Opening Pandora's Box

Good practical approach Jim...

Your car was a "show car". Show cars can be anything from a body buck to a production car. The fact that it wasn't very practical as a 1968 show car doesn't mean that you shouldn't be able to enjoy it in today's world. Having ignition that will fire cold plugs is a mod that you made for "comfort and convenience". So long as you can put it back to the original condition when you want to, I see no downside to the mods you have made to be able to enjoy the car in classic cruise events and the like. Same thing for the air filters, why eat up a very valuable engine when you are running on the street. If you were vintage racing and putting on modern fuel injection to gain a performance advantage I wouldn't think that to be acceptable, but I would be doing pretty much the same thing if it were mine.

If it makes it more likely that you will use the car in classic events, and let us all enjoy seeing it up close and personal, I think we are all better for it.

Some purists might want you to keep it absolutely the way it was when built, but it's your car and you should be able to enjoy it the way you want.

 

Nice idea, very pratical!

Some owners keep their Ferraris in personal museums (or just in "living room"), protected, and that cars are driven really for little miles every year.
But this isn't your case: you bought that beauties for driving and enjoing them. So this is the best choiche.

Regards

Alan

 

Great mods. Why should one have to choose between authenticity and practicality. Once again you prove to be a fine steward of our heritage.

 

The key is caring enough to use the cars as intended and preserving them at the same time. While I appreciate the need to sometimes choose between the two its great to see am effort to reconcile what are often mutually exclusive goals.

 

Bolt on/bolt off is a great approach Jim. We have many cars in our club that make bodywork/wheel and suspension changes just to purely go on track without ruining the original parts.
A great and practical approach to what is today becoming a very confused collectors market

 

Good thoughts. It is very tough to draw a line so to speak. Originality is limited and I don't know that it could apply to consumable items (brakes etc.) but then again over a long enough time frame everything on the car is consumable.

On a semi-related note I just don't understand the allure of Classiche certification via restamping the block. It still is likely not the original block but the stamp doesn't change anything. It just proves someone was willing to spend a good deal of money. This stamp doesn't make the engine original or anything. My personal opinion of the Classiche program has inevitably slipped through here, and I hate to take this thread off topic but I can't help but feel its real purpose is thinly veiled.

In terms of originality I think a correct engine is more important than original tires. Then again where would something in between fall, after all there are many GTO's out there with plenty of panels that aren't original.

 

in a strange twist of fate, had the subtle changes only been made a couple of months ago, they would have been original to the car and as delivered new to the first owner.

 

Great to know the car will be driven and enjoyed as the intention of its original purpose.

 

Very similar to what I've done with my cars, but to a much more modest extent than you have, of course. Anything that will enhance the performance, reliability and safety of the car is OK to change, as long as a re-conversion to original is possible and practical.

Jack.

 

And does it matter when the damage happend? I mean a few panels wrecked at Le Mans in the 60's would seem to add not detract value from the car. I have always thought the history was what was important. Otherwise you can end up with a Theseus' Ship paradox where you can't figure out which one of several cars rebuilt from parts of one original car can hold claim to the identity of the original car.

 

This brings to the forefront the 'recreations' or clones of several important cars - a particular GTO comes to mind - where the owner felt that he wanted a drivable example that wouldn't expose the original to risk. The issue I believe is one of disclosure, not of the mods or even the clones that are done or built post the original production.

I applaud your practicality Jim. That car is way too beautiful not to be driven, especially in the glorious countryside of Northern Italy where it was conceived. Enjoy it, and all of your lovely machines in good health always.

 

Remember how Italians think

The fact that FERRARI have now stamped that block with the right number makes it that number, because they can do what they like. Remember no different to Ferrari originally stamping the block, as far as they are concerned. And they have a weird point.

If I owned a really, really important historic, I would run a non-original engine ... but this contradicts my hate of replica makers/owners/supporters taking all the spare parts from people who desperately need them for real restorations. Thus maybe I would rebuild the original engine with Carello rods, brand new crank and pistons, etc. to massively reduce the chance of damage to that block and heads.

Pete

 

+1

 

i like your approach on the holy metal from maranello !

 

Jim the solution for your weighty problem seems very logical. New doors in carbon raise an interesting question; what kind of paint will be used for the new doors? Also how is the shade matched up with the 'old' aged original paint in these modern times? Thanks
CH

 

Jim, the Dino looked magnificent on display, and we gave it our two votes for the people's choice. But, watching how carefully you had to operate the doors at Villa d'Este, it makes perfect sense to use the light ones for both safety and preservation reasons. Ditto the other safety and reliability additions/substitutions so that the car can see the light of day on real roads, without unnecessarily risking the structure or the people. With Pininfarina doing the work, the alternate systems should bolt on and off whenever necessary. This historic car is in good hands and many more people will be able to enjoy seeing it, both on display AND being driven the way it should be.

Regards,

Jim and Molly Walker
365 GT 2+2 #12451

 

Great idea, great execution.

Pandora need not worry.

 

I never liked her . . .

Great work (as usual), James.