Remembering FAF | Page 4 | FerrariChat

Remembering FAF

Discussion in 'South Central - USA (TN, MS, AL, GA)' started by Horse-power, Jun 11, 2012.

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  1. 4re308

    4re308 F1 Rookie

    Jun 13, 2001
    4,813
    Woodstock, GA
    Full Name:
    Mitch D
    #76 4re308, Mar 4, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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  2. bernardo66

    bernardo66 The Crazy Cat Man
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 14, 2003
    26,281
    Montreal Canada
    Full Name:
    Bernie
    #77 bernardo66, Mar 4, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Texas Forever likes this.
  3. Bob Zambelli

    Bob Zambelli F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,492
    Manning, SC
    Full Name:
    Robert G. Zambelli
    FAF – talk about a great memory!

    I bought my GTC from FAF in November, 1975 after having seen it in the classifieds of Road and Track. I called on the car (I was living in upstate, NY at the time), hooked up with John Apen and Ewing Hunter and we made a deal over the phone.

    They requested a small deposit which I sent immediately and I would get down to Tucker (an Atlanta suburb) as soon as possible.

    Here’s one of the really amazing things about these people. They offered me air transportation to Atlanta to pick up the car. If I was not pleased, they would refund my deposit and pay my way back to Rochester! What more could one ask for?

    As it turned out, it was the first twelve cylinder car that they had sold. They had a brand-new 308 GT/4 on the showroom floor at approximately three times the cost of the GTC. They gave me a bit of the car’s history – this is how it was explained to me by Mike Gourley. Purchased new from Chinetti by a Mr Paul Pardew, it became the property of Ed Waterman. Mr Waterman traded it to FAF for a Jaguar. The engine was freshly rebuilt by Algar. Was the story true? – I assumed it to be. After checking the car out, it was immediately listed in Road and Track and described to be in excellent condition with around 40,000 miles. This was no exaggeration – the car was beautiful but I did not like the color, a light metallic blue. So I bought it anyway. I paid with a personal check, got in the car and drove approximately 975 miles to my home on Rochester.

    Further dealings with FAF were always first rate. A pleasure to deal with whether it was purchasing parts, technical help or just chatting. They were a great bunch of guys.

    The rest, of course, is history. I still own the car and after 184,000 miles, it’s still more or less an everyday driver. I drove/drive it everywhere – shopping, local errands, long trips, to the beach, to cars shows, you name it. I’ve done all my own work including paint, engine and transaxle rebuild and recently a total suspension overhaul. Except for carpeting and a dashboard re-upholster, the interior is original. It has been featured in a book, in the Roush Ferrari Market Letter and on two calendars, and has won many show trophies. It’s the only car to have taken “BEST of SHOW” twice at the Hilton Head Island show. I couldn’t be more proud.

    But, all initiated by my wonderful experience with FAF.
     
  4. gvpilot

    gvpilot Rookie

    Mar 31, 2014
    7
    When I got out of the Navy in August, 1978, FAF was the second place I stopped to look for a job. Back then, of course, they didn't need a salesman. They had Steve Ahlgrim. He gave me a ride in a blue 308 and of course I was hooked. I moved to SC in 1980 and would visit FAF nearly every year and take friends. Steve always let me drive something. Eventually I bought a 308 from a friend and FAF serviced it and repaired it from damage caused by ice on one of the bottom cam drive pulleys! Long story and what a conversation that was with Jim Weed! I loved that place and always came home with something, model, hat, brochure, something. Great memories.
     
  5. WJC

    WJC Formula Junior

    Apr 28, 2004
    855
    Austin, TX
    Full Name:
    Joe C.
    FAF was a special place for me! My parents separated and I was a kid visiting my mom in Atlanta when I was bored enough to look in the phone book to check if there was a Ferrari dealer in Atlanta.

    After my first visit, I would go each time I visited my mom. Later I would drive myself. Levi would tell me about the cars that they had in inventory and any interesting stories. The first Ferrari I sat in was an F40 in the showroom. Even the receptionist mailed me info for a project for school. I am still in love with the F355 GTS and it’s most likely because these guys were so nice to me.

    The new showroom is great, even with the latest expansion, but doesn’t compare to the old one for me. I thought is was so cool to have these high-class sports cars tucked away behind some train tracks in some random warehouse. And I thought it was cool that the showroom itself was dark with small spotlights. My nephews aren’t interested in cars but I quasi-force it on them when I come back to Georgia for a visit. I took them to FoA to have a look around back in May. I don’t know the sales guys there now, and didn’t see the other guys that might recognize my face. No visit to the storage area in the basement this time. After we left, I took them karting afterwards at Atlanta Motorsports Park.

    Now that I think back on it, that place meant a lot to me and I wasn’t even a customer.
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  6. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 27, 2004
    15,924
    Georgia
    Full Name:
    Jim Pernikoff
    I always find it interesting that Ferrari North America has done a 180, going from very out-of-the-way places that no one would find unless specifically looking for them (like the old location) to glitzy glass houses placed on major thoroughfares where passers-by couldn't help but notice them. Philadelphia and Long Island are two other places where this has happened.
     
