Finally time for an update!!
We have had some time to relax after the hectic Monterey Car Week. The Iso insiders already knew I was working on getting the unbelievable Grifo #405 ready to be shown. This car was found in Oregon after being stored for 38 years in a humid environment, never moved from it’s position other than finally moved from an open pole barn to a concrete building. Not on it’s own power, the motor and brakes were locked up and basically the car was unsafe when found. It had a total of 005950 Miles racked up before being stored. It was my intention to show it in the Preservation Class at Pebble Beach. After several discussions with the “judges” I decided to not change anything about the car until it was shown on the lawn… Unfortunately on April first (no joke) I received a letter from the “committee” explaining that without further given reasons this Grifo would not be accepted in their Preservation Class. So I had 4 months to get the car ready for Monterey Week!
First I had to pull the motor because it was just a lump of rust and it was seized – water had been running into it and I wasn’t able to turn it even with the tallest wrench.
To just get an idea of what humidity does to a car take a look in the trunk. (Which I called a bio-hazard) The aluminum vent tube form the gas tank was corroded off the tank – it had to be rewelded to be safe and functional.
At the same time I opened the transmission and found the owner hasn’t been too nice on the synchros. I put in original ZF parts and the motor received new bearings, seals and gaskets but stayed as standard as it was. No modifications, all clamps and hoses were either restored or exchanged for OEM ones. Built to 1973 Mustang specs, with it’s unique dual point distributor – it was soon ready to rumble!
Talking about rumble: this Grifo still had it’s factory original exhaust system! So I restored it and this is now the only Grifo I know of with a factory exhaust system.
While the drive train was out I could tackle the body and suspension parts and get the engine bay ready for serious detail work. All steering, cooling, electrical and brake parts were restored to stock configuration. Even the hood springs got their cloth liner back.
All components got powder coated and all usable hardware was cad plated – luckily my daughter June we on vacation to help me figure out the mess I made with the nuts and bolts, hahaha!! She learned when she was just 7 or 8 so she’s used to it.
I turned everything from a rusted pile into a factory new look, complete with all new bushings, bearings and shocks.
The paint itself was left untouched, my “dent-guy” Steve made sure the old “mechanics dents” were taken care of and the panels are straight like new. Cheers Steve Brown!
The drive train was put back, everything restored like factory specs and the first test run was done 8 days before Monterey Car week began!
The interior was taken out and the rodent nests removed, it needed a new headliner because that’s where they lived. The bumpers were straightened, all stainless polished and a few days before Monterey I was still mounting the bumpers.
The car was scheduled to be on the lawn in Monterey Saturday morning but Friday night the trucked called me to tell me his truck broke down – I had to figure out how to get the car to Monterey! After a long night of phone calls and not being able to hire anyone to pick it up I decided to take it out of the trailer and make it’s first test drive right up to the lawn! To make a (very!) long story short; it got there in good order and we had time to detail it for the show. It was shown with fully original interior (except new headliner), fully original paint, wheels, tires, exhaust system and sheet metal.
Needless to say – it was a great success! We had 8 Isos on the lawn – one of the biggest attendances the last few years. Grifo 405 won Second in class and a First prize with the Iso-Bizzarrini Club. The people I spoke to about the car all agreed that this Grifo is very unique and the Iso community is better off because it still exists.
Ricky got his prize later at the Iso-Bizzarrini dinner after a job well done supervising me in the shop. What a great experience to have been part of the resurrection of Grifo 405! Thank you for everybody who attended, gave their input and enjoyed it as much as I did!
