Volume 3, Issue 4 - June/July 1996

Pacific Palisades - A Raging Success

the palisades ferrari show, on the streets of pacific palisades april 21 was a major success. from the different perspectives of everyone involved, it was clear this first-time event will be number one of a great annual series. at least annual.

a palisades intersection the it should always look -- filled with a 275 gtb, a 365 gtc/4, a 456 gt, and an f355 sypder.

more than 100 cars showed up for the ferrari-only show, including several from dealers and restorers who brought from one to nine each, and individual owners, both fca and foc members, as well as non-members. (not bad, considering initial planning estimates were between 30 and 40!). the weather at the beautiful beach-area village was perfect, and almost all the cars were in place by the start time of 10:00 am. the few stragglers had no trouble getting positioned and people began to swarm in early.

just a few of the many fine older ferraris at the first annual pacifica palisades concours and street festival.

lapd estimated 6500 spectators at the peak, which translates to 12 to 15 thousand over the 6-hour period of the show! between the spectacular sheet metal to look at, music and all kinds of entertainment for kids and adults alike, food booths, shops and restaurants specially opened for the occasion, and a generally festive sunday-in-the-sun atmosphere, everyone had a good time. police security was happy because no one got hurt, no cars damaged, there was no trouble and there were smiling faces everywhere.

more old ferraris.

the pacific palisades chamber of commerce was also delighted with the turnout and the whole event. drumming up local business, recognition, and providing entertainment for the community is their purpose, and they accomplished those goals with a ferrari flare. reportedly, the event was a break-even, with income from booths, sponsors and individual car sponsorships covering all costs. this, too, made the chamber happy; they don?t expect to make money, but they don?t want events to cost their members, either. pacific palisades is the kind of place where local resident billy crystal patiently sat in mort?s deli, treating his family to sunday breakfast, while registration activities went on around him at the next table. mort?s was event headquarters. and the owner, mort farberow , was a key driving force in the chamber in making the day successful. a rumor circulated that billy crystal?s wife later spotted a green 456 that she fancied at one of the dealer exhibits, and he bought it. if true, it made the day for at least one dealer.

speaking of dealers, special thanks are due to ogner motor cars of woodland hills, who brought a 512m, among others; to ferrari of beverly hills, with another 512m and a 275gtb, and more; to symbolic motors of la jolla, with a spread of nine cars, including two daytonas, one comp and one prototype, a 750 monza, a replica p4, a 288gto and a 250mm vignalespyder; to shin takei and modena motors of l.a., with an ex-vontrips 1960 250 gt cabriolet, and a bb 512 boxer; to gt motors of glendale, also with nine, including a ?61 250 gte; and to steve tillack, who drove up in his ?51 export coupe.

it was noted by many that this was the first time in memory that all these companies have participated together in one event. they did it as a team, and they have the organizers great big thanks for their efforts in making the event such a success.

there were lots of special cars among the 107 on hand, including:

paul forbes ---------1959 250 pf coupe
fred peter

President's Corner

if you didn?t know---------------------------------------

judd goldfeder, our illustrious president and regional director of the ferrari club of america, southwest region?s, term has expired. at the meeting of the newly elected board of directors on may 21st , tom brockmiller was made president and regional director. tom brings with him twenty-five years of ferrari ownership and involvement . his commitment is to perpetuate what judd created in the start-up of our local chapter. emphasis will be placed on getting events scheduled earlier, concours & show involvement ,track time, and membership. in tom?s words; "we have always been a club know for car-involvement , and the need to create activities that heighten the enjoyment and participation of driving ferrari?s is why our club is successful. technical and factory support only furthers our cause".

we would like all to know that the quick success and the quality of our "southwest region" ferrari club would not have been possible without the untiring commitment of two people: judd as president and jeff littrell as editor of our most noteworthy newsletter. together, but not alone, these two gave us a jump-start that would not have otherwise been possible.

their professionalism and drive brought together a group of us that are truly excited to be a continuing part of a fine organization. judd - jeff, we applaud you and thank you for what you have done. we also realize that you are not "going anywhere" and that we can count on your continued guidance and support. here?s to a great new "third" year.

