First post, so here goes

Hi everybody. As this site seems to "smell of petrol", I thought I would give it a go. Having had a lot of interest in a project of mine from New Zealand, here seemed a good place to put a picture. I have always loved the maserati 250f, and after a few years of watching them at goodwood etc. I decided to build one, mainly because the real thing is too far out of reach, and I wanted something I could just jump in and drive. it is road legal, took 15 months to build, a friend of mine who worked for Rolls Royce made the body out of aluminium, and its great fun. I really hope this won't offend the purists, but I make no claims its a maserati, and our local Ferrari/ Maserati main dealer have had it in their showroom.
Hope you approve.
Attachment 9364

Looks great to me, how about some details of the build? I am sure there will be purists who denigrate this, but as you have said you make no claims to authenticity.

A great looking car and good to see that someone has gotten off their backside and done something positive about their dream. I am sure you will have great times with the car.

Wow, Andy, that is incredible! What an amazing looking car, I'm really impressed! What sort of motor have you fitted? Those wire wheels look absolutely spot on. I bet thats a lot of fun, good for you!

Great effort. Unlike so called purists I certainly don't mind racing with replicas - especially Masers which are my ultimate choice. I have raced along side two CM's and two real ones and sat in three and they are definitely my Lotto car. More details please especially photos of under the bonnet, cockpit, rear end and during construction and specs. Build me another one and mail it to me ?? . Chris Read -Arrowtown

thanks for the comments. Heres a link to a video we did recently with a Tiger moth.
http://vimeo.com/43832371

Excellent work!

I love it ,i had its cousin Ferrari 500 a four cylinder alfa mtr ,not as good a sound as the six was probably more exact rev counter ect was just beutiful and once you got used to the front wheels jumping up and down was exciting to drive ,drum brakes were hopless but as Buggatti said cars are made to go .Sadly just one make believe race driver in a scruffy Riley complained it should not be allowed to run ,and now old and grumpy sold it to the USA{ was a mistake}

Fanbloodytastic. I can just imagine the looks you'd get pulling up next to someone at the lights!!

Mate, that is neat, as said more info please.

Andy, It must be great to drive a car like that legally on the road. I hear you can also get a road registered Vanwall in the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otoKijvxbCc
Imagine if both of you arrived at the traffic lights together.
In the South Island of NZ we even had a road registered dragster driving around many years ago.
Graeme

Thanks for the comments. it is fun I must admit. I will sort out some more detailed shots and post them

Now the Vanwall is a car I would really like to have a drive of. One of my all time favourites. My school exercise books were covered in side view drawings of the Vanwall. Happy days.

Heres a few more pictures of the "Tipo" Ill try and find one of the body without paint, for the aluminium lovers!!
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A few of the bodywork. You can see the early stages (clecko pins everywhere), and when she was brought back for fixings, undertray to be fitted, and a few other things prior to paint.
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Just fabulous, thanks for sharing!

Hi Andy I am in Love what A STUNING looking car I wish I could finish my care even half as good Jamie Aislabie NZ

Brilliant. Nothing wrong with replicas in my eyes either.

Wow, the workmanship is staggering! I love the bare alloy body photos. Its almost too beautiful to paint.

Andy, don't 250Fs have the accelerator pedal in the middle with brake on the right? Have you done this also?

Steve, I think most did have the pedals the other way round. I'm afraid I'm a chicken on that one. Plus, as the car is my demonstrator, it seemed sensible to keep it conventional, if not actually in keeping.

Didn't Stirling Moss have his 250F pedals modified?

Yes. He wouldn't drive a car with central throttle pedal

As David McKinney is around, I ought to thank him for writing his book on the 250F. Provided lots of information, as well as being a very good read.

An engine shot. Apart from a small one, no computers or fuel injection here. Just good old (new) lumpy webers.
Attachment 9539

Andy that's just stunning. What is the powerplant?

Andy still in love ill bet it sounds as good as it looks Jamie A

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Originally Posted by andyp250f

Steve, I think most did have the pedals the other way round. I'm afraid I'm a chicken on that one. Plus, as the car is my demonstrator, it seemed sensible to keep it conventional, if not actually in keeping.

