81 308 GTSi from T. Rutlands

I just got back from my road trip to Ted's place...nice setup. Took the GTSi out for a "spirited" drive today. We really wound it up, well honestly Lee did the hard driving. The i model [at least this one] is no slouch. It was my first ride in a 308 and if this one is an indicator of things to come I was pretty impressed. So impressed I left a deposit. They just did the belt service and it runs really strong. Just lots of little things that need attention but I think it's a good buy at 21K. Good brakes, suspension is tight, winds up like a beast, and keeps begging for more [and it smelled great after a hard run]. This is going to be a great project. It is pretty much "unmolested" and I think I will keep it that way. No records in hand. It was purchased at an estate sale so I will have to see what I can dig up. Judging on the mechanical condition I'd say the owner maintained it and drove it like he should. It was repainted with a base/clear and needs some attention but it's a driver for now.

BTW...they have a very nice Mondial in there but it has a salvage title...no major damage is apparent. Some one needs to go take a look at it. I think Lee said it ran on eBay.
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Nice toy.
Have tons of fun driving it, and pampering it in your garage.
Ciao
Eugenio

 

BTW...are these going to be a problem???

 

Not as long as you change them to 16" QV wheels....

JIM

 

Looks like a steal at 21K! Nice buy and congratulations.

 

Not until you want new tires and you have to decide between more expensive TRX tires or new 16" wheels and tires.

 

Did you deal with Steve Ahlgrim? Please tell him I said hello. He is one of the most knowledgable 308/anything Ferrari person that I have ever met in my life. Nice guy too.

I first met him in 8th grade at a car show. He was working at FAF and he brought a 308 to Birmingham for display. This was way back in June 82. It was the first time I ever sat in a GTSi. I still have the pictures.

Another funny thing. That car back then had the VERY exact same radio and eq as this car. I realize many 308's had this dealer installed Blaupunkt cassette decks - I even bought the same for my car a few years back - but I have not seen one since that still had the eq installed. I wonder if this is the same car? It is a long shot, but not as long as if it were an 81 Honda Accord over there. How many 308 GTSi red/tan in the SE with that very radio set up are out there?

It also had two Blaupunkt "ball" speakers in the back. Look and let me know if you see screw holes up in the rear deck by the window that looks like where speakers used to be sitting.

Wouldn't this be funny...

 

Looks sweet. Congrats and enjoy it!

Was that coolant expansion tank welded and repainted? Just curious.

 

If the bodywork is as clean and fresh as the interior, you STOLE this car.

 

Tommy,

The "ball" speakers are still there! Lee and I were talking about how funky they look. You can see them peeking thru the window in the attached picture. According to Lee Ferrari NA used that radio setup in the US at most of the dealerships so you just confirmed even more originality to this car
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OMG. How crazy would this be if that was the very same car from way back then?? Crazier things have happened. How many US, red tan, 308 GTSi, that year, with that very radio/eq/speaker setup were there? I know a few but the odds are with me on this.

Way back in the Fchat early days I set out looking for this car. I posted pictures and basically put the word out to anyone who may have bought that car new with those little options. There were very few active members here back then and I got nothing.

Was this car sold by FAF? Did FAF have possession of this car in June 1982? We can find this out without much problem. I see the owner's manual pouch in the door pocket. It will most likely have this info written in it.

Can you find out? I just may have baby pictures of your car.

 

This is too cool.

 

Not bad at any price..great at 21K.

Yeah, you hear so much talk about these cars being slow that it blows you away when you wind it out and hear that beautiful sound from the engine and exhaust.

Leave the cats at the GA border and put some test pipes on, it sounds even better that way.

Congrats..now make a set of QV wheels part of the deal.

 

I may do the wheel deal as part of the funding package And you took the CAT thing right out of our heads! We were tring to decide if I should core them out or weld in test pipes.

 

Tommy,

I will do this in the process of closing the deal. Not to sound ignorant but what is FAF? The carfax shows the car registered in San Antonio , TX in 1983 and back in Florida many years later. It is posible the car went to Texas in 82/83...hmmm. This is getting interesting.

 

Ferrari Of Atlanta was originally named FAF (it's a fun trivia quiz as to what the initials stood for) and it used to be located in Tucker, GA. It became FOA back in the late 90's and then moved to Alpharetta a couple years later. Steve worked there back in the FAF days. That is who supplied the car for the car/auto stereo show here in town back then.

I'll post pictures of the car tonight from that show. You can see the stereo and speakers for yourself. Don't laugh at the one with me in it too much. I was just 14.

I have been searching for those speakers on Ebay for about 7 years now. I know they suck but it would be fun to have them in my car just for fun. I did get one from Germany a year or two ago still in the box but I cannot find a second.

If you decide to change out the system (which I would recommend, I think the speakers are something like 8 watts) please give me first rights of refusal if want to sell it.

PLEASE!!! find out where the car orginated back in 81. You may have the answer of one last mystery car from my past that I have been trying to find an answer to for 20 years.

 

I still have some of the bags from FAF.

 

Oh Crap.....

I had a pair of those hideous ball speakers in my 81 up to a few years ago until I re-did my interior. They sounded and looked awful. I could hardly wait to toss them - and that's where they went. Sorry Tommy - If I would have known you could have had the darn things. :-(

Bruce

 

I have a pair for you Tommy, in #22641

I agree they get pretty tiresome on long trips.

A dual speaker/crossover in the door is more to my preference.

 

I have actually installed these in my car in the same place:

http://www.techfresh.net/gadgets/entertainment/anthony-gallo-speakers/

You would not know the difference except when you turn them on. These sound great. I mounted them on a modified fire extinguisher mounts that I cut to fit. It looks pretty good but I would like to see if I can simply swap the innards and have the Blaupunkts back there with the Anthony Gallo sound.

It was my attempt to capture that 80's look that I remember as a kid.

 

Does anyone know of any small, low profile speakers that would go on the package shelf in the corners where those "ball" speakers are shown to be placed.

 

I kinda hope this IS the same car! That'd be a fun reunion.

Of course, being an Alabama boy as well, the first time I ever saw more than one Ferrari at a time - that also wasn't going the opposite direction - was at FAF (Fiat, Alfa, Ferrari) in that little dungeon in Tucker. It was like every local community's 'best hamburger' place that only the locally-enlightened knew about or would even venture in. I went there in my Dino 246 (then a $25k car on a good day), following a friend in his Ghibli, back in 83.

Steve Alghrim had a 77 Glass 308, yellow car then and was THE nicest guy, actually paying attention to this newbie idiot (me) while the more knowledgable 'regulars' swapped stories, facts, and something in between.

Good ol days in many ways.

Congrats on the 'new' 308! You did GREAT on that car and have given yourself one heck of a stocking stuffer! Have fun.

 

congratts to you desire308,I'm glad that you are finally in a ferrari,I also notice in the car you are missing the cigarette lighter, I was missing mine to,I found one at www.ferraripartsexchange.com I cost me $20 but it was new and I thought I'll never find one if there's any thing you need give me a jingle,and enjoy hope to see you on the road

 

I remember when he had it. Back in Oct 96 he had it over at Road Atlanta just after having it painted again. I took a nice little stack of photos. It was really really nice. It was also the first Ferrari I ever saw a baby seat in.

 

Here are those pictures from June 1982. That's me sitting in my first 308 GTSi and that's Steve Ahlgrim leaning against it ( he will probably kill me for posting that one). He was so nice to me back then. I was just a 14 year old kid that was excited out of his mind over being near one of those cars.
Anyway you can see the stereo and speakers too.
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