| Author | Message | ||
| Steve (Steve)
Junior Member Username: Steve Post Number: 218 Registered: 2-2001 |
Verell,don't want to change the them here to much but have you ever tried to make an adapter (maybe out of delrin) that would allow you to use a 4 wire Volvo dist cap (89-90) to the 308 dist? I assume you could also put an insert into the volvo rotor . Just a thought. | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 444 Registered: 5-2001 |
Paul, re: rotor Photos of both parts would be very helpful. Even better would be seeing the parts. Feasability will depend on how the contact is mounted, and the new contact's shape. If it's mounted with small rivits, then should be straightforward to drill the rivits out. Small screws would be even better, but that's probalby too much to hope for. Unless the replacement contact is a very simple shape (eg: a rectangle, or a rectangle with one end curved), Making one at a reasonable cost will require making a stamping die pair, and enough volume to defray the cost of making the die pair. I know I'm going to sooner or later have to acquire the ability to make stamping dies. I'm slowly acquiring the knowledge. However I don't yet have the precision milling capability, much less the skill in using it needed to machine a die pair. | ||
| Paul (Pcelenta)
Junior Member Username: Pcelenta Post Number: 218 Registered: 7-2002 |
Peter, the steering wheel was excellent (correct leather and white stiching) and shipped very quickly (ups charge of $50 was a little steep) I think the whole thing came out to $200.00...I am unsure if it was NOS or refurbished/remanufactured it was stamed '79 on the back...I spoke with Tom Shaughnessy about the wheel among other things and he said that these guys in Germany have had some stuff remanufactured by the original makers and that they have also been buying up old stock from dealers in Europe. He suspects that the wheel was remanufactured as he has seen a number of examples that had been. I had a positive experience with them...just think the reason for the brief discriptions is due to the language thing. | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Intermediate Member Username: Peter Post Number: 2214 Registered: 12-2000 |
Paul, I've seen many of Veloce101's auctions before, but I'm always disappointed with his descriptions: usually only two or three words. He's had some neat items before, but I was always leery about bidding on them... | ||
| Ron R (Ronr)
New member Username: Ronr Post Number: 14 Registered: 10-2002 |
Here's a couple of "Genuine" front lenses on Ebay. He says they are likely Euro version. Running $60 so far. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1873441800 | ||
| Paul (Pcelenta)
Junior Member Username: Pcelenta Post Number: 217 Registered: 7-2002 |
verell, the rotor is for a 4 wire distributor...It looks virtually identical to the pre-quattrovalve rotor except that the contact is shorter. wondering if the contact could be replaced with a slightly longer one. The Rotors are only $5.00. I suspect that the guy in Germany having these directionals reproduced is the same guy (veloce101 on ebay)that I purchased my 78 momo steering wheel which I believe was remanufactured. He offers a bunch of Ferrari and Alfa parts. | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 443 Registered: 5-2001 |
Paul, re:"does the problem also exist with the euro-lens (white and ambers)?" I suspect that whoever in Europe is making these is alsom making the clear/amber Euro lens. After all, that market is closer to them than the US market is. ItalParts posted all 3 varients for sale on eBAY at the same time. I bought the US spec one & no one bid on the other 2 color varients. When we were exchanging eMAIL, Hans of ItalParts told me he'd bought a lot of 77 lenses from a Ferrari dealer in Spain. I'm pretty sure he posted the 308 lens photos on the ItalParts web site fairly recently. This makes me suspect he got some of all 3 color varients in that batch, and that they were all made by the same supplier. My hypothesis is that the Spanish dealer thought he'd got a bargain, couldn't sell them, & eventually dumped them on poor Hans who's now stuck with them. Another major US parts supplier told me that 'someone in Germany is reproducing 308 lenses, but I haven't seen an example yet'. Applying occam's razor, you end up with them all coming from Germany. re:"If you made them..." Well, I'm taking a serious look at doing so. However it'll be a while as the up front investment is several hundred dollars for a pair of molds, along with 40 hours or so fine-tuning the process, working out the tinting formula to get the correct color, etc. BTW, there's a good reason that the lenses are usually sold in pairs. The tinting will vary slightly from lot to lot. re:"Marelli Rotor" - I'll be happy to take a look. Is it for a 4 wire or 8-wire distributor? | ||
