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TMC:Southeast Apri l 2013

NEWSLETTERLa Macchina Sportiva di Prest ig io Ital iana

Fellow Members:

Welcome to the June 2013 issue of La Macchina Sportiva di Prestigio Italiana. What a cool name, eh? Yes, Bill, that

eh? was for you, as well as Tom and I, since were from Michigan.

So spring is almost over and hot weather is on its way. Actually, its already here for most of us, and were starting

to dry out from the spring rains. But not every weekend was wet the past few months. Weve had a few great

events, which I will share with you below, as well as a few more events just around the corner. Are you ready for

Georgia Giro in Macchina? The turnout looks fantastic and its not too late to add a few more. Fellow memberDavid Cecchele announced another FCA SE event called Coppa Costa to take place in Savannah, Georgia

September 27th through the 29th. Of course, he invited The Maserati Club! Check the calendar below for all the

details.

One final thing. I need your stories on why a Maserati. I know youve got them, so please forward them. Share

with us!

Okay, Ive talked enough. On with the show!

Dont forget, if youd like to contact any of the leadership team, you may e -mail all of us at

tmcsoutheast@yahoo.com or any of us individually at:

Kai Dyhr,

Vice President - kaidyhr@gmail.com

Tom Rossi,

Treasurer - tomr@acctresource.com

Geoff Sanderson,

President- gsanderson99@yahoo.com

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New and Upcoming

New Members

The Southeast Chapter of The Maserati Club wouldlike to welcome Dmitry Shtainer from Atlanta,Georgia, Bryant Spears from Knoxville, Tennessee andE. James Lane, Jr. from Loudon, Tennessee to the

club. Please make them feel welcome.

Upcoming Events

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 21 - 23, 2013 -

Georgia Giro in Macchina. A Maserati Club event inAtlanta, GA sponsored by Ivan and Myrna Ruiz, Mattand Emily Antonucci and Dick Preston. We aremeeting at Ivan and Myrnas in Dawsonville, GeorgiaFriday afternoon and hitting the town for dinner anddrinks that evening. Provided we are not thrown out of

town, festivities will continue Saturday morning at JimEllis Maserati for a tour and lunch, then a scenic drive,ending at Matt and Emilys for a pool-side barbeque.Sunday, we will make our way home. Please see theflyer attached with this newsletter.

Sunday, June 30, 2013 - Every Sunday is Car ClubSunday at the Frist Center for the Arts during theSensuous Steel exhibit. The Italian Car Clubs will bemeeting on June 30th. The parking lot will open at11:30 to the owners of all marques of Italian cars andmotorcycles. This is one-half hour before it opens to

the public. At noon, we will enter the Frist Center for apre-ordered boxed lunch in the Frist dining hall. Afterlunch, we will be the first visitors of the day to see thisone of a kind exhibit. Cost of the boxed lunch andexhibit is $23.00 per person, payable to Mike Gillespie,2000 Mallory Lane, Suite 130, Box 158, Franklin, TN37067. Payment and reservations must be made nolater than June 7th. If you have any questions about thee x h i b i t , c o n t a c t M i k e G i l l e s p i e a tmgillespie@comcast.net.

Saturday, July 6, 2013 - Italian Cars and Coffee andTech Session at Maserati of Nashville. A morningevent with lunch at Angelos Bistro after. Details to beprovided later.

Saturday, July 20, 2013 - Keeneland ConcoursdElegance. Currently, the Maserati Club is notplanning a gathering for this event unless someonewould like to do so.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 27 - 29 -Coppa Costa. A Southeast Region Ferrari Club ofAmerica event, the Maserati Club is invited. Held inSavannah, Georgia, the format will be the same asCoppa Alpina, with arrival Friday afternoon and dinnerand drinks at a local restaurant at 7:30. Saturdaymorning will include a rally ending with lunch atSavannah Quarters Country Club. Your choice of an

afternoon drive or a trolley to Savannah is planned forthe afternoon, ending with dinner at around 6:30. Theoption of going into town for some jazz is also beingconsidered.

