The Ferrari Daytonas of Miami Vice

[Kavinsky]

If I remember correctly one of the members on here went down there and photograph it last year, but strangley enought there was a black testarossa BEHIND the vice one just out of shot.Edit: Nevermind that one has a red interior and strangley has both mirrors mounted half way up the a and b pillers, so that's the end of that theory that he may have bought both of them and repainted one of them black.

[DJAngel]

Love looking at those cars:cool:

[COOPER&BURNETT]

There seems to be several Zenith wheels that have spoked wheels. Is there a certain type that is exactly like the ones used on the MIAMI VICE car? Is there a name for it?

[jurassic narc]

There seems to be several Zenith wheels that have spoked wheels. Is there a certain type that is exactly like the ones used on the MIAMI VICE car? Is there a name for it?

The Daytona had wires with around 70 spokes. The spinners were straight, not swept back, and had emblems with eagles on a gold background.

[Sonny-Burnett]

The Daytona had wires with around 70 spokes. The spinners were straight' date=' not swept back, and had emblems with eagles on a gold background.[/quote']Hmm, my wheels are wire Zenith and are originals from McBurnie but the spinners are angled with Ferrari logos on them. My interior project still on hold until I lock in someone who can handle the removal and reinstallation of a vintage vette dash to replicate that used in the show. I understand the dash install and connections of wiring and ventilation is the most complicated part of my interior restoration. My goal is to complete the interior during winter here and have it ready by Spring. One can only hope that is.

[Sonny-Burnett]

I don't think the C3 hardtop will work with the Daytona body. I have never driven my Daytona in the rain' date=' but I do have a lot of experience with old Corvettes. And most of them do leak to some degree. Jurassic Narc is correct - if you work hard on the seals and window adjustments, you can get them pretty good. But having wet carpets is just a part of owning an old Corvette if you drive in the rain. The newer ones have gotten much better.[/quote'] Yep, I learned this the hard way a few weeks ago when I got caught in the rain. Leaked right over my head. :hot:Yet another repair in the spring after I restore the interior.

[Brian W]

Sorry I’m late to the party gentlemen but boy am I glad I found you! I’ve been a fan of MV since the 80s (I still have a few episodes I recorded off the air on BetaMax tapes!) and I’m a huge fan of the Daytona. Much like Jurassic Narc said in an earlier post, I’m a fan of the car on the show not necessarily the Ferrari it’s supposed to represent…I like the wider fender flares, its more aggressive stance, not a fan of the Ferrari headrests, etc.I came across the Price of Addiction site a few months back and it was the best info I’d EVER come across, you guys are the true gurus on the MV Daytonas! I’ve been watching eBay for a good Daytona for about 7 years now and this past Monday just bought one. Here’s the eBay link to it, I think it might be the only one that has been sold at a Barrett Jackson auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110619367532&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fmotors.shop.ebay.com%3A80%2F__%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp3841.m39.l1313%26_nkw%3D110619367532%26_sacat%3D%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1. Before I bought it I did some searching to verify the information was accurate and I came across Tom McBurnie in the car at the auction, which I think it pretty cool: http://www.kitcarmag.com/eventcoverage/0605kc_2006_barret_jackson_auction/photo_06.htmlNow that I’m an owner I have tons of questions. I came across this forum (I’m a member of a few other Vice forums) while looking for a McBurnie/Rowley GTC/SR/CCC forum and luckily found you guys. I hate to hijack this thread, which was originally about the MV Daytonas, and I hope everyone else doesn’t mind if we post questions here. I’ve got a few, like mine’s built on a ’71 chassis and I need a car cover for it…I’m looking at a CoverCraft for a ’71 Vette but not sure how “exact†the fit is. You guys know which cover brand/size works best (edit: just saw your answer to my question JN, thanks!)I am thrilled that I found both Vice fans and Daytona fans (not to mention the owner of the camera car!), after 25 plus years of being a fan I’ve not only got a Daytona but also found guys who geek out as much as I do about it. Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge, you guys are truly awesome. Sorry for the lengthy post, hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!-Brian W

