A dear friend, once told me about the business I am in: " there are 100 lessons to learn about this kind of business, the only issue is that it requires one year for each one" Regards, Alberto
Installed the bottom insulation, temporary aluminum AC tape, while glue drying. Also did a dry run of the A/C system to compare with my friend that has the complete and modern system. No 50 year old components again! We are also producing the 3 hole diffuser for the dashboard, as the plastic one is rather fragile compared to the dash (fibreglass). Now that we have the upper motor part made in fibreglasson top of evap., it is superstrong and the weak link now is the other box that carries the evaporator will be remade the same fashion. Certainly don't want the drain to crack and ... Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Knew I had photos of original vac u-form diffuser...somewhat Goldberg, and, still managed to use screws here too, that naturally rust and fall apart. If paper hoses fall apart, need to replace and if not removed with complete dash, there is risk of massive damage if the 4 posts break. Would not like to remove it from dash if it ever broke, and those standoffs are only to look and don't touch with four 1.5 mm screws, may as well have done a slightly stronger assembly, but...another lovely piece of kit from Dinoland. This ought to have been made of fibreglasss as the rest, truly a weak link in the whole AC system, truly amazing how it all fit in the there. Just like the Evap. box and snail motor drum on top. I like the foam strip detail, so not to lose efficiency, right...truly efficient system. and yes I know, Dino was not supposed to last, 50 years, what? Knew the local Ambassador from Italy, and he had a 4 door 'bulletproof' Alfetta sedan with AC. It was truly sad how sauna like it was, specially when riding with him, suit and tie, of course sitting in the back, and the chauffeur got all the air, by the time it got to the rear seat, there was none left! There is a manufacturer name somewhere, will look it up, and...send him a nasty note. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The moulds are proceeding, had to split the bottom one down the middle as impossible to take the part out. No problem. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well, we finally came up with a lovely substitute for the Disneyland diffuser... Here are the first two components. Rock solid. Fitting one into the other was a bit of a hassle, now figured out that a router with a suitable plywood template, will make fitting much easier. And, a solid fastening system to hold the 2 pieces together. Next, the Evap. box, another laughable piece of kit , albeit very well made, but with the wrong material. Then, we will have a bulletproof A/C system, when fitted with the very modern set up our friend has created. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The diffuser is finished. We installed the ally legs inside, predrilled in the original location and holes, ready to install, all it requires is 4 rivets. Or, you can simply glue the assembly together with epoxy, as nothing will show after the fact. Will post it for sale tomorrow in the appropriate section. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Alberto, I surely hope you've had foresight to keep somewhat accurate and ongoing tabulation of all the hours of fabrication and repair efforts involved/required with this project, excluding of course any and all "extra" items you've produced in the process, and if for nothing else than to just offer some insight to those contemplating complete or major restoration projects of this extent in the future.
Before paint, a new grille was made, as had to be perfect fitting The original had been snipped to make it fit the ill fitting nose. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login .
Well done Alberto, not a easy item to replicate. I looked at your thread and noticed it is just over 10 years old, happy belated 10th restoday. The lesson for others is that you need tenacity to undertake a project like this Look forward to seeing the finished car one day! Best Tony
Me too Tony! Thanks for the kind words, really appreciate them Tonite we'll pop a nice single malt and celebrate! A dear friend in OZ, sent me a paint sample on sheet metal, now we can finally match it. Tenacity? After a war here, nothing is hard anymore, believe me... Best regards, Alberto PS thanks for the likes from the 'usual suspects'
Looking good Alberto. I know how much work these cars are to restore soooo you're making good progress.
