1979 308GTS - My first Ferrari experience | FerrariChat

1979 308GTS - My first Ferrari experience

Discussion in '308/328' started by BenB, Feb 16, 2023.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    I've been half-heartedly looking for a 308 for a few years, after many years of lusting after them as a teenager in the 1980s. Last fall, the stars aligned & I ended up buying one on BaT (which always involves some degree of a leap of faith). But I am very satisfied & think I got a good solid car. It's entirely rust free and straight, and compared to others I've seen, pretty clean underneath.

    The car has had 2 prior owners, both of which owned it for 20 years each. The first owner (an attorney) drove & used the car often and put approx. 50k miles on it during his tenure. The second owner(s) were two fellows who bought it together as more of an accessory to their wine-importing business, and drove it just 2k miles over the next 20 years, never leaving the city limits. Very little service work had been done on the car during that time period (like 1 oil change, 10 years ago), and although I test drove it before purchase, I was so concerned about the belts that I never started it again after loading it on the trailer, preferring to roll it into the garage rather than risk a timing belt failure.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    I've spent the last 2 months carefully going through the car, reading countless threads here, and waiting for several different shops to rebuild various components. Besides the timing belts, cam seals, valve adjustment, tensioner bearings, fluid changes, spark plugs, fuel lines, etc., I had the radiator rebuilt, replaced all the coolant hoses, rebuilt the radiator fans, blower motors, replaced the fuse blocks, and generally did all the maintenance I that, if ignored, could result in catastrophic failure. I figured that I could recover pretty easily if I was left stranded somewhere because the car wouldn't start or go into reverse, or something else that didn't involve explosions, fire or boiling an engine.

    But I did find a lot of little issues as I moved through the car. Broken plastic parts, missing screws, cracked metal tabs, deteriorated rubber mounts, and many others. I replaced what I could with new and fixed the remaining the right way. Although I'm sure that there's still a few gremlins hiding throughout the car, there's no doubt that a great number of future issues have been eliminated (plus, it was a lot of fun to find & solve these little issues!). My confidence in the car has improved considerably, and I have a pretty good idea what I'll need to do in the future.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Cosmetics are not a major concern at the moment, but there was one issue that I thought I'd address "while I was in there." The front bumper had been hit at some point, and the damage to the rubber was unrepairable. So (after researching threads here), I bought a genuine European bumper and made adaptors to mount it in the car. That turned out great (I love the more streamlined look) but I still have to make the grill smoothly fit into the new shape of the opening.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Now that it's running again, with an undamaged bumper, I'm dealing with another minor issue. I yanked out the 1990's radio/CD player and HUGE amplifier mounted behind the passenger seat, and am replacing it with an Alpine AM/FM/cassette deck from 1979 (more hours of research to find the right one). As a teen in the '80s, Alpine was the ONLY stereo you really wanted in your car! Lol!

    (In the photo below, it's not installed, just sitting in the opening while I see how it looks.)

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    I obviously have more to do to the interior, including recovering the panel over the fuses to the correct black, recovering the steering wheel, and fixing the seats, which lack the black stripes for some reason. But that's not a huge concern at the moment.

    I've ordered new Michelin XWX tires & am researching how best to refinish the original 14" rims (which is another "while you're doing it" thing, since I'm replacing the tires). We're also going to attempt to recharge the AC system & see how that goes.

    But basically, for the next year I'll drive the car and enjoy it, hopefully finding the remaining gremlins and completing the transformation into a very reliable driver. I've already spoken to the shop that repainted my Porsche about a really nice, quality repaint, and I believe we'll roll it into their shop and begin disassembling it late this fall.

    I'm sure I'll be throwing up a few questions here & there as I encounter issues and try to learn what's correct & original for the car, and I appreciate all those who have already replied to prior questions. As I said, I'm completely new to the Ferrari scene, and am eager to learn more and experience what makes these cars special!
     
    ZikZak, dave360, Michael DB and 14 others like this.
  2. stoked_7

    stoked_7 Karting
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 9, 2020
    214
    USA
    Great back to glory story for your Ferrari. It's looking great!
     
    BenB likes this.
  3. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

    Dec 21, 2012
    3,148
    SanFrancisco BayArea
    Full Name:
    1983 US 308 GTS QV
    WOW! It is clear you know what you are doing.

    THANK YOU for making another 308 roadworthy.

    Congratulations and welcome to the cult of 308.
     
    BenB, Dane and tomberlin like this.
  4. Alcav5

    Alcav5 F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jul 28, 2012
    4,079
    Scarsdale, NY
    Full Name:
    Al
    Great write up ,thanks for sharing

    I really admire these styles every time I see them . They connotate Ferrari to me more than other body styles (though I suspect that's generational thing)
     
    BenB likes this.
  5. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    I reinstalled the aircleaner today after repainting it, and I was surprised to find that it runs much better with it on. There sure are a lot of pieces to it!

