Waiting for spring - and # 02038!

A little update on #02038. The car is still not on the road, but the big moment is getting very close now!

As some of you may recall, I celebrated a bit early when I took delivery of this car more than a year ago.
First test drive around the block showed that the transmission had to be pulled out, due to a lack of synchronization on 2nd and 3rd gears. Normally, that should not take long, but in this country the shortage of skilled labor is acute. All the competent individuals are booked up for months in advance. Still, I insisted on having the transmission sent to one of the few specialists in Sweden with experience in rebuilding Dino gearboxes. Because of that, the transmission did not come back until the end of the summer and the car could not be completed before the end of the driving season.
The time has not been completely wasted, though. A lot of work has been done to the car.

Not quite a re-restoration, but...
The whole car has been meticulously gone through. Several items needed attention. Ill-fitting batch boards replaced and trimmed to fit, missing fasteners in fiberglass fender liners installed, wiper motor linkage corrected and timed, etc., etc.
One unusual problem: Excessive play in the shift lever box due to enlarged hole where the shaft runs through the aluminum housing. Material had to be built up by welding and the box then set up in a jig, to be bored and reamed to exact fit. Quite a process for my mechanic/machinist/fabricator, but the shift linkage feels very precise now.

Everything is together now, waiting only for the last coil-over damper assembly to come back from rebuilding. Then it is on to the mandatory safety inspection before hitting the road again. According to the records, the last safety inspection was done 1988, so the car has been a No-Op (registered but not road-legal) for the last 29 years. When it is activated again, it will be a big moment.

The big IDF carbs/Stratos intake system will be sitting on the shelf for a while longer. First I plan some brake-in miles on the engine with stock carburetors, then the fun starts. In the meantime I am happy to hear about the positive experiences that Freeman has reported with his Stratos system.

First photo with engine out was taken one year ago. Little did I know how long...

Second photo is taken more recently: On the lift, engine and transmission in place. Interior is out because of the shift linkage work. I am told it is all back in place now.

Warm spring weather has just started to arrive in Scandinavia. Eagerly waiting for # 02038!

Update to follow soon, I hope.
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Thank you Peter. I am sorry to say though, it is not my shop. It belongs to the mechanic/fabricator I am working with, and who is doing most of the work. He is a super guy and he runs a clean spacious shop. He is just as meticulous as I am with mechanical things, but he has welding, machining and fabricating skills that I only could dream of. He is more like you, Peter. I envy both of you, for your ability to fabricate things.
He wants to keep a low profile, that is why I am not featuring him more. But he is the one who should have all the credit for the work done.
My own garage space is very modest, although I am trying to keep it reasonably clean, too.

Thanks for the well wishes. Yes, the spring weather is glorious at the moment. Makes us all want to take our Dinos out.

Best regards,
Lars

 

On the Road Again!

This time it is for real, and for good. The drive line is back in the car, and many other issues have been addressed and corrected during the down time. The car is coming along very well: The synchronization is now perfect and the engine is super strong.

Actually, this is a bit of a delayed report. It has been more than a month now since # 02038 was taken through the mandatory safety inspection and became legal for driving on the road. Since then, I have been busy driving it almost every day, breaking in the engine and getting everything dialed in. I am still doing some minor work and adjustments on it, but the main thing is that it is up and roaring, and on the road again.

So, to # 02038 I say: Welcome back to the world of living, breathing Dinos - after 29 years of hibernation!

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Thanks Peter. Feels good to be a Dino driver again, not just a Dino owner. Really enjoying it!

And thanks for the invitation. I will certainly keep that in mind if I am heading across to Denmark in the future.

Best,
Lars

 

Thanks Giotto, I forgot to provide the link. I have asked the moderator to merge the two threads, if possible. / Lars

 

Docf,
Nice to hear you enjoyed the story.
Yes, the Dino is really special, even with all its mechanical noises and idiosyncrasies. It is a joy to drive.

I envy you for having driven your Dino on the Daytona track. Must be a memory to treasure! / Lars

 

Andrew, thanks. It's been a journey, but it feels incredibly good to now be able to drive and enjoy the car.
Hard to describe the feeling of slipping in behind that familiar steering wheel again, looking out over the lovely dashboard and the gently curved fenders and then listen to the engine bursting into life right behind your back. All so familiar, but with considerably fresher and crisper sounds and responses from this car.

