The Ferrari Daytonas of Miami Vice

[Matt5]

Welcome - great info

[Sonny-Burnett]

I'm Dick Holmes' date=' I bought Bob Youngman's gorgeous 1987 McBurnie Daytona Spyder. I'm looking forward to being part of the group.[/quote']Welcome Dick. Bob told me he was going to let you know about the Forum here. Lots of good info on this site and many threads of interest. We also have some McBurnie and Show Car experts on here including some who own their own Daytonas such as jurassicnarc and CameraDaytona; the latter is the owner of the Camera Car used in Vice. Very cool. Think there are around 6 or so Daytona owners on this site, including some McBurnies and Rowleys. Your car is indeed gorgeous and in fantastic condition. I'm sure Bob hated to part with it. I missed seeing your car by a couple hours as the Freight company picked it up the day I called Bob to come see it. So again welcome and have look through this thread. Lots of info in here .

[ripperace]

I think I can maybe shed some light on the destruction of the Daytona in the near future. It's common knowledge that TV used minis for scenes where it was either too ridiculous, or just too expensive to destroy a real car. I just watched the episode where the Daytona gets destroyed, and it's clear to me that it's a mini. The look of the explosion in some of the screen grabs that were posted earlier is a dead giveaway. There was an company that made these minis for Universal and Warner Bros for years called Sessums and Slagle. Unfortunately, Jack Sessums had since passed on, but Pete Slagle is still around, and I might have to opportunity to pick his brain about the Daytona this coming July. I will ask another individual who was instrumental in the use of minis, Ron Martinez, if he has any info about the Daytona's demise. He was a unit production manager on Knight Rider, and if my memory serves me, he had a hand in Vice at some point in time. I'll keep you guys posted on what I find. I won't get to talk to Mr Slagle, like I said, until the July Southern Knights meet. But I can get in touch with Mr Martinez and see what info, if any, he has to give.

[Kavinsky]

I think I can maybe shed some light on the destruction of the Daytona in the near future. It's common knowledge that TV used minis for scenes where it was either too ridiculous' date=' or just too expensive to destroy a real car. I just watched the episode where the Daytona gets destroyed, and it's clear to me that it's a mini. The look of the explosion in some of the screen grabs that were posted earlier is a dead giveaway. There was an company that made these minis for Universal and Warner Bros for years called Sessums and Slagle. Unfortunately, Jack Sessums had since passed on, but Pete Slagle is still around, and I might have to opportunity to pick his brain about the Daytona this coming July. I will ask another individual who was instrumental in the use of minis, Ron Martinez, if he has any info about the Daytona's demise. He was a unit production manager on Knight Rider, and if my memory serves me, he had a hand in Vice at some point in time. I'll keep you guys posted on what I find. I won't get to talk to Mr Slagle, like I said, until the July Southern Knights meet. But I can get in touch with Mr Martinez and see what info, if any, he has to give.[/quote']yeah it would make sense, I mean I can see the guy who did the night rider stuff like the onwater deal doing that.For those not in the know I remember on knight rider that they had an episode where suddenly Kitt could literally drive on water and they used an RC car for it rigged up on some model with a glass floor covered in water next to some sort of dock.funny thing was they used that for the TV show viper about 10 years latter with a hovercraft mode for the 1999/2000 season, except half with CGI and an actual hovercraft mode. and welcome to the forums Reholmes, are you planning on going for a specific look for the car like with the Pilot, S1 or S2 for example?

[ripperace]

Hello! I'm actually building a KARR replica based around a pilot styled KITT, but with the two toned paint that KARR wore later in the episode KITT VS KARR. My reasons for this are things I won't get into too much on this thread because I won't hijack the Daytona thread. On the subject of getting news from Pete Slagle, I will keep the board notified of my findings, and if I find anything sooner than July I'll be more than happy to post about it. It just stuck out as a grey area that people don't seem 100% certain of. I hope I can seal the envelope that will determine how they did it. I know for a fact that Sessums and Slagle did mini stuff for KR, Airwolf, The Dukes, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, A-Team, and if I'm not mistaken, they might have had a hand in some of the Bond movies. Don't quote me on the last one though for sure.

