Narrow minded people, hacks, and posers....

[Cliff Beer]

So I admit, I spend a little time on some other automotive websites including ferrarichat.com F-chat is infinitely less interesting because more of the discussion is around "what's the best polish to use" for a concours or "oh no, one of my wheel caps has started to flake..." or who's got the most Italian mechanic, etc. The other aspect to it is that the signal to noise ratio is quite poor with the high number of elitist snobs and checkbook-mechanic know-it-all posers.

The most recent example: So burn me at the stake! - FerrariChat.com

The poster says he wants to start with a blown-engined 308 (cheap) and make a hot rod out of it while on a pretty tight budget. The discussion thread evolves and clearly he's facing a powerplant choice with choices along the lines of a SBF or chev V8, etc. Immediately, all the f-chat hacks, posers, closed minded nincompoops, and snobs suggest that the guy is a "redneck" and such an undertaking is a "circle jerk." I try to suggest that it could be a very interesting engineering challenge, potentially producing a car with a lot more hp (pretty much a given). And, why rain on the guy's parade when he's following his creative vision and passion? Then some f-chat goof suggests that GT40 guys are envious of ferrari guys and put cross over tubular exhausts on their cars to try to replicate the ferrari exhaust note. These are the kind of guys that sit in the garage and polish their ferrari and use Q-tips to clean everything because they don't have a freakin' clue about the mechanics and think Enzo Ferrari was the only good automobile designer of the 20th Centure. Pathetic.

I shoulda shut my mouth and not suggested that there might be cool car to be built here.

OK, now I'll shut up.

 

[Pete]

Cliff,
Well...in the end these puffies can say all they want but the GT40 is still the Ferrari killer. I like seeing some crazy over the top builds. I hear some nut is putting a blown 4.6 in a GT40. :lol:

Pete

 

[Jack Houpe]

Hey Pete, if it would fit in a Ferrari and bolt to the transaxle I would put one in one of my F cars.

Cliff I have owned 8 Ferrari's over the last 25 years still have 2, work on all my cars every single one of them V8s V12s, Flat 12s, they are just motors, plan and simple, people think you have to be a certified Ferrari mechanic to touch one, which is a joke. I rebuilt the motor in an old 308GT4 I bought for my wife to use as a driver, put EFI on it with DIS ignition then put a blower off one of the 3.8 GM motors. I have heard some of the people in the F chat were talking crap about it. Doesn't bother me, most of them don't know where the spark plugs are anyway. My other F car is twin turbo'ed.

 

[Jack]

I have often toyed with the idea of using the supercharged Buick 3.8 engine in a 308. Keep it simple.
Would be interesting..

 

[Keith]

Hey Cliff, I see what you mean. This guy summed it all mate:

"To me Ferrari is art with soul. If it's made ugly, where's the art? If you take the motor, you steal the soul."

Very poetic, especially from a poster with the handle: VIPER DRIVER! :laugh:

PS Nothing against Vipers - don't start on me! :furious:

Just thought it was an ironic statement...

Well you envious lot, time to go to bed and dream of Ferraris :drunk:

 

[Malcolm]

You could repeat this thread with Ferrari replaced by Lotus.....

When I used to compete my 40 on hill climbs and sprints we used to run into the Ferrari competition boys, who were a nice bunch of guys. There were soon bottles of bubbly up for grab to the club whose best three drivers out did the other clubs best three drivers. I think by the time it stopped happening the Ferrari boys were 2 -1 up, but it added some fun whilst it lasted.

But even within forums there are groupings of "users and abusers of car" and "polishers", dare I say it, even here!

 

[Ron Earp]

But even within forums there are groupings of "users and abusers of car" and "polishers", dare I say it, even here!

Oh yeah, on every forum there are various factions and certain groups prefer certain car makes/types over others.

One thing is for sure - in the US I have seen very few Ferraris at track days and none at amateur race days. They seem a bit better suited for appreciating over glass of wine after a hard day of waxing than over a beer after a hard day of racing/wrenching.

 

[Simon]

I wouldn't have posted this had the outcome not been good (ie driver and passenger survived) but while not just Ferrari related but a demonstration of money outweighing talent.
Simon

Lucky escape for Ferrari smash pair - Yahoo! Cars

 

[JD Doshti]

Anytime you want to shut a ferrari guy up, mention the fact that enzo ferrari constantly made fun of the people who bought his cars stating how they only purchased them for the social status. And the only reason he sold them was to fund building race cars like we do. The will end thread real fast

 

[Sid]

Heres an idea - someone suggest he could turn it into a lowrider.
Drop a big block Chevy engine in it, leopardskin upholstery, chain link steering wheel, 22 inch wheels, flame paintjob and hydraulic suspension so it can jump up and down :laugh:

That should make their heads explode :laugh:

 

[Brian Hamilton]

I read this thread too. I'm an F-Chat lurker. The guy could throw in LS motor in there with the GM F40 transmission (close ratio 6 speed fwd tranny) and make a dynamite car. You don't see them crucifying the guy putting a Gas Turbine in his TR do ya?

To each his own I say.

 

[Keith]

You forgot the furry dice, wheel spinners & surfer gas pedal - otherwise a good spec there buddy.. :laugh:

Make any Cavellino Rampante owner really proud..:thumbsup:

 

[Ian K]

You know, there's this guy in Texas with the last name Norwood ...

I believe his 511 ci Chevy powered 288 is pretty impressive, as is the
older version with a 371 ci Cleveland based motor.

Ian

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Yeah, Norwood is a badass... LOL

 

[JD Doshti]

he lives in rockwall, and i have followed his work for years. Ive done a few projects he had done at jotech. He is good at making power, but not at keeping them running lol

 

[Jonathan Strain]

Actually he got more support than I would have expected. There was certainly spirited debate but more than a few people came to his defense.

Does make you think twice about bad mouthing someone with one of the less authentic GT40 kits such as a Kellison or someone who puts a Chevy engine in their GT40 though.

 

[Mesa]

Not that anyone should be abusive, a Kellison does not look much like a GT40. A Chevy engine does not look or sound like a Ferrari, so it's a little different. If a guy's building a Kellison fine, just don't say it is or even looks like a GT40. If a guy is putting a Chevy in a Ferrari don't call it Ferrari powered. Hell I put a V8 in a 914 and let me tell you I was real proud to call it Chevy powered! I was thinking of stuffing a Kinsler big stack injected BBC in a 917 as a "continuation" of my efforts of the 914 30 years apart...but even I couldnt do that to a 917

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

I spend a bit of time on the F chat forum, primarily because I own a 355 berlinetta and some of the tech stuff is really helpful to an amateur spanner like me.
Like most forums it has its share of noise, but if you think a thread is crap you don't have to read it.
And Ron I take the GT40 to track days it's much more fun than the Fcar. :thumbsup:
My avatar on fchat is my gt40 which got a few comments, mostly positive.

 

[Keith]

My avatar on fchat is my gt40 which got a few comments, mostly positive.

'Cos it's Red? :blank:

 

[John Milmont]

Hey Pete, if it would fit in a Ferrari and bolt to the transaxle I would put one in one of my F cars.

people think you have to be a certified Ferrari mechanic to touch one, which is a joke...

I have heard that the older cars, (80's and older) can be worked on with basic tools just like a Ford or Chevy, but the later cars require special fixtures and tools; Is this this true?

I saw the bill for my buddies 360 timing belt service, i was pretty much like this after seeing it -->:shocked: