Started re-stamping (tongue in cheek) the sills, as basically trash. I notice that unlike 01104, these are two piece. Is that correct for this car? There was a visible seam, don't like it much. Delete it, just as the jack's hole which I will not replicate as a great dirt trap. Plus I prefer the no seam look. Work has been slow. I need to get an industrial compressor for the sandblasting, but have to buy it in the USA, as here it's either toys or monster size and the prices are absurd. Happy Holidays! Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
More rot. Enjoy what lurks unseen. Happy Holidays! Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Alberto, As I said before, you are a brave man. But you are making good progress, and things can only get better from here. I agree with your minor departures from original. Many thanks for taking time to post. Good luck with the projects this year. Andres
Door sill frame/dashboard support components Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Made a new hood skin, looks very ugly with the plastic on it, but came out very nicely. The tail section and rear rockers are prepared and ready to go on the parts shelf, as restoration of#01104 is coming back to operating status and #03724 is going back on mothballs. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you. At times it is difficult as the body is so warped, but it will be done properly. Jon Hansen taught me how to make templates with masking and strapping tape. Ingenious! Meanwhile, the olli alli heat exchanger bracket was copied for a friend and came out really nice. Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well, we were wondering whether it would be a smart thing to remove the two plates that reside under and ahead of the fuel filler opening, and symmetrically opposed, on the other side of the body. Finally, the compressor for sandblasting is arriving tomorrow, so the thought was lets just blast and end of problem. Right? Wrong. Against better judgement, the two plates were removed and guess what, more familiar faces. RUST and fiberglass insulation. If anyone ever tells me there is no rust anywhere in a Dino... I know, it will be a very fine coat and of no consequence, but the rust, is there. No ifs, no buts, no maybes. Enjoy! Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login
Among the myriad remanufactured panels, new Euro version, turn signal sheet metal holes were fabricated, as we are changing from USA version. I know, I know Regards, Alberto Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hello Alberto, this cavity always needs to be open and the fiberglass insulation needs to be removed. Most people don`t do it during the restoration, big mistake. You will always find rust here.... ;-) Well done. Regards Matthias
Very nice work Alberto! Your a true artist. I should be in San Salvador at the end of July. Really looking forward to getting back there.
Matthias, Paul and Ryan, thank you for the kind words. It is not only my effort, this could never have been done without the most valuable collaboration of the great guys that work with me. Theirs, is the true merit and we all learn hand in hand. Of course, without all the generous input from you Dino maniacs, the same can be said. Definitely very rewarding. In these restorations, we all learn by each action, and I am assuming that certain previous restoration owners are wondering out loud if these simple yet very worthwhile steps have been taken in their case. Yes, it does cost more. I for one, have learned by now that it is either full rust removal, renew all that needs renewal, or it is an incomplete effort, and in the end, the cars will be something better than the factory. No cutting corners, only the bad work done by unscrupulous outfits and the lack of participation on the part of the owners. Matthias, what was the point of the fiberglass in that boxed section? Besides the rust issue, it really serves no purpose at all. Is it in the Dino parts book ? Ryan, please pm your travel plans as soon as you have definitive dates. First week of August are the national holidays (as if we did not have enough!). Regards, Alberto
No excuses needed, Alberto. I think you are doing the right thing. For what it is worth, here is my opinion: Converting the front end to the normal, non-US style does not compromise the originality of the car in any significant way. You could argue that you are simply returning the car to the way Ferrari designed it. You are only undoing the damage inflicted upon it by the bureaucrats in Washington. I would not do it to my own car at the moment, but only because it never had, and does not need any bodywork. On this car, I would do the same thing you are doing. I think we are sometimes going too far in making our cars conform exactly to the piece of papers they had when they left the factory. Unless the owner intends to enter FCA concours events, or put the car away as a collectors item for value appreciation only, that approach is not really justified. For a car that is to be driven and enjoyed, it is much better to follow the spirit of the design. And simply liberating the design from unsightly modifications forced upon the builder by various governments, is very much in the spirit of the Dino! My opinion. This is an interesting thread, Alberto. Glad you are posting the photos. I am always surprised by the ugliness which can hide underneath a fairly decent looking paint job. This one may be a bit better than the L-series, but not by all that much. I admire your fearless approach. You certainly do not take on any easy projects! /Lars
If you think a Dino is a rust bucket, don't even think about a 911. I'm currently restoring a 911S 2.0 1969 as I couldn't find a 2nd Dino to restore, rust everywhere and complicated to repair. Dino is actually easier to repair as it's a frame with single skin metal. Only advatage with 911 is that you can buy panels. Ciao/ Bjorn
Lars, I tend to agree with you about the lights. Originality in something mandated by the DOT, should not be a 'point of honor', and in my very personal opinion, not be penalized by the FCA events at shows and otherwise. Turning a GT into a GTS or viceversa, is slightly more extreme, as it might turning a car into a 'chairs & flares', and possibly create a misinterpretation, just as chopping a Daytona. Bottom line, if staying withing certain reason, and after all it is 'your car concept', do what you will. I can perfectly understand that you are not fond of your DOT lights, and you are absolutely correct in not wanting to touch an otherwise great car. Mine, on the other hand needing such vast metal surgery, it is not an issue at least in my eyes. The Excise Duties that are levied here, are a definite factor about what we import, and as I keep on being reminded about a 'documented restoration' that warrants the quality of the work, I would not buy a Dino unless it were sold at such cut-rate prices, but at least well aware of the issues and pitfalls. Nothing will surprise me again Dino looks great, no matter what, and as far as value is concerned, even that is very difficult to assess. Bjorn, I think 911's were built with just a tad more conscience not to mention in a slightly less 'home-built' mode. Nevertheless, rust, or more rust, two wonderful cars. Regards, Alberto
