Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Watch Idiots Rev a Cold Ferrari V12 Engine [Video] - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925) 294-5666

We’ve talked about the greatness of the Ferrari F12’s engine in our test drive. However, it seems that the Italian engineering is no match for some people’s ignorance. The clip below shows a bunch of idiots that were unfortunately set free inside a Mansory Stalone Ferrari F12. They decided the best way to take advantage of this unique possibility was to rev the cold V12 unit.

It all happened in Poland and, as you can see in the adjacent clip, they’ve got not problem in hitting the rev limited right after the V12 had been started. The Mansory Stalone F12 features a stainless steel exhaust and an ECU remap, but, of course, this didn’t make too much of a difference.

Right now we sit here wondering what happens when the owner of the car, even if it’s a dealership, finds out about this. And we can’t help but remember how another bunch of idiots in America once caused a Lamborghini to catch fire in an even more retarded manner.

source: autoevolution

by Andrei Tutu

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Ferrari F12 Crash: Totaled During Test Drive in Holland - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925) 294-5666

A Rosso Corsa Ferrari F12 Berlinetta was totaled in the Netherlands yesterday, with the accident taking place in the city of Breukeleveen.

The details of the crash are rather sketchy at the moment, but it seems that the driver had taken his grandson out for a spin in the 740 HP Ferrari.

The F12 exited the road, rolled and stopped against a tree on the side. The car was put back on its wheels using a crane. Subsequently, the full damage became clear - notice the effects of the crash on the supercar’s front fascia.

It appears that this example of the F12 Berlinetta is owned by a local dealership. The car was offered for a test drive during the weekend, so the situation is probably pretty interesting at the moment.

Via: regio14.nl

source: autoevolution

by Andrei Tutu

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - First Ferrari 458 Speciale Has Just Crashed in Berlin - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925) 294-5666

Fresh news from the German capital, where it seems the very first Ferrari 458 Speciale was crashed.

The accident reportedly took place at the junction between Urania and Kleiststresse (Kleist Road). A smart fortwo and a brand new 458 Speciale, which had just been delivered a few weeks ago, crashed into each other.

We don’t know who’s to blame, but if we were to be totally unobjective, we’d say the smart was hit broadside by the Ferrari’s front. Considering side impacts are violent and the smart is an older model, we’d say it did quite well. However, the reports say two people have been injured in the crash.

We really thought the first person to find his skill cannot match the performance of this car would be in China, what with the people’s  republic recently banning the search word “Ferrari” from engines after yet another big government-involving scandal.

source: autoevolution

by Mihnea Radu

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - 2001 ACAT Global Ferrari 550 Maranello - The Salt - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925) 294-5666

The summer sun bounces off the salt in a singular blinding highlight, causing hazy vision and an almost immediate sunburn. In northwestern Utah lies the sleepy town of Wendover. Here, you’ll find two casinos, a 7-11 and four hotels. Wendover is also home to the famous Bonneville Speedway: a small portion of one of the world’s largest salt flats that’s dedicated to motorsport. And it’s here that speed junkies have attempted land speed records since the 1930s.

With a few events each year, men and machines are constantly being pushed on the salt. Yet SpeedWeek, held in August, is undeniably the largest gathering. With hundreds competing to set the highest speed in a number of categories, the turnout is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Bonneville is otherworldly – even without the sound of lazy V8s bouncing off the nearby mountains, or the sight of torpedo-shaped specials approaching 500mph and leaving a wisp of salt floating in the heat haze – the Flats are simply a breathtaking place to be.

The sense of dedication and love for the sport is detected in every breath. You often hear people talking about camaraderie in racing, and Bonneville takes it to a new level.

And while we were there to absorb this unique sport and lifestyle, our story would revolve around Joe Moch and his quest to break 235mph in his 2001 ACAT Global Ferrari 550 Maranello.

