Volume 8, Issue 3 - May/June 2001

President's Corner

by marvin landon

dear fca members,

i would like to invite all of you to join us at our upcoming fca events. we want all members to enjoy their cars beyond cruising or taking a sunday drive.

to show your car at most of our events means clean it up and show it, (rock chips do not count against you).  if you want your car judged for competition at a show, usually we can accommodate you.  but if you would simply like to show your car for the sheer fun of it, you can.

driving events are much the same. drive to an interesting location, kick tires, enjoy visiting with other ferrari owners. the track events we get involved with are also wonderful day and weekend experiences. the driving schools are fun, informative and you will enjoy the whole experience. the large track at willow springs used for run groups and touring with instructors is also an exhilarating way to enjoy your car and learn more about the handling characteristics of your ferrari. you drive against yourself without the pressure of red lights appearing in your rear view mirror. if you have not been to the track and would like to get an idea of how things are done, then you can visit, and if you like, drive your car on a lead and follow touring group during lunch, (about 20 minutes). you will be following a track instructor at safe speeds, but still fast enough to get a feel for being on a full fledge race track.

board meetings are a lot of fun and very informative in regards to our goals and activities. they are a good way to meet other members and we have covered parking and a complimentary breakfast buffet at the ramada on el segundo and the 405 freeway.

i hope you will pick events that are of interest to you. come out and join us with other club members. 

remember, ferraris are meant to be driven.

cordially yours,

marv landon

Palm Springs Weekend

article by wally clark

photos by demetri zafaris and steve crise photo

april 7-8, 2001

we had all the weather you could want for the palm springs weekend! we had rain (on saturday), we had snow (at the top of the tram) and we had a beautiful sunny day (on sunday) for the concours. ah, yes, california is the spot!

on saturday, those who were brave enough to take their ferraris out in the rain made the trip to palm springs.  we met up with some members of the jaguar owners club and had our own special parking lot at the palm springs tram.  we went up the mountain in the newly renovated tram cars which rotate 360 degrees as they go up from the desert floor up to over 8500 feet altitude. it was sprinkling at the bottom and it was snowing at the top!  and, it was cold! 27 degrees and blowing wet snow.  a fun time was had by all and a few of us took some wet snow ball hits!  lunch was set up in a special area for us and then it was back down to the desert floor.  with the clouds all around us, the view going down was not as spectacular.

after checking in to the wyndham hotel and relaxing a bit, we all met for a nice dinner with dancing with a dj. then it was up early sunday morning to clean up the cars for the concours which was held at the o?donnell golf course.  about 30 ferraris lined up for special awards. 

the concours winners were:

best of show for the ferrari class was len renberg?s 400 super america.

thanks for all the members who showed up in the inclement weather and for those of you who stayed home, you missed a great event! thanks also to demetri zafiris and to kevork hazarian for setting up the weekend.

wally clark

Classics for Charity VIII in Beverly Hills

article by wally clark   

photos by author and tex otto

on march 18th beverly hills mercedes benz opened up their dealership for a large charity car show.  the feature this year was two fold; cars of otis chandler?s collection and cars of the petersen automotive museum.  a large crowd enjoyed the displays of antique cars, hot rods, classics, and motorcycles.  special displays were from tillack & co., which in addition to the ferraris were race cars and cars under restoration.  another special display was of motorcycles by the famous arlen ness.  a rare appearence by jay leno was made on his "jet motorcycle," a turbine powered machine that has to be seen and heard to be believed! 

the ferrari class was well represented and was composed of mostly late model cars. several fca members served as judges.

the winners were:  first in class for early cars (pre ?74) was randy reiss? fly yellow 250 swb. second place went to bill inglis? 330 gtc. first place in the late class went to walter meyer?s 348tb series speciale and second place went to carlos amato's 308gts.

 some of the cars on display were a 250 boano of greg garrison, a 400i cabrio of rod stewart, and a brand new 360 modena challenge car from michael lederman and ogner motorcars.

Mustange Sally

by robert crotty

there are those experiences in life which turn out to be so interesting and different that you love to recount them, just for the story telling appeal.  i find that when it comes to stories about ferraris though, few are able to appreciate the full meaning of the events that make up the tale.  but those few read these pages, and i thought this might be an enjoyable anecdote.

john is a good and very generous friend who owns a number of ferraris.  he alternates his time between coasts, so i was happy to see him back here, blasting by me in his 1959 250 gt california spyder on a sunny afternoon in our small, southern california beach town.  john believes in using his ferraris.  so instead of renting a car when he arrived, he just used the california spyder during the 2-week stay.  i flagged him down and we made plans to get together for drinks at a local club that evening. 

