2/8/03
Grille VI

Mike Sewell and I have been in close communication about how the grille should proceed and he sent me some pictures of what he has so far.

Mike and his crew assembled the grille with the original pieces to inspect how closely it matched the wooden buck.

When I stopped by Doran Manufacturing a few weeks ago, I forgot to bring the horizontal pieces. Luckily, the vertical pieces are enough for them to get a general shape of the grille.

It turns out that the buck is slightly lower in profile than the actual assembled grille. I guess when Rudi made the measurements three years ago, he took some liberties. Mike may disregard the buck for the new grille. His engineering background prohibits much fudging, much to my benefit!

Another Engineer taking on the task of this Ferrari grille is Joe Connelly. He’s pictured here scanning some cardboard templates he made of the grille pieces. This machine can be used for prototyping and checking the accuracy of work being manufactured. When I was there, they were feeding pieces that were made on other cutting machines so they could see if it matched the original designs.

Joe and Mike think that the best way to make the grille shell is to treat it like four separate pieces. (I’m not sure how Pininfarina did it, but I can definitely see two welds on either side of the old grille.) Once these pieces are scanned, the computer automatically generates technical drawings that can be sent to the laser cutter we saw last time. With the flat pieces made in aluminum, the end pieces can be formed into curves, and the whole assembly can be TIG welded together. My explanation sounds easy, but I’m relying on the skill, expertise, and time of Mike, Joe, and the crew at Doran to make this thing happen. Thanks guys!!!