Erik, yes true, I'm biased, but my view was usually with Farrah in the passenger seat.
John: So much history here. Between photo #1 in Italy, and my receiving the car in California, some serious pilfering occurred. I believe this occurred in Italy and not in Iran where there wasn't a use for the parts for other cars by anybody. The headlight lifting switch, both window lifting switches, rare original 8-track player, and the shift knob were all non-original items as applied in the hasty restoration in Italy. It was I who sourced the correct items via trusty old Bill at GT car parts in Phoenix. Also stolen was the entire valuable AC unit/compressor/condenser/brackets etc. I believe this was done in Italy, and the car was then of course converted to twin distributors like a non-AC car. I believe the owner there was a Miura novice (like me at that time) and was somewhat taken advantage of. It was what it was, but I can tell you when I first received the car my heart sank. With my effort, and yours, the car is now in a much better place.
Raymond: unlike Miura 4934, I'm not sure 4870 ever went to St Moritz, and I think it went directly to Teheran.
Sigh... A spectacular specimen. 2 Italian beauties--life gets no better. Also--I love how your collection looks in that building. Nice contrast between the old, industrial building and all that Bertone perfection.
I'll post good pictures of the building when done. It's got great bricks like an old car factory. Lots of period signage, and super large black and white period photos of the cars on the assembly line. A period museum.
I certainly hope not. They likely consider it stolen property. I hope the new owner has enough sense to keep it away from there.
John, Regarding the garage, are you planning to do anything with the flooring? Mood lighting? Those two things and it will look unbelievable. Matthew
Hardly. Although I make mistakes like everyone else, I rarely do so when it involves facts that pertain to something I experienced with something I owned. The photo # 1 was taken in Iran before the car spirited out of the country. Most of the original fittings you see in that pic were long gone by the time the car was received by me in the USA. As I stated in post # 259, I sourced all the correct components from Bill at GT car parts in Phoenix, and Rafi Selian (the latter was especially invaluable). Fact is, I was being quite accurate in my assertion that many original things were missing from this car when I received it. Original items stolen or missing from 4870 when I received it include: - Original headlight raising switch missing. It was replaced by a unit I have seen on other makes. I sourced the correct unit and replaced it. - Both original (2) window raising switches missing. Fiat/Ferrari type units were used in their place. I sourced correct units and installed them. - Original Blaupunkt 8-track player missing. My later 4884 built around the same time has the same unit and it was a rare application, a new thing for the era, very cool. I can imagine the Shah or Princess Ashraf listening to Frank Sinatra on this! Really unfortunate it was taken. - Original shift knob missing. The car came from Italy with something I could not even identify as a Miura knob. I simply threw it away. I sourced a correct unit after much aggravation and replaced it. - Original Kangol seat-belts missing. I sourced correct items and replaced these. - Original passenger-side dashboard flip-vents (3) all missing, and AC operation knobs (2) with Borletti embossed plate also missing. I will not tell you what I went through sourcing those items. In the Italian resto they simply covered up the holes!!!!! - Entire original AC system, condenser, compressor, brackets etc missing. An absolutely priceless system, the AC was present in only 20% of all SVs, and consider that it was the MOST expensive option that could be ordered with a new SV! Find one today? Priceless. The car was converted in the hasty restoration in Italy back to a twin distributor system. To this day, I don't think the the AC system has been re-installed, John correct me if I am wrong here, and I'm happy to be. - Entire original front hood was replaced in Italy using P400/S unit. Of course we shaped it better, but it never took the true low & wide 'long-nose' form of the SV's unit, something I only learned after many years of looking at many cars. - Original front SV driving lights missing. I sourced these. - Original front SV bumper missing. I got one from Rafi, but it wouldn't fit as the front hood was not originally SV so Gary fabricated a unit that worked and Rafi took the part back. - Original tools missing. I personally assembled the tools you currently see in 4870 and had the 2 tool bags made by Luis. - Original books & manuals missing. I personally assembled all the books & manuals, brochures, literature, history, records, at huge time, expense & effort. - Original rubber (at the time hard-to-get) spare tire straps missing. I sourced these and replaced them. - Original rubber battery cover missing. I sourced this and replaced it. Id say given all the aforementioned, there is no exaggeration whatsoever about the original components that were taken off 4870 before it came to the USA, and no mistake in my assertion. None. I'm