Dismantled 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Project Is the Most Extreme Fixer Upper

Perhaps the best part of owning a classic car is the reward you receive after putting in a heap of good old fashioned elbow grease. If you’re looking for the ultimate project of your own, crossing the block at CollectingCars.com is a 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona in need of restoration. Sure, with less than 160 of these right-hand-drive examples ever made for the British market, it might seem daunting. But with highly desirable parts like original pop-up headlights all included, it's an opportunity to own one of the most sought-after Ferraris of all time.

As shown in the ad, the car is still very much in the middle of a restoration and will be sold as-is, along with a complete collection of original and new parts. According to the description and judging by the looks of it, the Daytona wearing chassis no. 14273 has lived a rough life. It was ordered in May of 1971 by John Cussins, a renowned hillclimb racer and sports car enthusiast, who preferred it come in Ferrari’s silver Argento Auteuil hue with black Connolly leather. The initial sale price clocked in at £9,101 or, when converted, about $22,020.21 in 1971's money. Adjusted for inflation, that's about equal to $139,846.28.

The car’s original documentation is relatively limited aside from a few original service records. Cussins reportedly drove the car as it was meant to be driven, racking up almost 6,000 miles on the odometer during his first year of ownership. He then apparently sold the car off to its next owner in June of 1974, which is when everything got a bit iffy.

According to the auction description, the Daytona's second owner allegedly ditched the car by accident after sliding off the road. It then sustained further damage after the recovery crew allegedly had no way to retrieve the vehicle other than wrapping chains around its body and hoisting it out of the ditch. While there aren't any records to corroborate this story, the damage to the car’s body panels hints at its accuracy.

In September of 1974, the Prancing Horse was then traded as a parts car to an individual who attempted a drop-top "Spider" conversion. The new owner never completed the project, leaving the car in a dismantled state. 

Penultimately, it was then sold to Chris Lawrence of Wymondham Engineering, who wanted to restore chassis no. 14273 to its original glory. However, the project was sidelined for another 30 years before it changed hands to its current owner.

In the time since, the seller has made considerable progress toward restoring all of the car’s body panels with the help of Alwin Hietbrink, a world-renowned Ferrari coachbuilder. The legendary 4.4-liter “Colombo” V12 also remains intact, having undergone a full tear-down after it failed to start from sitting for so many years. In fact, the listing claims that no items are missing, thanks to a collection of new-old-stock parts over the past decade.

This restoration may seem like a costly venture—and it is—but given the fact that complete Ferrari 365 Daytonas regularly fetch half-a-million dollars at auction, there’s little doubt that it could pay for itself and then some with adequate amounts of time and skill. Now, who's willing to drop six figures on this bad boy?

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