7/25/01
Raw Material into Ferrari Parts

The bottom of the original battery tray measured 3/32 of an inch in thickness. I found some 1/8th inch angle iron that looked very similar, and decided to use it for my battery tray. I think I can live with the 1/32nd of an inch difference. I used a speed square to mark the 45 degree angles, measured twice, and cutting the metal with a hacksaw once! Now all I have to do is find someone to weld this all together.

The top frame of the battery tray is made of thinner material. It measures 1/32nd of an inch. Making this piece exactly as the original is much more important because it will be in plain sight in the engine compartment. The CBS machine shop had some scrap sheetmetal in this thickness, so I had my friend down there cut some pieces to match. These strips then had to be folded into a 90 degree angle in a sheet metal brake. Now that I have the raw material bent into shape, I just need to cut, form, and weld the pieces together. I wish I owned a mig welder, and had the skill to weld these pieces myself, but it’ll have to wait for another day.

While poking around the CBS Machine Shop scrap pile some aluminum stock caught my eye. These were solid pieces of aluminum that were discarded from a past project. I’ve been looking for something like this, so I asked if it would be O.K. to use these pieces for my restoration. Here’s what I have in mind…My car is missing its shift knob, and I’ve been looking for a nice replacement. The original is small round black plastic affair, with a dainty look to it. I considered making one from scratch by turning some black plastic on François’ lathe, but there are certainly other Ferrari knobs I like better than the original one. The Lusso knob seems to fit better in the palm of your hand, and has a neat two finger notch that I’ve always admired. Then there’s the infamous GTO with it’s perfectly round aluminum shift knob that I also like. It’s a no nonsense shifter knob that gets the job done. With these pieces of aluminum, I can make a shift knob from scratch, make one I personally like, and add a touch of personality to my restoration without having it irreversible. If I ever find an exact replacement for my car, I can install it then!

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