Yes, Joe owns one of the few Ferraris in the world built for top speed and caked in salt. Its blue hue blended with Bonneville’s infinite horizon and garnered surprising attention in a field of home-built hot rods and high-dollar missiles.

Joe’s love for speed isn’t something new, though. He’s been obsessed all his life. “In 1965, I was walking past a Jaguar dealership and saw a gold on red XKE,” he reminisced. “I was a senior in high school at the time but would eventually buy one in '67.” After the E-Type, a love of fine Italian automobiles took hold.

Joe has owned 11 Tour de France Ferraris, which is more than any other private owner. His favorites included a '63 250 Spyder California and a '54 250 Europa GT, if you were wondering… “I’ve just always loved Ferraris,” he laughed.

It was fitting, then, that when Joe met Jim Busby, a former Bonneville record holder, the idea of breaking a speed record was embedded in his mind. Something he’d attempt in a Ferrari.

As you might imagine, the 550 Maranello was never built for top speed runs on salt. It was purposed as a comfortable GT with a massive 5.5-liter V12 up front, a luxurious interior and room in the trunk for a set of golf clubs.

Like many things, racing a Ferrari on the salt “Seemed like a great idea at the time!” And after racing virtually everything, from Formula 500 to vintage series, Joe figured a land speed record wasn’t impossible.

As CEO of ACAT Global (Advanced Clean Air Technologies), Joe is at the forefront of catalytic converters, producing the smallest and finest on the market. They get the same conversion efficiency as modern cats but at one-third the size, as well as a 30dB noise reduction without using a muffler. This isn’t obscure technology, either: Joe is confident we’ll see his cats on OEM vehicles and every emissions system before too long. “We’ve already passed GM’s durability tests,” he confided. And what better way to prove his product than setting a speed record?

The 550 was prepared for its first salt flat outing at SpeedWeek 2012. Jim Busby Racing, with help from Van Butler and Lee Kennedy from the Southern California Timing Association, built the car with Joe’s supervision. “You can’t imagine how much needs to be discarded from a modern Ferrari,” Joe recalled. “We filled so many five-gallon buckets just from scraping putty out of the trunk and driving compartment.”

During construction a $100,000 built motor was fitted, bored from 5.5 to 5.99-liters (the class limit), as well as a Ford 9" rear axle and crash-box transmission. The interior was stripped and caged before custom wheels and tires were fitted. It doesn’t actually have front brakes, relying on the rear factory units and two parachutes. Insane!

In 2012, Joe hit 216.33mph, which was 30mph faster than the factory speed record. “It’s such a desolate place,” Joe recalled. “There are no trees or anything. You’re just following a line in the salt and you see the mountains on the horizon that appear to be floating because of the heat vapor. It’s like being on another planet.”

As you may imagine, driving on salt is unlike anything else. “I had no idea what to expect on my first pass. I was in first gear, but the ratio was so high it would hit 107mph. I’m used to road-race cars so it was an odd feeling when the engine kept pulling and you haven’t shifted once. I kept wondering when the redline was coming. When would I grab another gear?” You can imagine his anxiety in the cabin, mixed with lots of adrenaline.

“The car moves around under you. The secret of being successful on the salt is not overcorrecting. The car starts to move to the side and it takes patience to bring it back over a fraction. At 200mph, any quick reaction could be the end. It requires such delicate corrections. But there’s a comfort you feel after getting it dialed in,” he remembered.

For his 2013 attempt, Peter recalled his second experience. “Perhaps one of the worst aspects of SpeedWeek is the waiting. Everybody stands around for much of the day, watching and relaxing, anticipating insane speed and praying for a trouble-free run. Finally, we were in a line of cars. There was sweat cascading down my face in the 127˚ heat. All you want is for your time to come but you’re waiting in that damn line, anticipating, wondering. It gets very claustrophobic,” he admitted.