Saturday, October 12, 2013 - Atlanta Italian Car Dayin Norcross, GA. Members of the Maserati Clubregularly attend this event and have nothing but goodthings to say about it. Details to be provided later.

Friday - Sunday, October 18 - 20, 2013 - EuroFest in

Spartanburg, NC. Last year, we had a nice turnout ofMaseratis and a Fiat and we took home a few awards.Dennis Gage from My Classic Car shot an episodethere (#17) and Matts GranCabrio and Dwights andmy Spyders could be seen in the background. The 2013event will be a Maserati Club event, so stay tuned fordetails.

Past Events

On April 6th, I made my annual trek to Birmingham,

Alabama for a Grand-AM/Indy Car weekend at BarberMotorsports Park. I had tried to create an event out ofthe weekend with the Italian Car Clubs, butunfortunately, only five people showed. Perhaps theAIM Autosport Team, fielding two Ferrari 458 Italiasknew more than I did as they refused to return my e-mails and phone calls regarding a tour of their facilitiesat Barber. However, the five of us did enjoy thehospitality of the Multimatic Motorsports Team, whichfields four Aston Martins, one of which is driven byJade Buford, son of fellow TMC member Mark

Buford. Not only were we able to walk around in thepit area, viewing the race cars and the facilities up closebut Jade and Mark made themselves available for aQ&A session and photo ops. Some of the mechanicsand pit crew also took the time to talk to us and answertechnical questions about the race cars. Thank youJade, Mark and the Multimatic Motorsports Team for amemorable time at Barber.

mailto:mgillespie@comcast.netmailto:mgillespie@comcast.netmailto:mgillespie@comcast.net

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The 7th Annual Motori Italiani was held April 20thin Charlotte, North Carolina, and featured over 100Italian cars and motorcycles. Billed as A Celebration ofItalian Motoring, the event was organized by theCharlotte Area Ferrari Enthusiasts and sponsored by131 Main Restaurant. Unfortunately, only 5 TMCmembers were able to attend this event, but as Kai andI were two of those members, we took a long, winding

route (set up with the help of Dwight) to Charlotte thatincluded The Tail of the Dragon, the Little Dragon andparts of the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway.While we ran into a little bit of rain, just small showersactually, nothing that slowed us down much, theNantahala National Forest was in full bloom, so thescenery was beautiful. As were the cars andmotorcycles in attendance. We even met up with somefriends in the Ferrari Club that were at Coppa Alpinalast year and this year. One of the most interestingpersons we met was Kendall Anderson, 2 time finisher

of the Iron Butt Rally. Ill let Kais picture explain it.The food and drink was also good making for a greatweekend.

A few of the Maseratis

View while enjoying a frothy, yellow beverage

Coppa Alpina 2013 was a highlight of last year for meand I thoroughly enjoyed this year as well. Held May10th through the 12th, our host this year was theTapoco Lodge, where we stopped for lunch last year.But Im not going to elaborate on this years event asmy wonderful wife, Sandy Sanderson has asked to

detail the weekends events herself.

Nestled in the North Carolina foothills of the GreatSmoky Mountains is a hidden gem a sanctuary withcharming cabins, plentiful walking trails and a riverwith water cascading over the rocks in harmony withthe wind in the trees. Tapoco Lodge is a true get away;no TVs, limited internet connectivity, minimal cellphone service, just what one needs when trying to

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escape from the daily chaos of life. Just 3 miles fromDeals Gap and the famous Tail of the Dragon,Tapoco Lodge is a true treasure. From the moment weset foot on the property, the owner Ronnie and hisstaff made us feel truly welcome. They made an effortto know each of us by name within minutes of arrivingand kept that personal touch alive for the entire 3 daystay. From cocktail hour in the lodge lounge, to the

appetizers in the common area, to the spectacular 5-course meals served each night, there is only one thingthat could have made this weekend better.