And yes, it would be great to have picture of Peter's car next to mine. Two different shades of metallic gray next to each other. Cool.
Lars

 

Thanks, Freeman. And you know better than anyone why I am so eager to put some miles on the engine, so I can move on to the next step. This engine feels like the ideal candidate for improved breathing on the intake side too. Can't wait!
Lars

 

Thank you Fred. It is such a joy to have the Dino in my garage again. I don't even put the car cover on it, because I am taking it out for a drive at least every other day or so. And that way I can also stop and admire it every time I walk into the garage! Always puts a smile on my face.

Yes, I also like Dinos in silver. That was an extra incentive to go with this car, when I found out that it was originally delivered in Argento. It will look even better when I get around to polishing and detailing it. That will come later. Right now I am concentrating on all the mechanical issues and adjustments. But, as mentioned, it is coming along very well and is already a thrill to drive!
Best,
Lars

 

Interesting. Thanks for the info and links, Freeman. I will consider that alternative, too.
The idea with simple mesh filters on each throat is appealing to me. I really like the looks of that setup.
But for now at least, I plan to use the parts I purchased with the car and see how they work out. That arrangement uses a simple tray on the carbs with foam filter strips sealing against the engine lid. The engine lid becomes the top of the air box, so to speak. That way I can also lead the crankcase fumes to be absorbed by the intakes, just like in the normal air box.

I have been working on the installation for the last few days, and will post some pictures.

 

Installing the big, bad 44 IDF carburetors.


These are the new Spanish made Weber 44IDFs. The good part is that they are readily available and reasonably priced. The bad part is that you have to buy the special top sections with fuel inlets on the short side, in order to make them fit on the Dino engine. Also, the quality and finish of these new generation Webers are inferior to the old Italian ones. But they can be made to work quite well.

Here they are, installed on the engine.

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The tray for the foam filters may not be the most elegant solution, but it does the job. Also, I like the fact that you can see the intake throats when you open the hood. Also makes it easy to troubleshoot any carburetor problems.
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Here is the completed installation.
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Drivng impressions?
Dino engine potential unleashed! Much quicker throttle response, more power across the whole register, but particularly at the top end. All accompanied by a furious, glorious sound that just can not be described!

Initially, I hade fears that 44 mm carbs would be too big and cause problems at low speeds. The old issue of being 'over carbureted'. After all, each cylinder is only 400 cc, the same as in an Alfa 1600 or Lotus Twin-cam engine. Those fears turned out to be unfounded. Transition from idle to low speed circuit is butter smooth with no hesitation. Drivability is not an issue at all. It is simply better than stock all around.
But the real stunner is acceleration at full throttle to the red line. Holy macaroni! The sound and the fury is hair-raising. Puts a grin on my face that takes hours to wipe off.

Needless to say, I am thrilled. This car is slowly turning out to be exactly the kind of Dino I had envisioned. Sure, lots of little problems remain to be solved and cosmetically some items could be improved upon. But the performance and excitement of driving this Dino is now exceeding even my wildest expectations.

 

Freeman,

They came with the set of parts I purchased with the car. I believe they are made by the same individual in Italy who makes the Stratos-type intake manifolds.

Lars

 

Peter, I agree. I have been thinking along the same lines. I need to plan a dyno run for the 44 mm setup anyway, in order to optimize jetting. It is fairly easy to switch between the two systems, but I don't know how practical it would be to do the swap at the dyno shop. Perhaps two trips would be better. I will look into it. Definitely would be interesting.

Lars

 

Andrew,
Yes, stock camshafts. Perhaps that is why it is still so sweet and drivable. Ferrari knows how to choose camshaft timings!
But higher compression pistons, approx. 10.5 : 1. Also, steel flywheel, a bit lighter than stock.
Stainless steel headers, similar to stock but 1 mm larger in dia. Stainless steel exhaust.
Otherwise all stock, just rebuilt with premium components.
Engine felt very strong even with stock intake. The larger carbs just seem to take everything one step further.

Lars