212 Export Vignale Coupe by 275gtb6c

10 minute(s) of a 26 minute read

The car is at my Mechanic's place for:
installing 4 point (invisible and detachable) safetybelts, new clutch, bigger electric fan, tow points front and rear, some engine adjustments and an overall check-up with oil changes. After this month we will put some more km's on her and I will try to convince Marianne that 1600 km's in 2,5 days in a 58 year old car with no legroom, noise, smell is a piece of cake.....and a lot of people -amongst mine- dream.
ciao
Oscar

ps I skipped the modifications of the chairs and adding of the mirrors. I found a rather comfy position of driving the car and I didn't need the mirrors so far. Getting in and out is terrible though.

4-19-2009

Today we went for a drive and to answer some questions about the temp/pressure:

oil pressure when driving stays in 3.5 to 4 on the scale to 5.
oil temperature (Julio asked for that): I measured this after a long drive, outside temp was about 15dg C, oil was 84C, water 76C. I did not put the car very hard though. It was measured with a infrared meter at the sump(oil) and radioator/heads (water).
Carbs need to adjust still as giving full throttle engine stalls a bit.

Sad to say but I had to install a modern tripmaster....But easy to remove without trace. To install was quite a job though, while the sensor is placed in the km cable.

Julio, any progress at your site?

5-8-2009

She is ready for Brescia and we are almost ready to rock.....

5-19-2009

Christian , same to us. We hardly made pics during the rally as we did not have time for it.

Thanx for the pics Cris, during these pics I was rather frantic as my papers from the organisation were gone....and they almost rejected my tires as there was no E sign on them (but also no race tires) so they allowed me to use them.

It was a fantastic event and met quite a few nice people, also from ferrarichat. The dutch gang is unbelievable but the Italians beats everything. Every child, grandmother or schoolboy has genes with cars. Rome was historic on every point of view. Driving through the empty streets is unique.

5-20-2009

My (brief) story......

3 years ago I started to really want to join the MM before turning 50...I was already sourcing some cars and found 0128E after visiting quite a few. The queeste is a big part of the fun. After getting the car to my stamping grounds we prepared it by adding a fan, even in my country the cooling was highly inadequate. We installed a new clutch with race padding and renovated the brakes. I also wanted to do something about the chairs and mirrors but during the time driving it I found my way without modifying or adding them. We had some problems with ignition (4 points) but solved this. Tow points (highly recommended!) front/rear, 4 point period (as far as you can say this) safety belts installed and we had shift over backrest headrest (easy detachable) for my wife, but I found them comfy too. Of course prepartion was done by checking the valve clearance and other logical things. We brought an extra battery as Julio recommended. And this was more than usefull!

We transported the car to Brescia on Friday (a big relieve while from there the car was out of my control and save on transport. I added besides the battery a full toolset, spares and fluids. I think I was the only Ferrari without a support team!

We flew to Brescia (Bergamo) with Ryanair! After arrival, we went to Lago di Garda with friends (with a Riva and champagne, what a start). That day was also used to do the scutineering and I was pretty frantic as I lost some very important papers and the tyres did not have the E sign on them......Normally this means race tyres and thus not allowed (anyone joining a future MM, check this beforehand as this is a no go!). We met Julio and his brother (great guys!!) and some dutch friends also from fchat. The fair hall was not romantic, but very comfortable and accessable. Organisation very friendly and well organised.

Ok, next day we slep long, and went at 10.30 with the car (race number 151) under police escorte to Brescia centre. From there every single person went crazy for the next 2,5 days. The people just love any old car and the MM is in the genes of every child, grandmother or any other person alive and grown up with pasta. After parking the car we picked up some presents (nice watch from chopard) and met some friends. After comfy waiting we went to the MM museum (early) because I was eager in getting there. We were not the first....Before leaving I started the car and instantly heard it was not running on 12....The mechanic from the car next to us (166 MM) had a temp gun and pointed that 6 and 9 were not firing....Good start. The trip the MM was good as I had some time to change the sparkplugs of these, and I wanted to kiss the mechanic for preventing me getting all 12 out......
In the MM museum a young guy came out (he worked there) to inform me that he actually dont liked Ferraris but fell in love with this little car. Very nice guy with all the info of the MM at hand. He new every winner or incident since the start.
After changing the plugs we had some food and at around 20.00 h we went for the start.....Car was running fine and we were on our way. After 500 meters we saw the red/black Ferrari 195S in fire.....They had bad luck...The trip to ferrara was great fun, not too long and My thoughts as the MM being a parade went stronger. But the screaming crowds were fantastic.

Next day (friday) went up at 6, prepared the car (that was next to Julio's) and we went for Rome .....through the mountains.....and rain......and no brakes (well period ones)....ad a 30kg battery in the back and a tank with 120 l gas...Every single corner oversteer. That day we saw 4-6 accidents, people crying next to there just ruined cars. A guy with hands in the air who just crashed his Mondial...(would have been a great picture but I did not found this appropriate..) The drizzle rain went stronger and the passes higher. This was really working but the car went fantastic! A 1951 Ferrari is a great car, lot of power and torgue, no brakes and suspension. But if you get used to this, a great car to drive. And you wont get used to your car at a highway or local event. In the mountains you will know (mayby too late) what is possible with it and what is not....) The cars that crashed in front of us was a big warning to us.

Then at around 22.00 or so we arrove in Rome. Quite a chaos as a lot of cars outside somewhere at a bus station. At that time my battery was runnning low and people got irritated by too many cars, too little room, too much crowd. We went with an escorte to the centre of Rome, but my car wouldnt start. Marianne organised with a smile some guys and we went with a large police escorte to the very centre of Rome. And there my battry gave up.....But I had a spare one in the back. Not the most common thing to carry with you but I quickly installed the fresh one (quite a job in the very centre of Rome with a lot of people wanted to see a Ferrari engine....but no one asking stupid jokes! From there the tour through Rome started and this is unbelievable. Empty streets, all the tourist attractions and police everywhere just pushing you to drive harder.....(my top was 120....) I can spent hours in trying to describe this but I wont even try to do so.

We parked the car in a garage and went with the empty battery and a charger (yes I even brought one) to the hotel (how romantic...) and we slept like 2.00 need to get up at 6.00....but we slept a little longer....(so we lost a lot of points.)

From Rome to Brescia is a nightmare....about 700km's and a lot of (beautiful) cities...Screaming people but also dubbel declutching evey single gear! My feet were tired, concentration get worse and dangerous situations occured. I saw pretty late a railcrossing was closed.....Thanx to all the people outside (and a very good and friendly navigattress) we went through Sienna to Florence. We know Florence very well and it was fantastic driving through those streets. All non MM cars driving with us (big fun as they respect old cars). All the way to Maranello, bringing the old banger back to her stamping ground. But what a farce this was. Only some uninterested chitchatting people with an obligatoire drive through the factory. We got some Ferrari pins thrown into our cars and hop we where out......No fun, no respect, no screaming crowd, no atmosphere...Outside the factory, the yelling and enthousiast people were present again..

From Maranello we still had about 4 hours to go.....And this part was the hardest. Still some cities to visit, it got darker and we got tyred. But still we managed and the kisses at Brescia were real. My God what was this fantastic. Marianne asked me: will you do this again, somewhere between Maranello and Brescia and at time I was hesitating, but in Brescia this was clear! We will do this again!

Thanx to every nice fchatter and espacially Julio and his brother!

Some pics without comment,