The harmonious sound of the fine Italian machinerythat echoed through the trees! This was not just anyordinary weekend getaway, this was the Second AnnualCoppa Alpina, sponsored by the South East Region ofFerrari Club of America, who graciously invited TheMaserati Club Southeast Region to join them again forfine sportsmanship, fine drink, fine food and a little

good-natured ribbing between the two clubs who cametogether to celebrate the love of all things Italian.

The weekend began with the arrival of the attendees onFriday, getting settled in, getting reacquainted andsharing a good meal and plentiful libations. Afterdinner, the group reconvened by the fire pits for moreconversation and smores. On Saturday morning, thegroup joined for Formula One qualifying at the lodgecaf downstairs, where breakfast consisted of a fullbuffet including wood-fired oven baked breakfastpizzas. A day of spirited driving and trivia took placethrough the twisting and turning mountain roadways ofthe Smokey Mountains. A short break for lunch at theDancing Bear Lodge allowed the drivers to re-fuel theirbodies for an afternoon of driving that wasunfortunately cut short by some rain. The groupreconvened at the Lodge where a professionalphotographer was onsite to take pictures of theimpressive showing of Ferraris and Maseratis, whileagain the guests were treated to spectacular foodtopped only by the hospitality of the Lodge staff whowere attentive, personable, and very accommodating.

Dinner concluded with the award ceremony of theCoppa Alpina Cup being presented to Hal Lawson andhis navigator Bonnie Morrison. Sunday rounded outthe weekend with another generous breakfast served inthe caf, where the Formula One Spanish Grand Prixwas televised. If you preferred not to the watch therace, your morning could be spent at the caf tables onthe cobblestone walkway that faced the river. Eitherway, a good time was had by all. The ride home along

the Cherohala Skyway provided spectacular views andgentle, winding roadways that nicely contrasted themuch curvier roadways traversed throughout theweekend.

If you did not get the opportunity to attend this year,fear not! The Third Annual Coppa Alpina will be herebefore you know it. Until then, there are plenty of

opportunities to attend a number of events that theMaserati Club Southeast has planned throughout thesummer and fall months. When this group getstogether, there is no shortage of fun, food and ah-hem,a little wine! If you are looking for a peaceful retreatin which to spend a long weekend, look up our newfriends at Tapoco Lodge. Until the next event, have awonderful and safe spring!

A stop at Deals Gap, after running the Dragon

The Tapoco Lodge

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The Cheoah River

Some of the Ferraris

The conversation got animated

Kai got to know Ida

Breakfast in the Caf

Saturday evening rain

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escap

Maserati and Indy

As the Indianapolis 500 is recently completed(congratulations Tony Kanaan), I thought I wouldinclude a couple of articles about Maseratis presence atIndy in our newsletter. The following is from issuenumber 2 and parts of issue number 44 of Maserati

Monthly and from the May 2011 issue ofVeloceToday.com.Indy was Maseratis Track

Motorsports fans know that the month of May bringsone of the worlds greatest races the Indianapolis500. First run in 1911, it quickly acquired a reputationas a real test for both driver and machine. The story ofWilbur Shaws historic 1939 and 1940 victories in aMaserati is quite well known, but it is not the wholestory of Maseratis success in the May classic. Both

before and after those first-ever back-to-back victories,the first by an Italian manufacturer and the only onesby an Italian engine, Maseratis design, engineering andtechnical innovation made it one of the most prolificIndy marques for a decade. They also demonstrated theglobal span of the Trident.

Maseratis involvement with the Brickyard dates backto 1930. Lettorio Piccolo Cucinotta raced a 2-litre 26B,an evolution of the first Maserati while BaconinBorzacchini drove a Tipo V4.

The engine of the Tipo V4 was remarkable; a compact4-litre V16, it was created by coupling a pair of 2-litrestraight-8 blocks side by side! The blocks retainedseparate crankshafts, joined by gears, and were set at a25-degree angle. This, and the 4-litre displacement, ledto the V4 designation. Designed for a supercharger, thecar ran normally aspirated and underpowered becauseof Indianapolis rules.

