true or fake about 3X8 series: legends are just legends

Totaly agree !

But ... (5) you definitely need a GT4 in addition to the 3x8 GTB/GTS ;-)
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

That's what I usually do now, but when I bought the car 14 years ago I didn't know this tip and used it like any other car I had driven.
Making a lot of scraping noise!

 

The front end of my 328 GTB # 81085 was very stable at 135 mph (about 220 km/h), slightly less so at 155 (250 km/h) the only time I fancied to test it at speed on a German highway, with new tires.

Still speaking 328s, but as for the issue of the shifting in second gear when cold...
My GTS 380515 does not have any issue at all: the 2nd gear shift easily without any effort whatsoever, right from start, when the car is cold, EXCEPT in the middle of winter when it is freezing.
The GTB 81085 usually needs half-a-mile for the 2nd to engage easily, slightly less in the summer; we went out last Thursday (four days ago) and the 2nd was engaging perfectly directly from cold.
Neither gearbox has been modified.

But I still shift directly from 1st to 3rd for the first one or two kilometers nevertheless, to preserve the legend...especially if I have a passenger...

Rgds

 

Yeah, R12 is restricted here, not prohibited (banned) but highly controlled. My only point of correction was to point out that R134 is not Freon.

As far as adjusting the shift shaft, that all sounds good. Maybe next time I get the car worked on I'll look into it.

But the main issue I need to deal with regarding that area are leaks at the shift shaft seals. That is what I really want to fix.

-F

 

Redline easily gives at least a 90% improvement in the cold shift issue. Maybe 95%. Easiest way to "fix" this.

 

This heat was while driving on the highway. Again, it was hot out and we were moving at a pretty good clip. I thought all the airflow would keep everything cool but that wasn't the case.

 

Oh yeah, good point. What is R134a or R12 exactly? Maybe just coolant gas.

Actually, I just remember now, they are called "refrigerant".

-F

 

Won't work. I did this about 15 years ago and even posted a how to thread here back in the day. It's in the archives here somewhere if someone wants to dig it up.

Anyway, I had a fan that would pull your hand in the door scoop but it just would not keep the oil any cooler than if it weren't on there.

Hundreds of miles on the track and thousands on the road including more traffic problems in Atlanta than I care to remember - and no change observed in that entire time. I finally disconnected it about a year ago.

 

I saw the white 79' 308 GTS out this afternoon here in Rockford, Illinois. The design is just timeless. It captures the imagination in a way only a handful of cars can.

Bella!


Joe

 

5. True , without the deep front spoiler the front end is a bit light approaching 150+ mph ..e.g through the exit of Parabolica.. its ok as long as you realize you are driving the car ..not the other way around.

20. Clutch is heavy ? True!

 

Well, I would very much like to have the opportunity to try the Countach clutch...only trouble is that I don't have a Countach...

Rgds

 

I heard they melted if they were driven in the rain.

 

Not at all.

Some GTSs will get leaks around the windows, if your gaskets are old.

But I drove my 328 in the rain fairly often, for a few years in MA, and no problems.
(The odd shaped garage required playing musical chairs with the cars to get any but the car in front out. And I was saving the aging ricer for snow.)

I worried about rain coming in the rear vents, but it didn't bother anything.
(I still have the weather boots on my plug wires.)

 

I believe this.

Yeah, yeah, whatever. I hear stories about 3x8s actually surviving exposure to water, but I'll be darned if I risk it with my car!

 

They might not melt but the early ones really ******* rust!

 

Alberto,

I always thought it's probably more a problem with lever than gearbox problem. But what did you do exactly ? I do not understand what change have you done on your car

 

Now that I've owned the car for 4.75 years and 32k miles, I can reasonably say that:

1. No problems shifting into any gear when cold or hot. Literally: I start the car and drive normally. I do change the gear oil every year, following the procedure in the manual.

2. While I don't go out of my way to drive in the rain we get plenty in the Seattle area. Hasn't melted yet with no signs of doing so. Just dry it off when I get home.

3. No overheats. Ever.

4. Yes, you can drive it and keep it looking and running nice. Car still looks like it does when I got it at 28k miles. In fact, I bet it run better because it's been driven often.

5. Repairs/maintenance isn't all that bad if you have the courage to do some of it yourself. Some of the parts that are used only on a small number of cars *can* be expensive, but it's more than outweighed by the saved labor costs. These are pretty darn simple cars to fix and maintain. At least you don't need a proprietary computer to tune the car.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Indeed ,and the Miura's is not exactly light either.

 

Keep it long enough, and you'll find that circumstances modify your intentions.

In 16 years of ownership, I've even had my 328 out in snow a couple times.
(Bringing it home from autumn services that went a bit long.)

The handling in snow isn't bad, except for tires that go noticeably off below 40F.
(Driving in snow is like driving at the limits on track -- except that you get to the limits at much lower speeds.)

Unlike the aircon, the heaters work very well.
(I could heat half my house by pulling a hot 328 into the garage. )

The main reasons I don't drive it year round are:
a) road salt
b) spare rims for winter tires would be a major investment
c) the top of the 328 doesn't reach the windows of the SUVs other people drive (badly) in snow.
(E.g., I trust me in the snow. I don't trust the other drivers.)

Of course, the main reason I no longer drive the 328 in bad weather is that I have the EVO X for that.

 

That's absolutely my experience as well:
- I've driven the GTB on snow due to myself being stupid in scheduling the annual service of the car, done at the end of autumn, and ending only middle of January... Not very pleasant, and I wouldn't do it for fun; but manageable.
- road salt should always be avoided...
- your observation about the SUV's window sill is very, very wise. I really fear this more and more.
- the heating is really owerwhelming; from that point of view, in winter the car is top class.
I drove the GTS once for 400 miles on the highway in winter (going to the Christmas markets in Colmar, Alsace) below freezing point the whole day, and the only trouble that worried me was that on the highway at stabilised speed of 130 km/h (80 miles per hour, the legal limit over here on highways) the oil temperature stayed too low, the needle didn't even start to move. If I had to do this again, I would put a sponge or something in the oïl cooler's scoop.

Rgds