Hi Guys, I am currently in the process of installing the missing foam under the front bonnet of my 308. I have never seen (or noticed) a 308 that had the factory foam on the underside of the bonnet where it meets the radiator and around the spare tire cradle. What color is it supposed to be, grey or black? Also, I am not sure of the thicknesses used and where exactly. Pictures would be a big help. Thanks, DJ
It looks like you still had the original one over the radiator but the stuff around the spare looks like an after market "application". I have some 2" thick sheets of dark grey closed-cell foam that was used for packing avionics that I am going to use. Thanks Michael.
you are correct, the old oem stuff was gray too, its was dirty due to old age. my red one has no foam on it, so your thread was a good reminder i need to do that before i advertise it.
My 77 is also missing the foam. Ocassionally, i notice a slightly gritty debris coming out of the dash vents. I am guessing is is the remnants of the old foam that got into the air ducts. I have yet to attempt removing/cleaning/replacing the two air filters for the air intake system - my guess is that they are toast. I also recall a post in the old tech threads that the foam helped controll air flow through the radiator by sealing the fender ducts, sort of. Any experience with this grittyness or improved cooling after refoaming the front?? So Far the 2 inch stuff at Ace is only about 1/4 inch thick. No Home Depot up here behind the Redwood curtain, Humboldt County, CA. I'd be happy to split the cost if someone finds the "good stuff". It is now necessary to pull up on the hood while releasing the front latch, hopefully the foam will give the hood a bit of a lift as well as improving the cooling. whaddyano?? chris
I think the stuff you are getting through the ventilation system is what is left of the foam filters ahead of the heater cores. The inlets for the system are too low to pick-up debris from under the bonnet. The foam that goes between the radiator and bonnet will definately help increase efficency. It keeps the cool air from running over the top of the radiator, forcing it through. Home Depot didn't have the stuff I was looking for so I brought some high density packing foam rubber from work. It is used for packing photographic equipment and electronics. Pretty stiff. Much better stuff. It pops the bonnet up when I hit the release Try asking around upholstry shops for a source of foam. If that doesn't work I can slice a 2" x 2"x 30" chunk out of one of the sheets that I have and mail it to you Image Unavailable, Please Login
I'm not exactly sure what kind and size of foam a 348 uses. Pictures? The factory piece that installs where shown in the picture above fetches about 45.00 USD from Ferrari. A 5.00 item. If I can find out the source of the grey foam I see at work I'll contact them directly.
Not sure how the factory did the foam around the lip of the spare tire cradle so I used my own ideas and tried to keep it clean and tight. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Spasso, looks like a great install. Home Depot here does not carry the foam, i even looked around for the stuff they use around a/c window units. perhaps it is something that is stocked in the summer months. i am sure i will find some when i get around to it. i have been fighting with the hot water heater in the house........ i prefer cars and airplanes, i hate working on the house!
Home Depot & most HW stores usually have 1-1/4" square grey open cell foam for insulating around window A/Cs. Probably have to dig it out for you on the off-season tho. Just cut two strips to length & glue them together with contact or trim cement. Keep the cement about 1/8" below the top edge of the seam so it isn't visible. You can't tell it isn't one solid piece of foam.
Mine doesn't either. I think it's a regional thing. Portable home A/C isn't the biggest thing around here. Most people have heat pumps.
I have one from Home Depot left over from my install on my Dino. PM me if anyone needs it. I'll just stick it on UPS, 1st come, 1st served. DM
I thought the foam on the 78 GTB I looked at with all original parts had black foam but it could have been dirty. I can't remember his name but his 308 had the hands painted all over it. He bought the GTB and could tell you more about OE. I thought it had foam down the sides of the radiator as well. The carpet under the engine lid looked OE as well.
Personally I would prefer that the foam was black. If the OEM is black I'll paint it. Easy enough to do.
I am just about to replace my foam as well. I found some 3x3 in foam at a local hardware store after alot of hunting. Now that I have the foam, how is it attached to the hood? Any tips for trimmimg the foam to size so it does not look all hacked up? Thanks Bill
3M type 80 spray adhesive is recommended for high heat applications as per Novulari on this site. I used type 74 which is formulated specifically for foam installations because I couldn't find the type 80. Not sure how it will hold up to the heat though. Your choice. Lay out the area on the bonnet with pencil. Mask off the area on the bonnet holding the tape 1/8" inside the pencil lines so the glue won't show along the edges afterwards. Wipe it with naptha or alcohol. Mask off the parts of the foam you don't want covered with glue. Spray both surfaces and wait 2 minutes. Pull the masking off the bonnet BEFORE you apply the foam so you can line it up exactly with the pencil lines. I use an electric carving knife to cut the foam, the kind you use for carving turkey. 19.95 at Wal-mart. After marking the foam lay a straight edge down and use it as a guide for the blade of the knife. Do it on a smooth bench surface that you don't mind scratching up with the blade of the knife. Use a smooth cutting motion paying close attention to keeping the blade straight up and down. After the cut you may notice a little waviness. just shave the high spots off and glue the cut edge to the bonnet with the factory edges facing the radiator.
Thanks Spasso, Just the kind of info (tips & tricks) I was looking for. Turkey carving knife! What a great idea. I happen to have one that will work great. Bill
Chris, from experience this is from the square heater filters (one on each side under the bonnet). Replace those with a thickish filter (NOT just the thin black or grey foam). Use the type with both the grey foam and ALSO the blue/white fibers stuff. i use stuff from Home Depot called: THE WEB Electrostatic Replacement Pad BAR CODE 21404 00003 The bag is about 13 inches by 20 inches and one bag of this stuff should last you years. Basically cut small squares to fit the Fcar's heater and replace the one each per side (two total) filters every 6 months. ALWAYS glad to help. FYI: thinner/lesser filters seem to let in crap and this thicker filter WILL make the snap/close of the heater plastic cover a bit tougher to close but no worries.
Thanks to Spasso for providing the large foam!! I found the smaller spare tire stuff at Lowes. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I'll have to check out Lowes. That stuff you have for the spare tire cradle looks even better than what I used. What was it's original intent/packaging?
If you want I can send it to you! I bought two packs just in case and they had a whole box of them at my Lowes. It was sold as air conditoner surround foam. It was almost the same color grey as the larger stuff you had but as you can see I painted them both to match the hood. On to the front wheel bearings now. You wouldn't happen to know where I can get a couple of those stupid "crimp nuts" at in a hurry would you?
Save it for the next guy. I'm done. There was someone else around here asking the same question a week ago. I should probably get some my self. Lemmee know what you find out. DJ
