Road Trip with Tom Shaughnessy
Part 2

In part 1, I rode down from Seattle to San Diego, picked up my newly purchased 308 and drove it up to the bay area where I left it until the Concorso Italiano and Pebble Beach weekend.

I flew back down to San Jose Thursday morning before CI on Friday.  My friend that I was staying with (and who garaged the 308) picked me up at the airport.  I came equipped with new Washington license plates and a window switch.  I also brought a selection of 5 and 6 mm bolts, washers and nuts to mount the plates.

The rear is designed to have nuts for the license plate that are self locking in the sheet metal panel.  However, the upper two were gone.  The 6 mm bolts I brought wouldn't thread correctly in the nuts and when I tried to tighten them further, the nuts just started rotating.  So I removed them and went back to using bolts, washers and nuts through the upper holes.  Eventually, I'll get new self locking nuts and replace all four.  I also removed the driver's window switch and replaced it with a new one obtained from UK Ferrari.  There are six connectors on the back.  Most makers would have a single plug that would mate with the switch.  Not Ferrari, there were six individual wires and connectors.  I was careful, removing and moving one at a time to the new switch.  It worked and the driver's window went back up without fail.

These two items were all I needed to do on the 308.  Then it was off to Monterey for the rest of the day.  On the way down, I stopped at Kent Douglas's house and looked at his 330 America, SN 5015.

After looking over Kent's Porsche collection, he and I headed on down to Monterey.  We stopped by RM Auctions in the Double Tree so I could see a couple of 330 GTs that were to be auctioned.  I couldn't find either, but we did hook up with Buddy Obara (SN 9667) there.  Lots of nice cars there including this 500 Superfast.

I had volunteered to help at the Pebble Beach Concours, so we headed over there to a volunteer meeting.  Kent wandered around while I found out my duties, had a tour and was told that I needed to arrive no later than 5:30 AM on Sunday.  If I had known that up front, I might have elected to sleep in and pay the $100 visitor fee.  After the meeting, we headed back into Monterey and found a Thai place for dinner.

Then it was off to Tom Yang's party at his hotel.  I met a number of people that I've corresponded and emailed with over the last couple of years.  It was really good to put some faces with the names.  As we had to drive back over to the bay area, we left around 10PM, just about when Jens Paulson arrived.  I understand that he was quite interesting to talk to about engines, rebuilding, etc.  I'm sorry that I missed the discussion.  I don't know why, but I didn't bring in the camera, so I don't have any pictures of the party.  If anybody else took some, I would appreciate getting them emailed to me.

Friday was Concorso Italiano.  My friend Art and I packed a few cold sodas in the 308 and headed back to Monterey about 7AM or so.  The drive over was quick, but that ended abruptly on the exit to Fort Ord and the golf course where the event was being held.  It took about 45 minutes or so before we were placed (tightly packed) in the bunch of other Ferraris being exhibited (not judged).  I'm glad that I didn't have the 330 there, because it probably would have overheated in the traffic.  Another 308 wasn't quite as lucky as it got rear-ended on the way in.

The Ferrari area was a sea of red.  Probably the largest gathering outside of Ferrari Days in Modena.

The food was expensive, not good and long lines.  But seeing the cars, visiting the various vendors and soaking in the hype made it worth it.  There were also seven 330 GTs present and I managed to meet most of the owners.  Most I knew through the 330 GT registry but had never met them.  At the end of the day, the exit traffic wasn't quite as bad and we made good time into Monterey to have dinner with some of Art's friends.

On Saturday, we had planned to go to the historic races at Laguna Seca, but I was beat.  So I got up and washed the 308, added some oil and spent some time getting more familiar with the car.

Sunday was Pebble Beach.  As I mentioned, I (and Art) were volunteers.  To get there by 5:30 meant leaving Milpitas around 4AM and dressing in tan slacks, white shirt and a blue blazer.  We left the 308 and drove Art's van.  A wise choice once I saw the field assigned to the volunteer parking lot.  I would have been plowing it with the spoiler.  Both Art and I were Class Hosts.  This duty was mainly standing near a specific stand (near the class or classes of cars one is host to) and answering any and all questions posed by the entrants, judges or anybody else wandering by. 

Here I am in my PB garb in front of a 1937 Delahaye 135 MS Figoni et Falaschi Roadster that was in the pre-war preservation class.  The class rules state that you can repair mechanical parts only, nothing can be done to the paint, interior, chrome, etc.  This car was awarded third in class if I remember correctly.  Look closely and you can see that I have a tie on.  The first time since some office Christmas party 7 or 8 years ago.  A couple of the NW FCA members wandered by and didn't recognize me until I said something.

As there were three hosts per stand and only one had to be present, there was ample time for wandering and picture taking.

There were plenty of interesting cars there including seven of my all time favorites, GT40s.  I also met Dick Merritt, long time Ferrari aficionado, as he had a car (1964 Bizzarini 5300 Corsa Drogo Berlinetta) entered in one of the classes that I was host for.  It was a very long day (4AM to 7PM) by the time we got back to Art's house, but well worth the time.  I hope to return next year and help out again.

Monday dawned early as I was headed home by 6AM.  From Milpitas, I went up the east bay and across the San Rafael bridge on I-580 to 101.  From there I headed north up through the redwoods, eventually stopping at Oregon Caves lodge a few miles off highway 199 on the way from Crescent City to Grants Pass, Oregon.  The road from Crescent City to Cave Junction and then onto the lodge made the whole trip worthwhile.  What a beautiful road with nice curves.  I kept being more and more amazed with the handling of the 308.  It didn't matter what I seemed to do, I just had to point the car where I wanted it to go and it went there.  No fuss, no squeal, no drama.  Here you can see a typical corner on the way to the caves and the 308 parked in front of the lodge.

I was to meet a fellow FCA member from Seattle that evening, but Stan got delayed with business.  I went on the cave tour in the afternoon.  Boy did that feel good.  The temperature outside was around 95° F or so while the caves are 42° year round.  Stan and I met the next morning at Cave Junction on highway 199, proceeded onto Grants Pass for breakfast and then up I-5 to Portland.  Stan is the NW regional director of the FCA, so we stopped at Ron Tonkin Ferrari so he could meet the folks there.  From there we went over to Vancouver, Washington for a brief stop with friend's of mine.  Then it was on up to Seattle.  The only glitch was a big accident just south of Olympia that had the north bound lanes blocked.  We got off onto side streets and after 45 minutes or so, wound our way beyond the problem and back onto the freeway.  That delay and the other stops meant another long day as I finally got home at 6:30 having left the lodge at 6:15.

It was a hectic 6 days, but well worth it.  Next year, the FCA annual meet will be held the days following Pebble Beach, so I plan to go back down for the whole thing again.

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