And I think it's hard with new cars. You know, the industry likes to tell us what we should like and what we shouldn't like. >> Right. Right. >> But if you love something, it shouldn't matter what anybody else likes. >> Exactly. >> I bought it with 12,000 mi. I want to take it to 112,000 mi. Really make it a high mileage car. >> Well, how do you have that kind of time? Don't you have to work? >> When you're committed to a mission, you make it happen. I guess. >> It's one of those things where it just makes you go, I love cars. >> Yeah. >> Welcome episode of Jay Lonel's Garage. The car we're featuring today, 1987 Ferrari Tessarosa. This is the car and a car I like cuz this is a used car, a driven car. And the story behind it is pretty interesting. It's owned by a young woman who was a Ferrari mechanic specializing in early Ferraris, carbureted cars, not so much fuel injection cars. Her dream was to always have a Ferrari. Being a good mechanic, she was able to acquire one. She had to do quite a bit of work on it herself, which I think is just great. Let's meet Victoria Bruno. Come on in, Victoria. How are you? >> I'm great. How are you doing, J? >> Well, she is a graduate of McFersonson College, which is my favorite place. Uh, you know, they're the only college uh at least in America that gives a degree, a four-year degree in automobile restoration. And it's a real college. It's not like one of these ones where you do it online or any of that stuff. I mean, you really learn magnetos and paint and body work, as well as algebra and all the other things, too. >> That's right. Hands-on courses. I actually I transferred in as a junior, so I didn't do any of my general education requirements there. Did that at community college. Um, so I got to do all the fun stuff. Um, drivetrain class, paint and body, engine rebuilding, metal fabrication, trim and upholstery. Really, really gives you an opportunity to figure out what you're passionate about specifically in the automotive restoration world. Well, this is what's fun. This is the fun part of Ferrari that I like because usually we have Ferrari people and well, I've got 12 others and I've got a a few, you know, and and to meet a regular person who works on their own car, it it it kind of reminds me back when I was a kid because when I was like a teenager, these cars are never cheap. But well, I remember back in the 80s there was a Ferrari for sale for 275 uh a 330 GTC and my Espatada which was 24,000. It was $3,000 cheaper. Both had V12. That one had 4 cam. I I'll get the Lamborghini. I said it didn't go up much in value and the Ferrari certainly did. But that's how inexpensive they were. >> Sure. I mean and today a good 330 700 grand. So >> that's right. That's right. And the fact that you were able to obtain this for a reasonable fee because it needed a bit of work, didn't it? >> It did. It was uh it had two owners. The last owner had it for about 23 years, but it kind of just sat. You only put 2,000 miles on that time. So, it had its original tires. It hadn't had a belt service in a minute. And these things need love to be running properly. As you know, systems need to be used to function properly. So, rebuilt the brakes and did a full major service as well. So, dropped the sub the subframe to access the engine to replace belts, seals, hoses, >> rebuild the water pump, all the good stuff, and now we're back on the road. >> Is it still expensive even though you're doing it yourself? I mean, >> sure. I mean, I think labor is the most expensive cost. So, thankfully, I've, you know, got the education and the experience, so I was able to cover that. But it's an investment and I think you've got to have goals and you've got to be reaching towards something. So, I didn't make this happen overnight. It was a long time coming, but I'm glad to be here today. >> And it doesn't look like it's ever been hit or damaged. >> No original paint for the most part. So, it really lucked out. >> No, I think it's just great. You know, the gated shifter. It's all the classic Ferrari stuff cuz everybody wants a V12 with a gated shifter and a manual gearbox, you know. >> They do. This one though is a flat 12. >> A flat Oh, yeah. Right. Flat. But I hear you. >> Yeah. Yeah. But you I mean a 12cylinder Ferrari. Totally. Yeah. No, very cool. And of course cuz when I was a kid, you know, Miami Vice was the big show and they had the one they had wasn't even a real Ferrari. I think it was a replica. Yeah. So stupid. Yeah. But then they they got a real one. But it looks good. It's a black on black car which is unusual. I'm glad it's not red. I see so many of these and they just it comes kind of cliche the red tesserosa whereas now you're not quite sure what it is until you get up. Oh