should i get a carb 308???

You are in Italy??

I think all Euro 308s are NON CATALYST thru 1980 so that would be best.

USA cars lost both cam profile and were fitted with catalysts in 1978 onward, so I have two 1977s......finicky cars but once properly set up great fun and trouble free..

Carb adjustment is critical of cours and also strong ignition components and distributor advance.

Horizontal distribs are prone to sticking if not lubed and cared for, but very simple in operation......again, dependable once correct!

A dry sump oiling system engine would be a real prize! Good Luck!

 

I absolutely love driving my carbureted 1978 308 GTS, and wouldn't trade it for any modern Ferrari except for perhaps a 550 Maranello. For myself, it allows me to travel back to a time when Enzo Ferrari was still alive, and Ferrari's did not come with 30 plus or whatever badges to let the world know the car is a Ferrari. No offense to those who like, and can afford the modern cars. Test drive a few cars, carbureted and injected and see what appeals to you. After driving my car initially, I completely lost interest in the injected and quattro valves I drove.

I have recently put about 3,000 mile on my car since buying it in March 2006, and it just gets better all the time. The sounds are simply to die for; especially as many of the earlier cars are excempt from emissions which can really free up the engine a bit, and I find it incredibly exciting to drive and drift around corners avoiding fuel starvation by keeping the hammer down.

In addition, I just want to say that I was very fortunate and ended up with fullly documented, absolutely wonderful example of a carbureted 308, and have had no problems at all based on the condition of my car.

Good luck!
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You've got a rare one, with the white interior...and those wheels!

Do you know our other member from Rye, NY?

 

Thank you kindly. I aquired the car from Peter Sweeney of Forza Motors in Gaylordsville Ct. I went to look at a white on red 308QV and there was 24961 sitting in a corner. I didn't know what if was when I first saw those white radiator exaust vents.
No I'm afraid I don't know the other Rye member. I occasisionally see a Red 360, a blue 360 or 430, and a yellow 430 with Connecitcut plates around Rye. Can you tell me what the car is in case I ever run in to the person? Is it by any chance a Blue 308GT4 ?

 

PM sent....

 

You can buy this one:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/showproduct.php?product=1175&sort=1&cat=11&page=7

I want a blue one.

 

That's nice looking, Nicholas!

 

I have to say, I agree 100% with Brian. I have a '77 like Big Tex and I wouldn't trade it for any other Ferrari. I have a major lust for a 355 right now but I'm not selling the carb 308 to get it. I just love that car, the sound, the feel, the way it handles and drives. It rocks! We also have a Mondial QV so I'm familiar with the injected version of the engine. It starts a little easier and behaves a bit more like a modern car. It's perfect for a Mondial--a family Ferrari. When when I want to drive a sports car, the carbs are magical, and that's the truth.

(But man did it take me a while to figure out how to tune them right...and it ran like crap until I did!)

Birdman

 

What you need in a Weber carburreted 3.2 liter 4 valve Mondial, black over tan.

Fast, torquey, smooth, bulletproof reliable...and that glorious Ferrari sound for the whole family...or not!

Make me a ridiculously high offer.

 

Gotta admit, Mondials look great in black!

I don't know....a Mondial 3.2 with carbs or a Mondial QV with injection and a blower....hmmmm....decisions decisions.....

Birdman

 

Yeah. Mondials are awesome in black. Next spring when my wife passes the bar (I hope) I may be selling the Lotus for a Mondial. Red is cool but I see black. I'll be the only one here bragging how reliable my Ferrari is compared to my last sports car.

Ken

 

That is funny.

 

Ditto, ditto, ditto.....

I wanted a Ferrari so long ago I cant even remember. I guess it would have always been somthing like a GT California, or a, or, or, oh what, I dunno. They made so darned many pretty cars and each and every one is just a teesy bit different.... But then they made the 308. Hands down prettiest car built in the 20th century IMHO.

Ya know, where I live and grew up there have been so few Ferrari's around, it took me 30 years to "hear" a carbed 308. And the first one was MINE!!! So was the second. The second one actually runs, and although I bought it for parts from another Fchat member, it has become "the car" and ol Betsy has begun to give up her ghost.

The 2nd was my 48 birthday, and I took her out and put 400 miles on in SW Wisconsin. Even hit a tad over 100 few times. Came home really tired, sore neck, but im still smiling. I even drove down dirt roads and got the motor all dusty. Prolly wont do that again

 

150 some odd miles from home, the middle of nowhere, 20 miles from the nearest town, outside cellular service range. Ran without missing a beat.
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I agree with all said so far about the carb cars with a few additions:

What I prefer about the carb cars is that they smell like a Ferrari and you have to DRIVE them. Many criticize the pedal arrangement of the 308 but it is an easy car to toe/heal.

 

Paul-NICE RIDE!!!! Birdman

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOh - pretty car! ...and the Holy Grail HRE 288 wheels!

Seriously good looking car!

 

i was surprised at the reliability of ferraris. before owning one (and before ferrarichat) i thought ferraris were unreliable maintenance nightmares. now i feel they are the hondas of the exotic car world.

john

 

Thanks for the compliments guys, but it looks a lot better than it really is. It really needs paint, has a couple small bubbles, some chips, scrapes, some lil dings... I guess its not bad though considering its age. But then I dont have to freak out about driving it either, which is what I always really dreamed of doing all along. I do like the wheels. I didnt at first.

 

I love that color as well! Also that it's a GTB which has such a beautifully sculpted look to it. I would also like to say that I downloaded everything I could from Birdmans website prior to buying my 78 GTS, and found it amazingly helpful in determining what car to buy. I'm planning on adjusting the carbs myself during the North East winter and would never have considered it without reading Birdmans procedures.

 

GTBs are so dam#ed pretty, the aforementioned flaws don't really matter...except that you don't worry about driving it. My gt4 is less than perfect and I LOVE it that way simply because I can drive it without worrying about chips or scratches.

Recently I performed the airbox mod and yes the sound is incredible.