[apexdc]

Originally Posted by 212Export

Interesting, thanks David!

I'm very happy to be able to share this with you all. I loved being able to have the chance to race the car. It might not have been a perfect configuration and certainly could have used a bit more power, but that flat twelve just sounded soooo glorious.

An interesting side note: over the next few years Michael Sheehan, the car owner, began get more and more track time, started some IMSA himself and became very quick himself. We drove a few Firestone Firehawk races in the late eighties, together. If he had started a few years earlier, I might not have gotten the ride in the Ferrari! So, thanks for waiting, Michael.

Been doing a bit of digging on pictures and not finding much so far. Will keep looking.

[Jeff Kennedy]

David,

Remeber in the ancient history days of the FOC a Christian out of the Palm Springs area with a 275 GTB that attended many of the club gatherings and track events. Maybe an architect.

You mentioned the GTO with Steve Earle. The second GTO was Stoney's then. They always like to do tandem runs at Riverside. I rode with Stoney on one of those - grabbing the seat frame at the floor as there were no passenger belts. Had to fld my arms a certain way to conceal the lack of belts to Mark Schroeder as we headed onto the track.

Jeff

[apexdc]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kennedy

David,

Remeber in the ancient history days of the FOC a Christian out of the Palm Springs area with a 275 GTB that attended many of the club gatherings and track events. Maybe an architect.

You mentioned the GTO with Steve Earle. The second GTO was Stoney's then. They always like to do tandem runs at Riverside. I rode with Stoney on one of those - grabbing the seat frame at the floor as there were no passenger belts. Had to fld my arms a certain way to conceal the lack of belts to Mark Schroeder as we headed onto the track.

Jeff

Hey Jeff!

That was me. Here are a couple shots of the GTB/4. Had that sucker for 13 years and drove the crap out of it. Just spent yesterday with Larry Bloomer and Steve Earle. Those were really incredible times. Bloomer and I still hear feedback from when we were putting on the FOC Brainbake and Watermelon Roast parties in the Desert.

I remember Stoney. I moved his GTO on the grid at the Virginia City Hillclimb on time, so I really drove one, but just about thirty feet.

Good to hear from you!

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

WOWWWWW !!! Surreal !!! w/ smiles Jimmy

[tazandjan]

David- That GTB/4 looks completely different without the bumpers. looks great. Sounds like you had many memorable adventures.

[apexdc]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS

WOWWWWW !!! Surreal !!! w/ smiles Jimmy

Hey Jimmy!

Thanks a lot! Love your yellow GTB, too! For me, FLY is the very best Ferrari color.

[apexdc]

Originally Posted by tazandjan

David- That GTB/4 looks completely different without the bumpers. looks great. Sounds like you had many memorable adventures.

I was soooooo lucky to have that car when, and for as long as I did. It was a BIG financial stretch for me to get it in the first place, even though the prices seem super cheap now. I was making $16k a year. Living in my first house ($30K) that had no furniture. Sold a clapped out E-Type roadster and an E-Type race car that I couldn't afford to race, borrowed some cash from my wife's boss and took out a bank loan to pull together the $15K for the car. The cheapest four cam I looked at was $8,500. It was a different time.

I was the third owner. The first two were buddies. The first took off the bumpers and turn signals. He gave them to me, but I liked it without them. From the front it looked good, but from the back it was absolutely gorgeous. Looked a little like a 250/275 LM or Series 2 GTO.

And, back then, they were just cool used cars, meant to be driven.

So we did.

[tazandjan]

David- Sounds like me and the Dino in 1975. House with no furniture, but a 911S. Could have bought 275s for less than I paid for the three year old Dino, but you know how it goes. Had my eye on a yellow GTB/4 in Florida for $7500. It had A/C, of all things.

The good old days.

[212Export]

Great write up's ! Thanks so much and please go on with those stories...!

[apexdc]

I must apologize for this going so far off thread, but it is fun to recall those days. Bloomer was just retelling his story of loaning a friend money using his friend's GTO as security. When the $6,500 (!) was due, his friend asked him to take the car instead. But who in their right mind would take one of those noisy, hot, smelly old race cars? Besides, there were plenty of them around. So he passed.

Those were also the good old days when the big question everybody asked was "How fast will it go?" and not "How much are those things worth now?"

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

Apex, thank you for your kind remarks. As for the colors, I think 275 looks spectacular in many colors, both brilliant and subdued.

As 212 suggested, we all would luv to hear your stories and tales, which most of us cannot even imagine nor experience in today's world. Just seems like values have changed somehow. That is one reason I am enchanted by the stories of krasnavian (former owner of 250 GTO).
I think it would be great if you and others worthy can start a new thread maybe, just ranting amd reminiscing those wonderful days.

Thank You again. Here's few pics of the departed 275 2cam alloy back then. w/ smiles Jimmy

[212Export]

Jimmy, the lowest picture has been taken in Switzerland. Forgot it in the meantime but your car partially had a Swiss history ?

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

Originally Posted by 212Export

Jimmy, the lowest picture has been taken in Switzerland. Forgot it in the meantime but your car partially had a Swiss history ?

Yes, apparently so. I do have the datas that I acquired from Marcel somewhere... w/ smiles Jimmy

[Jeff Kennedy]

Say hello to Larry & Diane Bloomer. Those were great, great old times. I didn't do the Brainbake events but remember the announcements for them.

The old FOC days at Riverside were fun. Typical assortment had Steve Earle and Stoney with their GTOs. Starbird with the Comp Daytona. Bill Ziering and the 121LM. There were a couple of SWBs - one was a TV advertising salesman in LA. Daytonas led by hotshoe Bloomer and Crevievier in the Daytona Spyder. Schanbacher with the 308 GT/4LM - the Taxi. You usually were not the only 275 GTB either.

I ended up keeping Epstein's 250 LM for about 2 months back then. Drove that back and forth to Art Center a couple times a week. Wild ride!

Remember Bloomer's story about the track day for some Japanese filming? Larry was in a Porsche turbo comp car and they blew by Crevier so quickly that Joe thought he had blown the motor. Larry then said they they almost lost control because they were laughing so hard.

Jeff

[champagne612]

Great thread!

Racing Ferrari's - not sure how it could get any better!

[apexdc]

Hey Jimmy! Wow! Love those photos and I agree this is lots of fun for all.

I'm going to set up another thread, and will then set up a link on this one.

Back soon! David

[Boxer]

Originally Posted by 212Export

Interesting, thanks David!

+1, very interesting read.

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

Originally Posted by apexdc

Hey Jimmy! Wow! Love those photos and I agree this is lots of fun for all.

I'm going to set up another thread, and will then set up a link on this one.

Back soon! David

That would be just splendid !
w/ smiles Jimmy

[Boxer]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS

Apex, thank you for your kind remarks. As for the colors, I think 275 looks spectacular in many colors, both brilliant and subdued.

The 275 & Daytona both have similar color profiles. Both look great in bright (yellow) and the darker colors.

[apexdc]

Originally Posted by apexdc

Hey Jimmy! Wow! Love those photos and I agree this is lots of fun for all.

I'm going to set up another thread, and will then set up a link on this one.

Back soon! David

Hey guys!

I guess I'm such a newbie that I can't start a new thread yet. Contacted the moderator to give me a hand, but no response.

As we discussed, could one of you start up a new thread with a title something like "Back when they were just cool cars and not commodities" or similar? Then put a link in this thread and we can all go over there and make up tales about the "good old days".

I'll also send the link to some of the old gang. A lot of us still stay in touch.

Thanks, David