First "Real" 308 Questions

Now that I have the car home and have been detailing her for 3 days (and still not done) plus driving her every chance I get, here goes:

1) Speedo and Tach: Neither go to zero with the car off. The speedo has the "normal" intermittent problem, but the tach has been fine. Is this normal?

2) Did the original carpets have velcro on them to hold the backs down? I have a set in the car that has them sewn in. But I also have vinyl cut to shape over the floors too. I assume that is not normal. Also, was the cutout for the footrest pronounced in the original carpets? Mine kinda clips the edge of the rest.

3) Are the seat backs fastened with screws or rivets? I have both.

4) When the car was in the air I noticed the bumper was "burned" over the left set of pipes. I started her when it was cold down here and noticed that more "steam" was coming out of the left side. Since it is an American car with one feed, any ideas?

5) She has had a repaint in her past. Are the front door jams/scuttle plates body color or black? Mine are black but the rears are body color. (Also the front part of door is black cut off to body color 1/4 of the way back.

6) What does the forward rear wheel arch connect to? My left arch has the two bolts, but it isn't connected to squat. Basically, I can't find a part number and picture on the owner's site.

7) Does the heat every actually turn off?! Even with the "valves" closed via the levers I still get some heat out of the vents.

Thanks,

Joe

 

Tach speedo normal off zero....Enzo said his cars looked fast standing still is the urban legend!

Removable closure plate ahead of door (holding light switches) is black, remove to shim/adjust door hinges..

Rear panel of door opening is body color, correct.

Rear inner fenders bolt UP to frame rail with two big screws, fastens to rear body and front body via hex head metric bolts...

I can check on seat backs later....

Not sure on your muffler question,...there are two inlets one per header, if tips are off too high it can definately damage bodywork, I've seen a misfiring TR melt it's tail lights!!

On a 308 one side does tend to make more steam in the AM cold starts.....dunno why....

 

OEM carpets are equipped with metal ring 'snaps' that mate to two snaps held to the fibreglass floor via philips head screws........no vinyl......raw glass under carpets should show overspray of the body color..........

 

....a thought on the vinyl........the glass is haphazardly rough, a 'bump' in the resin could rapidly wear the carpet from the bottom, I've had this..

Fixed it with a little grinding......

 

You've confirmed console levers actually 'close' water valves?

Could be a problem there but you'll feel heat thru the cockpit even with all HVAC systems off......recall you have two big pipes underfloor from the rear to the front radiator!!!

 

Thanks Big Tex.

Well rats. I assume that means a tach rebuild if it bugs me enough. I can't see any other reason it would be at 500 RPM at a standstill. Ditto the speedo.

I am not sure we are talking apples to apples? I meant the wheel arch itself. Is that what you meant by "rear inner fenders"? If so, then I am guessing somehow the flange that is fastened to the frame rail is broken or missing.

Thanks,

Joe

 

Hmmm, guess I should have said, "When the levers SAY the valves are closed! I assume checking them means removing the spare and all the trim pieces to check?

 

But the headers feed into one pipe that goes to the cat that goes to the muffler on a US spec car right? I'll check to see if the tips are closer on the left side than the right. By eyeball they don't look like it.

Thanks,

Joe

 

1) Speedo and Tach: Neither go to zero with the car off.
yep, 500rpm @ 10mph when turned off.

2) Did the original carpets have velcro on them to hold the backs down?
my '83 has stock floor mats with velco on them (the hook part) which was suppose to join with the wool floor carpet. It doesn't work (age?). I also have wire "Snaps/jaws" holding the floor carpet & mats together by the seats. No screws hold them down. I used a bit of black metal fishing wire to tie them to the seat rails. That has worked for 5+years.

