Daytona

I had the occasion to be a party to a transaction involving a local Daytona.  This meant doing a gut feel inspection since a true PPI was already done on the car.  This was the first time I've driven a Daytona and it was quite an experience.

It has very heavy steering (worse than my 330) at slow speeds.  I sure wouldn't want to parallel park one.  But once it got moving, it was very manageable and really fun to drive at freeway speeds.  Quite fast too, though I didn't have much of a chance to test that part, just a couple of run-ups to red-line in first and second.  It is disconcerting that you can't see the right front of the car due to the hood bulge over the wiper area.

One of the things I always check is the chassis and motor numbers.  The chassis stamp was pretty easy, though partially obstructed by the steering column. 

Seeing the motor number was much more difficult.  It is in about the same place as the one on a 330 engine, but the engine compartment is much busier.  After a consultation, I was told to reach up from under the car with a camera and just snap away, hoping to get a picture.  But first I had to jack up the car a couple of inches so my arm could fit.

   

As you can see, it took a couple of tries.  This stamping is on a smooth surface (where the chassis number would be stamped on a 330).  Always a little suspect since that surface can be ground off and another number stamped on it.  On a 330 block, the numero interno (motor serial number) is stamped on the rough surface and as such, much more difficult to alter.  As I was looking at the pictures I took, I saw a 'B' stamped on the rough surface a little closer to the center of the block.  However, I couldn't reach that area to clean the block.  Eventually, I saw that it was visible from the top through a narrow gap.  A few squirts of brake clean and a carefully framed shot shows the same number.  Now I know exactly where to look for numbers on a Daytona.

The negotiations went well, so I ended up garaging the car while transportation was arranged.

This being close to Monterey time, I thought that it would be around for a couple of weeks and I was planning on driving it to the local cars and coffee on Saturday.  But alas, the next morning, the shipper called and was ready to pick it up the following morning.  Joanne and I drove it up I-90 for a few miles as she hadn't had a chance to ride in it.  Oh well, this morning we met the transporter a few miles from our house at a more convenient place for a semi to get to.

   

And now it's off to the buyer in California.  Such a short stay for a beautiful car.