Try saying that five times fast. After drinking. I set out to replace the foam barrier in my 348's shift box with the later model's rubber boot. It the process, I found 23 cents worth of bent coins. See them under the shifter in first picture? Pennies and dimes. They date from 1989 to 1996. The car is a '91. Who carried this kind of small change in a Ferrari? Pennies? Really? (That's my inner jerk speaking out. He has no filter. Ignore him.) Anyway, I hope this diminishes some of the resistance I encounter getting into 2nd gear. Wishful thinking, right? Oh, I want to point out, that black tar-like goop on the wire I used to fish out the last penny; that's some kind of adhesive I found inside the door of my '87 Carrera when I replaced the power window motors years ago. I never throw anything away. Happy to find a use for it years later. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I'm replying to my own thread. Sweet. If anyone gets this following reference to fishing out coins, you are an '80's T.V. aficionado as big as me. Remember the doorman from The Jeffersons? In one episode, he boasted about his chewing gum-on-a-stick device used to fish out lost coins behind the apartment building's washing machines. He claimed that he kept the quarters and dimes, but returned the lesser coins "for sport." Canned audience laughter ensues. Anyone else remember that episode? As I think about it, what coin-op washing machine takes anything less than quarters? Why can I remember this, and not my children's birthdates?
dm-n-stuff; that's clever! But in a horrible pun way. Not sure what to make of it. Respect? Disgust? Torn...
Interesting use of vintage Euro goopage. Same stuff I've seen on a/c lines as they pass through bulkheads.
Thats a rare optioned 348, fitted with the close ratio money box!! Lol ha ha. ����
By the looks of the warped metal - which isn't easy to do to a coin btw - you've been lucky it hasn't jammed up the works. Literally the second gear issue...
Yeah, those coins were really mangled. Even the flat ones were heavily scored. Looks like a real standoff happened down in that box. Before buying the car, I went on a test drive with the dealer. Even after it was fully warmed up, I couldn't downshift into first gear without a fight or multiple attempts. The dealer even scolded me for fighting it, telling me to never downshift into first, it should only be done with the car fully stopped. 2nd gear was stiff when cold, but greatly improved when warm, as expected. I didn't know any better, I thought that's just the way it is. I haven't taken the car out since the coin-ectomy because of weather, holidays, visiting in-laws from whom I'm still hiding the car, etc. But when I do, I'm really hoping 1st gear is easier to engage. I'm also hoping that removing that big ugly sponge livens up the shifting action a bit. The rubber boot under the gates looks immensely better, too.
I completely agree with this. It is **very** rare that I ever engage first in any of my cars without coming to a complete stop. First gear in a 348 is so short it's almost worthless anyway, so I'm happy to find ways to skip it once the 'box is warm. This whole thread is a funny read, BTW. I've been enjoying it. And yeah, I got a small rebate on my car as well, although I don't think any of the coins were bent. Keep forgetting to pick up one of the rubber boots when I place an order but that looks like The Correct Solution. FYI, I think the right gearbox oil is key to the best shifting feel in our gearboxes. I'm using Redline MT right now but plan on trying Amsoil one of these days since that's what was in the best shifting 348 I've driven. Remember to only use oil approved for use with oil pumps since the 348 transaxle has one.
I pulled my torn boot out because it would cause the back up lights to come on during some shifting. Another Ferrari owner told me during a club drive. I don't usually drop change at the drive thru, but I think I will be replacing the boot soon. I don't want to hear my gears grinding. Love the dig at Porsche though, even though I got one too.
