GOOD BYE 308...HELLO TESLA

Hello All,

I wasn't sure this day would ever come. But, due to family commitments (13yo son & 5yo daughter) I found myself with less and less time to work on and maintain the 308. I had the 308 for 24/25 years. Bought it with 70k miles and sold (traded) it with 120k miles. I thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of owning this vehicle. Never thought that I'd be selling this, but priorities change. I will be lurking here in the future and hope to attend some of the 308 gatherings.

Also, I have tons of parts that I will be selling...16" HRE 505's, 17" custom set of wheels, racing seats (direct bolt on onto the 308 rails), red painted top and modified louvers for the GTB look, and lots more.

I'm banking on my new acquisition (2008 Tesla Roadster) to be a low maintenance and quick sports car. It is amazing quick with a 0-60 in 4.0 seconds. It handles pretty good, but does understeer at the limit. I'll post more impressions in the future if anyone is interested...I just did the trade yesterday.

Hope to see you guys on the road.

Cheers,

Henry
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Henry, I don’t know what to say except congrats and hope you’re really happy with the trade, that aroadster looks awesome, next time I see you, how about a ride? Yes it would be cool if you still can attend to some of our 308 events. Totally understood about the change in priorities, family should always come first.
Anyway, I’m interested on your side louvers (GTB look alike), I’ll hit you up later.

 

Glad you kept the 308 on the road and well driven. I hope new owner does the
same.
Very interesting trade btw, I was wondering recently how well/bad those Tesla roadsters
were doing in the market
Enjoy your new toy!

 

I’d like to see price on red top and seats!

 

Like trading in a fine Murano glass figurine for Hasbro's GI Joe! Your son and daughter will appreciate it for sure.

 

Please post seat pics

 

Congrats on the trade. I hope both parties are happy with their new acquisitions.

 

I'm surprised you didn't just buy a Ferrari 458.

Post your impressions on the T roadster. It would be interesting to hear them.

Shamile

Freeze....Miami Vice!

 

Thanks for the comments guys.

Here are some quick pictures that I have of the parts on the car...I'll try and post some individual pix this w/e. I'll also try and post some impressions of the roadster...darn rain.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Yes, would like first dibs on targa

 

Hmmm... guess I would like second dibs on the roof : - )
I also have a 78 308 GTS.

 

Also, did the car have the original valves at 120,000 miles?

 

As far as I know, it did. I bought it with 70k miles and put 50k more on it. I never had the heads off. I did buy some new valves in anticipation of replacing them, but never got around to it (nor needed to). Properly maintained, these motors are solid.

 

Dibs on the HREs!!! Let me know what you would like for it.

 

Hi Guys,

Sorry I've been a little late in responding...

I have been a bit surprised in the interest in my parts. I'm not sure of the value of each of the parts. I know many of you have expressed interest publically and privately. Not sure if auctions would be the fairest way to handle these. Maybe private bids...don't know. Want to be fair to everyone. For me, I would definitely be more interested in anyone who was looking for multiple items. I'll let you guys know this w/e.

BTW, the Roadster is almost identical in dimensions to the 308 in width, height, and wheelbase...the length is the only difference, it I about 12" shorter than the 308. The nice thing about the Roadster is it is relatively simple...not a lot of gadgets nor luxuries...similar to the 308. I love that it has a manual seat. i'll know more once I've put some more miles on it.

Henry

 

Sorry for the delay guys...

I went through the garage and this is what I have found:

- HRE 505 wheels, perfect condition, 2 - 16x7 and 2 -16x8, 225/50 & 245/50 BF Goodrich G Force tires (2014)
- Custom set of 17x8.5 & 17x10, 225/45 & 255/40, fronts are near new Sumitomo & rears are bald, but I have an OK set of Continentals, These are WIDE. These require smaller overall diameter springs like QA-1s. But if you want WIDE these are it...can go with 275 or 285s in back.
- Red painted targa top with converted louvers for the GTB look
- Corbeau racing seats, these have been modified to use your existing seat rails
- Vitaloni mirror joystick to control electric mirrors
- Exhaust header plugs to plug up the sniffer ports
- 12 volt adapter to plug into the weird euro connector under the dash and accept cigarette lighter type plugs
- Sunshield, the old custom one that fits exactly in the windshield, the folding type
- Spare tire/wheel, 5 spoke with the correct size tire (newer)
- Car cover, blue cotton
- Car cover, gray weather one (perforated material with flannel lining)
- Adjustable cam pulleys from Derekw
- Exhaust valves with guides, also from Derekw

I need to do some research to determine the value of all of these things. If you are interested, please feel free to shoot me an IM with an offer and if it is reasonable, then we got a deal. And/or, if anyone is interested in the whole lot, then we can come up with a deal.

Thanks for the interest guys. I'll probably post a new thread in the classifieds to get more exposure later on. I'll also post pix of all the parts, but many can be seen in the photos above.

Henry

 

Henry can the targa top and louvers be sold separately?
Is the blue car cover for indoor or outdoor?

 

PM sent

 

Sorry for your loss.

 

Hi Mike,

I just texted you...

 

Ok got it

 

Hi Guys,

The HRE and sun shield are sold. I have a deposit on the targa top and side louvers.

Given some time, I will post up pictures of the remaining items in the classifieds.

Thanks all.

Henry

 

So, I've been able to spend a little more time in the Roadster...still limited with all this rain.

Other than the drivetrain, the driving experience is somewhat similar...remember, the Roadster is basically a Lotus Elise. It is very much a raw no frills car. No power steering (great steering feel). Quick turn in, but then understeers pretty heavily...I need to work on that (probably wider rubber in front and see if I can dial in some negative camber. Another common thing is lack of a choice of rubber. Another funny thing is, someone is making a tinted transparent plexiglass top for it...ala Saratoga. They are both small cars by today's standards. The Roadster I believe is even lower than my 308 even after I lowered it with the QA-1's. So low that I find people cutting me off a lot. I really try to avoid being in someone's blind spot.

Thanks guys...I'm going to still lurk around here.

Henry

 

Glad you're enjoying the car.

I took a preproduction prototype for a couple of runs through an autocross course once and found the regenerative braking a little funky. It may be that it was something so foreign to me that I couldn't recalibrate my foot quickly enough. Do you like the brakes? Does Tesla still do software updates to your car?

 

Hi Brian,

Yes, the regenerative braking takes some getting used to. It is actually very aggressive...anytime you lift off the accelerator, it starts to slow immediately. Not coast, but slow. Most of the time, I can "one pedal" drive. The brake is only used when coming to a complete stop or hard stopping. I find myself lifting and slowing too much that I would stop way before an intersection, or where I wanted to stop. I end up "feathering" the accelerator. Not a big deal, but definitely need to make some mental adjustments.

From what I hear, Tesla will still do the annual maintenance checks, but no real updates. These things seem almost like "one offs". There were only 2500 produced worldwide and I'm sure many have been crashed or totaled. The body panels are CF, so it doesn't take much for an insurance company to total one. Also, the batteries are not compatible with the S, X, or Model 3's. Even the charge connector is different than these or any other electric car, as these were made before the industry standardized the connectors.

So far, it is still fun and fits my needs.