipers to 767's. I wouldn't worry about the panels; I'd worry about the secruity at the airport making you miss the flight!

    Ken
     
  8. dwhite

    dwhite F1 Rookie

    May 30, 2003
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    #33 dwhite, Nov 10, 2004
    Machines provide consistency, hand beaten panels have "character". Early ferraris are asymetrical from all the hand-built steps.
     
  9. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
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    Pete
    #34 PSk, Nov 10, 2004
    Idealistic folly.

    Imagine you have a family and need a job, you manage to get a reasonable paying job at Ferrari working some machine or bolt part X on to car Y.

    It is just a job to you!!!

    You cannot expect every single person involved with Ferrari to be passionate fools about cars like we are, and even if they were when they got the job, after 5 years of bolting in v12 engines ... er, the allure of v12 engines probably gets pretty dull.

    I'm sure Ferrari have methods to reduce boredom, etc. but we do have to remember that Unions just about run Italy ... and that same worker mentality is why Alfa Romeo and FIAT have always struggled, and why FIAT do their very best NOT to have workers involved with building their cars.

    Yes a person working at Ferrari is higher up the quality chain I expect (?) than an assembly worker at say Alfa Romeo ... but they are still people like you and me, they have bad days, they get dumped by their girl/boy friends, etc. and thus their quality will be just as inconsistent.

    Not long ago we read on this site about a guy fixing his TR's hard starting issue as he found a wiring fault ... human error. This issue had plagued the car since new and I say well done to that chap for finding that, where other so called Ferrari trained experts couldn't.

    Quality does NOT equal hand built, even with shoes, clothes and cars (and Ferraris). It just makes us silly humans feel good that something with warm blood touch the product you just purchased.

    For example, if the 250GTO had been made 100% by robot and still had exactly the same history that it did, would it make any difference to how the car is perceived? ... ofcourse not.

    The most important part of a car comes in design, ensuring that a Ferrari has soul designed into it. That is the difference that separates Ferrari's from Hondas, not the build method.

    Pete
     
  10. atheyg

    atheyg Guest

    #35 atheyg, Nov 10, 2004
    Whats unique about the early Ferraris in low production is that they have custom fabricating a unique low production car down to a science.

    For instance, since each car is welded together with steel tubing its easy to modify or change a design on the fly vs a Corvette plant would require all new tooling, this is why Ferrari could make limited production cars there is little tooling other than your wooden bucks and blueprints primitive jigs etc, not having to invest heavily in dies for long production runs or having to cut corners or change a design because the tooling can't be made to work economically, everything is custom fabricated from tubes or alumium sheets, the interiors are made with cheap easy to make fibreglass parts which are easy to make molds for them, the rest of the parts can be used from other cars such as Fiats or Lancias.
    Each car was assigned its own team until finished yes someone can have a bad day but others in team will typically catch the error sure a machine doesn't get tired or need coffee breaks and makes everything exactly the same but people have always desired unique custom made items that are limited production made by craftsmen from hand carved furniture, rifles where you could get a Remingtom 700 at Walmart or a custom made piece costing thousands from a expert gunsmith with great mechanical knowledge, that makes the action move like hot butter vs the clunky Remington, to watches the Casio keeps better time than the Rolex etc.

    Ferrari has always been bigger than life in Europe I can imagine a factory worker would take great pride in his job there and they are paid well, I am sure many young boys aspired to work for Ferrari when they grew up.
     
  11. AJS328

    AJS328 F1 Veteran
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    Apr 23, 2003
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    #36 AJS328, Nov 10, 2004
    Awesome book!
     
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