A Ferrari 308 being reborn

Okay, here is an update without pics! I refinished my wheels last week and mounted some new tires, and bolted them on today. They turned out really well I think. Blasted the rims with walnut shellls, sealed, and then painted with the "argento nurburgring" or something like that. Supposedly factory wheel color I found searching here - looks pretty darn close to me.

I am waiting for my new carpet kit, which is suppose to arrive by the end of the month, and then I can finish the interior off.

Anyway, spring is in the air a bit, which is a big motivator. I started it up today and let it come up to temperature - little heat cycle, charge the battery, etc. It sounds soooooo good.

Hopefully I can back it out of the shop and get some of the first pics in sunlight this week.

 

Just a couple of shots with the newly refinished wheels. I am waiting on tires for the front, so not quite ready to roll yet. Still waiting on carpet, but fussing with the windows to hopefully get them functioning well. WD40'd all the pulleys, and messing with adjustments, but have a wiring problem of some kind for the passenger side. See other post about window switch wiring if you can help!

Bought some rubber bits, trunk, front bonnet, etc., and installed, just a lot of the misc finish pieces. I can see the light at the end of tunnel! Started it up again today, to just to put some charge into the battery since I am fussing with the windows up and down and it is hard on the battery without it running.

So, my task list is getting fairly small at this point. A blizzard is suppose to hit SD tomorrow (it was 72 and sunny today), so maybe some more car time. If all goes well I should be doing a first drive in a month or so! So far I have just driven it back about 30 feet, and forward about 30 feet just to check clutch feel, gear engagement, etc. Feels good! Sounds aweseome, I like the Larini.
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Yeah, times are tough, I can only afford 2 tires. Unfortunately my business hasn't been a collossal failure, so no mega-bonus or billion dollar bailout for me.

 

Yeah, I was just kiddin around - business is actually pretty good but definitely off a bit, the economy is pretty freaky right now. They didn't have all the tires in stock at the time, today I got the other two, so should have them on the car tomorrow.

It looks like western SD is shut down due to the blizzard, so heat up the shop and get a little work done. Thanks for the good words, and checkin it out!

 

Finally got my carpet kit in, and did a couple of pieces to get started. Goes pretty well, not as difficult as I thought it may be (course I'm not done yet).

I will say this, you shouldn't do it all in one shot, the spray glue is pretty nasty when you are laying upside down in the footwell and spraying about 6" from your face. I was getting loopy - started thinking Porsche's we're cool, so I knew I had to get some air!

Also, I got front tires mounted up and on the car. The bike you see in the foreground is 1969 Triumph Bonneville - that's next....but need to focus on getting this Ferrari done!
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Carpet is fully installed, as well as seats now. Finally got the rear window rubber surround ($$$$$$ouch), and got the rear glass installed. Figured out my window wiring, and got the side windows to fully function up and down. So glass is complete.

Last frontier is the interior bits, headliner piece already to go in pic.

If I lived somewhere besides the frozen tundra, I could go for a drive! Too much crap on the roads still - don't want to get my pretty suspension dirty.....
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That is just the lens doing some trickery. They aren't large at all, 215/70/14 Firestones.

 

OK, finally got a nice day and cleaned the car, backed it out for a few pics in the real light for once. Still can't drive as the road into my shop is dirt(mud) and I remembered I haven't bled the brakes out yet either. So, too many trees to dodge if I can't stop!

Anyway, I think it is pretty spiffy if I do say so myself.....bragging a little here I guess.

Working on the trunk cover thing, so rear lid isn't shut, and I just set the Targa top on to see what it looks like - not latched down.

Hope you like 'em!!!
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Thanks everyone for all the good comments and support. I am likely done posting much else as it is just little odds and ends that aren't all that exciting.

I have appreciated very much the information that I get from this board and the members that helped me with bits and pieces of info along the way. Great resource! Hopefully some of my info and pics is of use to others as well.

Ciao Ciao

 

Well...as some of you know I have entertained some discussions about the sale of my car.

So, I think I am going to make it official, probably place an ad here, and even consider eBay in the near future. But before I do, I have a few "dangling" interested parties to consider in the near term, that keep searching, which is understandable (and fun!).

So if you are looking for a nicely restored 308, but not a "Newmanized" car, send me a pm. I don't want to post price quite yet, but let's just say offers between 35 and 50 would get attention. Offers above 50 would get free drinks! I think I have a fair understanding of the current market.

The thread is pretty self explanatory I guess about what the car is. I am driving it currently, but just need to fund my next insanity. Cheers.

 

Oops, meant to include pic with post above. Here it is in my driveway.
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Well nothing really happened, other than I just love projects and this one is done. The car is fantastic to drive, and a carb'ed 308 is just simply the most wonderful sound ever. But, at this point I need something more for the winter than waxing the 308. I am restoring a 69 Triumph Bonneville, but bikes are a very simply process compared to cars.

As much as I would love to keep it (and I may have to in this market!!!), I am lusting after a Lotus Exige, pull the engine, re-fit with the TVS supercharger and a few other bits and have a 300 HP rocket.

I am just not in that category that allows me to keep a garage full of toys. So unless I can find a killer deal on an Exige (hint! hint! to any Exige owners out there), and maybe trade/sell my Ducati 999 (hint, hint again to any Exige owners out there), the Ferrari probably has to go.

Ok, more than you wanted to know, but this is what the board is for right?