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    I really love the look of the new bumper! Now I need to repaint the window frame, as well as the front fender vents.
    What's the correct black for the window frame? Semi-gloss or "trim black"? Something else?

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    dave360, Dane and Alcav5 like this.
  6. s219

    s219 Formula Junior

    Aug 26, 2021
    486
    Nice work. I really love seeing these cars get rescued and brought back to life by a dedicated DIY'er.

    Out of curiosity, how did the ancient belts look?
     
    2dinos and BenB like this.
  7. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 28, 2005
    4,163
    Calgary, AB, Canada
    Full Name:
    Gordon
    Welcome to 308 ownership, and it looks like you've done a great job in getting your car caught up and improved!

    Regards,
    Gordon
     
    Dane likes this.
  8. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B

    They looked perfect. Not a single crack. In fact, I immediately wrote "old" on them with my paint marker so that I wouldn't confuse them with the new ones.
     
    2dinos, JuLiTrO, Dane and 1 other person like this.
  9. Shark01

    Shark01 F1 Veteran

    Jun 25, 2005
    6,478
    Since the current values don’t support much in the way of restoration, this really is a labor of love. Good job on all you’ve done.
     
    ZikZak, Dane and BenB like this.
  10. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    You're absolutely right. I don't really care what the car would bring at auction, because I have no intention of selling it. And that's not usually like me; I have several cars & when it comes to them, or others I've had in the past, I've always been very focused on not being underwater with them. I usually make a profit.
    I'm probably even with this car right now, but I'm already planning a paint job that will be close to 1/3 of what I already have in it. Oh well... I just really like this car!
     
    ZikZak and 2dinos like this.
  11. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    I've driven the car for a year now & have enjoyed every moment. It's been very reliable with a few minor issues (hard cold start, very slow passenger window... that's about it). I've also learned quite a bit more about the car and have a few ideas with what to do in the future.
    Here's the thing: I REALLY like this car! To me, it's THE Ferrari, and while I like the newer V8s, I honestly like the look of the 308 more. I also love the interior (switches, steering wheel, instruments, seats, etc.) and carbs of the early cars much more than even the later 308s or 328s. So I'm very happy with the year & model. Ok, if I could swap it with a dry-sump GTS, I'd probably do that. Lol!
    Anyway, I got the call from the local Chevy dealer that my place in line to order a new C8 Z06 at MSRP came up, and I could order it if I still wanted. I was really hot for them 2 years ago, but not so much now. So I passed on spending $120k+ on one of those and decided that I'm going in a little deeper on the 308.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    So we started with this. Note the little bondo spot on the nose, where that damage was. Fortunately, it's not very deep & we're going to dig it out and tap the metal a little & hopefully use less filler next time. We're taking it all down to bare metal for the repaint, which we also did on my Porsche 928 (which turned out beautifully). So far, the body is great & the original paint & primer is tough as nails.

    I also started building new grills to go with the Euro bumper. It's been quite a bit of hand shaping, fitting and sanding, but that's an easy job when I'm sitting in the shop, watching TV. I made a few extras, along with the mounting tabs, and will offer them to anyone in need.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    GordonC, ZikZak, wise3 and 3 others like this.
  12. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    Meanwhile, I'm watching all these videos & reading threads on 308s... literally consuming everything I can find about them... and I become interested in the threads/videos of the stroker engines. It strikes a chord in me, since my one negative thought about the car has been "it sure would be nice to have just a LITTLE bit more power". So I start calling & emailing around, asking questions and trying to learn who has the best formula. I eventually reach out to the legendary Ferrari specialist Paul Newman and I really like his approach and reputation. We chat a little & I decide to go ahead and take the plunge on a stroker build using a 360 crank and titanium rods (we'll decide if we're keeping the same bore later). Paul refers me to a source for the parts, and a few days later, they're in my shop, waiting to go with the car to Paul's facility for a total rebuild. Pretty exciting, huh?

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    The plan is to finish the paint job, then transport the car to Paul (hopefully early this fall). All of this hinges on the speed of my painters. *fingers crossed
     
    GordonC, ZikZak, LE06 and 3 others like this.
  13. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    A little progress. Body shop tells me that it's amazingly hard paint, which is making it very time consuming.
    It actually is a little farther along than these photos show; side air inlets are done on both sides, as well as the rear portion of the roof. (I just didn't take any new photos today.)

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Only a few dings (marked with bits of tape), so I'm really happy with the body so far. Fingers crossed that nothing is hidden under the belt-line.
    Discussion with Paul Newman has convinced me to ditch the "diaper" and use a more Euro look, as well as exhaust.
     