  7. Type111

    Type111 Rookie

    Aug 18, 2018
    2
    In the late 80’s, my brother was a mechanic at the VW shop on the corner of Lawrenceville Hwy just over the railroad tracks from where you turned to go to FAF. One morning a duelly hauling the FAF car trailer made the left turn in front of the VW shop too hot and the trailer detached. The trailer continued on its own path, the tongue colliding with the back wheel of my brother’s freshly restored Karmann Ghia. He heard the collision from the bay he was working in and looked up just in time to see his Ghia skidding to a stop, pivoting on its front wheels, sending the battery flying toward his bay. The engine had broken lose of the transmission and landed on the ground with chunks of the transmission case still attached to the engine mount bolts. The techs there said Ferrari wheel caps and other odds and ends regularly came their way during spirited test drives pulling around that corner.
     
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  8. nero328gts

    nero328gts Karting

    Dec 5, 2006
    235
    Road and Track Exotic Cars Quarterly
     
  9. steved033

    steved033 F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Apr 12, 2017
    7,676
    Atlanta, GA
    Full Name:
    Steve D.
  10. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 4, 2001
    35,287
    Birmingham, AL
    Full Name:
    Tommy
  11. tifoso2728

    tifoso2728 F1 Veteran
    BANNED

    Apr 30, 2014
    8,215
    IL
    Full Name:
    DRM
    Fred G. Repass, Jr. and the ex-Nigel Mansell Ferrari F1-89 S/N 9MAT111 in Tucker GA in the lot of FAF Ferrari, circa August,1992. Fred was a salesman there for many years as well as an avid Ferrari literature collector.

    What a lot! They shared it with a cement plant, I believe.

    *

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  12. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 4, 2001
    35,287
    Birmingham, AL
    Full Name:
    Tommy
    That isn't at FAF
     
  13. 4redude

    4redude Formula Junior

    Jan 13, 2005
    726
    Fungus Corner
    Full Name:
    Brian Keegan
    I worked at Symbolic Motors in San Diego in 1987. The dealership sold the blue Testarossa and we transported the
    car to LAX for it's flight to Germany. I saw it once after the converted or "tuned" by Koenig. I personally did not care for the
    cream colored Ostrich interior.
     
  14. bernardo66

    bernardo66 The Crazy Cat Man
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 14, 2003
    26,281
    Montreal Canada
    Full Name:
    Bernie
  15. Flea7

    Flea7 Formula 3
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    Feb 25, 2010
    1,897
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    SKIM
    #90 Flea7, Mar 16, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2019
    I lived in Tucker and graduated from THS. My love for Ferrari stemmed from FAF. I remember going to FAF when I was an 8th grader and dreaming about driving one. (it was the 308 then). This also stemmed my love for F1 as well.

    My brother was friends with John's son, Eric Apen and Ewings's Daughter, Maggie Hunter in HS. He use to drive a Dino to school. My brother said they use to drive through Buckhead trying to pick up chicks. LOL!

    My brother drew a picture of the Testarossa before it was called a Testarossa from a picture in R&T. (take a guess what R&T called it?)
    It is a 2'x3' pencil drawing that he drew when he was in the 9th or 10th grade.?...1982?... Anyhow, Ewing Hunter wanted to buy it but he declined ....but gave him a blueprint. I wonder what happed to it?
    I will post the picture if you guys are interested...I think it's impressive! The Testarossa guys would like it!
    My brother gave me the picture as a gift. After 37 years ...it's still rolled up waiting to be framed.

    ....memories
     
  16. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 4, 2001
    35,287
    Birmingham, AL
    Full Name:
    Tommy
    Lets see it


    I drew a cool 308 interior in my Geometry book in 10th grade. 1983.
    I liked it so much I tore the page out and kept it. It's around here somewhere.
     
  17. Flea7

    Flea7 Formula 3
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    Feb 25, 2010
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    Did you know what they called it? It's all rolled up ...let me lay it out.
     
  18. Flea7

    Flea7 Formula 3
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    Feb 25, 2010
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    4re308 and bernardo66 like this.
  19. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 4, 2001
    35,287
    Birmingham, AL
    Full Name:
    Tommy
  20. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 4, 2001
    35,287
    Birmingham, AL
    Full Name:
    Tommy
    That's good
     
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  21. Flea7

    Flea7 Formula 3
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    Feb 25, 2010
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    My brother was in the governor honor program in GA and was offered a scholarship to Princeton for art.......Hmmmmm we went to University of WA. Graduated with an Industrial Design degree
    Thank you! I will let him know..:)
     
  22. Flea7

    Flea7 Formula 3
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    Feb 25, 2010
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    DefunctNeurons and bernardo66 like this.
  23. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 27, 2004
    15,924
    Georgia
    Full Name:
    Jim Pernikoff
  24. titangolf

    titangolf Karting

    May 25, 2010
    215
    I own the car. Plan on selling it soon.
     

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