Allan McNish

[Steve Pyro]

I just wish I took more photographs last year of the fake ferrari's.  Some poor sap had converted a Datsun 240 into a 250 GTO  

Here it is Peter (Andy-3-Cobras turning his back to it in disgust)!

[Fax]

Yep,
Once saw a Testa Rosa that sounded stangely like a VW when started.  That and not a single body panel fit correctly.  It was so bad it was good
Fax

[BigH]

Hmmm... These are strange times in which we live.

Actually, I won't hear a word said against the old twenty four ouncer, I must have covered 200k miles in one during the seventies/eighties, and it hardly put a foot wrong. And well, we all know it's human nature, you don't need an excuse, I tuned the eyebrows off the poor thing at one stage and replaced a lot of metal with fibreglass (I believe I might also have had an eight track and a Bee-Gees tape in there...), and clocked 150 on the M25 (6pm on weekday - try that now!!)

That conversion is a terrible thing and no mistake. Why do people do that, it's a bit like Johnny Herbert putting a hosepipe down his trousers.

[BigH]

Fax, here's one for you, did a 240Z ever compete at the daytona 24 hours? I remember one having a go at La Sarthe but coming a cropper with a dodgy gearbox after 12 hours or so.
I hope to god it wasn't the standard gearbox, it wasn't unusual to use two hands to get it into fifth.
H

[Ferrari Spider]

Why ruin a perfectly good 240?  Of course there is always that Ferrari Daytona Spider Don Johnson cruised around Miami in.  Never worked out what American muscle car was hidden by the plastic.

[Ferrari Spider]

Just thinking about wrecked gearboxes, at a Ferrari Owners meet one of the members brought along his "250 GTO"  a very nice conversion from a 250 GTE, I think the engine build was something like £60k, paint £14k etc.  The steel gear lever snapped!

[Fran]

my companion was so bowled over by his presence the image is a bit shaky

or it might have been the ride to St Saturnin in the Ferrari!

  - either way i was getting a bit flustered!

 

[Fran]

Here is the link

http://www.classicbw.org/index.php

Did anyone else click that link expecting to see Dave H staring in Pee Wars? ... Nope?  Just me then ... 

[Fax]

H,
Almost certain Bob Sharp (father of IRL driver Scott) brought his Datsun's to Daytona (as well as other privateers).  He succesfully campaigned various Datsun's in the SCCA & IMSA ranks all through the seventies and eighties.  As big as the grids traditionally are for the Daytona 24 Hours its safe to bet they were out there.  Try this link http://www.zclubhungary.hu/EDATRace_USZRace.htm
Fax

[BigH]

Fax, I thought they must have done, I know the 240 was the top selling sports car in the US during its life.
There were a few 'tuners' over here, but you guys must have had more experience on them.
Talking about cigars, I've got a drawer full of various cubans here, that I brought back a few weeks ago, I'm trying to preserve for the lads in June, what's the best way to keep them?
H

[Ferrari Spider]

my companion was so bowled over by his presence the image is a bit shaky

or it might have been the ride to St Saturnin in the Ferrari!

  - either way i was getting a bit flustered!

 

I thought using the auto livage was an inspired location to pull a bloke

[Fax]

H,
Best way to preserve them is with a humidor, I've got a cheapy plastic one, ran me about ten bucks and does a great job.  If you don't have a humidor, for the short term you can put them in a sealable plastic bag (like a zip-lock sandwich bag) with a paper towel inside lightly moistened and folded.  It helps keep some moisture in them, keeps them from turning into rolled up roofing shingles.  Lucky bestards can get Cubans, as long as our buddy Fidel is still in power they're off limits to us.  We get our stogies from Honduras, Dominican Republic, etc.
Fax

[garystout]

Why ruin a perfectly good 240?  Of course there is always that Ferrari Daytona Spider Don Johnson cruised around Miami in.  Never worked out what American muscle car was hidden by the plastic.

I believe it was a Corvette conversion

[garystout]

Also, i believe the 250 GTO conversion kit was built by a company in Ringwood on the Hampshire/Dorset border till Ferrari lawyers came down on them!

[Ferrari Spider]

Also, i believe the 250 GTO conversion kit was built by a company in Ringwood on the Hampshire/Dorset border till Ferrari lawyers came down on them!

You may be right, I remember it being covered in one of the Kit Car mags.  At the time I really fancied building a Stratos, bought a 308 V8 engine with gearbox etc, still got it.  Must sell the thing one day, It'll never be used.