sure if you received a new car and it was pointed out to you that all the aforementioned original items were missing, you'd say that was quite significant! No exaggeration. Anyway, this car was a great teacher to me from the day I set eyes on it 12 years ago, and to me, that learning curve and that priceless experience is all that matters. It simply sharpened my knowledge for the cars. Accordingly it was still a positive experience overall, and I feel that each of the 5 Miura SVs I have subsequently owned has been increasingly better, both mechanically & cosmetically, if not historically. I must have learned something! Incidentally, some might ask: just WHAT then did you receive with this car??? Well, I got the car, an old green-and-white Teheran license plate and a Trophy the car won in 1993 right after the Italian restoration for "The Best Miura" (feel free to *roll eyes* here if you wish - I did!) as below. I'm keeping the trophy forever, along with the memories. I looked at the car's paperwork closely right before I sold it to Jim S and it showed that even the Teheran plate that came the car is not for this particular car! Add that to the missing original items list! The Teheran number on the paperwork matches the one in the photos upon the car's arrival in Italy, but here too, its missing and is not what came with the car. Fortunately when I pointed this out to Jim he said he didn't care! So, the bottom line is, although I'm often wrong, in this case I was more correct than I care to remember! Good times... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Joe Abraham Lincoln is said to have offered to an associate that "if every your blood boils at an opponent, right the letter and keep it in a drawer for a day before sending" it's good advice. I consider you a friend, and I have no further interest in this car, so allow me to reel in a bit before you go too far: 1). All of the amazing unoriginal ransacking of the interior that occurred (for no apparent reason) amounts to 3 switches and a shift nob. 2) the nose was arguably replaced. Big deal (let's not go any father with this bc someone used this replacement nose to argue that the shah had an original SVJ mods on it) 3) the AC internals were gone. 4) it didn't have original tires This makes you mad at Simon Kidston. I understand. But let's not let your outrage at him try to downplay an amazing car. Most perfect restorations need switches and tires replaced. And finding manuals and books. Outrage at sourcing these things seems misplaced. As for the significance of winnng best Muira at the factory, well I no more roll my eyes than the author of the write up in the Lambo Registry. Let's "tread lightly" on previous staements you've made about 4870. Don't want a lawyer to go through yours do we? All joking aside: 4870 has been perfectly restored to the spec that the shah had it in (yes the 8 track is missing). Let's just say you and I spent money correcting pervious mistakes and (which cost you and I 100s of thousands to correct) and be proud that it was finally put right! 4)
If this is the person I think it is he is NOT Swiss. Not at all. Nor would I describe him as a gentleman. Just my 2 cents, of course. Marcel Massini Switzerland
I stand absolutely corrected good sir! I meant Swiss-based. Hope you are well. Did you get the GTO Reunion mini-book? Margaret will send it if you did not. Please let me know.
John. No downplaying whatsoever when stating the FACTS about a car I was very proud to own, and was responsible for rescuing. Quite frankly, I have waited many years to share the details, and you'll note Ive not done so prior to your selling. The bottom line is when I received this car, it had many many original components missing, and that is an inescapable FACT. My post above detailing the loss of all those items is 100% correct, and your summary of same is incomplete, and thats just the way it is. One thing we can both agree on is that it is a very historic and special Miura.
I was not there, so I can not say for sure..BUT one possabilty, rather than blaming the people in Italy for "removing" the items...and probably more likely.../ During shipping, I have had the experiance that while in shipping small items, even wheels and tires, have disappeared. I have had wheels and tires swaped, books, tools, anything that was not bolted down so to speak come up "missing" from load time on the Sea cargo to un-load time. They are well aware of the insurance amount deductable and work on the cars items with that amount in mind... I have never had an issue with air transport. Oh and I thought I was the ONLY ONE allowed to use caps here..? LOL LOL "No downplaying whatsoever when stating the FACTS about a car"
Never ever ship a car by sea. I have had my share of experience. Air Cargo ONLY. Never had a problem except that once a big aircraft spit hydraulic oil on the front of a freshly restored 410 Superamerica Ferrari while waiting at JFK. It cost the insurance about 65 Grand $. Sorry for the rant. Marcel Massini
I promise to tone it down Its just that I saw these things with my own eyes, and recorded them so I wanted to emphasize the veracity of my assertion. As the great Lenny Bruce said: "Who you gonna believe, me, or your own eyes??" Or something similar.
