[apexdc]

Hi,

I'm David Christian, one of Sheehan's drivers when he ran the car at Riverside. Here is a link to some photos, as well as a link to a photographer, Brent Martin, who got some shots at the race.

When Mike got the car, it didn't have the rear spoiler that we raced with. While testing at Big Willow, we added a crude spoiler to see how it helped the balance. When we saw it worked, Burt ( I think that was his name) made a more refined one at Mike's shop.

The car went out at about four hours into the six hour race, right after I finished my stent. The transfer gears that took power from the crank to transmission (under the engine) overheated and began to push off the end cover.

Fun car to drive. I, too, loved the photo of it with Milt at Daytona. I think it was the first Boxer race car. I think there was an article in AutoWeek about it at the time.

I'll look through my personal photos and see what I have. I don't think I have anything as nice as Brent's.

:thumbsup:

 

[apexdc]

Ooops!

David Christian's cars - Photo Gallery - Racing Sports Cars

Thanks for the welcome. I was lucky enough to get into the Ferrari community in a pretty incredible era. Once, Steve Earle was giving me a hot lap ride around Riverside in his GTO....... and we were being chased by a GTO while we were chasing two more. Steve had ski racks mounted on his. Incredible.

Even then , I knew it was cool.

:thumbsup:

 

[apexdc]

David- That photo is amazing. Do not think I have ever seen one where you can see all the way through the car over the front wheels. Was this under heavy acceleration or was that just the way she rode? Seems like you would have had some pressurized air in weird locations.

I'm guessing that was about half way around Turn Six, a relatively slow corner with pretty heavy acceleration at exit. The car didn't sit that high normally. Look how much room there is above the rear wheel, too. There is not much up front in the car as far as fender liners, that is one reason you see through it.

To comment on an earlier post, the high position of the engine over the transmission certainly contributes to body roll. Ed Swart, who now runs HSR West, the vintage racing group, was a professional race driver in Europe and was my co-driver. Ed was faster than I was in the car and he said it was challenging to try to drive it REALLY fast. Just being on slicks made it much better than the street car with XWX's, however.

I've driven lots of Boxers and Testarossas on track days and the key thing that puts the Testarossa way ahead on track is that it is one of the first street Ferraris to be designed on the wide low profile tires that are common now.

I prefer the Boxer aesthetically, but comparing both as stock cars, the TR is better to drive fast.

:thumbsup:

 

[apexdc]

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.

:thumbsup:

 

[apexdc]

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!

:thumbsup:

 

[apexdc]

WOWWWWW !!! :yikes::thumbsup: Surreal !!! w/ smiles Jimmy

Hey Jimmy!

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

:thumbsup:

 

[apexdc]

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.

:thumbsup:

 

[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?"

 

[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

 

[apexdc]

New thread help!

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

 

[apexdc]

David- Just go to the Forum tab above and select. Then pick the section where you want to start a new thread (say Boxers or Ferrari Discussion) and select. You will see a New Thread bubble just above the dialogue box. Select that and, presto, you can start your own thread.

Thanks a bunch! I just couldn't sort it out.

Here is the new thread:

http://www.ferrarilife.com/forums/ferrari-discussion/16496-back-when-they-were.html#post177361

See you all there.

:thumbsup:

 

[apexdc]

Hi, been away from this thread for quite a while. I am now sorting out thousands of slides and will post anything I find on the BB.

I'm getting a special tour of the factory before the Ferrari Challenge Finale at Mugello in October and am making a little photo book for our host showing pix from my '79 factory trip as well as photos of Riverside and Virginia City in that era.

The California photos are crazy. Some of everything of course, 250 GTOs, 250 LM, tons of Daytonas, 275 GTB's, four cams, 275 GTB/C's, 312 PB, pontoon fender Testa Rossas, you name it! I will post some when I get organized.

:thumbsup:

 

[apexdc]

I just found some more shots of the car at Riverside. I agree that it doesn't look as good as it did in Le Mans livery. I was the guy in the red driving suit. That is Mike Sheehan in the red cap.

There are some very nice models of that exact car available. I just ordered one in the #86 Le Mans trim. Oddly, the year after I drove the Boxer, I drove the Red Lobster BMW M1 both at Riverside and Daytona. There is also a nice model of that car out there. I wasn't driving a whole lot back then. Life and money both got in the way, so I count my blessings that I got to drive some great cars.