Daytona #14273 - Is there life after death? | Page 8 | FerrariChat

Daytona #14273 - Is there life after death?

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by gtospoons, Jan 20, 2012.

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  1. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
    17,673
    Tauranga, NZ
    Full Name:
    Pete
    I assumed we were looking at a repaired chassis?, had not noticed the rust A pillar before. If you have the right jigs, material and money, I cannot see why the original chassis could not be repaired ...

    But I don't think the internet/FerrariChat is the best place to continue this discussion.
    Pete
     
    NYC Fred likes this.
  2. gtospoons

    gtospoons Karting

    Jun 16, 2011
    105
    Suffolk, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Withers
    I thought we had. Why dig it up again? I don’t really understand why there is now another attack, nearly 3 years later, full of more untruths, which seem to discredit the work I am trying to do to get this car back as it should be. I think this will now bring the thread to an end, however I must correct the erroneous statements made above. Firstly, I have not accused him of destroying the identity, I have accused him of destroying the originality of my chassis by apparently removing and throwing away so much of the original secondary and tertiary levels of tubing which was completely unnecessary, only to replace these items with his own, incorrect facsimiles. The chassis that I gave him did have a first repair by an engineer who was local to Chris Lawrence, the previous owner but I was not at all happy with those repairs as, even to the naked eye, one oval tube was still misaligned and I certainly did not like the cosmetic appearance of the angled “flange” repair as shown in the photos above. This was one of the main reasons that I looked for a Ferrari Specialist to repair the chassis, fit the new body clips which I provided and prepare it all for paint. He is totally wrong to say that I was proud of my repairs as I had not made them.

    He is however, correct that there are large areas of his repaired chassis which we had to throw away for many reasons including wrong dimensions and wrong steel alloy. I used Marshal Aerospace at Cambridge to establish an accurate chemical analysis of the steel he used to repair my chassis and sent the results to Ferrari in Modena. The reply came back (and I still have it) to the effect that it was not the correct steel that Ferrari used to construct the chassis. So, of course the chassis being rebuilt in his photos does have large sections from a donor chassis. Some of these donor sections also need repair as he points out, particularly the A post roots. Fortunately, however, the original front cross member with its identity, along with various original braces and central cross members survived intact.

    So it makes complete sense to me to replace large sections of my “repaired” chassis with parts from an original Daytona chassis because when it is finished it will ALL be made of the correct steel and ALL dimensions will be correct. Clad in NOS panels, the whole body/chassis assembly will be as original as I can get it, made of the correct metal and (equally important), correctly dimensioned. I do not see what else I can do and this is the path I am on.
    Chris.
     
  3. gtospoons

    gtospoons Karting

    Jun 16, 2011
    105
    Suffolk, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Withers
    Well, I think it is high time that we brought this thread up to date. Alwin Hietbrink and his son Ruben have done a superb job over the last few years in bringing my car back to life. Apparently not one measurement was correct and so the whole body and chassis were completely dismantled and then jig built back up correctly using as much as possible of the original parts. Obviously this takes a long time but, as you will see in the next few posts, it has been worth waiting for.
    In the pictures below, you can see new peripheral metal being attached to the bonnet skin that was much too short. Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Then, you can see the door apertures with swages now in the correct positions and then the original door frames, again with corrected swages.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
    More pics and updates to follow...... soon!
     

    Attached Files:

  4. Wheels1

    Wheels1 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 23, 2007
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    Grant
    Great work Chris, that’s a huge transformation. :)

    I bet you are please to get her home?
     
  5. gtospoons

    gtospoons Karting

    Jun 16, 2011
    105
    Suffolk, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Withers
    #180 gtospoons, Nov 19, 2019
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2019
    Thanks, Wheels1....
    Pictures below show the new old stock part panels which Alwin has let into the damaged Scaglietti panels, correcting the incorrectly positioned indicator and lighting apertures. Another, shows the nose which has been reconstructed to the correct shape and size. NB The Plexiglass panel is just a guide, the car is still a pop-up headlight car as can be seen in the last photo. This fantastic, rebuilt bodyshell is now approaching completion so watch this space for the result.
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  6. gtospoons

    gtospoons Karting

    Jun 16, 2011
    105
    Suffolk, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Withers
  7. Ferrari 360 CS

    Ferrari 360 CS F1 Veteran

    Dec 4, 2004
    6,707
    Cape Town,SA
    Full Name:
    Jacques
    Wow, extremely impressive work!
     
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  8. gtospoons

    gtospoons Karting

    Jun 16, 2011
    105
    Suffolk, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Withers
    And here is the finished article! Picture of Alwin putting the final finishing touches to the bodyshell, then the interior with the correct dashboard cross member, not a bodge up like it was and the correctly finished rear parcel shelf. This finished bodyshell/chassis unit is, once again, truly magnificent and identical to when she left Maranello 48 years ago... Never thought I'd see this day!


