people confusing about BLACK MONDIAL , read please! best combo improve the car

I've owned a beautiful black Mondial. Personally, I think it is the best color for the Mondial.

Having said that, I currently own a Testarossa. The only people who would confuse the two, are those that think Ferrari only ever made one model!

Even at 100 yards, from any angle, the cars don't look anything alike. Yes they both have cheese graters on the side, but that is like saying a California and a 328 look alike because they both have grills. The "cheese grater" on a Mondial is, what, less than two feet long and flush with the car? On the Testarossa its 1/2 the length of the car, and over eight inches deep! I would be more inclined to agree on a 348/TR assessment. At least from a distance, they both have bars over the taillights and deep vents on the side, but a Mondial and a TR?

Really?

 

Joe some people will mix cars only because they have the same color. Imagine if it's red and have cheese graters on both. With the same horse on the hood. You're asking them too much ;-)

 

... with you on the black Mondial with a white interior. The exterior was originally red, but is now a deep metallic black thanks to the previous owner. The interior was originally tan, then dyed smoke grey by the same people that painted the exterior. When I got it, it was faded and the tan was starting to show through. Plus, a wet car cover was thrown in the back seat (by the prev. owner) and the leather shrunk and cracked. I could see the metal through the foam. I had it redone in the white, with an extra added touch on the headrests. Later, I had him cover the speaker grills in white leather and he punched holes in it to match the speaker grills in the doors. The results are outstanding.

Regards,
Brian
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FWIW, unlike the anniversary addition Countach, which is beautiful but full of aesthetic non functional add ons, every part of the Testarossa is highly functional. Indeed, it is a fascinating study in design.

The TR was the first Ferrari designed in a wind tunnel. It was also the first Ferrari to have side mounted radiators, which were inspired by F1 design and created a slew of design challenges.

If you look at the side strakes, you will see a few of them are very deep and the rest are shallow. During aerodynamic testing, they found that the strakes actually improved airflow to the side mounted radiators. Accordingly, the deep strakes actually assist in smoothing the airflow to the radiators, the remaining strakes were necessitated by European laws requiring radiators to have a protective barrier to prevent people from sticking their hands in. The black strips along the rear buttresses actually extract hot air from the engine. The grill in the front ducts send cool air to the front brakes and the lower grill sends air to the A/C. The hood vent is for the ventillation system. The knock offs on the original TR are real. The rear bar grille is aesthetic, but the entire mid section is open for engine cooling, much like the challenge grilles on newer Ferraris. If you look at the later 512M, you would probably agree the early bar grille design was a better choice.


Even the slight rear lip on the engine lid aids in downforce. The Car's aerodynamic profile allows it to literally stick to the road at speed. If you ever have the opportunity to drive a TR at high speed, you will be shocked how well it sticks to the road given the era in which it was built.

Ferrari also spent almost a year designing the single mirror (necessitated by their understanding of a European regulation at the time) on early TRs to make it as aerodynamic and functional as possible. Not an easy feat when you consider their understanding of the requirement was that the mirror had to offer an unimpeded view of behind the car.

As outrageous as the TR is, what separates it from the Countach is that is is function first, form second, it just happens to have been executed perfectly. If you look at the early design sketches for the TR, it is clear it could have gone very, very wrong!



Now back to your regular programming...

 

I like the Nero on Crema combo on the Mondial a lot, except for how dirty it almost always is if you drive regularly. Boy I wish I was doing this again next week. Bummer.
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True, but you're gonna have fun cleaning it anyway, and probably not any more often than with any other color. I give it a wipe down once a week during the summer. I think it gets dustiest just sitting in the garage with the top down. I have a cover, but I get lazy after waiting for it to cool down enough to cover it. I go over the outside and interior flat surfaces with a California duster while it warms up before I drive it. It's kind of a routiine.

Regards,
Brian

 

I know mine gets dusty in the garage. It shares the space with a diesel tractor and a snowmobile. It is harder to keep black cars clean IMO. That is from personal experience between our minivan, wagon, and my wife's car and my Mondial.

 

Ya know what, Jay? It's all good. Right?