I just saw a photo of my old 212 Barchetta at Pebble Beach Concours. Why was it restored with such glaring mistakes? I checked out the history of that car when I owned it, and still have the build sheet, and South American owner/race History, from it being sold as a new car in Montevideo. The trim was never tan, it was grey from new - -I guess it looks smarter, but wrong. Chrome wire wheels were never on that car - -always painted/polished rims. I guess it looks flashier, but wrong. The hood scoop has been reduced in size --- why? Someone told me that it has been re-united with its original motor. All that was left of the original, was 1 cylinder head, that was put in the scrap bin, as it was too far gone to consider. The original was wrecked in Argentina, and replaced with a 340, which after a while was replaced with a Chevy. I replaced this with a 250 when I restored the car in the early 70's, as there wasn't a 212 to be found anywhere on the planet! Why don't owners/restorers ever check out the car's history, before they make the first cut ?
100% agree with you Don, except for the hood scoop : I doubt the large one (as it was raced in South America) was original. The small one is probably the good one...
In June 1997 Emilio Comelli in Brescia, Italy, had the original engine 0136 E. August 27, 1999, the car was sold to Jack Croul who then also bought the original engine 0136 E via Gabriele Artom from Comelli. Croul then had it reunited with the car. Photos show engine number, internal engine number, chassis number. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
With the greatest respect, it is no longer your car. Whoever owns its now can do what ever the hell they like with it. We may not like it, but that's the way things go sometimes
so, the guy who owned this car for a protracted period, and seems to have been arouind when the original 212 motor grenaded/blew up/burned to the ground-in short passed to the next reality-states there was NOTHGING left, AND the sole surviving head got tossed into the trash can(seems to indicate by inference he witnessed this,...how in the world did some guy "re-unite it with the "original motor" I'm somewhat confused by the pictures furnished by Mr. Massini-a well know stickler for details, and documentable proff stuff... How can this be? Or am I being guilty of saying that: "the emporer isn't wearing ANY clothes?"
" Why was it restored with such glaring mistakes? " Dear Mr. Nelson, I'd like to take this opportunity to first thank you for your stewardship of this fantastic vehicle. I'd also like to thank you for your interest in its current configuration. The vehicle was restored to what is know as a "build sheet" specification. This is pretty standard really. This means the build sheet is the second most important document in the restorer's possession. The most important document is that which expresses the goals, wishes and objectives of the vehicles owner, period. " I checked out the history of that car when I owned it, and still have the build sheet, and South American owner/race History, from it being sold as a new car in Montevideo. The hood scoop has been reduced in size --- why? Chrome wire wheels were never on that car - -always painted/polished rims. I guess it looks flashier, but wrong. " As you are aware from your above stated possession of the build sheets for 0136 E, the vehicle was manufactured by Ferrari with superleggera coachwork by Touring. Near the beginning of August 1951 0136 E was set for display at the XXXVIII Motor show in Paris, France which ran from October 4-10, 1951. While on the show stand in Paris, 0136 E had its photograph taken by many, many photographers I'm sure. One of those photographers was Rodolfo Mailander ,and his photographs are documented in a fantastic book by Karl Ludvigsen. These photographs were utilized while the restoration of the exterior was underway. Your mention of the hood scoop and chromate wheels. All of these photographs clearly display the use of chromate wheels and small hood scoop. Chromate wheels were available in period and thus deemed permissible IF adequately documented. This is the configuration to which Ferrari constructed this vehicle. Finding earlier evidence to contradict the necessity of these corrections is very unlikely. " The trim was never tan, it was grey from new - -I guess it looks smarter, but wrong." Mr. Nelson you are 100% correct by stating that this car has not been restored to its original color configurations. In fact, the original color was found under the windscreen pedestal while it was being dismantled. A "camera shot" of that color was taken and archived in the event the current owner would wish to use that color. As we know that was not the case. Original Blu interior trimmings were also found. A different color choice was made in that department as well. While original colors are preferred, period colors are deemed acceptable. However this standard is beginning to change. For a different thread perhaps? This magnificent little boat was equipped, by Ferrari, with a single Weber 36 DCF carburetor in 1951. This is the configuration which the vehicle was restored to and is currently being enjoyed in. This means work to the hood which was modified to accommodate the three Weber set in 1956(ish), needed to be returned to its original configuration. "Someone told me that it has been re-united with its original motor. All that was left of the original, was 1 cylinder head, that was put in the scrap bin, as it was too far gone to consider. " The original engine was removed somewhere in the mid to late 1950s and "discarded." "One man's trash" as the saying goes. Once the 212 was removed, a 340 with three Webers was installed, followed by an American V8, and after extensive chassis and ancillary tube modifications, a Ferrari 250. Lets not get into all the braking modifications that were made. 0136 E was reunited with its original engine in 1999(ish). Mr. Massini has kindly provided evidence of its current configuration. I'm unsure of what else needs to be said on this subject. "Why don't owners/restorers ever check out the car's history, before they make the first cut ?" The restoration of vehicles which have this kind of value both economically and historically is NOT taken lightly. Leading restoration firms all over the world know this and practice it every second of every day of every year. To make a categorical statement like this is flat wrong. Every square millimeter of every shred of evidence is obsessed over...and over...and over. This is not to compromise however, the expressed goals, wishes and objectives of the vehicles owner, period.
The car shown at Paris and now supposed to be 0136E (first thought to be a 340 America) did have a very bright colour, certainly not red (for comparison 0135E standing next to her was red/black roof).
When 0136E came to Europe through Colin Crabbe both engine and gearbox were missing. Are you saying the orginal gearbox is in the UK?
Hmmm ... a few interesting things worth studying here: 1. Was 0136E really the show car? 2. How the heck did the original engine survive, or did it? All very interesting Pete
So the engine that was toast according to the thread starter must not have been the original engine then, I guess? Pete
On the build sheet for 0136E, it states that the motor seized while on test. Is this the motor that turned up later in Italy, whilst a second, new 0136E went to the South American buyer ? There was also a story that whilst the car was sold as a new vehicle to Pike and Co., the importers in Montevideo, Uruguay, it had actually been raced prior to sale, and was re-furbished at the factory, and then sold as a new car. If it was the Paris Show car, and I never found anything to justify this, it might well have been a different color. I bought the car from Colin Crabbe, as a basket case, and there was that much bondo and paint on the car, we filled a 55 gallon drum when it was stripped. For several years, I had as a paperweight on my desk, a section of bondo/paint that was around 1.5 inches thick, and it showed 7 different colors plus primers ! In places, the swage line down the body sides had almost disappeared ! I just hope that the new owner uses the car as much as I did in England and France. It was a lot of fun, summer or winter. Don
Is this transmission available? I have connection to the current owner of 0136 E and if it is available, he may be interested in acquiring it.