wow. It's a tesserosa. you know, because it downplays this the the slats here a little bit being in this color. But very cool. Very cool. But you've only had it what about four or five months? >> I have. I got it in September. Did the service in October and drove it down here from San Francisco. >> And I know you've worked on Ferraris for a while, but any problems in them getting into service and you go, uhoh, did I bite off more than I could chew here? I mean, was it pretty straightforward? >> Sure. I think with most of the jobs I have the privilege to work on, you kind of almost anticipate seeing the worst, right? >> Just so that way, you know, you're making sure you're being thorough, you're taking the right steps, you're not passing anything up and making a mistake. So, I made sure to just be really diligent with the process. The alternator ended up being bad, so I had that rebuilt. We don't do that at the shop. We let the the professionals handle those. Um, but aside from that, everything was pretty much in really decent condition. It just needed that refresh. The rear brakes were locked up, but other than that, I mean, no crazy leaks or anything like that, functioning as it should. >> Did you have to pull a carburetor out and go through them all, or could you Did you >> This is actually a mechanical fuel injector. >> Oh, it is mechanical fuel. Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's got um kind of an interesting motor. Part of why I decided to get one of these specifically. It's a descendant of the four gear motor. It's a 312 Formula 1 motor. So, it's got four valves per cylinder. Like I said, mechanical fuel injection, right? But it's got 4.9 liters, almost 400 horsepower, and about 360 foot pounds of torque. >> Yeah. Well, that's a that's pretty good. Yeah. I've got an 86 Countach, and I bought that because it was the last carbureted car built, at least for America. So, I grabbed it because I don't want that fancy fuel injection, you know, because it just seems so complicated and Italian and everything else. So, I I like the carbureted cars, but the mechanical injection is okay on this. >> It is. It's the Bosch system. And I mean, it's okay. Obviously, in a perfect world, I would prefer to have a 250 Lusso or a 275, something that's got those Webbers on it, but I think for my first Ferrari, I'm I'm pretty happy. >> Yeah. Well, no, no, I I would be. It's just great because this is most people's dream to attain something like this, it's pretty pretty impressive. Now, is the shop you work at a Ferrari shop exclusively or just a foreign car? >> Exclusively Ferraris. Um, and exclusively mechanical work. So, we'll work with other shops if we're doing full restorations just kind of as a team and maybe do some project managing, but only the one mark. My boss kind of said early on, he decided it would be a good idea to pick one thing and become really good at it. >> Yeah, you know, for the longest time, these were they went from being expensive to pretty reasonably priced because other Ferraris fancier come along, more horsepower, you know, all those kind of things. I think the Mandial was down there and and the Tessterosa scene is it just got overexposed with TV in the 80s and all that kind of stuff. But now the they're the creeping back up. But you could probably if you would have flipped this tomorrow, you'd probably make a good profit, wouldn't you? >> I probably would. But >> you can't do that. >> Unfortunately I mean fortunately for me, maybe unfortunately for somebody else, I'm going to be holding on to this for as long as I'm around. >> No, I think that's great. I think that because you really appreciate it, you know, and I think you almost have to work on the car to really get the appreciation and bond with the car. >> I will say that's a really great point. Um, I've always found a lot of joy and fulfillment out of working on other people's cars. I mean, cars well beyond this caliber. But there's something kind of a new level I didn't know existed until I bought this, did my major service, and drove it home from the shop. Yeah, >> I got to say, I mean, it's maybe a new addiction for >> you. To me, I always like cars from the ' 50s, '60s, '7s because I could always get them home when they broke down on the road. I I could, you know, Mickey Mouse something and get I feel, oh, I got this thing back to the garage. Good for you. You know, it always And this is still mechanical enough you can do this. So many modern cars, well, your cell phone's your toolbox. you call the flatbed guy and he comes, you know, just to be able to get it home and work on it, it really gives you a sense of pride, doesn't it? >> Right. I think there's kind of this stigma associated with Ferrari and maybe