Ferrari Grigio Notte

Earlier this week I visited the passionate owner of this extremely nice 1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 in its original color called Grigio Notte. Typical of Italian Style and complexity, Grigio Notte (dark silver) has a tiny drop of green mixed in to give it that exotic hue unlike “grey” colors that you see on other cars.

The owner picked me up at the airport and we drove the spirited car about 25 miles to a friends shop and then to his house to check out all the other parts and documentation he has acquired with the car over the last few years. After all this we went to an outstanding BBQ joint where Nachos were based on thick cut potato chips with beef brisket and the shrimp sandwich was out of this world.

I was blown away at how well the Ferrari drove with a very strong engine, smooth drive shaft and all electrical components working as they are intended. Equally amazing was the ownership history and service documentation that the owner pulled together as well as the often missing handbooks and pouch to make this a very complete and sorted car.

Under the front engine area

Floors from an XKE Roadster

Drivers door bottom, solid

It looks very good to me, solid and straight. There is more “top rot” on the car than deterioration on the undercarriage.

Ready to be blasted

These parts are going to be sandblasted and re-finish in the Dove Gray paint used on Ford 8N tractors. Some of the later machines had a more “tan” or “buttery” gray paint when the earlier machines used a cooler shade of gray. We are currently working on the exact shade of red for the undercarriage which should be a little more tomato orange than blood red.

What late model Mercedes-Benz can you compare to this 1971 280 SE 3.5 to? A 1987 560 SEC is one example but what is the 2011 V-8 model called? The punch of Mercedes Benz V-8 engines feel great because they have so much low end torque which move these heavy cars with ease.

The interior on this car is completely original with no tears or damage to the leather. The wood on the “A” pillars shows some deterioration to the veneer but it’s appropriate condition for a well cared for car that’s 40 years old.

We are offering this car for sale at $37,000 – more pictures can be seen on our site: http://www.rpmvt.com/Restoration_%26_Performance_Motorcars/1970_Mercedes_280SE.html

Benz 280 SE 3.5

280 SE 3.5 SE Coupe

Well, I did it, I finally convinced the original owner of this spectacular original 1972 Porsche 911 to sell it to me. 3 years ago we did the top end end of the engine, shocks, brakes and tires and replaced a few rubber seals. The only thing  that isn’t original on the car are the wheels, we painted them silver as the original chrome was peeling and nasty, so to make them silver was an attractive solution. If someone made me a strong offer I may be motivated to sell this sweetheart but when something this great comes along, it will take a strong offer!

1972 911T

A guy stopped in to ask if I was interested in his 1954 MG TF 1500 to which my response was “not to buy but I will help you sell it!” We picked up the car last Friday and are blown away at how nice this example it, a well maintained car that has that great original supple feel when you drive it. Based on many little clues such as near perfect original chrome and wonderfully preserved original interior, I believe that the 22,000 miles on the odometer is accurate.

The driving experience is great once you shoe-horn yourself behind the wheel (did they design these for people to drive?) and I was shocked by how strong the engine feels. We are working on a MG TD with a 1250CC engine so to compare the cars back to back has convinced me that the 1500 is the way to go!

If you are interested in this little jewel, let me know, I am asking $27,000 for the car as is.

MG TF 1500

1979 Ferrari 308 GTS Fly Yellow at RPM

This ’79 308 GTS is a really sweet example of the iconic “Magnum PI” Ferrari, i’m sure you’re all wishing  yourselves as Tom Sellick in the drivers seat even if isn’t the ubiquitous Rosso Corse! Of course, a 308 is undoubtedly the easiest way to enjoy a Ferrari, but the overall condition of this one ensures that it’s also one of the smartest ways to enjoy a Ferrari. Production of the 308 followed the 246 Dino and shares much of the excitement of it’s predecessor-  The exaggerated long “buttress” behind the cabin, truncated nose and air inlet ducts that cover nearly 1/3 of the length of the car, all seem to be updated and angular versions of the 246. However, these air inlet ducts feed a 240 horsepower, 3 liter V8 which coupled with suspension and gearbox changes add  a significant dose of refinement.

The interior of this car has  supple, tan leather, that looks as new as that of a 2009 model as opposed to 1979. The chrome shift gate and mechanical switch gear showcase the motoring purpose of the car as well as the full set of gauges in the instrument cluster. Like the 308 GTB, the GTS model is a Pininfarina designed – Scaglietti built “targa” featuring a removable roof panel and louvers in the rear 1/4 windows instead of glass.

Mechanically, this 308 is in outstanding condition with a few key updates. The first being a set of larger 16″ wheels and tires that really improve handling over the 14″ set up  that came from the factory in the late seventies. We overhauled and modified the factory KONI shocks with adjustable ride height equipment in combination with Eibach Performance springs. The other main update is the conversion to a single distributor from the dual-distributor set up. This simplifies the ignition system, makes the advance curve more progressive as well as making it more reliable (and cheaper) using a Ford style cap and MSD electronics.

Disc Brakes D type

XKD brakes

These are brake calipers from one of the first cars to have disc brakes, a “D” type Jaguar from 1955. The front calipers have 6 approximately 1-1/8″  pistons with a similar sized brake pads that look like hockey pucks that make the car stop on a dime. The brake master cylinder is boosted not by vacuum but by a pressure pump run off the transmission that forces brake fluid into the rear chamber to lower the pedal effort while allowing perfect modulation. What an outstanding car! Now, how do I overhaul these? Are they aircraft brakes? What kind of seals do I need to order?