Hi Kraig Thanks for this piece of advice. In fact what I need is the key, so I plan to buy the barrel thing only, from Alfaholics. I'll tell you whether it did fit with the door handle. My personal feeling about 'look alike' components is that when it looks alike it is alike. Generally speaking, there is no economical justification to design a slightly different component. (read the topics about the automatic gearbox for example) and ferrari does have limited financial resources when it comes to design unstrategic components like this. (even if a door handle is a key component). Anyway, it's not expensive, the best is to try. I'll tell you Olivier
Hi, I just called Alfaholics in th Uk. I talked to a nice guy over the phone, I asked whether the Alfa's exterior door handle was the same as the 400's one. It happens that in front of the person I was speaking to over the phone, there was one of his colleague, who owns a 400. His answer was that the parts are the same. It does concern the door handle as a spare part only, of course not the junction with the other parts, maybe that's what Kraig had been said as being different. I am to order one. Olivier
This is true. In 10 years the parts will be worth even more than they are today. Seriously, I'm glad it's being restored; I love 400i's myself. Ken
Cruising the ebay Ferrari parts section last week and came across a guy who had a listing for a 400i body complete from the a pillars back. Won the auction ..... do not really agree with what he does to Ferrari cars....but suppose to each his own. Photos of the donor body at www.ferraridoc.com Will post photos on my yahoo web page once the transplant surgery begins. Will also try to be sparing with the cutting so if anybody needs a fender or a rear light panel let me know Scott B
I am going to Las Vegas in two weeks to pick up the body...it may or may not come with the frame...we are still negotiating. Once I see how it is assembled will then decide how to change out the pieces. The fenders are single layer and can be accessed from inside so fixing the dents will be easy work. The most difficult part will be building a specific platen to keep the frame from sagging while the top is off. Plan to put a little preload into the frame so as it gives it will go to straight...that will keep the door seals tight. Looking the car over it appears the actual cause of the injury was a tree falling on the car. Have found bits of tree all through the interior and inside the passenger door...so not rolled over as my original thought... Scott
Don't ask how it happened, but had a major malfunction with my Porsche race car. Will probably be about $20k and a lot of hours to put it all right. Unfortunately that car, and other race car driving commitments (I am doing development work for a small race car manufacturer) the 400i will have to go to the back of the line. Cannot stand to see it sit, so am going to put it up for sale. 35 years of rebuilding cars....I estimate it will take about 30 hours to strip the interior, change the roof from the spare body to the original car, beat the small dents from the fenders, strip the car and prep it for paint. About another $1000 to buy paint materials and about 10 hours to prep and paint. Then about another 15 hours to reinstall the interior. Just about anyone can do all the removal and replacement of the interior and the paint stripping. The only thing that needs to be done by a pro is the tig welding of the new roof in place, and of course the actual paint application in a spray booth. Hate to do this....but sometimes work priorities have to go ahead of the fun projects.... Scott B
Saw the car up on ebay today. Too bad you have to let her go. Wish I had the expertise to complete the work. Good luck with the ebay sale.