After Babe Stapp raced a Tipo V8 RI in the 1937Vanderbilt Cup race on Long Island, Mauri Roseentered a Tipo 6CM which was an evolution of the V8

RI propelled by a 1.5-litre supercharged six-cylinderengine. This was the second high-revving straight-sixengine created by Maserati. The cars performancepersuaded Boyle Racing to order a Tipo 8CTF.Maserati had skillfully designed the car to make themost of new Indy and Grand Prix regulations.The 1939 8CTF had a straight-eight engine pumpingout a massive 365bhp, actually detuned for the rigorsof The 500. When it was damaged in shipping Maseratiimmediately delivered a replacement (From issue #44,

The weather on the transatlantic crossing was so coldthat the water in the engine froze solid and cracked theblock.). In qualifying the Boyle Special, Wilbur Shawmanaged third fastest, only 1.2mph off pole position.He finished almost two minutes clear of the pole-sitterafter leading 51 laps including the final one! So on May31st, 1939, Maserati became the first Italian companyto win the Indianapolis 500.(From issue #44, The race itself was run at a furiouspace, with the leaders averaging over 120 mph for the

first 250 miles; it would probably have set a newrecord, but then tragedy struck. A driver in the leadpack lost control, and three cars crashed out; one ofthem, 1938 winner Floyd Roberts, went through theouter wall on the back straight, and later died of hisinjuries. There was more than 30 minutes of runningunder yellow flags while the wreckage was cleared andthe walls repaired.

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The race developed into a three-way battle betweenShaw, Lou Meyer in the Bowes Seal-Fast Special andJim Snyders Thorne Engineering Special. The leadchanged several times as pit-stops proved decisive.Shaw stopped just three times once for fuel and aright rear tire, once for fuel and a right front tire, and a

final splash and dash for fuel in the final 25 miles.Snyder pitted just twice, but at his first stop new sparkplugs were required and the stop took four minutes,and when it took over three minutes to fit two reartires at his second stop, he dropped too far back.

By contrast Meyer could have won the race but then,while leading with less than 50 miles to go, his rightfront tire blew out in Turn One, forcing him to headfor the pits. That allowed Shaw to go a lap clear, butMeyer mounted a determined charge; and when Shaw

pitted with less than ten laps to go, it seemed the hugecrowd would be treated to a fight to the finish. But itwas not to be Meyer crashed on the back straightwith less than seven miles of the 500 remaining. Thatleft Shaw well clear, and he came home more than aminute ahead of Snyder. It was the first win by aforeign car since 1919, and the first by an Italianmanufacturer.)

In 1940 Shaws Maserati dominated Indy. Qualifyingsecond, less than 0.8mph slower than Rex Mays, Shawbeat Mays in the race by over a minute, leading for 136laps in poor weather. His two wins combined for$58,000 in prize money. Maserati became the firstmarque to win successive victories at Indianapolis.After much work and practiced engineering,Indianapolis was becoming a Maserati show.

Shaw came agonizingly close to a hat-trick in 1941. Hequalified third, with pole going to Mauri Rose inanother 8CTF. On lap 44 Shaw took the lead andappeared to have the race in hand until a wheelcollapsed on lap 152. The wheel had been damaged in apre-race garage fire, but the Boyle mechanics didnt

spot the problem. After sparkplug failure sidelined his8CTF, Rose made use of the rules to drive another carto victory.When post-War racing began in 1946, Maserati was themarque. All three 8CTFs were entered, along with anumber of Tipo 4CLs, and an 8CL. 8CTFs claimedthird and fourth. The Boyle Special 8CTF won poleposition in 1947 and came third in the race. In 1948 itcame fourth after leading 74 laps. In 1949 an 8CTFagain contested the race until gearbox problems ended

the bid. In 1950, the 11 year old 8CTF was one of onlythree non-Offenhauser cars to qualify for the race,being competitive enough for the legendary BillVukovichs rookie test. This degree of longevity andcommitment was rare. Most impressively, the Maseratiswere competitive and extraordinarily reliablethroughout.

