First Ferrari. Can I drive it in the rain?

Absolutely! --- you cannot drive any Ferrari in the rain. It will melt and turn into espresso

Seriously, no worries....You can drive it in the rain all you want... won't hurt a thing.

 

Drive it like it was meant to be driven, which means in all types of weather. Welcome to F-chat. Post some pics of your new ride when you get a chance.

 

Nope --- especially with the injected 308 (like yours), they're well sealed up.

 

GTS or GTB?

The targa and window seals should be considered suspect until you -know- they keep water out.

 

I've driven in rain, and I've driven in a crazy a!@ storm with sheets of water coming down. it did leak a little, and the wipers had trouble keeping up with the storm, but the A/C kept the fog on the windows clear.

The biggest prob is it is really hard to get the undercarriage clean after driving in rain. And if you're going for the concours deal, well - - - the car pretty much can't leave the garage.

I also drove in the snow once.

Congrats on your new beauty.


PS: There is a small list of things you should stay on top of. C'mon f-chatters and fill in what I miss. Fusebox, long rear bank - to - heater valve hose, CV boots come to mind.

 

Rained the day I got my Ferrari and the windows were down and inoperative. PO gave me a towel but still got soaked on the 30 mile drive home.

Last year on trip to California on I-5, I had about 90 minutes of heavy heavy rain slowing traffic to ~50 mph. I had put on fresh wipers which helped and car worked great.

But given the choice, I never drive in the rain.

 

15 year old tires on any car is unsafe. I would replace them. Get a major service performed also. Cam belts, tension bearings and gas lines are top concerns.

 

They're the only thing between you and the road. Replace them.

 

Does your mechanic friend also say don't ever wash the 308? Or does he have a special waterless system for cleaning the back lid?

If that made sense, than you couldn't drive any car with a grill in the rain...all the water would go right into the engine...for that matter, all the water from the ground coming up under the car...I would find another mechanic -- or buy an Avanti

 

Couple of things:

First, this mechanic guy doesn't seem to know what he is talking about so I would treat everything he says with suspension.

Second, the engine and related mechanicals are essentially surrounded by open spaces, all the way to the ground. On a sunny day open your engine cover and look through the engine bay. You will see a lot of pavement because there is so much space between the components. Any water, rain or otherwise, will flow to the ground.

I typically cover my engine with a towel when I wash the car but this is mostly to filter the soap out, not to keep the components bone dry.

Third, driving in the rain won't hurt your car one bit, aside from a possible leak at a window or targa seal. However, as was mentioned above, your tires will throw up mud and debris into the undercarriage and suspension. It won't damage the components but over time the dirt will break down the parts. So, if you do drive in the rain, I would suggest a good rinsing on the undercarriage and suspension pieces to keep them free of dirt and mud.

Lastly, get new tires. You could be dealing with a dangerous situation, especially if you plan on driving your car like it is meant to be driven.

-F

 

Thinking ahead...

Let's see F-cars in snow!

 

What about the brakes and the timing belt?

 

I've been in many Colorado downpours in 308s and 328s, even hail. No worries but the targa top will leak usually at the front top corner of the windows. Bring a towel.

Sounds like your car will need a lot of stuff to bring service up to date. Good luck.

Dave

 

You won't hurt the engine but you will rust out the doors.. I would keep her out of the rain.

 

Well, if your tires are only 15 years old, they're probably good for another 50k miles or so.

Seriously? Replace them today!

If you have a 1981, you probably have the 390mm wheels. . . and you'll be amazed at the cost of the only tires that will fit.

So, if you don't want to pay nearly $500 per tire for some rather mediocre, outdated Michelin TRXs, replace the wheels with the 16" versions that came on the QV. You won't regret it. Ask me how I know.

A 308 is okay in the rain if you don't try to take the corners quite as hard and fast as you might on dry pavement. . . but you knew that. No car is the same in rain. As for snow, it's do-able but in my opinion not at all advisable.

And no, Dave Helms doesn't pay me to say this, but IMO Scuderia Rampante is the only place in Colorado to take a 308.

 

Most guys spend alot of time cleaning and keeping their Ferrari clean. They won't melt or fall apart in rain or snow but get dirty just like any other car. Just depends on how clean you want to keep it. True they are old and don't have the best rust protection if any. If you spent hours and hours cleaning, would you want to drive in the rain and snow with it? Not me. I have gotten caught in some nasty weather with mine and it washes clean again. It isn't that bad to get caught in the rain but I don't take mine out if it is bad outside.

 

People keeps asking me if I can drive my 308 on the rain,
and I keep saying, if it came with a wipers then I can.

 

I have not had a problem about driving in the rain... except that if you live in a very humid environment like here in Atlanta... once the car gets really wet... everything stays wet... so i tend to try to keep it dry....
my 308, used to leak like a waterfall.. top of the a post, and back along the quarter windows... so not good for the carpet and cloth gets stained.

I once got caught in a really bad down pour, and had to go thru a couple of puddles ... really deep ones... and the brake warning light went on... stayed on for days.. no braking problems.

So like the English say a lot of cars are "put a away wet" ... so that contributes to rust and corrosion on the electrics, hoses get brittle, etc...

so if you get caught out in bad rain ... i recommend once you get home to spend time drying it out as best you can.

I used to keep a Rid Ex mold / moisture bucket in the back trunk to keep everything dry.

also check to make sure your antenna seals are good or else you'll get water down in the ECU area and then that can lead to intermitant problems... crooded contacts etc...

 

I have driven mine in the rain but will avoid it when I can. A tip I learned on this site is to spread out two large plastic trash bags over the engine before washing - just loosely, they will direct the water to the open spaces in the engine compartment. You'll get some spill when you take them off but you're at least reducing the overall water entry. Aside from running this will protect cad plated components like the fuel injection and reduce the flaky white corrosion on alumnium bits like the valve covers. DON"T FORGET TO TAKE THEM OUT BEFORE DRIVING after a wash!