Support Crew Requested; GTSi Cincinnati to Miami

Hey all,

Well, the first road trip of the season is looming! The girl and I are going down to Miami for a couple weeks to visit friends and spend a little time unwinding on the beach. We're planning on heading out from Cincinnati on the 16th, arriving in St. Augustine on the 17th, spending the night there then heading onward to Miami the next morning. The ride of choice? Well, naturally my 308!

I've had the car on plenty of long road trips but for something of this magnitude, I am requesting possibly a support network between Cinci and Miami just in case we run into any trouble along the line. This is, after all, the car's first long trip right out of winter storage. But she's ready to roll with new cam belts, tensioner bearings and a full complement of fresh fluids. I might change the plugs and perhaps drop a cap and rotor on before we embark but otherwise, we're gearing up (and getting our clothes boxed up to ship down there ahead of time!).

Unfortunately, one of my A/C hoses burst last summer, sending all of my precious R-12 into the atmosphere (shhhhhh!) and I've not yet gotten around to getting a new one (looks like it'll be a bear to replace- it does run all the way to the front of the car, no?). So we'll have no A/C but my friend in Sunny Isles assured me that the humidity is very low right now, so we should be ok with windows down and/or targa top off.

Oh, the best part of the trip? My friend that we're going to visit is the current caretaker of my old 308GT4, so I'll get to drive it again after a couple years of absence!!

We thought about taking the 400i but atrocious fuel economy and ageing TRXs didn't sound appealing to me for a trip.

But if anyone here on the board resides between Ohio and Florida (so that's Kentucky, Tennesee, Georgia) and would like to volunteer to be "on call" I would appreciate it much. Send me a PM with your contact info and I'll put it into my Treo.

P.S. The digital camera will of course be in full effect!

Cheers,
Aaron
'82 GTSi
'83 400iA

 

If you somehow read the map wrong and end up near San Diego, I'm here for ya.

 

I am in TN. Shoot me a PM.

 

Jon,

lol, if I can't follow two freeways to get me from Cincinnati to Miami, I'm in trouble

I've made the trip zillions of times in the past, just usually in something that I didn't "plan ahead just in case" with.

But if we wind up in San Diego (which I know she'd like!) I'll hit ya up!

Cheers,
Aaron
'82 GTSi
'83 400iA

 

I'm in Atlanta, so if you need a "rescue team" you can reach me on 404-350-8457... should be around... Traffice going south out of Atlanta is a lot of stop and go... make sure your cooling system is up to par!

Tom Spiro

 

You are right on both counts, they do run to the front of the car and are a bear to replace.

I had the same problem in my 308. See http://www.parrotbyte.com/kbc/ferrari/308/ACHoseReplacement.htm for details.

 

If your trip south runs you across I-10 in the Tallahassee area and you need help (or a lunch break), give me a buzz. 850-933-8408.

 

Aaron it is possible I'll be down that way during the time you're there.
I might pick up that new ride we talked about.
Shoot me a PM with a cell phone number. If I'm there I'll give you a shout and we'll have a beer.

 

Live in Atl. Beach and will be in Ft. Lauderdale for car show around then.

678-520-3365 if you get into a bind in Fl.

Payment in the form of 5ways and coneys with everything would be accepted.

Your car has survived alot but i don't think it could take on the little old Jewish ladies and their shopping carts at the Publix in Sunny Isle. I've got some war wounds on two of my cars from that.

Whatever you do don't mess with haulover beach unless your into that kinda thing...I've nicknamed it nutsack beach....beware! LOL.

 

North Carolina support.... I'm here and always willing to lend a hand (or cell phone, or meal)

 

Why don't you call Tim Stanford at 954-764-7824 (in Ft. Lauderdale) and he can fix your car while you are here. He will do a great job in a timely manner. He just topped of my air for $68.

I'm on SoBe, so call me at 305-428-0952 and I can fill you in on whats going on down here.

Hope you have fun on the drive down. Don't you think you can make it in about 16 hours? I know, its a function of speed.

Nick

 

Thanks everyone for all the support!! I will have everyone's #s in my cell phone as well as having my laptop with wireless broadband in the car with us so if we have any problems we'll contact whomever is closest! I think we'll be fine though, as the car is doing well.

I might contact Tim to see if he could fix my A/C line while I'm down there but being a mechanic myself, I always hate to pay someone to do something I can do on my own.

lol on the little old Jewish ladies (a.k.a. Yentas) and their shopping carts at the Sunny Isles Publix, I'll be sure we don't need any groceries whilst we're down there, hehe!

Cheers,
Aaron
'82 GTSi
'83 400iA

 

Kerry;

By the way thanks for that excellent A/C hose replacement procedure detail!

Cheers
Aaron
'82 GTSi
'83 400iA

 

Well, we made it to Miami unscathed! The car ran beautifully and the only war wound suffered was that we lost one little yellow emblem off of one of the wheel center caps somewhere in northern Florida (cheapo Superformance parts!!). I'm going to visit Shelton Ferrari or The Collection while we're here and pick up four new OE Ferrari center caps (which is what I should have put on the wheels in the first place). Otherwise, all is well and the weather here in Miami is wonderful. I'll be posting some pics from the journey tomorrow.

I'm also calling Tim Stanford tomorrow to try to schedule my car in for the A/C hose repair.

By the way, the car has had more admirers than I would have ever guessed in a city chock full of modern Ferraris and Lambos!

Oh, and we rolled 82K miles on the way down.

Cheers,
Aaron
'82 GTSi
'83 400iA

 

Hey Aaron,
Congrats on the trip! I think it's funny that you consider the 400i bad on gas and the 308 "good"!! I can only imagine how bad the 400i is given that my 308 only gets 15 on the highway!

BTW, the Superformance center caps are crap. I lost 3 of mine before I just replaced them with real ones.

Birdman

 

Way to go Aaron. Glad you made it.

Give me a call after you've seen...

 

Well, here is a chronological portrait of our trip down. Starting with some thick fog in Tennesee and ending with my baby parked at Tim Stanford's shop awaiting A/C service!

Enjoy!
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Aaron,
You take a picture of that blue car you looked at?

 

Looks like you had some fun on your drive down...Post more pics!!!!!!!

 

Here are some more..

By the way Dave, I did take some pics of that blue car, but I took them on my phone, so they're not the best quality, however I'll see if I can get them to post up here. For now, more pics taken with a good camera!
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Aaron I am in Hollywood pm me for cell and address.
DM

 

Ok, the last of them for now....

The picture at the car show was with my old GT4 which my friend down here now owns. We showed up to a little Italian car gathering at the last minute but didn't get our cars registered in time to snag any awards
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How was your drive? I am planning a trip in 3 weeks in my '83 308 GTS QV from Long Island, NY, to Prince Edward Island Canada. I have made the trip many times as I have a house there, but never done it in the ferrari. Roads are beautiful up there, I can't wait.

Was the ferrari comfortable on the trip? What was your MPG and range per tank?

I just ordered a "Dashmat" (dashmat.com), something I had seen on another 308. I can't tolerate the sun glare on the 308 dash. It's blinding at times and it seems dangerous. I hope this will help lesson fatigue.

I noticed from your pics you have the same problem. Thought you might be interested.

 

The sign on the windshield is classic!

Nice pics. When anyone in the auto industry gets their act together and makes another car as pretty as a black 308/328 ... well, let me know.

Glad you made it. I was checking out the office window all day just in case.

 

I have one in my 328. It solves the glare problem.

OTOH, I usually only use it when I'm parked, because I'm not a fan of the carpeted-dash look.
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