'79 308 restoration

Beautiful work Paul.

I was looking at your picture of the headers and it appears you blocked off the gas sampling ports. These ports were blocked off by a privious owner on my GTS, but I wish they weren't. It would be nice to have them useable to provide feedback on a cylinder-by-cylinder basis when setting the idle mixture. When not used, I would plug them with some stainless plugs rather than fit the sampling tubes themselves, which I understand have durability problems.

Just a thought. Keep going, the end is in sight.

Bill

 

Paul great work!

It took me a few days to read all the posts.

There is to many words to say to you so..

This is for you sir....
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Thanks Chris, Cant wait to crack the bottle of champaign on one of the frame tubes when she is finally done, Ill keep everyone posted until that day.

Hi Bill, Yes they are plugged and were done many moons ago. I considered unplugging them but it was too much of a PITA since it was mig welded rather than brazed. I agree it would be better for the idle mixture set-up but the air balance seems to get it good enough.

 

Engine goes in tomorrow, its sitting beside the car as I write. I have to install a few hose couplers then in she goes. Ill post pics as I go along, wish me luck I dont chew the crap out of the paint in the engine bay.

 

In she goes, went easy and not a scratch. I have to do the carbs and distributor then I can here it run - open headers for now. The rad was checked cleaned and once I paint it Ill put it in and concentrate on the steering, spare tire tub, brakes then put the wheels on. Interior, glass and trim last.
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Paul,

Is it easier to put the front header after the motor is in?

OH MAN! was that a close call in one of those pictures.

Looks sooo good.

 

It looks tighter in the pics than it was, im assuming you are talking about the roof/back window area and the clutch adjuster being close. It wasnt that bad really, I took my time and had a helping hand on the passenger side watching as I lowered keeping an eye on the paint and firewalls. The toughest part is getting the engine back up level without scraping the rear firewall with the diff housing. A floor jack handled that. The front header just rested on a towel sitting on the frame then I just lifted the header up and did up the nuts after the engine was on its mounts. Quite easy actually. One step closer.

 

Thanks for the detailed photos, makes the world of difference.
What are you going to do re the ignition?
Are you staying stock or going for a fully progtrammable unit?

 

No problem, as for the ignition, stock single distributor with points. I never had a problem with how it ran or how high I could spin the engine. Ive gone to the 7700rpm redline in the past without breakdown, if anything the cams held it back so ill stick with the factory stuff.

 

I this morning first read this thread from the start. I am speechless...Paul Newman you must have been a jeweler/dentist/ferrari factory mechanic in your previous lives. Consider selling it at an auction?

 

Wow thanks! Im just anal, its a curse. I'll be selling it when its done and debugged. I havent really decided what route is best to get the money for it though. I thought I might present it here first then maybe consign it somewhere, maybe the ferrari dealer if they're willing.

P.

 

Good day Paul,

Simply outstanding! All of your hard work is certainly paying off! Your engine bay, suspension, etc looks better than how it left the factory!

Cheers,

Sam

 

Hey paul, if and when you do decide to sell I would like a chance to buy it, If I haven't got my car by then, I love the pictures and the workmanship is (will there is no words to say how great your doing) get them coming

 

Hey Paul looks great!!

 

Holy Smokes! Until I read reply #395 I would have sworn that the block, heads and other components were all painted silver based on the pictures you posted. That finish is unbelievable! Do you expect to have any surface oxidation with the bare aluminium?

 

Good question, yes but no more than factory since thats how they came. I was debating a light fog of engine clear coat on sunday when I was standing there looking at it in the engine bay. I might do that just to the rear valve cover since its sand-cast and seems like a different alloy, it will most likely to go dark over time. The block and heads are different and wont go dark, the front valve cover is die-cast, a real combination of casting processes on the entire thing.

 

Looks great Paul !! Too bad after you finish and after the first drive it cant go anywhere but down after that....stone chips, dust on the engine...but boy will it ever be worth it all when you take her down the street. Enjoy it all in good health my friend....its very well deserved !!

 

Paul, I've been following this thread since the first day I found this site right before I purchased my first Ferrari, a 328, two months ago. You do beautiful work! I've done frame-up concours-winning restoration jobs myself on some old British cars, but nothing like the Ferrari. I told myself when I bought the car that I was just getting it to drive and have fun, as I just finished a 1962 MGB that I spent over $40K on, and I’d be lucky to sell it for 20. (bit it’s not about the dollars), but you and your car are really giving me idea$$$$$.

Once again, beautiful work!!

 

Funny you mention this, if he does decide to sell it after he is done...if he takes anything less than 100K CDN he's a moron

 

If the market would pay that I would still be losing and thats not taking my labour into consideration either. Time will tell, thanks for the great feedback guys.

 

Keep it, don't sell it!
Too much hard work has gone into it.

 

No I have other ideas so one must go, either the boxer or the 308 and Ive decided to keep the boxer. As insulting as this may be, my wife wants a 69 camaro convertible (I like them too) so the 308 will go and a camaro will take its place.

 

NO.NO.NO.NO.NO. Don`t do it.

 

I still have a boxer, I love muscle cars, had nothing but mopar stuff up until 01 then sold it all to go the ferrari route. The last 3 I sold were an AAR Cuda, 71 440-6 challenger and a 68 hemi roadrunner, they were fun, cost as much as ferraris and were good for doing mega burnouts but thats it. I want another muscle car, this time GM.

 

I'll swap you a ground pounding 1994 6 speed Trans Am LT1 'even up' for the Boxer..... White with blue stripes as the good Lord intended....

They actaully handle pretty well against the earlier cars....you are buying into a softening Muscle Car market but there's SO MANY to choose from you'll be OK.....

Do like Napolis and build one from the frame up out of a catalog....

Mine's high mileage though maybe worth 5K actually.....one of only 128 6 speed Trans Ams made by Pontiac in 1994, so it IS fairly rare....