Upcoming Events

for a complete list of the year's events, see the calendar of events.

4th Annual Palos Verdes Concours

sunday may 5th, a beautiful day and a fabulous array of cars of all types and from all countries. this has turned out to be one of the areas premier events and while there was not a strong showing of ferrari?s we did have representation from ron pinto?s early 212, fred bogardus? exceptionally original 308gt4, three 365?s - (2) 2+2?s and (1) gtc - a 275gtb, several 308?s and 328?s, a few 348?s, a 512tr and marshall leib?s 288gt. all in all a very nice turn out.

the winning 365 gt 2+2 (far right) at the pv concours.

the displays were grouped nicely at a distance so that crowd control was very comfortable. a number of the ferrari group picnicked in the center of the display and we all really had a casually good time. the sponsors had a nice selection of food available from hamburgers/hot dogs to an entire barbecue cart with the greatest sandwiches. i would like to thank rita bayer and ed clay for a job well done. the outcome of judging was steve mattes? 365gt 2+2 taking a first and judd goldfeders? 365gtc a second, for which they joined the field parade and received a very nice trophy.

judd gets instructions on how to check the oil in his 365 gtc.

Oldtimer's Corner - Charlatans and Mountebanks, Final (?) Chapter

by: ed niles

i guess i will never suffer from writer's block. writer's drivel, maybe.

if you are a reader of autoweek, you may have noticed two or three recent articles about lord charles brocket, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges in england, involving the destruction of several rare and wonderful ferraris. it turns out that charles brocket could be thought of as the charles manson of the sportscar world; something in the nature of a mass murderer of cars.

the story goes something like this: charles brocket was the proprietor of brocket hall, in england. the estate consisted of roughly 5,000 acres, 1,000 of which were walled. as one entered the estate through double gates, one drove (via a long gravel drive) past an eighteen hole golf course and a lake, until brocket hall itself came into view. if one were fortunate enough to be visiting lord brocket, one would find the entry doors swung open by a liveried butler.

brocket hall was an immense and wonderful estate by anyone's measure. but for ferrari enthusiasts, it held a special charm: the hall included a museum of sorts, in which approximately 50 beautiful sports-racing automobiles resided, mostly ferraris. perhaps you saw one of his ferraris at laguna seca in l994.

lord brocket?s garage.

for many years, the ferrari owners' club (u.k.) held meetings on the grounds, where all ferrari enthusiasts were welcome. this event was certainly one of the highlights of the foc year. almost all of the ferraris in lord brocket's collection were older models, some of them going back to the very earliest ferraris. in fact, one of his cars was one that i briefly owned, a 1949 166 berlinetta with body by stabilimenti farina, serial no. 037s.

as other lords of the realm had discovered, running an estate of the size of brocket hall is not an easy task, financially or otherwise, and brocket's title only goes back two or three generations. lord brocket was facing a five million pound debt, and the lender was pressing hard for payment. as was the case with so many other collectors, the great collapse of l990 hit charles brocket hard. in 199l, with the market still plummeting, lord brocket reinsured his collection at pre-collapse prices, and then reported a number of cars stolen. among them were a ferrari 340 america, a ferrari 250 europa, a ferrari 195 sport, a 1960 "birdcage" maserati, as well as other cars and a number of rare and interesting engines. he was quoted as saying that he believed that the stolen merchandize had been taken overseas for resale by an international syndicate of thieves. and by strange coincidence, brocket claimed that he had purchase offers on at least two of the cars from "japanese buyers".

charles brocket made claim against his two insurers, general accident and lloyds of london, for figures variously quoted at between 4.5 million and 7 million pounds (that's 7 to 10 million dollars!). when the insurers refused to pay, lord brocket sued.

