Bringing a classic back to its former glory is always a long and complex job, which sometimes requires specific precautions and which involves hours and hours of manual work that leaves nothing to chance. So it took British specialist Bell Sport & Classic three years to complete the restoration of one Ferrari 330 GTC from 1966, a process initiated with the removal of all internal components so that they could be accurately controlled. A job that lasted two weeks, before the team of experts shifted their attention to the bodywork, for the removal of all the bright parts, bumpers, headlights and glass.
At that point it started work at the heart of the 330 GTC, with interventions on the technical basis of the car. Bell Sport & Classic disassembled the suspension, sandblasted all vital components and refurbished and maintained the parts, including the original shock absorbers, suspension arms and springs. It was very important for the British specialists to keep the external appearance as intact as possible and for this reason the bodywork was sandblasted with chopped walnut shells, since unlike traditional sandblasting, the sandblasting of the nuts does not heat the steel. The Ferrari originally arrived at the Bell Sport & Classic was finished in blue and had been repainted several times. The original build sheets acquired by the restorers confirmed that it had been painted in a light shade of green at the factory, nicknamed Light Green Metallic. Like this it was decided to bring the 330 GTC back to this finish and all external panels have been reinstalled.
O’Rourke Coachtrimmers and Suppliers took care of the interior restoration. The customer requested the replacement of the black leather with the fawn leather Ferrari Conolly VM 218 combined with period details, including the color and texture of the carpets and the sky. The original seat frames were retained and new foam inserts were installed. A particularly delicate part of the restoration was the dashboard. Although the original wood veneer was in good condition, it had a hole in it. This forced O’Rourke Coachtrimmers and Suppliers to fill in the hole after trying dozens of different wood stains to find the correct match.
An even more complex job then involved the original Colombo V12 engine, with every component, even the smallest, which were disassembled, sandblasted and restored. Two days of engine dyno testing was carried out after rebuilding before the car underwent 500 miles of road testing. An engine that we remember is capable of delivering 300 hp at 7,000 rpm.“With this Ferrari 330 GTC, we have created a car that looks perfect from the first glance down to the details you will never see”described Peter Smith, Head of Acquisition & Sales at Bell Sport & Classic. “We firmly believe that beauty is much more than the depth of the skin. That’s why, if you take this machine apart, every component will look like new, even if it’s fifty-six years old. Compared to the more famous Ferrari V12 of the time, the 330 GTC hides its light under a relative bushel, but it is such a wonderful combination of style and performance that this Ferrari is unlikely to be underrated for much longer. “. The quality of the work carried out on the Ferrari 330 GTC was also confirmed by a jury of experts, with the car recently winning the first prize at the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance 2022.
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