it's kind of because of the price tag, maybe it's because it's Italian, but I feel like a lot of people are maybe maybe deem them complicated or complex, but at the end of the day, nuts and bolts, you know, I think they're really simple systems. If you're confident going in, you're going to do a nice job and you're going to be able to >> I mean, it's funny that you say that because I remember I had a a 34 Ford and then I got a Mustang and and open the hood. The must Oh, this thing is so complicated compared to my 34 Ford. Well, now the the Mustang is like like the simplest thing. And my Countach, okay, four valves per cylinder, four can seems the most complicated. Well, actually, both ignitions are right there. It's easy to get to compared to the new stuff which has got a big sheet of plastic over it. outside of my pay grade. I don't know anything about the >> It's great cuz this is still a car. You can work on your You can change your own oil, do your own oil filters, and really enjoy it. Well, very good. Let's open up. Let's take a look at your engine. See what it looks like here. Oo. Ah. You know, this is what I love. You can It's all engine and you can see it. You can see everything. Just so modern cars. It's just so covered up. You can smell it too when you're dressing. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's really great. Look at that. And it's so funny. What is it? Four liter. Yeah. So that >> almost five. 4.9 liter. >> Okay. So that's about what 288 cubic inch something like that. 29. Yeah. Something like But you think, oh, it must be huge. But it's not really that huge, but very good. You know, >> just enough. >> And and and it looks exotic, you know. Just interesting. A flat 12. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's fun with the design of the plenums. I I think it's really cool that it's, you know, of the Forgeri architecture. It's basically like an F1 motor but for the road. Yeah. >> So, they changed a few things in the F1 motor. It was mechanic. The cams were mechanically driven. This has belts so it's easier to service but and it's a little bit quieter. >> And you got your ignition right here. So, it's easier. I mean, everything's pretty accessible. Even the plugs, I can see them. You know, if you had a Bentley, that's an engine out for plugs. Did you know that? >> Oh, I didn't realize that. >> Yeah, it's engine out. But the plugs last 100,000 miles, but still. >> Fair enough. Which plugs are those? >> Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Well, very nice. >> No, it is nice. I mean, if something really went sideways, it's tight, but there's enough space to remove the cam covers. Alternator belts, that's another story. You definitely got to pull the motor for that. >> Oh, you do? Really? Wow. Wow. >> Or if you're 5'3 like me and maybe have some slim wrists, you can get up there in a crunch. >> Yeah. >> Which I may or may not have done. >> And this is a big car, isn't it? It It's wide. This has to be >> It's got quite a bit of a wheel basease. >> Is it the widest Ferrari ever made for the road at this point? >> I'm not sure. And we can just kind of drop it. >> Yeah. There you go. Well, very nice. Cool. And the And the trunk in the front is just a trunk. There's nothing really. >> Do you want to see it? >> Yeah. Let's take a look. >> So, this is what we call an Italian frunk. >> I'm surprised it's not black. It's not a black car. >> I don't know. But, you know, Italians aim to shock. I think >> this needs a little love, too. >> Okay. I see. This is I thought some sort of flap that comes down, but >> No, that's supposed to be glued to the front there. But, you know, I think this thing's a work in progress. >> Yeah. No, it's great. >> That's kind of why I love it. >> You get to do little bits and pieces as you go along, as you have time for it. >> And getting into a car like this, it doesn't need to be perfect. You don't need to have everything happen at once. You don't need to do a paint correction >> or get new struts here. >> Exactly. Or get new struts. You can hold it up. >> Well, see, that's what I think is great. you know and understand your own car. A lot of people don't. I always thought at Pebble Beach they should have a written test for the owners, you know, because people come in and they have a car and well, the store will tell you, but it's a five-speed Bob or five. It's a five. >> Should we petition for that for no? >> No, I I think it'd be great because I just meet so many owners that don't really understand how their car works or what does what. You know, the fact that you are not a wealthy person, but you're a rich person because you can do tens of thousands of dollars worth of work on this car virtually for nothing. Something