(From issue #44, Shaw left a lasting legacy, not merelythe result of his back-to-back victories in the near-unbeatable 8CTF. Towards the end of the war helearned that the tracks owner had no intention to re-open the Speedway, and intended to use the land forhousing. Shaw persuaded Indiana businessman TonyHulman to buy the track, and enough work was doneto allow racing to resume in 1946. Hulman namedShaw President of the Speedway, a role which saw himorganize the Indianapolis 500; unfortunately Shaw waskilled in a plane crash in 1954. The Speedway is stillowned by the Hulman family; the present owner, TonyGeorge, is the grandson of Tony Hulman.)

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Over 50 years after its last race, the classic Boyle SpecialMaserati was honored with a parade lap before the startof the 2002 United States Formula One Grand Prix,also held at the Brickyard. It was driven by none otherthan seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.

The Maserati 8CTF was one of the truly great racingcars of all time. Not only did it achieve successiveIndianapolis wins, it also stormed to victory in the 1946and 1947 Pikes Peak hill-climb and it was still able toclaim a top-three place at Indianapolis eight years afterits maiden victory there. A testament to Maseratis corevalues, Wilbur Shaws 8CTF can be seen at theIndianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in SpeedwayIndiana, still in running condition.

Maserati Monthly is a web-based magazine fromMaserati North America and can be found atMaserati.com.

Maseratis Indy Interludes

by Roberto on May 25, 2011

We always believe in eye catching lead photos. Don't we?

A brief look at Maserati at Indy

By Roberto Motta

Photos Courtesy Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayMuseum

The American racing world has many famous andprestigious races and tracks, like the 24 Hours ofDaytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. But while thesevenues are undoubtedly rich in history, nothingcompares to the one whose name immediately remindsus of the American dream. For millions of Italians, theIndianapolis 500 is truly The Greatest Spectacle inRacing.

The oval tracks as used in the U.S. allow the public towatch the all the cars at the same time, but have neverbeen very popular in Europe, where fans prefer thestreet circuits like Monaco or the fast tracks likeMonza. This is one reason why for many years,winning at Indy was the property of the cars made inthe USA and the entry and win of a car manufactured

in Europe, such as Peugeot, Delage, Mercedes andMaserati, always generated considerable interest.

http://www.maserati.us/maserati/us/en/index/Maserati-Monthly.html

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Letterio Cucinotta with the 26B at the 1930 event.

Several Italian carmakers have tried their luck at Indy, but the only Italian car victorious at the Speedway was theMaserati 8CTF of Wilbur Shaw, known as the Boyle Special that managed to beat the fierce competition in both1939 and 1940. The Maserati was named after its sponsor, Mike Boyle, who financed the effort.

Shaw and the Maserati 8CTF very nearly won a third victory in the race in 1941, and only broken wheel preventedthe car from entering the name of Maserati once again the winners circle.

In the annals Indy 500 history, the Maserati name appears for the first time in 1930, when two Type 26Bs, drivenby Baconin Borzacchini and Letterio Cucinatto were entered for the event. Borzacchini, whose car sported a twineight engine, retired early but Cucinatto is listed with a twelfth place overall at 15 laps down from the SummerMiller of Billy Arnold.

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Second time at Indy for Maserati was in 1937, Stapp in the V8R1.

Years pass and in 1937, American Babe Stapp entered with one of the four V8 Maseratis built in 1935. Maseraticalled it the V8RI, Stapp called it the Topping Special . This car was not successful and clutch failure forced it toretire, allowing this driver to finish only 31st place overall. For lovers of statistics, Stapp competed 12 times atIndianapolis, and got his best finish, fifth place in 1939 behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo: it was also that year inwhich the Maserati 8CTF got its first win.