at the time, brocket was separated from his wife, and facing a divorce. in england, a divorce can only be granted after three years of separation. apparently lord brocket's separation from his wife was not a happy one, and lady brocket had problems of her own. some feel that it was lady brocket who blew the whistle on her estranged husband. but perhaps it was nothing more than the natural suspicion of insurance adjustors, who were asking themselves how could such unique cars simply disappear off the face of the ear

Physics of Racing - Part 10: Grip Angle

by: brian beckman

this month, we investigate the physics of tire adhesion a little more deeply than in the past. in parts 2, 4, and 7, we used the simple friction model given by f < uw, where f is the maximum traction force available from a tire; u, assumed constant, is the coefficient of friction; and w is the instantaneous vertical load, or weight, on a tire. while this model is adequate for a rough, intuitive feel for tire behavior, it is grossly inadequate for quantitative use, say, for the computer program we began in part 8 or for race car engineering and set up.

i am not a tire engineer. as always, i try to give a fresh look at any topic from a physicist?s point of view. i may write things that are heretical or even wrong, especially on such a difficult topic as tire mechanics. i invite debate and corrections from those more knowledgeable than i. such interaction is part of the fun of these articles for me.

i call this month?s topic "grip angle." the grip angle is a quantity that captures, for many purposes, the complex and subtle mechanics of a tire. most writers call this quantity `slip angle.? i think this name is misleading because it suggests that a tire works by slipping and sliding. the truth is more complicated. near maximum loads, the contact patch is partly gripping and partly slipping. the maximum net force a tire can yield occurs at the threshold where the tire is still gripping but is just about to give way to total slipping. also, i have some difficulties with the analyses of slip angle in the literature. i will present these difficulties in these articles, unfortunately, probably without resolution. for these reasons, i give the quantity a new name.

a tire is an elastic or deformable body. it delivers forces to the car by stretching, compressing, and twisting. it is thus a very complex sort of spring with several different ways, or modes, of deformation. the hypothetical tire implied by f < uw with constant u would be a non-elastic tire. anyone who has driven hard tires on ice knows that non-elastic tires are basically uncontrollable, not just because u is small but because regular tires on ice do not twist appreciably.

the first and most obvious mode of deformation is radial. this deformation is along the radius of the tire, the line from the center to the tread. it is easily visible as a bulge in the sidewall near the contact patch, where the tire touches the ground. thus, radial compression varies around the circumference.

second is circumferential deformation. this is most easily visible as wrinkling of the sidewalls of drag tires. these tires are intentionally set up to deform dramatically in the circumferential direction.

third is axial deformation. this is a deflection that tends to pull the tire off the (non-elastic) wheel or rim.

last, and most important for cornering, is torsional deformation. this is a difference in axial deflection from the front to the back of the contact patch. fundamentally, radial, circumferential, and axial deformation furnish a complete description of a tire. but it is very useful to consider the differences in these deflections around the circumference.

let us examine exactly how a tire delivers cornering force to the car. we can get a good intuition into the physics with a pencil eraser. get a block eraser, of the

1996 Copperstate 1000

by: ron adams

the start of the copperstate 1000.

each year the rally if officially started with the first car being waved off with the green flag by a local celebrity. this year indy 500 winner arie luyendyk waved off the eager participants. the rally took participants up north through sedona to lake powell in a 1000 miles circle ending back in phoenix four days later. if you are interested in participating in the cooperstate 1000 in 1997, they can be reached at 602-252-8382.

F50s in Arizona

by: ron adams

a 246p (?) in arizona.

