Bill took a few pictures from around the shop today that show both the range and the beauty of some of the cars that we are working on. Sometimes I fear that there is too much “range” and not enough beauty! Bill takes outstanding photos that look super pro. Have I written a post on Bill yet? Bill, can you write a post on yourself, introduce yourself?

Upstairs: the Osca, Whitehead Special, and a silver Ferrari

Downstairs: The rare green 330 GTC and a deep inventory of stored classics, projects, and restorations.

Ferrari 750 Monza at Restoration and Performance Motorcars in Vermont

Termometro gauges, olio and acqua, in Celsius. New beveled glass jewels,  newly machined bezels and restored movements. Now I have to replace the protective housing with nickel plated ultra-flex material and recharge the capillary tube. Originally the tube was filled with freon but now we have to use purified argon since freon is hard to purchase since it is banned due to the terrible impact it has on the atmosphere.

Termometro

Temperature Termometro

Fuel and oil pressure

Here are the two pressure gauges, the one I created, the BENZINA, and the one we based it on, the OLIO pressure. I used a thick acrylic urethane paint with lots of catalyst to make the needles white. It was done in the original fashion with a heavy build up of paint that I “floated” on the part.

We received some questions after posting the video below about calling the 512BBi motor a flat V-12. Mainly, if it is flat, then how can it be a v format?

The answer lies in a technicality. The moniker “boxer” refers to the piston timing of an engine, rather than the direction the cylinders point. On the Ferrari 512, the crankshaft isn’t a true boxer crankshaft – it is a V-12 crankshaft with the cylinders laid flat. Here’s why:

True boxers have one crankpin controlling only one piston/cylinder, and 180° engines share crankpins.

A true “boxer” (horizontally opposed engine) has corresponding pistons reaching top dead center simultaneously.

A 180° V-12 engine has piston pairs sharing a crank pin on the crankshaft and reaching top dead center half a crankshaft revolution apart. Most flat 12s are actually 180° V engines, including the Ferrari discussed here and the famous Porsche 917 racecar.

Interestingly, phase has always been of great concern to the motorcycle industry (think big bang configuration) as it directly effects vibration and riders sit right on top of it. Read more here.

Here is a great looking Porsche 911 photographed at the Cavallino Classic track day at Palm Beach International Raceway, Friday. Is this a Group 3 or 4 rally car or is it from another class of racing?

Authentic looking reproductions are very cool; a friend wants to make a tribute 911 Group 4 rally car in nasty 70’s livery – this car is too attractive in the Martini & Rossi colors

Martini Porsche

Not sure who owns these cars but they are the ones that were transported in the FIAT truck in the Ferrari team livery. The cars are in excellent condition mechanically but they are appropriately rough on the outside, a refreshing change to the glossy perfection that you typically see at the Cavallino. The Daytona that you see here was racing against a Michelotto 308 GTB on Friday for one of the best Vintage Ferrari races I have ever seen.

Ferrari Race cars

This is a super cool truck, a former Ferrari team transporter that is now hauling some vintage cars.. The truck hauled a competition Daytona, a 750 Monza and a 275LM to Palm Beach International Raceway.

FIAT Ferrari truck

Ferrari Red

A gorgeous Dark red that a prominent Ferrari Historian calls “mature”.

This is just out of the paint shop, no wet sanding or polishing on an overcast day. The camera is one of those heavy duty LUMIX point/shoots.  The car looks particularly amazing right now because it basically has 3 finishes, the glossy red, brushed aluminum and black Excelsior tires from Coker. It is beautiful!

1956 Ferrari 750 Monza paint detail

A customer asked about a harlequin bit of paintwork on the boot lid of the 1956 Ferrari 750 Monza. A section of paint was masked and carefully sanded to expose the layers of paint the car has worn. The result is a twelve square inch testament to the heritage of the car. It’s a trait more common to European restorations, and generally unseen in the United States.  Europeans prefer to celebrate history, while many Americans prefer to erase it with perfection being achieved through a sterile final product, and allowing the owner to forget that anyone was ever there -  an oh-so-human reclamation of virginity.

The Monza shows many colors including blue and yellow in addition to more than one shade of red, and a few layers of primer, and the foundation of bare metal clear coated for protection. This badge of visual history is especially rich as the car was born into racing, changing liveries often. We hope to see more cars like this, though few will exhibit as much character.

Ferrari 750 Monza paintwork

Here is a photo of the body on the 212 on the chassis. Since this photo was taken we have dialed in the wheel openings so, when steered with the suspension compressed, the wheels will clear the bodywork. The shape of this car is very exciting, another example of how it is hard to argue with the creative styling of these cars.

Aluminum bodywork close to finished