more...more!!! we need to know more!!!!
Its been 4 years since I kept this thread active. Wow, long damn time! I got really discouraged by the process with the first shop, and they with me I am sure. Our original undertaking was to rebuild the Testarossa motor that had been put in the car. Much of the historic work was poorly thought out AND executed. The first shop was not really set up for restoration and thats what the job became so we parted ways. The motor rebuild was top drawer and well done this time, but the achilles heel of the car has always been overheating. I will do my best to fill in this yawning 1400 day gap in info and pics, but it will take some time. For now I would like to address the latest post. Last weekend, we drove the car 1.5 hours through various slow moving holiday traffic, let her idle for 15 minutes while we organized computers and seat belts and then went for what I thought was going to be an open, back roads driving experience. Turns out there was a big outdoor event along the road we were on and 40 minutes of bumper to bumper later, in mid 90's heat and she was still pegged at 88c! Hallelujah! Another hour of open road, testing the upper boost tuning maps and then more traffic and she was still running in the very low 90s C. I certainly would not undertake this kind of drive normally because, a. its miserable and b. its miserable. Hot...too hot to go driving in an old 12cyl hot rod, but a great test. The suspension (Ohlin) is awesome, rides better than my 430. Brakes (Wilwood bbk) are also awesome hauling the car down smoothly and without drama. The sound sublime...but more on that later with the intake exhaust build photos and info. All I know is that this is easily the fastest car I have ever driven. And yet its so smooth. We did find one empty freeway stretch, fenced and clear of traffic and on ramps. You have to be ready to shift through the gears very quickly so my focus was on the tach, but once 4th gear had run out the speedo number totally shocked me. If it can run like this on a very hot day, I can't even imagine what some cool coastal weather will do for her. Besides the temp. readings and performance, the highlight of the day was a classic meeting. While we were idling and messing with computers and seat belts, a homeless guy came by the front of the car with his cart. He stopped, said "nice car" and proceeded to whip out a cell phone and take several pics. I wish I would have taken the time to take his pic while he took ours but had my hands full. I thanked him and wished him a good day.
I am so glad to hear that your test runs went smoothly. I know this project was not anything you excepted when we talked for the first time years ago, but unlike someone who would have given up and simply sold the car, you stuck through it and now have a beast of a car that you FINALLY get to enjoy! I, like everyone here, am anxiously awaiting pictures and video Cavalloautosalon.com Facebook.com/cavalloautosalon Quality is not expensive, it's priceless.
John, great to hear you stuck with it and it's running. This project and Newman's with the Testa motors are exactly what I would have done with a Boxer, should I have been so fortunate to own one. I probably would have kept it NA and opted for ITB's, but your turbo installation really looks clean, and I'm sure it goes like stink. Do you plan on dynoing, once you get the ECU dialed in?
Scrolling back to the past, the next step for the car was exhaust. It was, even as a boosted car, very very loud. Sounded great but too loud. Took it to somewhat local Porshce (I know...the blasphemy!) where there was a fabricator up to the task. Once again, here we were with the one off situation and a very big motor shoehorning into a very limited space. I had been hoping, you know, a nice little custom exhaust...sounds good, looks good butta boom, butta bing...$3k and we are out of there on the road. Ha. if someone would have just knocked me upside the head with a tire iron back at the beginning, oh what tender mercy! So, lets take a look at the oem headers. Does this seem like the set up that you would choose to run 700+ hp through? Gotta love the deft hammer work to "fit" everything in. Whats a hole here and a flat spot there? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Have to go to work but here is the raw material for a new set up...more very soon. Image Unavailable, Please Login
New exhaust plumbing courtesy of Mark Robles (SCarGo). He really put some magic into getting everything to fit and flow is very limited space. Bravo Mark. Tacked and ready for test fittings. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
It all starts to come together. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi John, going to put some miles on the car and see how it works as is. We can always go back and ceramic coat if necessary but being just a 5 liter motor with 12 cyls, the volume of each tube is pretty small, so not as much heat being generated as if it were an 8 cyl or like the 6cly 4.0 liter Porsche GT3 motors.
I have to go back and dig each pic out of old laptops as my pc was yanked off the supported list and no longer works, so its taken a bit of time. Here are the rest of the build,fit and finish pics I have of the headers and exhaust. I was just speaking with Mark and he said he has a bunch more pics and will fill in the gaps after I post up what I have. So stay tuned if you like stainless artwork! Fitting all the componenets into a very limited space. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Tail pipe section and view of the topside plumbing. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Finished system. Great sound, has that nice effecient mechanical sound so you can hear that glorious 12 cyl over and through the exhaust sounds. Not too loud, no drone and so much smoother. Really compliments the well done engine rebuild. At every turn, the original work has been so much improved and as I readily admit, I have been WAY over my head for years. Word to the wise, leave big Ferrari jobs to the big boys and stick with Porsches or Corvettes or Mustangs if your budget has a limit....especially a modest one! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yes of course, but what product did you use? I have a Norwood twin-turbo '88 TR and I will want to install mufflers, what shop did you use for yours? I can't wait to hear yours!
Got some new picks from Mark Robles the header and exhaust builder. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