Buying an Older Ferrari - Part 7

by: chris kantarjiev

pat continues to work on the leather and chrome (nev?r-dull, cotton wadding impregnated with white spirits, is also great stuff). she also gets pressed into the role of go-fer, making countless trips to the hi-lo for this or that.

the owner comes by with a few goodies that he found in his garage - extra bits and pieces, jack hole plugs, oil filters and a tin of touch up paint that date from the purchase of the car. he sits down and points out some of the controls (the owner?s manual doesn?t actually cover the series ii dash layout). he warns that i probably shouldn?t try to use the ac when going less than 60mph or it?ll just overheat the engine and frost up the condenser.

fill with oil and coolant and crank to check out the valves. everything seems fine. in watching, he seems to have set them a little tight; i ask and he says that?s to keep them quiet and take up any dish there may be in the valve stem ends. we get one cam cover on and call it a night. (somewhere in here, junior looked up at me and said "don?t you ever get tired?" i think we had been working him longer days than he was used to.)

the power steering pump seal has not arrived. "tomorrow, i promise!"

friday. put the other cam cover on, start putting things back together. the seal arrives, pat fetches it, junior installs it. it?s a modern rubber-coated seal, rather than bare metal, so it?s a little oversized. no problem, grind away a little of the rubber. while re-installing the plugs, i notice that they?re "stock" champion n6y, but the ones that got pulled/replaced during the checkout at sam?s were n9y (much hotter). "hmmm, following that old book again", junior says. "n6ys were fine if you were over in europe driving on the autostrada at more than 100 mph all the time, but they tend to soot up in us traffic. keep the n9ys, they look ok and only had a few hundred miles on them, you could put them back in when you get home."

spend a while getting the timing and carbs right. there?s some smoke at warm idle. then we notice that the power steering pump shaft seal is leaking - right from the point where the grinder had been. sigh. we won?t be able to get another, since it was not in stock and tomorrow is saturday and the supplier is closed. besides, it?s now 5pm and they?re probably closed now. what to do? "hmmm, i?m pretty sure that this pump was the same as used on gm cars. go up to the hilo and see if they?ve got a rebuild kit that has this seal in it. meanwhile i?ll charge the ac."

well, not really. they have a rebuild kit for a gm pump, but the picture isn?t quite the same, and the seal doesn?t seem the same (too big). but i buy it anyway. there?s another kit for another pump, but they?re out of stock.

sure enough, it?s the wrong kit. now what? number 1 rtv, of course. we pull the pump again, extract the seal, goop it up, install. decide that the prudent course is to let it harden overnight before driving on it. return the rebuild kit.

saturday. start the car up, no leak. hooray! we go for a quick spin around the block, pack the car, and get ready to settle up. except that i can?t find my checkbook! search the bags, search the rental car. damn, i?m sure i packed it. junior doesn?t take plastic. araugh! so we find an atm and withdraw our cash limits. not enough, even with the extra cash i?d brought along. the only bank that we can find that?s open on saturday morning won?t do a cash advance on my mastercard, and says there?s no way to do a transfer or override my daily limits. stupid bank

Ferrari Challenge Report

texas world speedway

the second event - and the third and fourth races of the 1996 challenge season - continued the tradition of tight competition begun in florida.

texas world speedway has extensive ties to the ferrari challenge, having been the site of races in the 1994 and 1995 seasons as well as the site of the delivery of the first f50 in north america; an event which included a challenge demonstration race. hospitality, including meals at the track, have always been exceptional, and the 1996 event maintained the same standard. giuseppe risi, tony nevotti, and the ferrari of houston staff are gracious hosts, even to providing a test day for competitors on friday before the event.

paul frame was almost one full second ahead of steve earle, who started alongside in the front row. george robinson, defending 1995 - 348 challenge champion, made his first appearance in the 1996 series (he?s been busy racing a dodge viper gts/r at daytona and sebring). george has dominated the 348 class at tws, and took the class pole, but jim kenton was only .04 second back; the two 348?s would share the second row of the grid.

