• Welcome to Dino Restoration

    Welcome to Dino Restoration

The Dinoplex is gutted and will be replaced with a permatune electronic ignition and a period correct looking coil. I’ll keep the emergency switch for originality. The case will get vapor blasted. This was I guess state of the art 50 years ago!
Read more

As many of you know I recently moved from San Diego to Spicewood, Texas and built a new shop where I continue with my passion restoring Dinos. I always have an ear out for Dinos that fit my need. About a year ago a guy stopped by with a corvette asking if I restore these. I had a Dino parked out front. I wasn’t sure if he knew the difference. He told me he heard about a Ferrari that was in a warehouse in Llano, Texas. I’m out in the boonies but Llano which is 45 minutes west of me is really in the boonies. It only has 2 main roads. Last week I was passing through Llano I decided to find the mystery car. It didn’t take long in a small town to find it. Under cover was a 1973 Dino Spyder with original campagnolo wheels and daytona seats that had been sitting since 1997 when they moved from Laguna Beach to Llano, Texas. The car was originally sold from Hollywood Sports Cars to and interesting guy working somewhat with the Movie Studios and other ventures. He sold it in 1985 to the current owner. I hit it off with the widowed owner (76) and we struck a deal and today I picked it up and brought the 45 minutes to my shop in Spicewood for another restoration. Originally Rosso Chiaro with Tobacco interior. All is original except a crappy paint job done in the early 80’s with a red nowhere near the original. Now I get to decide on the new specs for this car and some lucky person will get it when I’m done.
Read more

More disassembly today. The L model is so similar to the 206 in many ways. Many things unique to the 206 and 246 L model such as knock off wheels, trunk carpeting unique to these 2 models, ignition system with emergency switch, interior the same except for ashtray which doesn’t have the squiggly lines engraved and doesn’t have the same shift knob. Both have aluminum doors but the 206 has a different pulley system for the side glass. The vent glass frame is chrome on both the 206 and L model. The shift box is the same, the vent lever under the dash is the same. Seat belts are different. Both fiberglass floors are completely covered in Dino vinyl and tarpaper unlike the later models. The bumpers are the same on both and much thinner than later models. Also the end caps are not removable. I’ll try to highlight more differences as I take this one apart.
Read more