The 8-cylinder had a fixed head, which completed the acronym 8CTF: 8 Cilindri, Testa Fissa. The Maserati brothers

had chosen a three-liter supercharged engine, to conform to the new European Grand Prix Formula from 1938-1940, and it was a mechanical configuration with which Maserati had accumulated considerable experience.

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Traditional Indy photo and pose. Shaw with the 8CTF in 1939.

The engine was an 8-cylinder, mounted longitudinally in front combining two four cylinder cast iron cylinderblocks, and was characterized by with a bore and stroke of 69.0 mm (2.7 in) and 100.0 mm (3.9 in) that gave a totaldisplacement of 2991cc (182.5 cu in). The engine took advantage of a DOHC type distribution and two valves percylinder. With 6.5:1 compression, powered by 2 Memini MA12 carburetors, one for each group of four cylinders,two compressors and Roots, was capable of delivering 365 hp at 6300 rpm and pushed the car up to the maximumspeed of 290 km/h/ or 180 mph. The engine was coupled to a 4-speed + reverse transmission.

The car had an aluminum body, had a tank capacity of 150 liters and weighed 780 kg, with a wheelbase of 2720mma length of 4100mm and 1520mm wide.

The 8CTF had a beautifully crafted chassis comprising two longitudinal members with cross sections of steereinforcement. Front suspension was with torsion bars, friction dampers and stabilizer bar. At the rear suspensionused semi elliptic springs, hydraulic shock absorbers and stabilizer bar.

The braking system was composed of large diameter drum brakes with mechanical control. The 8CTF rested onspoked wheels that allowed the installation of tires Pirelli front 5.50 x 19 or 6.00 x 19 and 6.50 x 19 rear.

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The first two examples of the new 8CTF, frames 3030 and 3031, were ready for the Grand Prix of Tripoli of 1938,the second round of the championship. Count Trossi managed to win the second row of the grid. At the startTrossi took the lead but unfortunately, he had a gearbox problem and was forced to retire.

In the following months, the 8CTF participated in other competitions in Europe and was almost as fast as themight of the German teams: Paul Pietsch finished third at the German Grand Prix, but the new car showed fewother remarkable results due to problems with the brakes and engine. But hoping for a new source of financing, the

Maserati brothers prepared the third and final frame of the Maserati 8CTF, chassis 3032.

Back in the U.S.A., during the same period, Michael J. Boyle, known as Umbrella Mike, and the boss of thelargest union in Chicago, decided to buy a new car to be driven by Wilbur Shaw for the Indy 500.

Boyle realized that his old Miller could not support a further increase in performance and was impressed by theMaserati 6CM he had purchased in 1938. Furthermore, he believed that the engine of the Maserati 8CTF, had noreliability problems, and would do very well at Indy using the much less aggressive methanol than the dynamite fueblends used in European competitions.

After these considerations, Boyle sent his chief mechanic Harry Cotton Henning to Bologna to formalize thepurchase of 8CTF 3032 plus a spare engine. Returning to the U.S. Cotton subjected the car to a carefuldevelopment in view of the Indy race. Supported by an exceptional team of mechanics, he managed to prepare the8CTF to provide both reliability and power.

On May 30, 1939 the 8CTF driven by Wilbur Shaw and identified by the number two, (Shaw had already one atIndy in 1937 with the Gilmore Special) started from third position with a qualifying speed of 128.977 mph. Duringthe race, the 8CTF faced a long struggle with the Miller-Offenhauser Ford of Cliff Bergere. Then, after 4 hours 20minutes and 47 seconds the Maserati was able to take the lead and checkered flag, ahead of the Adams-Sparks ledby Jimmy Snyder and Miller-Offenhauser Ford Cliff Bergere, becoming the first Italian car to win at Indy.

The Maserati 8CTF ended the race with an average of 115,035 mph, and Shaw won $27, 375. Wilbur was so happywith his 8CTF he had himself photographed in his car, and sent the photograph with the inscription: For the

Maserati brothers, for having built a car so beautiful, to Bologna.