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Andy, I'm with you on this, 100%! I could definitely see how the original 250F pedal arrangement could end badly at a set of traffic lights, should a senior moment happen! I'd be doing the exact same thing as you. There are some things that don't require replicating.

May be so but when I built Ferrari500 copy pedals had to correct throtle in midle..told myself we learnt in a Model A so whats the problem?/ its the modern cars that I have problems ,I quite often indicate with the wipers

Yes I do that too Jim! And switch the indicators on to wipe the rain of my windscreen. But Andy uses his 250F on the road. I could definitely see how you could accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake (or vice-versa) when at a set of traffic lights. Its probably not worth taking the risk just for the sake of being 100% authentic.

I think his car is great but in my case the chassis suspension and body was so correct and John Olhsen who helped me said many times this chassis is not home made!!when it went to the USA it was entered as a car that was cut in two at Wigram.the mistake they made when placing with Bonhams was to say that I and Jan Mcl. had rebuilt it.Doug Nye was the man who checked the cars out contacted Jan as he knew her .So I put the facts to him and the sale was off!! I must admit it would be great to know what happed to it I was like John Surtess said when driving that old M, Benz on display runs The brakes on the right..the brakes on the right over and over ..Then again not as bad when after driving my E Type all day and for the last run try out the 911 left hand drive gear lever on the wrong side.Hell it was so much faster you forget what side you are on after two laps.much later on to go around Champion in top then brake and go from 5th to 3rd before turning left with your heart in your mouth hoping not to pick up 1st as the remote lever was always remote.

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Originally Posted by Shano

Andy that's just stunning. What is the powerplant?

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The Engine is the BMW M20 2.5 litre from an E30. Triple webers, and the now very rare "dog leg first" gearbox from an E21. Around 220BHP, with an all in weight of 670kgs. shes Lively.

Very, very nice job. Well done.
I wouldnt know even where to start on a project like this, be very proud of it......and dont let the missus drive it!!

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Originally Posted by crunch

.....and dont let the missus drive it!!

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Some good advice there Andy!

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Originally Posted by jim short

May be so but when I built Ferrari500 copy pedals had to correct throtle in midle..told myself we learnt in a Model A so whats the problem?/ its the modern cars that I have problems ,I quite often indicate with the wipers

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Just like my Delage which has the pedals in 'eurpoean configuration' so it was not just racing cars - in the case of the Delage no need to worry about mixing them up. Put your foot on the throttle in the middle by mistake for the brake and nothing happens anyway.....and same with mixing up the brake pedal as they don't work being metal on metal rears only. Taught my kids to drive in the Delage (1914) as required the ultimate defensive driving technique which was to consider everything you intended to do or see 100m ahead. Chris Read - Arrowtown

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Originally Posted by crunch

......and dont let the missus drive it!!

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Fortunately, she can't reach the pedals, and when I tried to explain a "dog leg first pattern", she lost all interest, muttered something about building a "stupid car that no-one can drive" and wandered off. It did work though. never wanted to drive it since. luckily.

Gee Andy, not only a very clever bugger but a marriage councillor as well.

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Originally Posted by Chris Read

Just like my Delage which has the pedals in 'eurpoean configuration' so it was not just racing cars - in the case of the Delage no need to worry about mixing them up. Put your foot on the throttle in the middle by mistake for the brake and nothing happens anyway.....and same with mixing up the brake pedal as they don't work being metal on metal rears only. Taught my kids to drive in the Delage (1914) as required the ultimate defensive driving technique which was to consider everything you intended to do or see 100m ahead. Chris Read - Arrowtown

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Hi Chris, Good to know you are giving your off spring a solid grounding in the long lost art of motoring. It was not just a European arrangement as my Dads model A Ford and the C1 International I learnt to drive in had the self same central throttle pedal. That is really where the term "heel and toe" came from, you put your foot on the brake pedal and your heel was naturally over the throttle, easy as eh? It is still better than the present arrangement but too late now.