Awesome project!
So, I am very particular about the aesthetics of my cars for as long as I can remember... For many a 365/400/412 owner, having suspension problems on their cars is par for the course due to the incredibly complex and pricey leveling systems. Further compounding this for me is the fact that I have seen too many pictures of sagging rear ends on these cars which to me, anyway, means that the owner is either neglecting maintenance and/or is fine with the car's rear being lower than the front - a big "No - no" to me as to how I would like mine to look! Many vehicles, from 356's to Saab 96's, have this reverse tear drop effect which I don't care for. So, being that I increased the wheel diameters from the OEM 15's to now 17's with the rears showing (a wider in person looking) 255's with spacers pushing them to the edge of the wheel well, I gave Michel marching orders to make the front end of the car be as low as humanly possible, and if we could get a rake going so that rear is higher, I would be happy - but no compromises. His solution - ditch the tired OEM stuff and fit in a full set of new coilovers so that I could set the ride height to my heart's content within minutes anytime I wanted. Of course, we all know there is no such thing as having a set of coils made for our cars, but that never stopped Michel and he guided me to a new set from QA1's... Below are pictures of how the suspension looked, followed by disassembly, the new suspension, and of course, some more fabrication on the part of Michel to make custom brackets to hold the new suspension points in place. Then some heat resistant paint to make things look a bit more tidy 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 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 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
There's only one way to do things on 46567, and its to do it the right way with no short cuts! Naturally, we then had to corner balance the car so Michel called up a good friend of his who works for one of the more accomplished professional endurance race teams around, and who are located in the area. Below are pictures of the digital scales that were used in order to ensure all was well with the new suspension, which he happened to have gotten it right the first time around! I was very happy because the long laundry list of to-do's was getting marked off, slowly but surely... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
at 77 my girl friend has that problem. think your guy can fix that. I have worked on her for 12 years. it has not helped
Well, Michel is very diligent, not easily scared or dissuaded (if he tackled my car successfully), and is good with his hands. I can certainly ask him if he's available and interested
When taking on a project of this magnitude, where every square inch of the car will be worked on, there's usually a method to the madness. Thus far, most of the interior has been redone, part of the subwoofer from the stereo system worked on, the suspension replaced, and of course, paint. Mechanical work has been started here and there, but I will likely do a summary of it all + pics towards the end, as those pictures do not illustrate the amount of time needed to improve how things were before Michel labored on that aspect of the project in an attempt to make this car actually become a functioning, reliable one (we hope)! At this point of the resto, we've reached the trunk of the car. There are many, many pictures showing the weeks of work that you guys get to see in a matter of seconds. The first of the pics depicts the sizeable amplifier that will be powering the subwoofer as well as the speakers within the interior. Just like the sub was installed behind the rear seats, we had very little options as to where the amp could be mounted. Alas, due to the sheer size of it, in order to fully enjoy the existing trunk space, we also had to install it in an inconspicuous spot, in all likely being the very first ever for one of these cars - and that's in between the taillights directly behind the license plate area. Michel built a rack from scratch in order to mount the amp flush and, along the way, started making a bracket to hold my $30.00 from the junkyard (and good as new) tire jack. He did it all by machining bits and pieces here, something which actually sounds more involved if someone is either not knowledgeable on how to do this, or does not have the correct tools - in Michel's case, neither was an issue. He also fashioned a spot for the socket wrench within the amp's rack in order for it to be fastened to it - very clever in my opinion... Because there are so many pictures of the trunk, most of them being in order, I will simply attempt to give a general description based on what I am seeing before they are uploaded. The OEM material covering the trunk simply was not going to look new after 30 years - so Michel decided going to custom fabricate the entire area out of hand-formed aluminum. In order to begin doing that, he started with a crude, but every so efficient coat hanger, to attempt to get the angles ever so correctly. That is then managed to be copied onto cardboard, which once confirmed as fitting perfectly, then serves as the template for the aluminum. 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 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 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The pictures continue to tell the story... Ever the one to think ahead, Michel machined a detachable 'lid' where the gas tank's fuel sender could be accessed without much fuss. I think its pretty neat, but so is the incredible attention to detail in order to make everything be asymmetrical, clean, and close to original spec - yet with individualistic flair! 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 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 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
At this point, he made the floor of the trunk off a sturdy type of wood (which escapes at the moment), and then strengthened it with supporting brackets beneath it. In order for anyone to have more illumination once it is lifted to take out the spare tire to theoretically replace a flat tire, Michel then also installed a set of LED lights in the lower/inside portion of the trunk floor. For those who own one of these cars, there's an existing trunk light but, see how much light is available once you lift the trunk floor - not so with 46567... The pictures also show that, in order to keep the tire jack hidden, an accessible latch was necessary. What other latch mechanism out there is more suitable for this? Well, a marine one of course (I am sure you too can come up with a better one, but just play along)!!! Ever having a hawk's eye for detail, not even the OEM standards had the trunk space completely flat and flush, so we fixed it by adding a deeper corner on both sides of the trunk wall (that covers the subwoofer area) out of fiberglass. And yes, he also does upholstery although he'll be the first to admit that its not his favorite thing to do. 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 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 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I had not posted on the car's progress for a matter of weeks because, as you can see from tonight alone, there's close to 100 pics just for this very small space and I wanted to do it all at once, hence the hours tonight that I have set aside just for this very same purpose. Not much more here to add, other than there's another picture of the man himself, who stands proud over the work he's undertaken to make this car look a lot better than how it arrived to his doorsteps. Not to cut corners, you can the thickness and excellent cut of the new foam he used in order to pad the new trunk liner, which was also hand-formed out of aluminum. The last touch is that plastic piece over where the spare tire goes - a tie down? It came from a donor Audi A4 from the junkyard - maybe $2.00 and fits like a glove - I love it! 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 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 Image Unavailable, Please Login
It's almost a shame to cover up that nice metal work. It is definitely a "one off" creation. You're fortunate to have the services of such a skilled fabricator. Nice.
