Thanks for posting this
Back in the mid 80’s I was a college kid visiting my brother in L.A., had gotten the Alfa religion, obsessing over grander Italian cars and was reading about Mike Sheehan’s shop in R&T. I called, disclosing my poverty, but asked if I could visit the shop, and Mike’s manager Steve said sure. I whipped down there and it was as cool as you would imagine. An older craftsman from England (my home, too) was making a perfect front bumper out of steel sheet for a 275: total epiphany that individuals, possessing the right skills and equipment, can make anything ... if they’re really good. This airbox project is like that for me. Thanks, John
The original 365 BB air boxes were a fiberglass black painted shell, with an aluminum bottom and a removable aluminum cover on top. It was decided that making all the various molds in fiberglass would be too time consuming and costly, and it was a better route to just make everything out of aluminum. The customer's check book agreed. Once painted black on the main body shell of the air box, it would be undetectable, unless of course you had an aluminum magnet in your pocket! Gary Bobileff
The final results on our airbox duplication Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login : Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well, maybe we should start over and have a race and make fiberglass bases vs. aluminum! Let's see which medium is faster. Actually, what is done is done. This was a fun project ! I am happy with the results, and more importantly, the 365 BB owner is very happy with the outcome. That's all that matters. Gary Bobileff
Not to nitpick but your welder should have used a Tig for the patch, less heat, warpage and less pinholes, Looks like his sheilding gas blew away on some of the welds. To patch a Boxer aluminum hood is very difficult I went though this with my old car, the part of the hood holding the front hinges was stress cracked in the aluminum, old and brittle, we patched it with Aluminum sheet and it continued to flex and repeatedly cracked the filler and brand new paint over and over after each repair attempt. We brought in a metals expert from Timet a titanium mfg Company and his analysis was the different metals with the patch and original aluminum alloy flex at different rates causing cracks in the new patch. The only solution was making a support patch over all the repair under the hood.
To update every one, the body is stripped, door rust repairs have been done, and the drive train is being removed for rebuilding. photo's to follow shortly. Gary Bobileff
I wish I have read your thread earlier. Didn't start reading it until a couple days ago. These are brand new OEM. It would have save you guys a lot of time. Sorry.
These are a later version , as it has the part number stamped into the air boxes, earlier ones have a rivet on part number tag, along with different finishes, rather than painted black. Gary Bobileff
The early 365 lids were black (Dont know your chassis number) then switched to silver then back to black in 79 when Ferrari changed the housing to stamped steel from fiberglass.
Gary, very nice stock 512 BB exhausts are being made again. I have seen them. Might check if 365 are as well.
Yep, This car was delivered with 3 pipe aftermarket exhaust resonators ( left and right). Hopefully I can find the authentic ones, or good pic's to fabricate up a set. Gary Bobileff