Greetings from new 308 gt4 owner

Just wanting to introduce myself and tell the ownership story so far. I bought a 1979 308 gt4 about 3 weeks ago from a dealer/Ferrari specialist in the Midwest. I flew out from Connecticut and drove home over 3 days. The car had some issues that the dealer either was not aware of or did not bother to share with me before I set off on the ~1000 mile journey home. Caveat emptor, whatever - the car got me home, which to my mind is testament the the rugged simplicity of 308’s.

To summarise, the car ran fine during the test drive, but started running rough after I got underway, once it had warmed up; stalling at idle, and missing thoughout the rev range. My first gas station stop was also frightening when she wouldn’t start after filling - the starter motor just made clicking sound but did not turn. Recalling similar issues as a young man with my first car (1974 Datsun), I rocked the car in gear to move the brushes and it duly started!

By the time I got into the hot mid-afternoon Chicago traffic the water temp was starting to head north of 220F, fortunately the traffic jams were minor and cleared in time for me to bring the temps back down by getting speeds back up to 60 - 70 mph. The stop/start traffic was stressful, keeping the car from stalling by blipping the throttle, while nervously watching the gauge.

Turns out the radiator fans were not operating, so from then on I avoided trouble by avoiding traffic. Since getting home I have been going through the ignition. Starting at the plugs I was amazed to find no extenders. Whoever had been working on it previously had just pushed the insulator caps onto the plugs. The rubber caps are floppy, and the plugs are recessed into the head, so there is no purchase to snug caps onto plugs! How did it even run with presumably loose connections? I installed new extenders and this improved things at high rpm, but it was still rough at low and mid-rpm. Next up the plug wires. During installation of a fresh set of wires last weekend I noticed the central spring loaded contact button inside the rear distributor was permanently depressed into the cap. I fixed the button by first pulling it out (using super glue on a bolt), then cleaning and reseating it on it’s spring. This fix, plus the new leads seemed to work wonders on the mid-rpms. Meanwhile I have installed Birdman’s fuse boxes and this fixed the radiator fans!! Birdman got the fuse box to me quickly and I highly recommend his website and products.

Next up I’ll be raising the idle slightly to stop the stalling at low rpm when hot - I have purchased a synchrometer to do this properly. So after 3 weeks and perhaps $500 in parts, plus my own labor of love, the 308 is running fantastic. After 1500 miles the oil is still clean honey color, the steering is tight with recently replaced bushings and Konis, and perhaps best of all, the body and chassis is perfect from a bone dry past-life in Southern California (up till 2019). I could not be happier, I have wanted a gt4 since 1981 - I was 12 when my uncle took my for a ride in one!

 

Here she is, taken at a service plaza somewhere along I90..

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Thanks kiwioke - will look at this next. BTW are you a kiwi (like me)?

 

Ha funny! Grew up in East Coast Bays, been living in the USA on and off since the 70’s. Nice to meet you.

 

Nice story. The 208’s are interesting, a bit like the the famous Alfa Stradale. Mark