We were waiting, camera in hand, for what seemed like an eternity for Joe to fire the 12-cylinder beast and get going. The team was aiming for 232-235mph this time around. “It was within our grasp and definitely within the capability of the car,” Joe said, “but it just wasn’t in the cards this year…”

source: http://www.europeancarweb.com/features/1404_2001_acat_global_ferrari_550_maranello/
by Alex Bernstein/Photography by Alex Bernstein

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Le Mans winning driver restores Steve McQueen's Ferrari to his original design - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925) 294-5666

 

The screen icon was the first owner of the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 after he took delivery while on the set of Bullitt.

King of Cool McQueen was a huge fan of the coupe, which is regarded by many as one of the ultimate Ferraris, and held on to it until 1971.

He had the original silver car re-sprayed to red and fitted the wheels from his Ferrari NART Spyder, which he had previously crashed.

But a later owner decided to spend $10,000 controversially having it transformed from a coupe (Berlinetta) into a convertible (Spyder).

The result was a stunning conversion - but the Ferrari had lost the McQueen factor. It was later resprayed yellow and then silver before it was bought in 2011 by Australian racing star Vern Schuppan.

Mr Schuppan, a McQueen fan who won Le Mans in 1983, decided to 'bite the Bullitt' and have the car returned to the identical condition as when his Hollywood hero owned it.

Its original State

He handed the car over to Ferrari and its Classiche department which certifies, restores and repairs special cars from the Italian marque.

Ferrari jumped at the chance to work on the McQueen 275 GTB/4, describing it as "one of the more interesting cars ever to leave the factory".

They reproduced the roof and buttresses with hand-beaten steel panels, before respraying the car from silver to the dark red which The Great Escape star had opted for.

Incredibly, the original rear deck, rear glass and chrome surround, internal rear pillars and other related pieces were reunited following its 1970s roof removal.

Restored but back to Steve McQueen's personal spec

Marco Arrighi, director of Ferrari Classiche, said: "Ferrari Classiche's ethos is to assist clients and collectors in ensuring that their car accurately reflects how it was when it left the factory.

As only ten NART Spiders were ever built, as you can imagine, over the years a number of coupes have been converted into replicas, so the client's decision to restore the car to its original configuration was one we welcomed with open arms."

After commissioning the restoration and making various trips back and forth from the factory, Vern was delighted with the results and loaned the Ferrari to its museum at the factory in Maranello, Italy.

He said: "I have always wanted a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 and the McQueen ownership of this one certainly added to the appeal.

"Aesthetically I think it is one of the most beautiful Ferraris. "In my opinion, the decision to convert it back was a no brainer, I don't think any car from the 1960s was quite as beautifully done as it.

"The finished conversion is outstanding and I couldn't praise the Ferrari Classiche centre more."

Under the bonnet of the Ferrari 275 GTB/4 is a 3.3-litre V12 engine which develops 300bhp.

This gives the sleek sports car a 0-60mph time of around 6.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 160mph.

A Ferrari 275 GTB/4 with a Classiche certificate is typically worth around £1 to £1.5 million, but a world record £1.9 million was paid for a model at auction earlier this month. But adding the Steve McQueen factor helps sends values soaring.

In 2011, the racing overall worn by McQueen in the 1971 film Le Mans sold for more than £600,000 at auction.

During the same year a Porsche 911 once owned by film star sold for £830,000 - more than 12 times its typical value.

But Vern, an Adelaide-based Aussie who spends a lot of time in the UK, is more than happy that Ferrari has seen fit to put the car on show in the new wing of Ferraris Museum which was recently inaugurated by Luca di Montezemolo where it currently resides today.

He added: "At the moment it is in the Ferrari Museum and I am happy to leave it there."

source: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/366109/Le-Mans-winning-driver-restores-Steve-McQueen-s-Ferrari-to-his-original-design

 

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Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Happy Birthday Enzo Ferrari - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925) 294-5666

Born on this day in 1898.

