Here is a car that may be of interest to some here on the board: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/car/532034257.html Does anyone know the history of this car? I would like to go up and take a look at it in person but I can't do so until at least next weekend. Should the "82mm Wiseco high compression pistons..." be a concern? Is this a good/acceptable modification for the 308 engine? Also it looks like the valve covers are not original? I could be wrong though, for this year should they should have Dino on them rather than Ferrari? I wonder what else has been changed besides the wheels? However the ad does state that the original wheels are available. Overall it sounds like it could be a nice example. Happy motoring!
Definately would be nicer with 14" OEM wheels, IMO. The cam covers are machined to match the underlying head on the cam seal O rings, so it's a real 'iffy' thing to change them without major complications... Those look to be simply painted, to my eye.... He's done the major items we worry about with the valve job going all stainless, and the OEM pistons are actually below 8:1 so Wiseco is a known quality vendor of the higher compression items, IIRC.......could be a nice driver, if the higher miles is no issue to you.
Yes I just noticed this, my bad. Thanks for the info Big Tex, it is very helpful..the higher miles are not really an issue for me as long as it has been well maintained. In general 83K miles for a car of this vintage IMHO is not high, it may be considered high for Ferrari standards though. Last year I was told by a Ferrari mechanic that these GT4's, if well cared for, can and should do a "buck fifty" (150K miles) without any major problems. Thanks again!
That IS true the engine is quite robust and well over 100K without a rebuild isn't unheard of... It is the death of resale value though so go in with you eyes open on that issue...
When I see one that high I think..."Oh he got a RELIABLE speedo head, then....." LOL! They are notorious for going on the fritz....totally electronic.....there's even a blank in the Owner's Manual to record your odo at the swap date, no kidding!
Very good point and well taken. I digress here a little. I have thought about this issue of miles vs resale value and have a question. The older and more scarce these GT4's (or any vintage car with a good following) become, leaving fewer choices as the years pile on, will the number of miles make as much difference in resale price as when these cars were younger? In the end there is no doubt that the lower mile examples will always bring a premium price at re-sale over there higher mile counter parts. However that "low mile gem" that is not maintained and not driven regularly could be HUGE undertaking to restore as we car guys and gals all probably know from first hand experience. Thanks again and have a good one!
Jeff's car (jtouqinto) was rebuilt at 46k miles (or something like that) and just recently again. it has 1,500 miles since a local ferrari shop did the work. I had the pleasure of meeting jeff and taking a nice drive a few sunday's ago. In my very rookie opinion (driven about 4 or 5 GT4's now) Jeff's car drove great, had a lot of power and seemed like it had more to go after it gets broken in. i never wound it over 5k with consideration to the fact that it was still breaking in and moreso because it wasn't my car
Those wheels look just awful! When you are going to huck them in the trash let me know and I'll come and get them. Purely for the scrap value of course....
Some nice remarks guys, thanks! About the cam covers, painted black wrinkle finish then stripped to bare for the highlights. There is a nice sample of a 308 motor that Ferrari released back early in the '70's that had the same factory paint scheme. I also love the original wheels but shod with XWX's, they can't compete with the likes of 16" wheels shod with the current generation of rubber available. The pistons are 10.5:1 compression and the motor is definitely stronger than one with stock pistons and valves. This has been quite evident the times I've tracked with other 308's.
One more note... I chose the same pistons that were available as an upgrade for the 365GTB4 Competition. Wiseco had developed them for the Daytona and they are a great fit, 1mm over bore in each application ( V12 and V8). As far as the mileage. I think that 100K - 150K miles on a well maintained engine is possible. Both my engine rebuilds were due to extreme driving. Hill climbs and track events. After the first rebuild I managed to get 43K miles on an engine that had seen 5000 miles of tracking at 4K-7.5K RPM! Probably closer to the later! A lot of mileage at high RPM! The last rebuild was due to a timing sprocket inner bearing breaking! I can't say enough about how bullet proof these engines are. Timing belt changes are a piece of cake as well as valve adjustments. The one thing I found that takes patience are the carbs. The slightest adjustments can really take in one direction or another. After many hours, it was nice to find the easiest path to carb tuning. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
What make are the 16" wheels, they look very much like mine. Mine are stamped inside Made in Italy and on the outside is a logo SL Competizione in a small recess in the rim. Mine are 16x 7s Front & 16x 8s Rear. Reguards Ken Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
From the pictures and the description this would be a great buy and one that I wouldn't hesitate to buy myself if I was looking.The only thing I dont particularly like is the wheels as I think they look to modern for the car(this is entirely my opinion).I would try and find a set of QV rims and if I couldn't find them then I would go for the repros.I hope this car goes to an Fchatter