would cost somebody else a huge amount of money, 60 $70,000, you can do for a few hundred basically because you're doing and that to me is the currency that makes you a rich Ferrari owner because you you have the ability to maintain your automobile. A lot of people really don't. they just give it to somebody else and it's like the English you send your kid off to boarding school then you meet him when they're 18 and then they get married and you know something or you can raise the kid yourself and enjoy the whole thing and that's what you're doing you're raising this child yourself and fixing it up and fixing it and well you know it's like a Saturday afternoon job you put the struts on it then you want to go out and drive it and see oh it still handles good with the new it doesn't have anything to do with that but it just every time you work in a car you want to take it out and see how it is now >> exactly and that's why I jumped to do all of the mechanical work because that's my bread and butter. So something like this I was like ah I can get to it later. >> Now is that a battery disconnect switch? >> It is. Yeah. So >> is that factory? >> It is factory. So on off you know one safety but also you don't want somebody stealing your car and this is just kind of a nice little secret kill switch. >> Well, you know what's interesting too is a lot of these Italian cars, especially the Mura, they would catch fire because the wires run through the body. They don't go through conduits. So you have a wire. Every time you hit the brake, the wire is doing this against the body. And eventually the rubber dries out, it cracks, you get a short, and the car catches fire. I mean, you see there's horrible videos of murals catching fire, you know, on the auto strat or some such place, you know. So that's why I put a disconnect in there, just so it doesn't happen. Well, very nice. Can we uh can we take it for a ride? >> I guess. >> Let's give it a shot. You're pretty You look pretty good. You're pretty tall, >> huh? Yeah. No, that's nice. And plenty of leg room here, too. >> And no power steering. >> No, that's for sure. >> See, that's why you got to drive it fast so that way it doesn't matter. >> That's right. Have you got any tickets yet? >> No. >> That's good. >> Got plenty of power, doesn't it? >> Yeah. >> Very turbulent life. Very smooth. >> There's something about a naturally aspirated 12cylinder motor. >> Well, you know, back in the day, the editor of Car and Driver said everybody should drive a 12cylinder car at least once in their life. That was the cuz it was such an exotic. You really didn't have any. We had the Packards and Lincoln from the 30s and 40s, but it wasn't the same thing. There weren't much in the ' 70s. You had the Jag V12. That was a That was a different kind of motor, though. That wasn't performanceoriented. >> Yeah. There's something special about it. That's for sure. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. I >> think that's why it was really important to me to get a 12cylinder. obviously kind of in this price range when I was looking. You have a 308, a 328, a 348, all the eight cylinders, right? So, >> you ever work on any four-cylinder Ferraris? Have you had >> I have. Yeah, the Lamprey motors are really cool. The cylinder liners kind of overpass. They they don't have heads technically, right? It's the the crank case um with the cylinder screwing into the block so you emit the head gasket. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's kind of cool. >> It was interesting. They were they kept having head gasket failures and they're like, "Well, we'll just get rid of a head then." >> Right. Yeah. >> Instead of re-engineering. >> On some of the early Ferraris, too, just 250s in general, the carburetors, they have little fuel catch drip trays. Have you seen those? >> Yeah. >> Instead of making a better gasket or making it not leak, they just are expecting it to leak, so they just have the tray there. >> Well, you know, that's why you had uh downdraft carburetors. >> Yeah. Because >> the needle would never seat fully. >> And if you had an updraft, then the gas would leak down into the cylinder and when you started the car, it would be filled. You know, the combustion be filled with gas and boom, you blow the head apart because you can't compress the gasoline down, >> right? It's one of those things where it just makes you go, I love cars. