Sodium Valves

Those of us with early carb 308's should see this BAT listing. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-ferrari-308-gtb-10/ Badly abused engine that failed but with no valve failure and also rebuilt with original valves.

 

Why would anyone rebuild with the original valves? The new technology in sodium valves is fantastic, but very expensive. Most of the folks I know that have rebuilt a 308 engine use steel valves, sometimes with a nail head shape over the slender taper of the originals.

 

That’s just crazy! The main reason not to buy a 2 valve car is those sodium valves. To not replace them is unbelievable.

 

There is no good reason NOT to buy an early carb 308 GTB, other than a lake of money!

 

I miss my carbed GTB, but I don’t miss worrying that a valve would fail at redline.

 

Look also at the pictures #232 and #233 which show galled up cam journals on both intakes. The engine shows signs of some serious oil starvation event. I posted a comment saying that any bidder should know what they are looking at in those photos because I really don’t know how you “fix” that but the comment got flagged. I also was wondering what brand those new gaskets are, all they say is “asbestosfree”

It’s a real pretty car but the buyer should be aware of these things imo.