4/26/07
5053 Awakes!

After a year and a half, My Ferrari 330 America saw daylight! With the Mustang back on the road with a rebuilt engine, I had the chance to focus on the Ferrari. In a basement garage that was meant for one car, I managed to squeeze three cars, so it’s not so easy to move cars about!

After pushing the 330 outside, I gathered a couple of things to ready her for starting. I filled a bucket with water, kept the water hose handy, and put the fire extinguisher nearby. I might have been overly cautious, but I didn’t want to risk burning my baby to the ground over a little engine fire! As the electric pump clicked away, I checked the three carburetors for fuel leaks. Each needle valve closed just the way they were supposed to, and the fuel pump stopped clicking. I sat in the driver’s seat, and pumped the accelerator pedal a few times, pressed in the key, and she caught on the first try! After a few pops and spits from the carbs, the engine talked to me in that all familiar growl. It was as if I parked her yesterday! I got on the phone with my local garage, arranged to get my car inspected, and get that all important sticker. Within an hour, I was road legal, and DRIVING MY FERRARI!

The dust from sitting inside my garage covered everything, and it was time for a good cleaning.

I started with the engine compartment. There are a ton of nooks and crannies for dust to gather. The wrinkle paint finishes on many of the surfaces don’t help much in releasing the dirt from their grip.

One especially troublesome area is the space between the intake runners that runs along the V of the engine. Any spilled fuel or coolant collects there, evaporates from the heat of the engine, and leaves residues that are almost impossible to clean. The space is too deep to reach with my hand, and awkward to reach with a brush. I wonder how the professionals do it. Anyone want to share their secret?

On a side note, the Mustang is sorted. I put about 60 miles on her driving the back roads around my house. She’s got plenty of power, and I’m pretty happy with the results. The engine makes gobs of power between 2500 and 4000 rpm, and there has been no need to go any higher than 4500 rpm. When the vacuum secondaries kick open, “she runs like a scalded dog!”

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