Not being one to shy away from making things on 46567 more to my liking, I found out that the side vents of the dash are meant to blow warm air when the heater is on... Except, that I live in Florida, I have no intention of ever letting go of this car, it has a black exterior, and I always run hot. So, I asked Michel about the odds that these vents could blow cold air instead - to which he said, "Sure, why not Otto?" But, being a perfectionist, he insisted that it could switch back to blow warm air as well from the heater, in the event this car finds itself up north and the occupants need it. So, off he went to design a bypass/flow as the pictures depict below. The end result and verdict? I don't know about you other guys, but I sure am glad my side vents work like I feel they were supposed to! 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 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I have mentioned this before, and I'll continue to make reference to it - but there has not been a single square inch of the car that hasn't been touched. What it means is that I cannot possibly post the 1,000's of pictures taken that illustrate all of the massive undertaking that has been done to this project. But, I am giving it a shot in this thread as time permits. Below is a link of another thread where I already had posted Michel's work on my 400i's front quarter bumpers. As usual, the finished product is as good, if not better than Modena's best work on a late Friday afternoon after a long lunch with some chianti! http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/365-gt4-2-2-400-412/482838-front-quarter-bumpers-1974-a.html
Here's a bit of re-assembly going on. As indicated earlier in this thread, I didn't really care much for the aesthetics of the OEM amber fog lamps, so I sourced some old-school rectangular ones after some researching that fit in quite nicely, manufactured by PIAA and very, very reasonably priced. Michel began making the car look amazing, starting with the front. The pics show the fit and finish of the previously mashed up front lower valance, with now the beautifully polished and straightened grill, covered by the newly polished small chrome trim, and flanked by the new PIAA's... If you see a little spoiler below the valance - that's a little bit of improvisation. When the buffoons in Missouri did the engine transplant to its current configuration back in 2009, not only did they Mickey Mouse the whole thing, pulling the worst LT-1 they could find, but then they proceeded to half-ass everything. All that meant was our to-do list was just as long and expansive. One of the things we needed to add was an A/C which was obviously tackled. The new condenser was installed and it ran lower than the radiator, so Michel fabricated a small spoiler to cover it made out of a synthetic material which bends (so it does not break) if parked too close to a curb. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I couldn't agree more! This will be an amazing "resto-rod" (said with the highest praise and as a compliment) when it is done.
+1! You're really going the distance!! The Cibie Airport 35's are pretty difficult to source but Daniel Sterns Lighting Consultancy have told me to keep checking with them as they do run into them from time to time. I was able to find a set of both the ambers & clear fogs on eBay recently for a ridiculous price & grabbed them quick! (if you want to keep to OEM)
You can now begin to see some progress as 46567 begins to resemble more of a car than a project... It was wheeled out to better gauge the ride height of the car, since its imperative that my car looks nothing like many others out there which have a substantial wheel gap up front to the tire, and also some have the rear lower than the front - that look is definitely not sexy. Anyhow, the paint is looking good and the clear coat is aging nicely before wet sanding the finish down the road. The pics speak for themselves, but the car will be drastically changing after this point when other big items are restored/reassembled such as the lights, trim, and bumpers... 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
More pics... For those who are observant, yes - your eyes do not deceive you. The previous owner allowed the muffler shop to install some really nice straight Magna Flow pipes underneath the rear trailing arms! Needless to say, that has been since corrected but still... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Will your guy run out of work soon. I could use a QP1 complete rebuild. My 1964 car has 16 miles showing
I am sure he would do an excellent job, but I too had to outsource the work on my '85 QP III because he's spent over a year with 46567, and counting... But also, he's got a lineup of a 18 foot Batmobile replica, a carbon fiber roof on a racing 911, and flaring out an old 2002 that is being hot rodded, and easily has Michel booked through the rest of the year!
So, 2 areas here that garnered Michel's attention. The first one is that, thus far, we have completely brand new interior, brand new paint, wheels, lenses, etc. So, there are some things that either needed to be restored or replaced. Case in point, after spending an unspeakable amount of hours sorting through the car's electrics, in order to ensure that all the gauges work - believe you me that I'm going to spare you the nightmares that were exorcised by Michel after spending many a late night - the gauges had seen better looking decades. Michel grabbed some lexan, removed the old lenses, finely cut the new replacement ones and bonded it to the gauges carefully, and the result is close to perfection! The second area revolved around the ignition switch which we think came from a nautical application! Even I have my limits as to what I can look the other way, but that definitely was not one of them. On eBay, one of the go-to sellers of all parts for Ferrari 400 series proudly sold (was or probably still is) a OEM replacement for something like $1,500. Turns out that an Alfa/Fiat/Lancia one from a vendor selling parts for those makes can cost something like 10% of the Ferrari one, so we went that route and naturally, worked perfectly. Because he was not happy with the recessed look against the opening, Michel found these plastic grommets to fill the gap and I actually really like them - makes it look understated compared to other alternatives. Of course, there are many that only care about the pictures, so they follow below! 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 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 Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well done. I have the very same problem. And need a new switch. How did you zero in on a replacement part. The key bezel really needed to be made. Excellent.
2nd - I'd love to replicate that in mine, though I'd prefer find a way to move it closer to the steering column. It's so "RIGHT THERE" against the console. Gorgeous, thoughtful work by Michel, Otto.