paul frame led the first lap, but that was the last time anyone (other than the pace car) would be ahead of steve earle. steve led every lap for the rest of the day; paul would finish second, but his best efforts weren?t enough to get past earle?s yellow f355. dan doyle, jr. had his best drive to finish third, sharing the f355 podium with steve and paul. george robinson was fourth and winner of the 348 class over jim kenton, but rich peplin, his car newly prepared by ferrari of washington (as was kenton?s) came from 11th on the grid to finish third in the 348 class for his podium finish, allie ash, carlos de quesada, and tom murphy fought out the next three places. an incident eliminated sam bardor?s new f355 and damaged the 348?s of jim place and carlos hank jr., both expected to be at the front of the 348 pack. john gillespie was unable to start in his 348 after suffering an engine problem in practice, but did score points in the fna f355, salvaging something from the weekend.

results from the first race were used to set the grid for the second race, so the front row was reversed; steve earle on pole and paul frame alongside, followed by doyle, robinson, jim mccormick and jim kenton. an incident in the first turn slowed mccormick, who had been competitive in the first race, and doyle. earle led every lap, but frame tried a "banzai" charge late in the race to get past; it didn?t work. earle (maintaining his perfect record), frame, and carlos hank sr. (his first podium) received the f355 trophies, and robinson, kenton, and de quesada were the 348 award winners. carlos hank, jr. had a race-long battle with dequesada, and demonstrated the spirit of the ferrari challenge by presenting the trophy to his rival, who barely beat him to the flag and the award. (he also presented the trophy to his father, returning the "favor" from homestead.) another outstanding race-long dice was among rick jones, rich peplin and kevin crowder, all in 348?s.

there have been three competitors who have participated in every ferrari challenge race held since the first demonstration at savannnah in 1993. leaving texas world speedway two of those drivers, steve earle and paul frame, the third, was perhaps the fastest driver in the series. perhaps experience really does count for something??.

Classified Ads

for sale: daytona parts: transaxle, complete, rebuilt: $10,000. borgo nos competition high compression pistons: (12) $3,600. ring and pinion: nos ferrari 10/33 ration: $2,850. campagnolo competition wheels, (2) 8x15, (2) 9x15: $3,000. borrani 7 1/2x15 wheels rw4075 record. very good condition (4) $2,600. marshall buck: (310) 559-3947.

for sale: 1985 308 gtsi qv s/n 53165. "last year of the 308" mint condition, 42k miles. red/tan, california car, no rust. sony 10 cd changer, am/fm , alarm, new battery, phone, tool kit, all receipts and manuals, good leather. new tires and brakes, 30k mile belt change and service, 2nd owner never been hit, driven daily. $45k obo. must sell - moving out of state. bill (818) 841-7129 - leave message.

for sale: ferrari models. your favorite ferrari in scale at a very favorable price. handbuilt or diecast models plus unbuilt kits in a variety of scales. call/fax/write for new expanded list. chuck jordan p/o box 8330, rancho santa fe, ca 92067 (619) 759-9227. fax (619) 759-1301.

for sale: parting out unfinished, disassembled ferrari 308 hot rod project. includes complete unwrecked 1975 308 gt4 with both 2v and 4v engine parts (many new); 4v heads; dry sump block;new 4v race cams; factory 308 quick-change trasfer case; 16" wheels; gt4 eurospec parts; carbon fibre front spoiler; and much more. list ready soon, in meantime state needs. also for sale: '47 lincoln v12 coupe; '57 de soto hemi sedan; '64 buick riviera gran sport; mint '87 buick trubo coupe w/ duttweiler extras (fast!). call mark l. dees (805) 529-2973, fax 529-0947.

for sale: framed limited edition print of yellow 275 gtb. purchased at the 1987 ferrari show for $500. artist: jay kona (signed and embossed by artist). mounted with double mat gray on yellow in 34" by 22" gloss black frame. edition 57/250. mint condition. color photo upon request. inquiries to: brian tracy, p.o. box 67511, los angeles, ca 90067. (310) 449-1577.

for sale: ferrari models: your favorite ferrari in scale at a very favorable price. handbuilt or diecast models plus unbuilt kits in a variety of scales. call/fax/write for new expanded list. chuck jordan, p.o. box 8330, rancho santa fe, ca 92067. (619) 759-9227, fax (619) 759-1301.