[Brian W]

Okay, now that I’ve introduced myself I want to stir the pot just a little bit. I’m just doing this for conversation, please keep in mind I think you guys are the foremost experts on the Daytonas and I take your word over anything else I’ve read. Here’s some of the info I have gathered for discussion on several topics I’ve seen earlier in this thread.Turbos! I have an original information package/sales brochure I got from McBurnie in the 80s. In this envelope was a double sided glossy insert reprinted from I believe Turbo Magazine that indicated there was a Gale Banks twin turbo in the “stunt†car (which I now take to be Car 1). Whether it had a twin turbo engine before, during, or after the filming of Seasons 1 and 2 you guys would know better than I would, but it was in a published article (in addition to the Kit Car Mag article mentioned on the Price of Addiction site) that helped this rumor along. I’m going to visit my folks for the holidays and see if I can find the insert and scan it in and post it.Volo Car! If you guys posted this and I missed it my apologies, but I saw what I believed to be a nasty, rusted out genuine MV Daytona on eBay in August of 2006. I saved all the pics, as it was definitely used for filming something. It has an extra brake pedal, the fuel cell was mounted in the trunk and took up most of the space, and you could see where cameras had been mounted to it. Then I came across this VetteWeb Jeff Souter article in November 2006: http://www.vetteweb.com/features/vemp_0611_miami_vice_ferrari/index.html. I couldn’t find anything on the car for a few years afterwards then I saw the Volo Museum site: http://volocars.com/1973-ferrari-daytona-from-miami-vice-c-670.htm. If you look closely at the pictures I definitely believe Jeff restored the car and sold it to the museum. In both the rusted out pics and the Volo pics you can see the passenger front bumper has the same droop, the driver’s rear bumpers sits at the same odd angle, the passenger seat sits lower than the driver’s, etc. If nothing else I firmly believe this to be some of the background of the car in the Volo Museum. Whether it was used in MV and/or Speed Zone would seem to contradict some of the information on the Price of Addiction page and I believe you guys over those guys ANY day. But I do think it makes for interesting discussion!Golden Arches! I’ve never seen anyone mention this but I’m sure I’m not the first to notice. Last weekend I watched the pilot episode for what must have been the 50th time just to look at the car. I’d NEVER noticed this before, but if you watch the scene where Crockett is sitting in the car with Scotty Wheeler before the final showdown you can see (on a large enough TV anyway) there is a very lightly embossed “M†in both of the headrests. I’m guessing this was for Mardikian or possibly McBurnie, but I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this. I think I read that the seats were changed out after the pilot but you can definitely see the golden arches in that scene.No disrespect meant to anyone here, you guys are the best, I just wanted to share some of the stuff I’d found over the years and see what everyone thought. The Price of Addiciton page is the best history I’ve ever seen, I believe it still to be the final word on all things MV Daytona related!-Brian W

[Sonny-Burnett]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110619367532&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fmotors.shop.ebay.com%3A80%2F__%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp3841.m39.l1313%26_nkw%3D110619367532%26_sacat%3D%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1. Before I bought it I did some searching to verify the information was accurate and I came across Tom McBurnie in the car at the auction, which I think it pretty cool: http://www.kitcarmag.com/eventcoverage/0605kc_2006_barret_jackson_auction/photo_06.htmlNow that I’m an owner I have tons of questions. I came across this forum (I’m a member of a few other Vice forums) while looking for a McBurnie/Rowley GTC/SR/CCC forum and luckily found you guys. I hate to hijack this thread, which was originally about the MV Daytonas, and I hope everyone else doesn’t mind if we post questions here. I’ve got a few, like mine’s built on a ’71 chassis and I need a car cover for it…I’m looking at a CoverCraft for a ’71 Vette but not sure how “exact” the fit is. You guys know which cover brand/size works best (edit: just saw your answer to my question JN, thanks!)I am thrilled that I found both Vice fans and Daytona fans (not to mention the owner of the camera car!), after 25 plus years of being a fan I’ve not only got a Daytona but also found guys who geek out as much as I do about it. Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge, you guys are truly awesome. Sorry for the lengthy post, hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!-Brian W

