Can anyone identify these items?

first pic I would guess some kind of fire suppression system, good idea if you are going to drive these wonderful old toys.

 

Looks like a Halon Fire suppression system(non evasive to install) and electrical shutoff. Would not be put off by these items if its a good car.

Freeman

 

+1, but my guess would be an AFFF fire suppression system, as Halon was banned in the nineties. So the car might have been used on the track and in club races, it is mandatory in some clubs to have such a system.
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I wouldn't be put off at all if its otherwise a good car. The absence of a roll cage is a good indicator that it has not been raced. Perhaps its been put into touring events where a electial shut off and fire extinguisher were mandatory and the owner thought he would install them properly. The fact that they appear to have been installed reasonably sympathetically is a good sign.

I suspect that the fire extinguisher was a precation to protect this valuable car, and the electrical cut off was to maintain the battery when not in use. I've thought about installing a cut off on mine.

Andy

 

If the fire system is Halon, that's a good thing. While Halon is no longer being produced due to its environment impact, it is still legal to have a Halon system in North America. Halon is great because it extinguishes without any residue. Fire system companies in the USA will continue to fill Halon systems until their supplies run out but I've had a bottle filled as recently as last year (~$150) with no problems.

Cheers...Keith

 

have one for sale in the coming year in san mateo, if you have interest
clay

 

Are you sure that you would want this in a car? I could be wrong, but I thought they were very dangerous in an enclosed area. I thought the chemical removes the oxygen from the air. People have died becuase they cant breathe after discharge. Basically it can suck the oxygen right from your lungs and you asphyxiate. I've seen them on engine compartments on boats and aircraft, but I am not sure I'd want to be driving around with one.

 

Experts chime in, but my understanding is fire suppression systems will not take off any points. Ditto upgrade seatbelts.

 

Those are operational switches in the passenger compartment, I'm sure the dump nozzles are on the engine...

You are correct it would displace the oxygen.....

This means a timid guy drove this car, afraid of death.....he probably shifted early and never hit the redline........all positive things!!!

 

I was joking....

Lots of folks put fire systems into street cars.

 

Its a Ferrari, Ferrari's are not afraid of the track.

Properly maintained and taken care of, there should be NO issues with a car that has been tracked or not. I can tell you my Dino sees the red line regularly, I never drive it without a few romps into the higher revs AFTER it is all warmed up but I have never tracked it. The previous owner made many modifications to the engine (mostly distributor) and the engine would not idle below 4,000 RPM when I purchased it due to the highly modified advance curve, motor still takes me to work and runs all over S. Calif. just fine. Yet imagine how scary it was to me to buy a car whose dead cold engine required lots of cranking and then idled at 4,000RPM and the owner bragged that with the new advance curve the motor now revved to 10k with no issues. Absolutely abused and never tracked.

As to the fire system, I would not drive one of these cars without some fire system. I have considered a canister like that and would like one but instead I have 2 fire extinguishers, a small one in the passenger area and a larger one in the trunk.

Now for shows, I don't know the rules as I drive my car way too much to show it anywhere, shows are generally done on nice days and I don't like parking it on nice days. But I believe as has been posted already that you do not get hurt for safety items. For resale value, to people like you it might hurt the resale value, to people like me, it would help it (DONT be offended to the "like you" comment, I don't know you just saying there are 2 types of people, some would prefer it others would not, I see it as who will drive the car more).

 

How about asking them? just my 2c

 

Having a plumbed-in fire-suppression system would be a big plus for me. There was a discussion some time ago, and the conclusion I drew from that was that a system such as this one, discharging into the engine and electrically controlled is the way to go.

If that is still Halon (legal for sale in the US but not anywhere else), that would be a big plus too. Halon is clean, unlike dry powder systems. I think AFF is easier to clean off.

 

I can't see this item devaluing the Dino. If I was in the market for this car, I wouldn't be put off by it. It is different and it is not factory, but it is a nice safety device to have.

I am curious as to why it was located in the rear sail panel (painted visual metal) and not in the firewall above the releases (or somewhere else more easily and cheaply corrected/removed).

The restoring party is someone well know in the Ferrari community and although they do race cars, they typically race (if you want to call it that - I would say let the car perform for the benefit of others enjoyment) older historical race cars.

I have no interest in the sale of this car financially. Just my 2 cents...

Maybe painting the switches yellow could make them less visable...