| Paul (Pcelenta)
Junior Member Username: Pcelenta Post Number: 216 Registered: 7-2002 |
Verell, does the problem also exist with the euro-lens (white and ambers)? If you made them I would definately buy a set from you..put me on the list...BDW, I want you to take a look at a marelli rotor that I have to see if it can be reworked/modified to work on the 308.. Regards, Paul | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 442 Registered: 5-2001 |
THE REPRODUCTION LENS QUALITY VARIES FROM OK TO POOR Because I've recently learned that they appear to have achieved Unobtanium status, I've been looking for an original pair of 308GTB/S front turn signal lenses in excellent/very good condition. So far all I've found are what seem to be varying quality reproductions. Here's the story so far: HOW TO DETECT REPRODUCTIONS: The lens top surface has some surface irregularities (bumps). (This is the surface that is parallel with the top of the front bumper, & hence is very visable!) ORIGINAL LENSES ARE FLAT: My '82 308 GTS QV's lenses are perfectly flat on top, and the top is as smooth as the front of the lens. I'm pretty sure these lenses are the originals that came with the car. The question is who is did the reproducing. ie: Ferrari/Carello, or a 3rd party. I've seen two different reproductions of widely different quality: REALLY POOR LENSES: The 1st pair of lenses I bought on eBAY from ItalParts.com. The give-away was that the top of the lens had been visably sanded! There were some scratch marks made by very coarse (~60 grit!!!) sandpaper, then it appeared that something like ~320 or 400 grit had been used in an attempt to remove the scratches & also smooth down the worst of the irregularities. Also, the lens front surfaces were so polished they looked like liquid. However, the CARELLO lettering was very blurred when closely examined. I suspect that the part being used as a master got the high polish before a mold was made from it. The polish is much smoother than my car's original parts. In the polishing process, the lettering was blurred from the polishing. The front quality would easily pass inspection, but the sanded lens top was just plain unacceptable. In all fairness, Hans at ItalParts has taken responsibility for remedying the situation. He has agreed that this lens pair was unacceptable, I've returned them, & he has agreed to find a good pair to replace them. Here's a couple of photo:   Compare them to this factory lens:  PRETTY GOOD LENSES: The 2nd pair of reproductions were lenses that the supplier believed to be original parts. The lens front surface has a reasonable polish to it, about like my original lenses or better. The CARELLO lettering & letter surface texturing was quite clear & hard to distinguish from my car's lenses. The lens top has relatively minor surface irregularities/bumps. I might have even overlooked the irregularities if I hadn't been sensitisized because of the 1st pair. I consider these to be good enough for a daily driver/track car, but am not sure they'd pass muster for a concours if the judges happened to look closely at them. These are low volume items. Possibly the reasonable quality ones are '2nd generation' parts made molds made from original parts, possibly even by Ferrari/Carello. Perhaps because the original molds were no longer available(who knows). My guess is is that the 1st pair were 3rd or 4th generation parts made from molds of 2nd or (more likely) 3rd generation parts. I recently exchanged eMAIL with someone who has what sounded like another pair of the reasonably good '2nd Gen' lenses. He bought them a couple of years ago & sold his car before getting around to installing them. If I can find a really good pair of lenses, I believe I can make higher quality reproductions than either of these parts. At least I know enough about how they mount so that any irregularities will be on the BOTTOM side. CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY: If you need concours quality lenses, & are considering parts offered on eBAY, I recommend you ask the seller about the len's appearance, especially the top of the lens. |