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  9. miurasv

    miurasv F1 World Champ

    Nov 19, 2008
    10,014
    Cardiff, UK
    Full Name:
    Steven Robertson
    #184 miurasv, Dec 20, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2019
    14273 is for sale now it seems? If so, will we ever see the finished car? See link here.
     
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  10. albkid

    albkid Formula Junior

    Jul 1, 2016
    318
    Full Name:
    Jim
    Ran out of funds. Must be quite a disappointment to have carried the project as far as he did and then have to sell it before realizing his dream.

    I wonder if he could find a co-venture partner to finish it?
     
  11. Wheels1

    Wheels1 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 23, 2007
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    Grant
    More a case of running out of time Jim, Chris is not a youngster any more [ he’s much older than me, and I'm old, well I feel it today anyway] :) and he was going to do the majority of the rest of the work himself !

    The auction has started and it’s doing quite well with 10 days to go.
     
  12. albkid

    albkid Formula Junior

    Jul 1, 2016
    318
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    Jim
    The best of luck on the auction. I hope a buyer will complete the work you have started.
     
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  13. Edward 96GTS

    Edward 96GTS F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    9,192
    at $250k current bid and $300-400k to complete, what if any is the upside?
     
  14. gtospoons

    gtospoons Karting

    Jun 16, 2011
    105
    Suffolk, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Withers
    Wheels1 is correct, its a question of time and I have too many other important projects to complete. This project has been held up in the past by bad workmanship but now that we have had all the hard work completed, for the right person, this car could be back on the road again soon. This will make a totally rust free car, correct in every detail with no bondo, no bodges and no faults.
    Rebuild cost from where it is now is around $150k and would take a year. Many of the components are either new or refurbished and we have already seen that the engine only really needs a rebore and a sympathetic build.

    The auction is proceeding well at www.collectingcars.com and it will be interesting to see the result.
     
  15. Edward 96GTS

    Edward 96GTS F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    9,192
    not counting the botched repairs of the past, what are your costs to date with the current shop? parts and labor.
     
  16. 275GTB

    275GTB Formula 3

    Jan 12, 2010
    1,907
    London
    Full Name:
    Mark McCracken
    looks like a fantastic result £346,000 = $450,000

    congratulations Chris hope you are happy and the pressure is off so you can enjoy your other projects
     
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  17. gtospoons

    gtospoons Karting

    Jun 16, 2011
    105
    Suffolk, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Withers
    Thanks Mark and everyone else. Well, that about ties it up for me. I started this thread with "In the beginning...", I had a car fit for the crusher and it has been a long journey but with Alwin Hietbrink's help it has been returned to a correct body and chassis ready for the next phase of its life. So I am pleased to say that after all the difficulties, there is life after death for #14273, she has a new owner intending to put her on the road as soon as possible and that's now THE END.
     
  18. miurasv

    miurasv F1 World Champ

    Nov 19, 2008
    10,014
    Cardiff, UK
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    Steven Robertson
    #193 miurasv, Jan 24, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2020
    Not "THE END", more a continuation of 14273's rebirth. Perhaps the new owner is a member of Fchat who will keep us posted when the car is finally finished, or even keep us informed of its progress?

    Do you know who will be doing the rest of the work to finish the car?
     
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  19. gtospoons

    gtospoons Karting

    Jun 16, 2011
    105
    Suffolk, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Withers
    ....for me, it is "THE END". Bye.
     
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  20. BJK

    BJK F1 Rookie

    Jul 18, 2014
    4,781
    CT
    cold and direct, I like it. ;)
     
  21. It's Ross

    It's Ross Formula 3

    Jul 30, 2007
    2,028
    Barrington, Ill. USA
    Full Name:
    Ross
    What a story. I hope you are pleased with the proceeds of sale and that some day soon you'll be able to witness it back on the road.
    Temper your disappointment with knowledge that your stewardship indeed saved it for future enjoyment.
    It would sure be nice if the new owner were to provide you a drive in it.
     
    Sig. Roma likes this.
  22. torquespeak

    torquespeak Formula Junior

    Dec 24, 2010
    629
    UK
    Full Name:
    Ed
    It was a real pleasure to help get this car sold for Chris on our platform. Having known about the project for four or five years, it was fascinating to photograph it in detail. Fingers crossed that the new custodian does revisit this thread and share the progress.

    -Ed
     
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  23. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    Wow!

    Hats off to that body rebuild….and those main bearings!
    The engine teardown was very impressive, those are tough engines (as proved on race tracks in the day)…...

    To see they had jigs made for body assembly, they have "been there" before.....as Matt said from South America..."just dreamy"!!!

    :D :D :D

    Not The End, hopefully an intermission and then the Final Act.
     
  24. Edward 96GTS

    Edward 96GTS F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    9,192
    any detail pics of the front nose? is it a plexinose car?
     
  25. Wheels1

    Wheels1 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 23, 2007
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    Grant
    No Ed. Its an early pop up light car. See photo above.
     

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