The following year 8CTF was deployed again to race in the Indy 500. Characterized by number 1 this time anddriven again by Shaw, it started from second position on the grid with a qualifying speed of 127. 065 mph. The racewas slowed by rain, and the drivers covered the last 50 laps under caution. The Maserati came in first, winning therace at an average of 114.277 mph and gave its driver a prize pool of $ 30,725.

In doing so, Shaw became the first driver to win three victories in just four years at Indy. Shaw and the 8CTF washeading for his fourth Indy victory when the wheel broke, and the car retired.

(Sorry for the white space, but if you want to advertise your business, we could get rid of this blank nothingness!)

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Shaw in 1940, after winning the race. He almost did it again in 1941.

Shaw wasnt the only driver with a Maserati in 1940, Raoul Riganti took one of two 8CLs to Indy but crashed. The8CL had four valves per cylinder, a longer wheelbase and developed more power than the 8CTF.

The remaining two 8CTFs, 3031 and 3030 were also brought into the U.S. by Lucille Schell for drivers ReneDreyfus and Rene Le Begue, right before the war, but did not fare as well. The Maserati 8CTFs and the 8CLscontinued to compete even in the 50s, until 1954, when they failed to qualify. Despite their long career, the threeMaserati 8TCF, frames 3030, 3031 and 3032, have survived to this day.

In 1950, Maserati constructed two new Indianapolis entries, called the 8CTF/50. Stay tuned to VeloceToday to findout more about these two mystery Maseratis, Wilbur Shaw and Mike Boyle.

For a short video of Maseratis first win at Indy, please click on the youtube link below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGPPXQaeVOk

http://c/Users/Geoff/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.IE5/84ZPZUQ7/www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGPPXQaeVOkhttp://c/Users/Geoff/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.IE5/84ZPZUQ7/www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGPPXQaeVOkhttp://c/Users/Geoff/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.IE5/84ZPZUQ7/www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGPPXQaeVOk

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The following is the first in a series of articles writtenby Past President, Mike Demyanovich. The series willdetail and highlight the restoration of his 1971 MaseratiGhibli SS.

My wife, Donna, looked at me in disbelief whenI told her of a recent project I was considering. She

said you wanna do what? Whereupon I indicated mydesire to restore a currently un-loved Ghibli SS that Icould get at a really good price! She looked at me indisbelief and said, what about all the other unfinishedprojects you have on your plate, what happens tothem?. After a lot of fast talking, which included costand value projections, cash flow, technical details,suppliers, etc.., I achieved my goal. Her eyes glazedover and she said WHAT EVER! Well now, to meand probably most men, WHAT EVER is adefinitive yes and a sure stamp of approval!

Interestingly, I had never really consideredrestoring a Ghibli. I often think we dont find ourrestoration projects, but rather, they find us. Such wasthe case here. Ghibli SS, AM115.49.1928 was built in1971, or so we suppose. One can never really becertain with Italian limited production cars, but we donow she is a late Ghibli. She was offered to me out ofFt. Lauderdale, where her previous owner wanted tohave work done, but couldnt come up with the moneyfor the repairs and storage fees. Bad economy! Ilooked her over, knew there were some big issues, butsurprisingly no major (see-through) rust in the usualplaces, and after some negotiations she was mine.

Originally, 1928 was lime green with a tan interior, andBorrani bolt-on wire wheels. Not a great colorcombination then or now, in my opinion. When Ipurchased her, she was black with a tan interior, andsome other type of wheels. It was mainly themechanicals that were suspect, namely a supposedblown head gasket and potential engine bottom endissue. The interior appeared in good condition, with

one crack in the dash leather, and a steering wheelwithout padding. Obviously, these were the notablefeatures and issues one would notice when initiallyevaluating a car. The real evaluation begins during thedisassembly process.

