I know the chassis is tube steel, does anybody know what kind of steel? Galvinized (zinc coated), HSLA, etc? What about chassis finish? Was it dipped in a vat of some sort? Painted? Any info would be great.
I haven't found any factory data that clarifies the type of steel used. Here is a summary from one publication: The Testarossa chassis consisted of square section steel tubes arranged in a strong matrix, like a racing car. This was Ferraris normal practice in chassis construction until the late 1990s. The Testarossa had a full tube steel chassis with a removable rear sub-frame containing the drivetrain and rear suspension. This gave the heavy rear of the car a double layer of support and simplified mechanical service. Vertical bulkheads at either end of the passenger cabin were of strengthened galvanized steel. The floorpan and front luggage bin were semi-monocoques bolted to the tubular chassis. The result is a passenger cabin with unsurpassed safety and an extremely rigid platform for a car with superlative performance. The 1991-94 model has a floor pan strengthened at high stress points by chromium-molybdenum steel. New welding techniques strengthened joints. The drivetrain and rear suspension were directly mounted on the full rear frame. These changes contribute to substantially increased torsional rigidity and decreased weight. As for mine (1988.5 TR) the chassis is painted (no powder coat back then) semi-gloss/satin black. Where the paint has worn through I don't see any evidence of primer. I suspect the completed chassis was fully dipped in a black primer/topcoat after assembly at ITCA and before transport to Pininfarina, but that's only a guess. I recall seeing some pretty heavy drips/runs on the chassis but that may have been the Dinol sprayed on later in the production process. Sorry I couldn't help more.
Thanks Tim, good info. So you think the steel chassis was dipped in a vat which covered it in paint, then the Dinol was sprayed on afterwords in certain areas? I think you are correct about the painting portion, because if I recall a friend who had a Testarossa years back had some paint chips on his engine subframe and he ended up getting that whole section repainted. Please correct me if I am wrong, but the Dinol is that stuff that is sprayed on that some people choose to leave, and other people choose remove because it gives a cleaner look where you actually can see it, correct? Pretty sure the same person I am talking about removed the stuff from his visible suspension components and in the engine compartment, and just maintained that himself in other ways that looked better.
Correct, I personally think it was dipped. The Dinol was applied at the very end of the assembly process once the entire drivetrain and suspension were installed. Ferrari applied it liberally and since it never fully cures it is a dirt magnet. Like your friend I have removed most of the visible Dinol, but I don't drive in harsh weather. Here are two photos from David Sparrows Testarossa book that look like they were taken during or after the Dinol was applied (looks fresh on the manifolds), though the tires and wheel arches are dirty so maybe after the roadcourse driving test--dunno but it shows how much Dinol was (over)sprayed. This is also being discussed here: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/boxers-tr-m/469444-512tr-rust-corrosion-issue-not-areas-check.html Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
So Tim, what is the best way to remove Dinol? I had a tuff time! Also, on the areas you removed the Dinol from what do you now use for rust prevention? I have heard, and been recommended to mist WD40 on. It seems to attract less dirt after it dries, so it is easier to keep clean. Plus it is easily removed and re-applied. Was curious if there was another solution?