116 years ago today, Enzo Ferrari was born near the town of Modena. It took the man, who was deified and loathed in equal measure throughout his working life, almost half-a-century before founding his own company that would become the most powerful brand in the world and one of the most successful racing car manufacturers of all time. In 1947, Enzo Ferrari established his company simply to race cars, and that passion for racing has lead Ferrari to compete continuously in F1 since 1950 – the only racing firm to do so.

Over sixty years of stunning road cars penned primarily by Pininfarina, as well as Bertone and Zagato, were built to finance Ferrari’s racing program, but these stylish, sensuous and brutally powerful cars have become icons of the road, revered across the globe. From the Ferrari 250 GTO through the Ferrari F40 to the LaFerrari, these are the pinnacle of the cars of their era. Enzo, we salute you. Tanti Auguri. -

source: http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2014/2/18/Happy-Birthday-Enzo-Ferrari-7718734/
by Adam Lynton

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Lucky Couple Escapes in Heavy Audi R8 Crash - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925) 294-5666

Some people get very lucky when it comes to accidents and this is certainly one of those cases. A young couple walked away with very minor injuries after this wreck on the A3 portion of the Autobahn. Apparently the 26-year old driver was pushing a little too hard in the wet which resulted in him losing control of the supercar. The R8 then hit the barrier, spun around and ended up wedged under the guardrail which could easily have gone a bit further and most likely killed them both. Think it is safe to assume this car will be totalled and I hope the driver has learnt his lesson that you need skills and experience to manage 500 horses under your foot.






source: http://www.zero2turbo.com/2013/07/lucky-couple-escape-with-minor-injuries.html
main-netz

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Fiat Heir Lapo Elkann Skis Behind Ferrari FF - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925) 294-5666

If you have the cash you don't need a chairlift to go skiing, you just use a Ferrari FF. Lapo Elkann, Fiat Automobiles heir, was photographed sporting a bespoke red suit for a photo shoot while being towed by a sexy red four-wheel drive Ferrari. Looks like a lot of fun and I am sure one can get to quite a decent top speed if they are brave enough to try!




source: http://www.zero2turbo.com/2014/02/fiat-heir-lapo-elkann-skis-behind-ferrari-ff.html

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Listen To What Over 700 Horses Stampeding Up A Mountain Sounds Like - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

 

The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta has 740 horsepower. That's a lot, to put it lightly. And what better way to put all those horses to work than to make them charge up a mountain? The noise that comes out is truly glorious.

If only all cars had ridiculously big V12s

source: http://jalopnik.com/listen-to-what-over-700-horses-stampeding-up-a-mountain-1494967180
by Michael Ballaban

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Leaked image reveals Ferrari 'Special Projects' super-coupé, based on the four-wheel-drive Ferrari FF - FZ Restoration - 925-294-5666

Ferrari has confirmed to Autocar that the car, pictured at a private unveiling, is an official one-off special. Additional pictures or details, however, will not be made available unless the private client decides to release them.

It's believed that the car is based on a standard Ferrari FF, with the most prominent revision being the adoption of a coupé rear end in place of the FF's shooting brake tail.

Production versions of the Ferrari FF are powered by a 651bhp 6.3-litre V12. Power is primarily sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but the front wheels can be driven by an additional gearbox in certain conditions to provide more traction.

The name 'SP FFX' has not been officially confirmed, but the Italian trademark database shows that Ferrari registered SP FFX in October 2013. The 'SP' in the title is believed to refer to 'Special Projects', a Ferrari division responsible for the creation of bespoke cars for private customers.

Recent cars from Special Projects include Eric Clapton's Ferrari SP12 EC, which was created as a homage to the Ferrari 512 BB

Previously, patent images of the as-then unknown Ferrari SP FFX were originally believed to represent the next-gen Ferrari California.

source: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/one-ferrari-sp-ffx-unveiled
by Lewis Kingston

http://www.fzrestoration.com