Now that the car has been acquired, the real funbegins. There is much to be done prior to actuallybeginning the restoration process. First thing is space,

and believe me, a lot of space will be needed. A roughrule of thumb is 2.5 times the space as the actual caroccupies. Additionally, parts manuals, electricalmanuals, and any other relevant information should beobtained. The parts manual will be invaluable duringdisassembly and reassembly. But be careful, withlimited production Italian cars, the parts manual maynot be up-to-date for your specific car. This is where

paper, pens, and a digital camera will become your bestfriends. Drawings and digital photos will be invaluablewhen putting the thing back together. Additionally, Irecommend a supply of various sized zip-lock bags andboxes. These will be needed for storage of thenumerous screws, nuts, bolts, washers, and parts (bothlarge and small). Label them and store them togetherin some kind of organized manner. You dont want tospend long days looking for tiny screws, bolts, and orwashers at reassembly. Organization at the beginningof the restoration process will reap tremendous

rewards at the end, or so I hope!!!

Now a word on cost. Lets face it, restorations areexpensive, that is why so many experts advise you tobuy the best car you can, and let someone else do therestorations. But, by that advice, there would be nomore restored cars to buy, because no one wouldundertake a restoration. Your estimate is just that, anestimate. Depending on the car and what you findduring disassembly, you can adjust your estimateupwards by about 35 40%. Things will be moreexpensive than you think. In my case, I wont evenmention what the cost of five Borrani wire wheels is.Then theres the engine work, chrome-platingmiscellaneous other services and parts, the list can goon and on. But dont be discouraged. If you havesome skills, and know one end of a wrench from theother, understand the metric measurement system, andare organized, you can do some of this yourself, andsave a lot, and I mean a lot, of $$$$.

My goal during these series of articles, which will

probably not be monthly, are to help those considering

such a project, and not necessarily delve into the

intricate details of Ghibli restoration, although I will

present some of those as well. Perhaps I should title

this Adventures in Ghibli Restoration, or probably

more apropos, I Think Im Insane! At any rate, I

hope you enjoy them!

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Look for the ongoing adventures of Mike and his Ghibli in future editions of The Maserati Club:Southeast Chapternewsletter.

Wheres My GranSport?

The press has been enamored with the Alfa Romeo 4C ever since the first concept was introduced at the GenevaAuto Show in 2011. But with Alfas on again, off again return to the US, most Alfa owners just sighed and boughtPorsches or other marques. But now the 4C is actually crossing the pond and may actually arrive before the year isout. What is interesting to Maserati owners about the new Alfa is that the carbon-fiber monocoque will be built by

Maserati at their Modena plant. This begs the question, will Maserati build its desired 911-fighting coupe based onthe Alfa platform? Harald J. Wester, CEO of Maserati, admitted that an Alfa Romeo 4C linked trident is a goodidea. But according to a leaked product plan document, the new Maserati coupe will not share Alfas platform.With the new GranTurismo due out in 2015, the new coupe is not expected until 2016. I guess a three-year lease onthe 4C is looking pretty good.

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Leaked document, shhhh!

Update as of May 31st, Wester is reporting that the GranSport will feature a front mounted engine. To be built on ashortened version of the new Quattroporte, Ghibli platform, which will also be used for the next-generationGranTurismo and GranCabrio, as well as the next-generation Dodge Challenger and long-rumored Barracuda, andpossibly other performance sedans within the Fiat Chrysler Group, the GranSport will be about the same length asa C7 Corvette. The new Ferrari manufactured, twin-turbo 3-liter V-6 will power the GranSport, giving it more than400 horsepower and pound-feet of torque. A convertible version is also in the works. Will it rival the Porsche 911and the new Jaguar F-Type?

Also announced by Wester, there will not be a Trident-wearing version of the new LaFerrari.

Fino al prossimo tempo

So ends the June edition of The Maserati Club:Southeast Chapter newsletter. La ringrazio molta to MikeDemyanovich and Sandy Sanderson for their articles, Maserati Monthly and VeloceToday.com for allowing me toreprint their articles, Mark and Jade Buford for allowing us access to the Multimatic pit area and Ivan and Myrnaand Matt and Emily for organizing the next event! So, until next time...