Brian. as a fellow McBurnie owner since May of this year, welcome to the best Vice Forum on the planet. I have learned a great deal about my car and the show cars from both Jurassicnarc and from cameradaytona--that's where the real expertise lies. Looking forward to exchanges with you. Sorry today am a little pressed for time but will be back on later tonight and the weekend. Nice ride you picked up, BTW. BTW, pics of mine you can find on my profile in an album. Again, welcome!

[timm525]

Welcome Brian!Please post away with all your questions. I know the guys will be glad to answer whatever questions you have.Congrats on a great looking Daytona too. Looks like Christmas came a little early for you this year.:prost:

[Kavinsky]

Yeah I remember reading about that particular car: http://jalopnik.com/149946/in-defense-of-a-cheesewagen-ferrari-daytona-replica-at-barrett+jackson http://www.kitcarmag.com/eventcoverage/0605kc_2006_barret_jackson_auction/photo_06.html I dont think we really know for certain whether or not the corvettes actually had a turbo, most of the engine notes for the daytona in S2 were covered up with fake ferrari noises and what little they didnt dub sounded naturally aspirated.the volo car: no one really knows since car 1, the one that isnt accounted for was taken apart by carl roberts in an attempt to create a testarossa replica with it and I really dont know why he even attempted it, maybe the car was seriously in bad condition at that point,after all I think camera daytona the owner of car 4 here said that the guy before him who bought the car straight from carl roberts had to do a ton of work to fix it and that was the camera car, so god only knows what the stunt car looked like after its run in the show.Here's the run down:The Real Daytona Used in the pilot: Unaccounted for, presumably intact:Note the small black mirror on the driver side, I dont think I've ever seen another daytona with that style mirror on itCar 1: Unaccounted for, taken apart and no one can find any of its parts.Car 4: In loving handsTestarossa 1: In a flea market, probably seriously out of commisionTestarossa 2: UnknownDetomaso Pantera stunt car: unknown, lost

[jurassic narc]

http://www.vetteweb.com/features/vemp_0611_miami_vice_ferrari/index.html. I couldn’t find anything on the car for a few years afterwards then I saw the Volo Museum site: http://volocars.com/1973-ferrari-daytona-from-miami-vice-c-670.htm. If you look closely at the pictures I definitely believe Jeff restored the car and sold it to the museum. In both the rusted out pics and the Volo pics you can see the passenger front bumper has the same droop, the driver’s rear bumpers sits at the same odd angle, the passenger seat sits lower than the driver’s, etc. If nothing else I firmly believe this to be some of the background of the car in the Volo Museum. Whether it was used in MV and/or Speed Zone would seem to contradict some of the information on the Price of Addiction page and I believe you guys over those guys ANY day. But I do think it makes for interesting discussion!Camera Daytona has examined the car in detail, and he says it isn't the show car. I could talk on and on, but I think his opinion stands as the expert.Golden Arches! I’ve never seen anyone mention this but I’m sure I’m not the first to notice. Last weekend I watched the pilot episode for what must have been the 50th time just to look at the car. I’d NEVER noticed this before, but if you watch the scene where Crockett is sitting in the car with Scotty Wheeler before the final showdown you can see (on a large enough TV anyway) there is a very lightly embossed “M” in both of the headrests. I’m guessing this was for Mardikian or possibly McBurnie, but I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this. I think I read that the seats were changed out after the pilot but you can definitely see the golden arches in that scene.Yes, the seats and the head rests were different in the pilot. The M is for Mardikian (the cars were to be known as MARDIKIANS). I have spoken to the guy who did the upholstry, but he was not very interested in giving lost of details. To him is was just a job, and he didn't have anything to do with the final version you see in the regular run of the show (refereing to the seats only).I really liked the original version, but I am guessing they were very hard to make.No disrespect meant to anyone here, you guys are the best, I just wanted to share some of the stuff I’d found over the years and see what everyone thought. The Price of Addiciton page is the best history I’ve ever seen, I believe it still to be the final word on all things MV Daytona related!There are still many questions unanswered, and new facts to discover. When I wrote the article for the Price of Addiction site I thought I had covered everything, but as time passes new questions come up. (Like the tinted nose piece for the Daytona that Carl has, but can't find!! I guess it is from El Viajo, because he said it had a bullet hole in it!! I would love to get pictures of it.)-Brian W

