9/22/09
1747 Shake Down Drive
The owner of PF Coupe 1747 is planning on taking this car to West
Virginia for the Mountain Mille,
but I wanted David to come up to CT for a shake down drive to
familiarize himself with the car. David owns a newer injected Ferrari,
but has not spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a Vintage Ferrari,
so I wanted to get the introductions out of the way before the big
drive.
Yale drove up from New York City in his four headlight 330 to join us
at François' shop and caravan to our first stop in Great
Barrington,
Massachusetts. I had originally considered taking my 330 on this trip
as well, but soon realized we would spend two or three days alone in
separate cars! Having me switching between passenger seats in the two
cars was much more enjoyable, and I could focus on getting the most out
of David's PF Coupe.
It seems a trip with Yale's 330 would not be complete without some kind
of mechanical issue, and we started the first full day with a no start
issue. Battery was good, connections seemed good, but there was no
starter noise. With the three of us, and the help of a mute porter at
the Days Inn that was strong as an ox, we pushed the car out of an
incline and push started Yale's car. When Yale finally had to stop his
car, the starter worked as if nothing happened. Maybe Yale's Ferrari
was simply reminding us who was in charge, and it was her choice to
behave.
We pointed our cars west towards the Boston area through fabulous New
England back roads. The weather was a perfect 70 degrees with low
humidity, and the PF Coupe was doing a great job of winning over
David's heart. The original Abarth exhaust on this car sounded great at
all revs, and the short stroke 250 engine was quick and free revving.
I've never given much thought to PF Coupes until I got to know 1747,
but now I can really see how nice these cars are. They have an elegance
and feel that really speaks of the 50s, but have plenty of power to
keep
up with modern traffic. The lever shocks on this car perform fine for
grand touring, and I think this will be a perfect car for David on the
hills of West Virginia. We fitted Blockley Tires on new 16 inch
Borranis, and the combination is perfect for this car in stance and
performance. These modern tires were designed specifically for classic
cars and are a perfect fit for what a PF coupe demands of its tire.
As we neared Boston, we were inevitably caught in traffic on Route 128.
As much as I didn't want to break down in an old Ferrari, it was a true
test to see if the car's cooling system was up to snuff. I had
installed
a modern electric fan in the PF Coupe, but it was Yale's 330 that
started stumbling. As we pulled off the highway, his car stalled, and
he couldn't get the right combination to get her fired up again. In
desperation, I jumped in the driver's seat, and managed to get her
started. As we found some less congested back roads, the 330 managed to
cool off and calm down, but my phone rang, and it was David this time
pulled over by the side of the road. I turned around and found him a
half a mile back not understanding why his car just stopped running. He
told us he felt the car start stumbling, and then there was no throttle
response right before the engine shut off completely. No matter what
David did, 1747 just wouldn't start. The PF Coupe was exhibiting
classic vapor lock, and as I turned on
the electric fuel pump the rapid refilling of the fuel bowls in the
carbs confirmed it. With a couple of pumps of the accelerator, the
Coupe fired up, and we were on our way.
That desperate moment, was probably worth this whole trip for David. He
now knows the symptoms of vapor lock before it actually happens, and
can
remedy it before it leaves him stalled at the side of the road. Shake
down cruises are good for both the cars and the drivers!
Our main destination was Essex Massachusetts to visit Paul Russell and
Company, a well known restoration shop, but we first got lunch at
Woodman's, a locally famous crab shack. Several New England Ferrari
owners came out to meet us in Essex for the shop tour, and everyone at
Paul Russell's shop was great.
Gary, the owner of the GTE we took to Cavallino last year came out with
Suzie in their 360 Modena, and took us for a short tour to
Manchester-By-The-Sea. We did the loop at Singing Beach and got out to
look at the ocean before we headed into the heart of Boston Traffic!
Yale headed back to NYC, while David and I headed across Massachusetts
on Route 2 to avoid much of the traffic. After dinner at the Wagon
Wheel in Gil MA, we motored along in the fading twilight. David finally
found the
sweet spot in the panel lights, and the gauges glowed softly in the
darkness, as we headed home. At one point, with no traffic on the Mass
Turnpike, 1747 hustled down the highway at about 100 mph without any
drama. This was a very capable car.
During our 450 mile shake down cruise, we found a couple small issues
that
needed addressing before the car gets shipped to West Virginia next
week, but David told me something I was happy to hear. He said that the
car exceeded his expectations, and had no regrets in taking over the
care of this old Ferrari. It was a great introduction to Vintage
Ferraris!
Just a reminder, I'm looking for a
new Vintage Ferrari Project. If you have, or know of a restoration
project, please let me know. It would be great to restore another car
on this website! My E-mail.
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