he pulled up in front of the club, top down with a respectable rumble in the gleaming red spyder.  the valet was more than happy to leave the car parked in front at the curb, and john introduced me to the owner of the club who had come out to see what the ruckus was all about.  it was to be a "happening" night at the club, and john wanted to make sure that i had a good time, so he asked the owner to find a "great girl" for me.  why not?  it seemed harmless enough.

the evening proceeded uneventfully until john invited me to drive the spyder.  it was one of those moments filled with both anticipation and anxiety: a fulfillment of a dream with a dear friend?s inordinately expensive car.  i stifled visions of burnt clutches and tow trucks and accepted.  as we got up to leave, the club owner said that he had a "great girl" he wanted me to meet who just happened to be there that night.  girl?  there?s a california spyder at the curb.  who cares about the girl?! 

so john and i went out to the car.  i clicked open the driver?s door, hooked my right leg under the large, wood steering wheel and slid into the supple, tan leather seat.  it reeked of classic italian exotic that only those who drive them and those who poke their heads into them at shows have experienced.  i inserted the key into the ignition and with a roar (and a little too much throttle) the car came to life.  john identified the row of gauges, which i forgot immediately since they were all in italian, and requested, "please, try not to slip the clutch."  i looked ahead at the large van parked just in front of the very long nose of the car and realized we were on a hill.  great.  well, at least he would be with me to instruct me on the finer points of classic ferrari clutches and inclines.

just then, the owner of the club came out dragging this "great girl" behind him for me to meet.  she can be described best as... well, a bimbo.  she was blonde, coppertoned, tipsy and wearing practically nothing: a short skirt, if you can call it that, and a tiny little string-top thing.  now, don?t get me wrong; i appreciate scantily clad women admiring beautiful cars as much as the next guy.  but when you can look at a her face and realize that she?d rather be inside dancing than reliving ferris bueller?s day off, it?s pretty clear your "ferrari appreciation evening" is just about done. 

so john stood off to the side as the club owner sat her next to me in the car.  and with that beast of an engine idling and a flip of her fake blonde hair she acquiesced, "ok, let?s go for a ride." 

i looked at john.  he thought this was a great idea and waved us off. 

so i pulled this better-portion-of-a-million dollar car away from the curb and around the van as a group of onlookers stared after us.  i?m sure they were envious, but they had no reason to be.  with the chatterbox bubbling about how much she "loves to party," they had no idea weight of responsibility<

Urgent Legislative Alert !

speciality equipment manufacturers association notification about potential legislation threat to older vehicles

sema action network legislative alert

california legislation would eliminate emissions testing exemption for older cars

legislation has been introduced in the california senate to repeal the state?s current rolling emission test exemption for vehicles 30-years old and older. s.b. 1172 repeals the current pro-hobbyist exemption and replaces it with a static exemption for pre-1974 vehicles. s.b. 800 repeals the current exemption and replaces it with a static exemption for pre-1975 vehicles.

however, sen maurice johannessen (a long-time friend of the hobby) introduced s.b. 800 and we believe strongly that this bill will be amended to remove the repeal language. at this point, we do not believe that s.b. 800 poses a threat to the hobby. therefore car enthusiasts are urged to contact your state senators immediately to oppose s.b. 1172.

existing law in california exempts all pre-1974 vehicles from emissions testing until 2003. after 2003, vehicles 30-years old and older will be exempt from emissions testing. california?s current emissions testing exemption recognizes the minimal impact of vehicles 30-years old and older on vehicle emissions and air quality.

vehicles 30-years old and older constitute a small portion of the overall vehicle population (currently less than 3% of the over 23 million vehicles in california) and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reduction.

antique and classic vehicles are overwhelmingly well maintained and infrequently driven (about one-third the miles each year as a new vehicle).

legislators and regulators are feeling the pressure from a failed effort to meet air quality goals and are looking for a convenient scapegoat. the old car hobby should not carry the burden of their mistakes!

contact your state senators to oppose s.b. 1172. to find our who your state senators are, contact the california senate general information line at 916.445.4311. this information can also be accessed on the internet at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/sen-addresses.html or by calling the sema washington, dc office at 202.783.6007.

in addition to sending your letters to your senator, please fax a copy of your letters to sema at 202.783.6024 or mail to:

sema washington office
1317 f. st. nw, ste. 500
washington, d.c. 20004
attn: steve mcdonald/brian caudill

In Memory of Luke Fratello

it is with sadness that lea fratello let us know of the passing of husband luke fratello, our long standing member and friend.  luke participated in many ferrari events over the years  such as the rodeo drive concours with his 365 gtb/4 daytona.

he started a metal plating business in 1929, building  it in stature to be a respected vendor of strategic plated engine parts for the us space shuttle.

our best wishes to the fratello family.