Keep the all our interests up, Brian!!

[Sonny-Burnett]

Keep the all our interests up' date=' Brian!![/quote'] Merry Christmas to you my friend, Jurassic. Thnx for your edit, btw.

[CameraDaytona]

Brian - I talked personally with Tom McBurnie in the mid-90s about my car (the camera car - a 1981 chassis, the 4th car built by Tom) and he told me that the car (which was purchased by Mardikian) had the turbo charger installed when he (Tom) received it - and still had it on when he finished it and sent it to Mardikian to sell/lease. At some point during the filming of the series (the first two years) the engine with the turbo was changed to a new crate engine with a carburetor only. I don't know anything about the stunt car but have seen the articles to which you refer stating that both cars had turbo chargers originally.

[Brian W]

You guys are great, thanks for all the answers and encouragement. I'm pretty fond of my Cheesewagen so far =D.Here's something else I came across recently, someone else claims to have a car that was used for the PROMOTION of the show (by McBurnie) but was never actually used for filming Miami Vice. It sounds like it's in a state of disrepair but for the paltry sum of $150K it can be yours (really...did they use the Volo car for their "Kelly Blue Book" price?). Well, $149,950. Guess they knocked $50 off the sticker. Coincidentally I have the Exotic Dreams trading card...it's on my fridge.http://corvetterestorationaz.net/forsale.htm#photos-Brian W

[Sonny-Burnett]

http://corvetterestorationaz.net/forsale.htm#photos-Brian W

Thanks for posting Brian. I certainly don't get the pricing for this one or the Volo one, which is located not 50 or so miles from me.

[Kavinsky]

Unless they got someone at a ferrari dealership to restore it piece by piece it shouldnt cost anywhere near as close to that, it probably cost them about 15 - 30 k to buy it in its ruined state and about another 20 to restore itthis is what the volo car looked like before they bought it and restored it.http://www.vetteweb.com/features/vemp_0611_miami_vice_ferrari/index.htmland did you say the smoked plexiglass piece had a bullet hole in it brian?thats kind of odd I dont remember seeing anything on it in the photo jurrasic send me of the daytona (car 4) right after it arived in tennessee after its retirement from the show.mind you it might have been from car 1 and maybe the original idea was to shoot the car up ala Gene Hunt's quattro before they decided on exploding it for the preimer

[Sonny-Burnett]

http://www.vetteweb.com/features/vemp_0611_miami_vice_ferrari/index.htmland did you say the smoked plexiglass piece had a bullet hole in it brian?thats kind of odd I dont remember seeing anything on it in the photo jurrasic send me of the daytona (car 4) right after it arived in tennessee after its retirement from the show.mind you it might have been from car 1 and maybe the original idea was to shoot the car up ala Gene Hunt's quattro before they decided on exploding it for the preimer

Interesting article about the Volo car. But I remember a few years back when Volo first got the car, and they showed the "before" pictures as a rusted out crate that had its interior pretty much gutted. Not at all like what is in this article.