    GordonC, LE06 and miketuason like this.
  14. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    #14 BenB, Jun 30, 2024
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2024
    Still sanding, but getting much closer!
    Actually I was a little worried about what we'd find under that paint, but so far it's been very clean. No rust and just a few little dings; I've seen much worse on a 3-year-old car.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    This was the worst spot, but it doesn't look too bad after we got the filler out. Time for a little hammer & dolly!

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    I also finished a few Euro grills & shipped my first one off to a fellow 308 owner. This is a silver/aluminum powder-coat finish, which is very smooth & even. I'm considering a few other versions, such as all polished & a black powder-coat. The 4" horse is an option, as is the smaller version.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    GordonC, stoked_7 and LE06 like this.
  15. Michael DB

    Michael DB Karting

    Dec 22, 2023
    231
    UK
    Full Name:
    Michael D Beswick
    I replaced the Prancing Horse on my 85 QV Euro but was disappointed to find it was pressed (and relatively cheap) Does anyone do a cast chromed version? The one I removed was also pressed: a PO has sprayed it black but the paint was coming off!
     
  16. Michael DB

    Michael DB Karting

    Dec 22, 2023
    231
    UK
    Full Name:
    Michael D Beswick
    Apologies for thread drift!
     
    BenB likes this.
  17. 2dinos

    2dinos F1 Rookie

    Jan 13, 2007
    3,019
    Beautiful - beautiful work! Another 308 restored to its former glory.

    I remember ~40 years ago, on a long drive to go skiing with a buddy, I was having an animated discussion of the amazing balance, curves, and beautiful proportions of the Ferrari 308 design. He was an American muscle car fan and thought my bias was way too heavy. Then, as if on cue, a white 308 GTS, w/black interior, and the top off smoothly cruised past us....

    I didn't say a word. That discussion was done!
     
    TheMayor, BenB and miketuason like this.
  18. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    GordonC, JuLiTrO, LE06 and 2 others like this.
  19. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    Since I'm now in the fast-paced high-stakes Ferrari 308 Euro grill manufacturing business (o_O) I decided to try out an idea I've had and build a fully polished one. Although it added a considerable amount of time to the process, I think it really looks great but I'll reserve final judgement until I can see it installed in my freshly painted car. Maybe this is even the version that will look best with a 4" prancing horse emblem.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    It may not be for everyone, but it's a very nice look. It's one of those minor modifications that are extremely easy to change back to original (if you have another grill). Honestly, this would look awesome on a black car! (Let me know if someone wants to try!)
    I'm also thinking about a "hybrid" grill that would have the original satin silver finish with thin polished leading edges, and maybe also polish the trailing chamfer edge.

    Meanwhile, my car is primed & has been shot with a "guide coat" for sanding. The body shop wanted to let the primer fully cure before they moved ahead on the project, so we'll wait another week or so before more prep work. Hopefully I'll have some new and exciting photos soon!
     
    85QVEuro likes this.
  20. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    GordonC, dave360 and audi_328 like this.
  21. SFOT

    SFOT Rookie

    Jun 5, 2022
    17
    Full Name:
    Michael Gaar
    Hello BenB
    Just found this post and would be interested in a new grill for my 1984 308. I have plans to change out the bumpers to get the Euro look and this would be the first part that I would like to start with. Any help would be appreciated
    Thank you
     
    BenB likes this.
  22. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    I'd be happy to help! I just sent you a PM.
     
  23. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    Painting has been a much slower process than I anticipated. MUCH slower!
    But I do understand. The body shop working my car isn't a restoration shop (even though they're personally into hot rods & muscle cars) and the vast majority of their work is collision insurance claims, and they have to give them priority. So the "special projects" just have to wait until they have time. Although it's been frustrating, I know that I'm getting a good deal on a quality job, so I'm not too upset.

    Here she is, painted last Friday & rolled out of the booth this morning. Time to get excited about this project again!

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  24. BenB

    BenB Karting

    Dec 14, 2007
    92
    Illinois
    Full Name:
    Ben B
    I posted this photo in another thread about eliminating the "diaper" and thought I might as well share it here as a record of my project.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    The panel was supplied by Paul Newman & he did an excellent job with the fabrication. I chose to add "cut outs" for my stock exhaust rather than replace it with an aftermarket exhaust right now. I possibly might change my mind later, but for now I'll go with this. :)

    The entire car has been wet sanded and still awaits the final steps, but it's looking great! We also have to paint the black parts, but that's on the list.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    TheMayor, ZikZak, LE06 and 1 other person like this.
  25. ZikZak

    ZikZak Karting

    Dec 18, 2023
    170
    Vancouver/Los Angeles/Miami
    Full Name:
    Dickie Maxwell
    Is the panel fiberglass or steel?
     

Share This Page