[reholmes]

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I sure like those big Vitaloni mirrors--I have them on my Mera.

[jurassic narc]

ANY MCBURNIE OWNERSIf any of you McBurnie owners have your door panels off for any reason, I would like to see how the Alfa door handles have been modified to the Vette door latch mechanism. Or if you have any kind of diagram or anything that might put me in the right direction.Carl Roberts cars come with Mazda Miata door handles. They function well, but just don't look as good. I have the new alfa handles, but before I try to get them istalled I would like to have a plan to make them work.The alfa handles pull up a basic latch lever, but the Miata handles have a cam action that pulls the vette latch.JN

[Youngman]

McBurnie door handlesI had replaced the door handle on the passenger side due to the chrome having a wear spot in it. I just replaced it with a brand new Alfa handle ( same from 70-93?)I got from Mr. Fiat (I think was like 170.00) I had to demel off a piece to make it fit for the new piece had a outcropping the original did not (maybe a design change that happened but never effected the Alfas but cause problems with the Mcburnie) . But after that just bolted in.BobDick has the original door handle he can probably get a picture of it because the ones you get may need that small piece taken off.

[jurassic narc]

I had replaced the door handle on the passenger side due to the chrome having a wear spot in it. I just replaced it with a brand new Alfa handle ( same from 70-93?)I got from Mr. Fiat (I think was like 170.00) I had to demel off a piece to make it fit for the new piece had a outcropping the original did not (maybe a design change that happened but never effected the Alfas but cause problems with the Mcburnie) . But after that just bolted in.BobDick has the original door handle he can probably get a picture of it because the ones you get may need that small piece taken off.

Yes, I would love to see a picture. Tom McBurnie described the changes made in an email, but I am a visual person.

[reholmes]

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Dick has the original door handle he can probably get a picture of it because the ones you get may need that small piece taken off.

Will do; soonest.

[reholmes]

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[reholmes]

Please excuse the quality--let me know if there is an another angle you need.Dick

[jurassic narc]

Please excuse the quality--let me know if there is an another angle you need.Dick

Thanks very much. Do you know if there were other parts switched over? It looks like the key wouldn't lock like this, so I am guessing that the hardward to work the locks and to spring the handle into place were swapped over. Along with the cable attached to the hardware to hold the door handle in place.

[reholmes]

you'll have to ask Bob; however, as a single key fits both doors, I'm sure he swapped the lock.

[jurassic narc]

you'll have to ask Bob; however' date=' as a single key fits both doors, I'm sure he swapped the lock.[/quote']Thanks. I think I have finally figured out what Tom McBurnie was talking about. So I have a plan to modify my doors very soon.Really appreciate you going to the trouble to post those pictures. They pointed me in the right direction.

[jurassic narc]

I had replaced the door handle on the passenger side due to the chrome having a wear spot in it. I just replaced it with a brand new Alfa handle ( same from 70-93?)I got from Mr. Fiat (I think was like 170.00) I had to demel off a piece to make it fit for the new piece had a outcropping the original did not (maybe a design change that happened but never effected the Alfas but cause problems with the Mcburnie) . But after that just bolted in.BobDick has the original door handle he can probably get a picture of it because the ones you get may need that small piece taken off.

Can you identify the area you had to dremel. I can't see in Dick's pictures where you cut anything.

[Kavinsky]

I sure like those big Vitaloni mirrors--I have them on my Mera.