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> They're so silly and they're so obnoxious and it's a work in progress, too. You know, I did the major service, but this was the first big trip I've done down, you know, from San Francisco. So, there's going to be some fine tuning when we get back when I get a lift and >> Yeah. Yeah. >> can make it really happy. >> Hopefully, you have a garage to keep it in. >> I do. You know, I actually couldn't get it insured if I didn't have a garage to store it. Oh, >> is that right? Yeah. >> Yeah. I did some research cuz I was maybe looking at getting a Tesla as my daily at earlier this year. It's more expensive to insure a Tesla than it is to insure this. >> Really? >> Yeah. >> Boy, I wouldn't have thought that. Well, that's just liability. You don't have any collision on this, right? >> No, I do. >> Oh, you do? >> Yeah. I've got the full the full package. >> Wow. Wow. >> But I think the Tesla repair shops are so expensive that that's kind of why they base >> Yeah. >> base that number on that. >> Well, this really drives nicely. It's a very nice car. >> You're just saying that? >> I don't know. It's very good. It's very smooth. >> No, it's certainly comfortable. I think for road trips. Another reason why this TR stood above a 355 or something like that to me is it's got a full leather interior from the headliner to the dash. >> The 355s, they they're made from that plastic sort of material that just gets sticky when it hits a certain age. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> And there's kind of there's no coming back from that. But I don't know if you know this, I went back to school. So, I I went back to school when I was 27. >> I started later in life and I've only been at this for, you know, five or so years now. >> Yeah. >> And so, if I now >> I'm almost 32. >> Oh, okay. >> Coming up on it. >> But if I can save someone a decade, let them know that this is an option, that this is a career path that you can go down or even on the enthusiast level, you can make this happen. >> This drives very nicely. It picks up nicely. It does. It does. >> It's funny, too, because it's an 87. It's got a pretty small wheel on it. It's only a 16-in wheel. >> Yeah. >> Is this a 16-in wheel? >> We've got two 25s in the front and 255s in the rear. So, really, it's You would almost think it would have more tire for being as wide as it is. When I got my Countach, that was the first iteration of the wide tire cuz it was a really thin tire before. And then the 86 valve was the first to have a it was that was seen as a huge wheel back in the day. Now it's just sort of every day, but all right. So, Counttosh compared to the Tessterosa. >> Um, a lot in common actually. >> Very mechanical. Uh, gated shifter. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. Very It feels quite similar to that actually. >> I'm curious if what the difference in handling is. Does it It feels similar >> or is the Countach a little bit tighter? >> Countach a little bit tighter. I mean, this is a cruiser. This is meant to get on the autobond and >> Yeah. >> run 130, 140 all day long, you know, that kind of thing. >> And it drives wonderfully. >> Yeah. This has not been abused at all, this thing. I mean, the sink wheels all feel good. Everything's very good. >> It's barely broken in. >> This engine feels fantastic. >> I'm glad you like it. >> Yeah. No smoke, no nothing. No, >> you didn't take the heads off, right? No, >> no, I didn't. Um, just the cam cover. So, the major service I um were lucky >> replaced the cam seals, the belts obviously, and but I made sure to degree the cams to make sure that everything was >> running at the right time. >> And it's great you didn't have to uh your head gaskets didn't dry out and crack. >> No, I know. I was kind of worried about that when I first turned it over when I was test driving it from the previous owner. There was quite a bit of white smoke, but it ended up dissipating. So, >> and when it was parked for those 20s something years. >> Yeah. >> And I mean, you know, all the water just gets in the system or stays in the system. >> Was it parked all the time with antifreeze or with water in it? >> It was. >> Oh, man. >> I know. But it's okay. I replaced all the hoses. The radiator appears to be okay. But I mean, that's what driving it's for. You know, the drive down, I kind of felt like a kid in a candy store. Yeah, >> it's been really surreal work like actually having it in my name and working on it is I I know I already said this, but it's just kind of a level of satisfaction that I didn't know exist. >> I mean, that's that's the whole part of owning a car. Not how much it costs, what the investment potential is, but >> how much you enjoy it and >> right >> what it does for your self-esteem and all that kind of stuff. And I think it's hard with new cars, you know, the industry likes to tell us what we should like and what we shouldn't like. >> Right. Right. >> But if you love something, it shouldn't matter what anybody else likes. >> Exactly. >> Well, mechanical fuel