3) Are the seat backs fastened with screws or rivets?
rivets here

4) When the car was in the air I noticed the bumper was "burned" over the left set of pipes. I started her when it was cold down here and noticed that more "steam" was coming out of the left side. Since it is an American car with one feed, any ideas?
My left side has more vapors coming out. No burn on my bumpers

5) She has had a repaint in her past.
Mine are black though I had to clean off overspray from the prior owner


6) What does the forward rear wheel arch connect to?
Yep, bolts to the frame

7) Does the heat every actually turn off?!
Doesn't seem like it, but I do get less withthe levers cold & off

 

Joe,

My car does this also. I wouldnt worry about it. Also, I noticed it watching Magnum PI the other day..His did it also on start up.

Dave

 

Howdy Dave,

I wasn't worried as much by the steam, but by the bubbling on the under side of the bumper on the left side. I don't know when and why it happened. (Ahhh, the joy of old cars!) You know, I never thought of digging up my old Magnum DVDs and checking the car out again! I'll have to take a look at the 84 they had on the show.

Joe

 

The 308 has a fiberglass inner arch that is removable to access the engine area. These inner fenders are kinda tricky to get out and back in the first time you try it. I think that is what Tex is talking about.

 

Joe,
All 308s seem to suffer from heat getting through to the cabin from the front. It may or may not be from your heater cores. One thing to check is that the cables are adjusted such that they fully close the coolant flow to the heater cores when you put the slider in the cold position. Only a tiny amount of flow will produce copious heat. One thing that works GREAT on a 308 is the heat! There is a semi-rigid cable that connects the dash slider to the heater valve. It might need to be adjusted. It is little more complicated than a bicycle cable.


Birdman

 

Birdman,

Do you adjust the cables from the console side or the valve side? (Man, I have to find a workshop manual.)

Joe

 

Mine too, a bit. More exhaust from the left side. My 1976 GTB predates the exhaust shield installed on later 308s. With the ANSA, I found the heat from the muffler body had burned a 2.5 cm hole in the outer fiberglass wall of the trunk floor (there's rock wool insulation inside). I installed some heat resistant/reflective material to prevent further damage:
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Speaking of.. Mins for a GT4.. sorry man.

ON the cables..I had the same issue. When we pulled the consol, FOund that they were broken and had to replace.

 

Mine don't go all the way to zero when off. I have seen lots of 308s that don't go all the way to zero when off. For whatever reason, I think the later cars do this for some reason..?? I think it is normal however...

 

It isn't just the heater valves that leak and warm up the cabin, it's the radiator itself. Air blows thru it and right under the spare tire well and into ever little crack in the dash and floorboard area.

You think it's hot now just wait until this summer.

 

Agreed, I messed with mine for a while and it seems you can either get them to fully open or fully close, but not both!

 

My '80bi temp valves adjust temperature nicely from ambient to hot. And when called upon, my a/c blows cold too. The only thing I can't turn off is the air flow even with blowers off. But at one time that was a requirement to prevent dangers of CO buildup inside the cockpit.

When I changed hoses I spend considerable time in the compartment forward of the dash, refurbishing all the heater controls and ducting.

If you are always getting some heat, disconnect/remove the valves regulating water flow to the heater core. Work on them to the point you cannot blow/force air through them with the valve closed. Then replace/adjust cable. While in the area clean the heater core housing/filter.

 

Thanks I'll give it a try. I assume those filters are DIY store products themselves? I seem to remember reading something about that in a long ago post.

 

The 308GT4 Manual is correct for 1977 -1980 308GTB/GTS......

I don't understand all the fuss on blow thru heat in the cabin, try this:


"you are right baby, it IS warm in here....let me help you with those buttons on your blouse........."

 

"....go ahead and get comfortable, it'll be a while before we get there.."

*tuning stereo to soft mood music*

 

Adjusting the heat/air cables is pretty easy to do, assumming that the cables work smoothly. As Birdman said, they are just like the brake cables on the bike you had as a kid. Bike shops are a great source for cheap replacements too.
My GT4 is similar to your car. You can just see the water control valve behind the brake booster and the air control damper just after the heater core. The "filter" (cheap foam) is in the front of the heater core plastic housing which just snaps off. The same set-up on the other side of the car.
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