Those are the baby tornado mirrors' date=' made by Vitaloni we found out that it looks like the car on the show had the bigger ones that were made out of metal, the full sized tornado ones which are about an inch wider and it has been retrofitted with the smaller ones since the end of the show.[url']http://www.miamiviceonline.com/vbglossar.php?do=showentry&id=2147http://www.miamiviceonline.com/vbglossar.php?do=showentry&id=2138http://www.miamiviceonline.com/vbglossar.php?do=showentry&id=2149http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mirror-Vitaloni-Tornado-Right-Alfa-Romeo-Lancia-Ferrari-Porsche-Imports-Used-/150997032295?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23281fdd67&vxp=mtrhowever they can be pricey, the ebay prices jump from as little as 10 to as high as 385 for a single steel one.personally I was looking at these instead:http://www.ebay.com/itm/71-FIAT-850-SIDE-VIEW-MIRROR-DOOR-SPIDER-CONVERTIBLE-VINTAGE-OLD-1-/190717472997?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c67a5b0e5&vxp=mtrhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/FIAT-SPIDER-DOOR-MIRRORS-BOTH-SIDES-MIRROR-/120998076298?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c2c0c1f8a&vxp=mtras they dont have the lip the tornados havehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Mirror-Vitaloni-Baby-Tornado-right-Alfa-Romeo-Lancia-Ferrari-etc-NEW-/300822572076?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item460a6c2c2c&vxp=mtrand it might be possible just to buy them from some sort of alfa parts place online somewhere.

[Sonny-Burnett]

I sure like those big Vitaloni mirrors--I have them on my Mera.

Thanks. Does Mera refer to the Magnum PI replicar? I had replaced the conical mirrors that came with the car with the Baby Tornado Vitalonis because they most closely resemble (and may be the same) the mirrors used on the Show Cars in Vice. And I think they look better than the small conicals that, frankly, gave me a limited field of view when driving.

[reholmes]

Pictures provide great documentation. About four years ago a guy from Hawaii started a Mera thread on Pennock's and about a dozen owners joined in. Now there are 140 pages of pictures of just about every part of the cars along with owner and historical documentation--lots of chat, too, of course.

[Kavinsky]

Mera? is that this 308 replica?http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_426420-Ferrari-308-GTB-Replica-1988.htmlnevermind in the first comment it does say that.

[reholmes]

Thanks. Does Mera refer to the Magnum PI replicar?

Right, though the one in the picture may not be a Mera. Meras were sold only new through Pontiac dealers, but were factory converted by Corporate Concepts in Michigan. Only 247 were made before Ferrari sued and production stopped.Bob's McB has the small bullets--I like the looks, but a wider view would be nice.

[Kavinsky]

Right' date=' though the one in the picture may not be a Mera. Meras were sold only new through Pontiac dealers, but were factory converted by Corporate Concepts in Michigan. Only 247 were made before Ferrari sued and production stopped.Bob's McB has the small bullets--I like the looks, but a wider view would be nice.[/quote']I never knew that the fiero ones would be basically factory made though, that's a new one.when did they do this, around vices time or before?

[Sonny-Burnett]

Right' date=' though the one in the picture may not be a Mera. Meras were sold only new through Pontiac dealers, but were factory converted by Corporate Concepts in Michigan. Only 247 were made before Ferrari sued and production stopped.Bob's McB has the small bullets--I like the looks, but a wider view would be nice.[/quote']Ah ok the Mera was similar to the 308 used in Magnum. I think I remember something about the Mera many years ago as I was (am) a fan of the show. So Ferrrari went after the one Mera maker as it also did to McBurnie and several other Daytona replicar makers. They do protect the brand. The conicals/bullets do give the car a more Ferrari-like look I think. But if you need a source I can send you one for the Vitalonis. They are easy to change out.

[Youngman]

DOOR LOCK REPLACEMENTThe picture Dick sent were of the original door handle, when I got the replacement from Mr. Fiat? (I think) it had this small extra piece on it and to cut off that piece to get it to fit properly, I did swap out the inners. You can get a new lock part but there was nothing wrong with the original so I just reused it. By the way same looking door locks used on the Ferrari 400IBob

[reholmes]

I never knew that the fiero ones would be basically factory made though' date=' that's a new one.when did they do this, around vices time or before?[/quote'] Meras were sold in '87 and '88--don't know specifically when they ceased production. It's hard to stop a popular car--splash molds were made from the original Meras and some very nice kits were built.