How can you a tell a fiberglass from a steel body 308 GTB?

great recap. that's about it as far as I can tell

 

The only error I see above is that some late dry-sump, single distributor Euro glass cars did come with dual exhaust, including a matching lower panel with two cutouts. All the cars I have seen with this have had wrinkle black cam covers, but I would not swear to this being consistent. I think it was called a sprint pack.

 

Right, jmn. This was available on special order from the Factory. The European market liked the dual exhaust on the North American version GTBs.

Barry

 

Single distributor cars were strictly a European market standard item. All other markets had two distributors. The same can be said for dry sump vs wet sump.

 

The second distributor was basically there as part of an emission control strategy. On the higher performance euro cars, the single distributor had a set of points for each bank, timed for performance. For the emissions cars, the second distributor was added so that each distributor (one for each bank) could have one set of points for normal running, and a retarded (in more ways than one) set to decrease emissions at idle. If memory serves, a microswitch on the throttle linkage controlled which set were operating. They can be rewired to make a dual spark ignition!

 

If you fellas want to put it down, I can pick on both cars. I could point out that the same year 308:

- is missing half of its valves
- half of the valves it does have are said to randomly break or explode
- is 800 pounds too heavy
- yet uses the same size brakes (and it shows)
- costs four times as much to maintain whether you look at it per year or per mile, just parts or parts+labor
- its frame is more prone to rot
- has worse parts availability
- handles like a sled in comparison
- needs to stop at every fuel station
- jars your dental fillings out when you hit bumps

But I don't want to be negative . . . I was just having fun, hence the smiley faces ( ).

Yes, I own a couple of each (steel bodies on the 308s, obviously); both cars have their merits . . . . this isn't Mustang vs. Camaro -- there's room for both.


. . . but anyway, I don't see why people go ga-ga over a fiberglass 308; and I wish people would stop saying it is the rarest. I think some people are just trying to hype the market for them, and it's apparently working.

 

License plate recess: not all glass cars have flat panels. Some US glass versions have the same design as steel cars, you cannot use this as a test.

The biggest test to determine a glass car is the rear deck has quick release cables and hinges. All the other details could have been altered, or different, but the glass deck will have those latch assemblies. You could also inspect the doors, the bottoms should be easily distinguishable as glass or steel. Also, the flying butresses under the deck lid, as noted above, have screws or rivets holding the glass to the steel lining.

 

Allrighty fellas I am officially beating my head against the wall about the weight thing now. I have posted proof positive threads showing the weight difference between glass and steel cars is NEGLIGIBLE. This is making me crazy. Please don't drink the 'zomg glass 308s are so light' kool-aid. This has been debunked many times on fchat. Get a glass car because they are rare and interesting and collectible. Do not do it for performance.

As far as speed is concerned, a local fchatter has a Euro QV GTS. I have a '76 GTB. Neither was faster than the other. No I am not kidding. Neither out-accelerated the other. Both were in great shape and tuned correctly. Euro QV is supposedly the fastest of the series. If it is the fastest then the difference is not easily determined or it is small enough that one is just plain unable to tell. All are great cars and offer great enjoyment. Again, dont get any of these cars for performance. None of them handle like a go-kart or a 'sled' (the term go-kart is used so loosely at times). *gets off soap box*

John

 

As a side note, Jon, about the "50/50" body style thing:

I think that owner is confused because every single steel 308 made is actually a mix of fiberglass and aluminum (and steel). On a steel-bodied car, the entire lower front and rear sections are fiberglass (below the belt line), as are the floor pans. The front bonnet (lid) is aluminum. I have been told that the rear hatch is aluminum, too, but never checked for myself. The floor pans have a thin aluminum skin on the underside. The underside of the rear hatch looks like it's made out of fiberglass. If you pull the trunk carpets away in the back, you'll see fiberglass pieces. The wheelwells are fiberglass . . . and the fronts have a bit of aluminum, too, IIRC.

The reality is that steel-bodied 308s have a lot of fiberglass and aluminum. I can see how an owner would get confused!

 

John -- sorry to confuse. I was threadjacking to play "guess which car," and the car I was referring to is a Lotus Esprit Series 1.

 

My quick-release hinge......
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Here's fellow FC member Gleggy's Australian version fiberglass GTB with rear backup lights set up the same way....
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I'm not sure. Anything is possible with the early GTBs. He told me that the direction indicators on his car are original and both sets of backup lights are functional.

 

I dont, but if you look in eurospares parts youll see the exploded view. The release cables are like the emergency hood release cables. on either side of the underside of the deck lid, about in the middle cross section, a pull loop sticks out a hole. The hinges are two piece, the deck lid has a box section and the car hinge has a pin end. Would be nice to have on a metal deck but I dont think they are strong enough?

 

It's a pretty neat setup, Paul. It makes removing and replacing the rear deck a breeze without all the fussy realignment as with the steel deck hinges.

Barry

 

Hammer works. If it dents when struck, it's steel. If it cracks, it's fiberglass.

 

It is very easy to tear out the mounting screws on the lights if they are overtigtened- it also breaks the plastic of the light. The solid colour lights became unavailable very early in period.
If the lights needed to be replaced at any time, you could only get the later type with reverse lights in the middle.

 

I see this one still has the uber gigantic 100lbs+thermo muffler as well. I like the color though.

 

Right, that's an early steel GTB. The North American version 308 GTB Fiberglass has a license plate recess which just accomodates the plate. Also, the transitional slotted muffler grill was not fitted to fiberglass GTBs.

My fiberglass GTB is pictured below.....
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I should really weigh my thermal reactor muffler one day. It's resides in the corner of my garage collecting spider webs.....
Image Unavailable, Please Login