Hello Timo, It has taken me a long time trying to digest and regurgitate something that makes sense to your clever question, and it is still marginal This is for L series #01116, and for #03724, I am guessing more or less the same, yet second one, in slightly better condition, maybe 5-10% less work. I can tell you in hours of doing 100% of the bodywork, from remaking complete body parts, missing parts, etc. this car L, 01116, had been stored in a salt mine, at Bonneville and sand blasted by a 14 yr. old, that mangled all the panels. Opening every seam available, as rust everywhere, replace 2 chassis tubes, making one oval in a special jig. taking the nose off, and on again, then off again as it as totally wrong, remake the nose, re-lead the body, reducing the amounts by pounds of it, by making all the panels fit better, remove a 3/8" of lead from the buttresses and reshaping. Bought an inexpensive English wheel, great results... Making a new nose, hood and engine lid, new door skins, and other sundry items that needed TLC. Remade all fiberglass, batchboard cover, as unobtainium, I have the only mould in the world, (or close) as all shot out, as well as all the squirrel cages, making new L series bumpers from scratch, the grille of course. All new consoles as cheap vacu-form parts were shot. So far almost 2500 hours +/- Paint cost (locally about $ 450 for all supplies and application, in house. 200 hours Under engine hood light, $27, bought 12 years ago, as available then, now forget it. Mechanical, all of it, 100%. At cost, except machine shop work, local prices. Had to have the head work done in the USA, as here impossible. Your guess, around a couple K's +/- Rest of mechanical assembly - disassembly, non profit as ours. 700 hours +/- Transmission, all components from Italy, 12 + years ago, local bearing house, cheap. Interior, Henk. Tires, XWX, imported. This is a very rough draft, as there are other items missing, not huge cost. If you have questions, fire away... Kind regards, Alberto
Thank you Jon! Really appreciate it. Once the second Dino is all painted, it will be assembly line for both, I assume easier, twice the boxes, twice the fun same tools, a' la FORD T. Hope you are happy in new location Best, Alberto
Keep going Alberto. As you know i'm in the middle of a Daytona resto. Paint cost is nothing compared to body and prep
Alberto, thank you very much for your detailed reply to my inquiry, which I posed merely out of general curiosity and, as mentioned, to offer future references to anyone not experienced with extensive, let alone "complete" restorations of decades old vintage cars requiring such. Your approximate labor (hour) estimates appear in line with (my) general expectations for a job of this magnitude, regardless of make or model of a car of similar complexity and condition, be it a '74 Citroen DS23, your L-series Dino, a '65 Ford LTD 4-dr sedan or M-B W126, although latter might be a bit more complex than other given examples and therefor potentially even more time consuming. Anytime I hear/read someone claiming complete or full (professional ?) restoration on relatively complex, 4-5+ decades old car having taken hundreds of (or less than 2000) hours makes me think "So, what area/portion of the car they skipped and/or which components they didn't fully rebuild/replace/restore ?" At amateur or non-experienced level to do everything properly, one can easily expect it all taking twice as long or longer than well experienced "professional" shops. Oh, and that still doesn't include any parts, supplies or sublet labor most hands-on hobbyists can't or don't have equipment to do themselves, like machining or plating, etc. And that's why most vintage cars claiming to having been "completely/fully" restored really aren't. P.S. Keep up the good (and thorough) work !
Great thread. I found a man who has a yellow Dino in his yard. Have not had a chance to look under the tarp but car has not been driven in 20 years. This thread gives me ideas but wondering what I should expect to pay for the car if the guy will sell before the cost of restoration comes into play.
Gabriel, I appreciate your comments! If the car has not been driven in 20 years, anything is possible. Take photos, post them, and let's what's there. Good luck! Regards, Alberto
A mint one got USD 630K last week on BAT. Of course, entirely dependent on condition, chairs/flares etc. https://bringatrailer.com/search/?view=all&s=Ferrari Dino
Hello Fred, Dino been sitting under a tarp for 20 years. Pandora's box... Sight unseen, 100K, could be more than 300K on top of that to put to "mint".... not to mention the 'few issues' the cars were born with With Dino, anything is possible, anything, and I do know. Regards, Alberto
If you can do the work yourself then listen to swift53 below, if you cannot do the work yourself, speak to omgjon. Restoring a dino is not for the faint hearted and you need big pockets, loads of time and unwavering patience. the voice of good advice and knowledge.
Alberto? Absolutely...I've been following you and Jon's threads forever... All I did was provide data points...a variety of cars in a variety of conditions at a particular point in time, and their sales prices. This way Car Mutt knows the upside should he decide to proceed. I somehow doubt he'll be able to work as cost effectively as your guys, tho... Be well.