[Kavinsky]

I Found one of the articles about it during its resto, only one pic of it thought:http://spbcar.ru/news/en/article/2579/It doesnt look that bad and the car's body was made of entriely fiberglass after all, mind you its probably everything else that was shot on italthought after looking at the dash in this photohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/treasureice/3787057719/and this onehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/treasureice/3787057719/http://www.flickr.com/photos/treasureice/3787057719/and compairing it with the one of the MV cars, car 1 and car 4anyone who thinks that is a 100% legit miami vice car just from the dash is

I mean hell anyone could say they've got the miami vice car if its a replica based off of a 76' corvette (car 1's model year, car 4 is an 81') just like anyone could say they've got the miami vice stinger 390 from the show, but unless you have the paperwork there really is no way to know, its all he said she saidalthought the volvo car is a nice car exterior wise they'd have to drop the price by about a 100k and put in a new dash like the one on the show before I'd even consider it.

[Sonny-Burnett]

http://spbcar.ru/news/en/article/2579/It doesnt look that bad and the car's body was made of entriely fiberglass after all, mind you its probably everything else that was shot on italthought after looking at the dash in this photohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/treasureice/3787057719/and this onehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/treasureice/3787057719/http://www.flickr.com/photos/treasureice/3787057719/and compairing it with the one of the MV cars, car 1 and car 4anyone who thinks that is a 100% legit miami vice car just from the dash is

I mean hell anyone could say they've got the miami vice car if its a replica based off of a 76' corvette (car 1's model year, car 4 is an 81') just like anyone could say they've got the miami vice stinger 390 from the show, but unless you have the paperwork there really is no way to know, its all he said she saidalthought the volvo car is a nice car exterior wise they'd have to drop the price by about a 100k and put in a new dash like the one on the show before I'd even consider it.

Exactly on this. The Volo car has the Faux Ferrari dash (like my car) and the show cars had a modified 78-82 Corvette dash assembly. Your pics here and some Jurassic sent me show these differences very clearly. Just one more data point that the Volo car is not the genuine article. Something I was chasing for months in the next step of my restoration.

[Kavinsky]

one thing thought you might want to try and go for an earlier spedo on yours, or one that goes above 85 mph.most of the cars up untill 1987 had an 85 mph speedo on them (you can hear them talking about upping the speed limit in killshot at the end when the womans watching the tv) because the goverment thought if it was any higher it might encourage speeding on the highway.and it looks really god damn stupid

1:44

[Sonny-Burnett]

1:44

Yes I have in fact talked with Jurassic about this. Getting a speedo to match the Vette dash guage cluster (tach and speedo) cutouts with high speed range, means limited choices I think. Have to go back and check what Jurassic told me about this because now not specifically recalling how he solved this. But I think he also had this issue when he redid his dash.

[Kavinsky]

Well the 68' C3 had a speedo that went up to a 150, so you could probably used a reproduction of it.athought I think you'd probably have to get a new sensor for it to go along with it, althought I'm guessing about the second part here I really dont that much about how the gauges work.Actually camera daytona does your spedo say who made it on it, because that is definitely not a stock 240 mph spedo.

[Sonny-Burnett]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4858651586_fa8bdf56bf.jpgathought I think you'd probably have to get a new sensor for it to go along with it, althought I'm guessing about the second part here I really dont that much about how the gauges work.Actually camera daytona what does your spedo gauge say, does it say who made it on it?

Thanks for that. I think there would also need to be some recalibration for a higher-reading speedo to work on my car as well and not sure what time/cost is involved. I still can't locate my note from Jurassic on this so maybe he or Camerdaytona can weigh in here on this?

[CameraDaytona]

My speedometer goes to 240 mph (good luck on that). As you can see in the picture, both the tach and the speedometer have the Mardikian logo on them. That indicates to me that they were prepared (painted or printed?) specifically for the Mardikian cars - probably only the first 4 cars McBurnie built. I would assume that they started out as Corvette units since I don't know any other that would have the same shape, etc.