New 308 GT4 owner

Serg · #1 06-19-2006, 12:47 AM

First time posting... got my first Ferrari last week, a 308 GT4... yes another newbie with a GT4.

Car came with records dating back to 1985, backing up the 42,000 miles that it has on the clock. Nice driver, not perfect. Had it checked out by Johannes at Dino Motors in San Mateo before I bought it. He gave it a clean bill of health on all the major components. Needs a few little things.

I've over 36 or so cars, but this is my first Italian car, let alone a Ferrari.

Took it for a 100 mile drive from Santana Row up HWY 9 to Alices, to HWY 1 to Santa Cruz.. where it overheated a bit. Got it home after it cooled down. Seems that whatever took out my horn and fan (worked the day I bought it, but not the next) also took out my radiator fans. I checked all fuses and checked the horn relay (before I realized the fans were oflline as well), all were fine. However I noticed no voltage at terminal on the relay block where terminal 30 of the relay (the one which should be getting juice fromt the block).. hmm... need to investigate further. Realized all this after I went for an evening drive. Any ideas what I should check next? (Although I just realized that Horn, clock and both fans are on the same "group" of fuses on the fuse block... soooo.. sounds like the back might be melted.. might be time to get the Birdman fuse block.. Aaron... I need to see yours.)

Overall a very fun car... have to share a story:

First night I am filling it up at a Chevron.. 2 guys walk up and ask what year it is. I tell em '75. Then one of the walks towards the nose, sees the Ferrari emblem and tells the other guy "Oh, it's a Ferrari. See I told you it's not a Mustang"... man that was awesome.. I just kind of stood there dumbfounded, wondering what the heck thse two automotive geniuses were thinking. It was very amusing!

Anyhow.. enough chatting.. car is serial #10438 in case anyone has any info on it...

Serg

Serg · #2 06-19-2006, 01:24 AM

Well after reading and realized that some of the fuse blocks are connected by a "bus" on the back... so I got to thinking "I wonder if the fans and the horn are on the same bus?".. sure enough the manual stated so.. I went and looked again at the right fuse box, the wire going to the bus of 3 looks t be cooked and I don't have continuity between the 3.... so.... tomorrow I will unhook the battey and pull the block to see what the back looks like...

Oh yeah.... If anyone has an original 1975 owners manual and needs an original 1976 manual, pm me...

Serg

**flyingboa** · #3 06-19-2006, 01:55 AM

Good luck, and have fun with the new toy.
Ciao
Eugenio

**Mark 308 gt4** · #4 06-19-2006, 06:24 AM

Well done, "its a nice straight car"
Good luck with the cooling, its something that is always on my mind with the traffic over here.

I also have a story.
On saturday I parked up at the local shops, as I walked away I herd a small boy saying to his dad.
"see I told you it was a Ferrari, it looks like a 1975/6"
He must have only been only 10/12 years old.

"I was realy impressed!!!!!!!!! and proud" :0)

Mark....

**Birdman** · #5 06-19-2006, 07:03 AM

Congrats on the GT4! It's a beauty!

Your right side fuseblock is melted at the triple bus bar. That is one of the most common melting points because the fans draw a lot of current and overheat the block when the rivets get corroded.

Birdman

junkyarddog · #6 06-19-2006, 08:59 AM

Congrats on the new car, looks awesome!!

First purchase should be...BIRDMAN'S FUSE BLOCKS!!!!

**johng** · #7 06-19-2006, 09:46 AM

congrats! but how are you gonna get to drive it with 36 other cars??!!!

john

DavidDriver · #8 06-19-2006, 09:55 AM

Congratz on the new car. Nice looking car.

I second (third?) the fuseblock advice.

Serg · #9 06-19-2006, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johng

congrats! but how are you gonna get to drive it with 36 other cars??!!!

john

I meant to say it's my 36th car I have owned.. I don't have 36 cars now...

Serg

**doug328** · #10 06-19-2006, 10:16 AM

Congrats on the new car, looks very nice. Good luck with the electrics and enjoy the ride.

**dinogt4guy** · #11 06-19-2006, 10:23 AM

Congrats and welcome to the Gt/4 owners club! Great cars, very fun to drive, enjoy!!!

Cheers!

DT
________________________________________

There is nothing like a Ferrari, there never has been and never will be!

**Dom** · #12 06-19-2006, 10:38 AM

Welcome to the GT4 Club. Great cars, and tons of fun.

Check out the following sites:

http://www.dino308gt4.com
http://www.dino-gt4-registry.com/
http://www.dinogt4register.com/

Also, if you go to the ferrari owners site, (www.owners.ferrari.com) and register, you should be able to download a copy of the 1975 manual. Print it out, and you are ready to go.

I don't have a fusebox from Birdman (yet- my car had new fuseboxes installed just before I purchased it, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time...), but have heard nothing but good things about them.

Hope this helps.
Dom

**EuroDino** · #13 06-19-2006, 01:27 PM

Congrats on the GT4 purchase - you will enjoy the car, believe me.

One more thing - buy the Birdman fuse boxes !!!!!!

morcal · #14 06-19-2006, 02:57 PM

Congrats! Whilst waiting for Birdman`s fuse bloc inspect and replace all fuel lines you can see in the engine compartment.

Perfusion · #15 06-19-2006, 05:09 PM

Hey Serg....good to see you on FChat. I'll be at Santana Row again this coming weekend if you want to take a look at my fuse blocks...

Best -

Aaron

Serg · #16 06-19-2006, 11:54 PM

Thanks Aaron... I might be able to make it.. I posted a question on fans and fuses in another thread I just started.

Just ordered the fuse blocks as well.

**Birdman** · #17 06-20-2006, 05:10 PM

Hey Gentlemen,
Good work, you rustled up another sucker, I mean customer, for the Birdman Fuseblocks. Serg, thanks for the order, I will build them tonight for you. You will be delighted that all the stuff works right after you put them in.

Best,
Birdman

Serg · #18 06-24-2006, 07:47 PM

Just heard the mail man drop something off at my door step..oh boy!! FUSE BLOCKS!

Got the fuseblocks.. but both are marked "R".. hopefully just a typo on your end Birdman, will look and see if they are correct in a bit..

Will take pics as I go and post them up in case anyone cares.

Here are the pics... the first pic is the one that trully is the right hand side.. my question: is the second pic the correct wiring for left hand side?

Serg

**Birdman** · #19 06-24-2006, 08:05 PM

Hi Serg,
Got your message and PM'd you back. Yes, I must have goofed. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I am pretty sure I did not send you two rights, I just labeled them wrong.

Check your PM, I sent you simple instructions on how to tell the left from the right. You can also just pull your OEM blocks out and look at the buss bar arrangement.

Looking at them from the back, arrow pointing up (buss bars at the top) the buss bars look like:

RIGHT: 3-2-2-2
LEFT: 2-2-2-3

Sorry about that again! I'm firing the Q/C department. That guy is a dumba$$! (Wait, that's me....damn.)

Birdman

**Birdman** · #20 06-24-2006, 08:10 PM

Serg,
Good, you have the right ones.

In the picture above, the top one is the real right, the bottom one is the left.

Sorry again. One slip up with a marker and look at the hassle I created! My sterling reputation is tarnished!!!

Birdman