injection, I've got it on my u Maserati 3500 there. >> Oh, yeah. >> And we had it done over and professionally just sent it out and got it put it on. Haven't touched it. I mean, it's been a few years now and perfect. >> Yeah, I know. I've I've heard a lot of people on forums and whatnot saying that those systems can be quite finicky, but I think if it if it's just properly maintained, you know, if you're using it, it'll be okay. But maybe now you're a big Ferrari guy, or at least for today. >> I like Ferrari. I have nothing against the vehicles. I I just it was always such a disappointment to me when I was younger and I go to look at one, I always be brushed off. All right, fine. So, I just bought cars where they treated me like a customer. I'm sure it's it's much different now and it's now you got a 7-year warranty on a Ferrari, all parts. It's I mean, it's pretty good. >> I don't blame you being a woman in the space. Sometimes I get that, too. Oh, yeah. You work on a car. >> Well, yeah, that's >> it's the same. Yeah, but there's space for everybody. Well, that's my train. >> You just got to brush them off. >> But I get that. I think newer Ferraris are cool, but outside my pay grade. I not confident in how they function and definitely wouldn't fix one. The newest Ferrari I've ever driven is a 360. >> That's from the '9s, isn't it? >> Yeah. I think the first year for those was a 99. >> Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Easy. the original shocks still on it. >> They are. >> Don't feel bad, >> right? They're I I don't think any of them are locked up. They'll be changed at some point. Um but you know, also like I said earlier, not everything needs to get done at once. >> Is there an aftermarket shock you put on something like this or is it only >> No, I would have these these conies rebuilt is what I would do. >> Oh, these are conies from the factory. >> They are. They're not cheap, but And there's six of them. >> There's two on each corner in the rear, right? >> But again, the labor's free. So, >> yeah. >> Yeah. They made just over 7,000 of these. >> Oh, wow. They didn't do that many, huh? >> Yeah. Um, but this one's kind of special because it has something called Monado wheels on them, which means it has the single knockoff wheel knob. And you're only the what? Third owner. >> Third owner. Yes. >> Yeah. That's great. >> So, it still has the original wheel nut spanner in the tool kit. I really lucked out. >> Yeah, that's great. >> You have the hammer, too, that goes with it. >> I do. Yes. Well, this is just a subtle road you want to drive a car like this on. >> I agree. >> You want to make sure you're hearing these sounds. >> Oh, yeah. >> And you're not hearing them as vibrantly in traffic. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Is there an active sort of Tessterosa community? You know, >> I think they kind of stick to more of the Ferrari Club of America. >> Yeah. It's something they'll see in front of some fancy restaurant. You know, >> when I go out to eat, we take our Fiat 500. You know, >> you want to also too, if you're going valet, you want to hand up the keys to something that you're either not going to care if it gets mucked up or you're going to trust the valet with. My goal is to show people that they can use and drive their cars, that they don't need to be afraid of them. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. This is my first project car. You could say my first fun car I've ever had. >> Well, it certainly is fun. And it runs wonderfully. You did a great job. >> I appreciate that. >> How bad did the plugs look when you took them out? >> They actually weren't that bad. They looked a little lean. >> Yeah. Um, but everyone kind of the talk at school when you're learning how to work on the car says, "Oh, what's your project car? What are you working on? What are you working on?" And I never had one cuz I always wanted to make sure that when I got one, I wanted to know what I was doing so that way I could fix it. >> And I imagine these didn't run cuz to me, they had to run really lean. >> Oh, yeah. So much so that the Eurospec of this car has 10 more horsepower. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. But it's funny. Ferrari just took the Chevrolet smog equipment. They didn't bother engineering their own. They just said, "This works. We'll take it and we'll adapt it to our cars." >> Yeah. Well, Victoria, congratulations on your car. Very nice. You've done a wonderful job. Runs great. >> Thank you so much. >> We shall be watching it. It'll be on you. It'll be on YouTube on P. Yeah. >> With Tori Bruno. >> Thank you, Tori. Thank you, my friend. Cool. See, you want a Ferrari? Just fix it yourself. That's it. Hey, see you guys next week.