Over restoration and the joke of concours

Pete,

Correct, you don't really know.

Your insinuation that "so called experts inflict" the Australian Club is uninformed and offensive.

The organisers of concours make every effort to have qualified judges, who in turn make every effort to judge consistently and fairly. Cars don't get "dismissed" or "thrown out", they lose points.

That LM250 was regularly involved in club events throughout its time in Australia, often driven by Spencer Martin, who remains active in the club to this day. The club was strongly supported by Scuderia Veloce throughout their many years as the Australian Ferrari importer.

Ian

 

There have been photos posted of this car quite recently by Marcel Massini. I wasn't aware that Lauren had restored it at all.

It was of course bodily restored and repainted after an accident with Mackay driving at Sandown in the Seventies, this is the subject of a Magazine article.

The car Marcel posted looks the same to me. It is certainly used sparingly and doesn't make some of the public appearances that his other cars do.

 

one sad fact is that her great long distance wins are no longer on her side panel.I would say that she has been restored after DM's ownership and most likely in a US way.Sad fact is no one in Australia had the vision to keep her here.

 

The pictures I saw had these there.

Where's the thread?

 

it was in Scots thread that MM cracked re the photos(wanker)
from memory no signage on flanks re the wins.

 

I stand corrected it only has the SVM stickers.

 

so sad ,that all that history is not shown,bet if it had won Lemans it would be there,all those well worn battle scares long gone,just another hanger queen now.Pass the Cognac and lets view the cars.

 

I do agree with Pete that over restauration is a very sad thing and has obliterated a lot of wonderful patina and history.

Cheers!

 

They're only original once.

I can understand components being replaced due to age and safety (rubber is a wear item after all), but the level of finishing work should be similar to what was done in the day.

Guiseppe and Luigi weren't charging $100 an hour for paint work. They were told to paint the car and that afternoon it was done.

If you're into making things perfect, buy a model. Leave the cars original...

 

Absolutely true. My Daytona was penalised in a Concours for having an original piece of trim around the vent window when the other cars had new chrome. I thought I should have got a bonus! Other point that grates me is that cars that get used suffer compared with garage queens. My Daytona also lost marks for stone chips on the wheels that I picked up from tracking the car on the Shanghai F1 track. The judges are good guys who are doing their best but I philosophically disagree and no longer think much about concours

 

I agree!

 

it all depends i guess
i agree that a true race bred car like the 250LM or other proto's shouldn't be overrestored. their patina is part of their racing history

i have a different point of view for GT and luxury cars however
cars like a delahaye 135, duesenberg or even a 410 superamerica for that matter are built to be driven in grace and deserve to be kept as beautifull and finished as possible

just my 2 cents

 

Not sure what the rules are in HK, but FCA concours judging guidelines here allow for stone chips and some patina provided the overall appearance of the car is good.

I can't comment on your car, which is probably superb, but I have seen a few Ferraris with torn leather, pitted chrome and failing paint. I'm sure they were original, but the fact is that back in the '60s the car had nice chrome, soft leather and glossy paint. A sympathetic restoration of all these cosmetics seems fine to me.

 

All good points!

 

Can someone please explain intention over spray to me.

Does any one here think that is a good idea?

-dsd

 

Just because they allow for it, doesn't mean that an original unspoiled car will beat a trailer queen...

 

I think a lot of the restoration of cars is a joke, because well, its a car !
We are not talking art or something , we are talking 4 wheels and a bit of metal connecting it all together, when Enzo or Nicola Romeo got their crew to build a car did they ever think this is what they will do in 2007, park it in a garage, rarely drive it, and then make sure it is spotless, come on.
I am sure Ferrari esp. with the racers only cared what victories he could win and then sell the damn thing, this concours is a phenomen that kind of misses the point, I think the use a car has had should be a good factor. Not sure about the english version of demolition derby, sorry historic racing but heres to Jim using his racers, and too all of the guys that go and drive their cars, please keep doing that. Please dont park them somewhere noone will ever get to see them
I mean its a car.
timmmmmmy

 

Since the late 1980s, Ferraris have been less 'car' and more 'asset/commodity' to be preserved for its rising value. One way to boost one's asset value is to win Concourse events any way you can, and that means pandering to the lowest common denominator- perfection.

 

You are absolutely correct. I pointed out to our judges the FCA guidelines and was politely acknowledged then ignored. My Daytona is in perfect condition but for a few stone chips and misfitting original parts. It would be so easy for me to change trims and make the car better than new but I think that is wrong. I changed one trim only because it had been damaged beyond repair by a ham fisted previous restoration but anything that is original and undamaged (albeit imperfect) stays!

 

+1. But I would not give up the thrill of the long-straight on the Shanghai F1 track for increasing my chance to win a trophy. It is good to understand the reality of the rules and then ignore the implications consciously. before I figured this out I used to get frustrated