US 1977 308GTB Exhaust Metal Mesh Cover | FerrariChat

US 1977 308GTB Exhaust Metal Mesh Cover

Discussion in '308/328' started by mr308gtb, Oct 29, 2020.

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  1. mr308gtb

    mr308gtb Formula Junior

    Sep 12, 2004
    613
    Full Name:
    MeestahBig
    Hi -

    is this car supposed to have a mess exhaust cover/iaper? My car doesnt have one. Several years ago, I bought one, I believe on ebay... its sat in the box forever. Last week I took it out of the box for the first time and tried to see how it would affix to the car... it didnt seem like it would. The cover, has 6 or 8 screw holes, but I didnt see any matching screw holes under the rear of the car?

    I will take some pictures this weekend and post them...

    Thanks.
     
  2. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
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    Bubba
    You have perhaps answered your own question!!

    The answer is:
    VERY few USA delivered, carbed NON CAT 308GTBs in the early 1976 to 1977 time period.

    None of the North American fibreglass cars had it.
    The Euro single exhaust exit valence did not use it...

    All of my 1977 steel cars DID have it, or should have.
    One had been fitted with the later 1978 "Hamster balls" cover, olne had some hack saw job to fit a "great new muffler" from Midas or somewhere, the third one was missing...

    I became an expert by buying the same part you have, only to find the sport ANSA four tip is ONE INCH wider on tip spacing!!
    Sweet Jesus....I am having some "replicas" made that will fit my ANSA FE2020, and I no longer run three cars.

    So there's good news in your lack of holes, you car probably shipped without it.
    The further bad news is it only fits the ridiculous Thermo Reactor OEM muffler, and surely yours is gone??

    It's a valuable part I paid $475 for mine.
    To make a pattern.....
     
  3. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Dec 6, 2002
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    Bubba
    It's not "mesh" it's fabricated from "staggered slot perforated sheet metal" and the original cut pattern is metric!!
    :D :D

    I found the SAE American equivalent, it's close enough.
    Now the 308GT4 did have a totally different shroud but made of the same material in much the same fashion!!
     
  4. Dal308

    Dal308 Karting
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 4, 2014
    121
    Coppell, TX
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    Dude
    I can't see any evidence that my October 76 production steel car ever had one.
     
  5. mr308gtb

    mr308gtb Formula Junior

    Sep 12, 2004
    613
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    MeestahBig
    thanks. I will try and take some pictures tonight...
     
  6. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Bubba
    That's late production for the year...steel car???....I would say that close to the glass cars that did not use it, yours got thru without one!

    You still use the thermo reactor muffler, or the ANSA FE 2020??

    But obviously if yours had gone astray you would have the mounting holes...
     
  7. st@ven

    st@ven F1 Rookie

    Aug 4, 2008
    3,275
    Netherlands
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    Steven
    I have one. Shipping might be an issue im afraid
     
  8. mr308gtb

    mr308gtb Formula Junior

    Sep 12, 2004
    613
    Full Name:
    MeestahBig
    Could you post a picture of it for the benefit of anyone who stumbles on this in future years?

    Thanks.
     
  9. 308Kelly

    308Kelly Rookie

    May 18, 2004
    22
    Hartford Area
    Full Name:
    Edward
    My 1976 308GTB Vetroresina (S/N 19795) has this cover over the exhaust. Is this what everyone refers to as the "Diaper"?
     

    Attached Files:

  10. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    That is the later 1978 catayst equipped shroud, although my #20405 had similar.

    But the fact your car has one gives me pause......the collective wisdom would have that a '78 part.
    Not the one we are discussing in the thread.

    The Dallas yellow/black 1977 had one unmounted, but there was pictures of it in the ad.
    The car was wihdrawn from sale so the Ad may have dropped back in our Ads
     
  11. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 11, 2001
    25,040
    30°30'40" N 97°35'41" W (Texas)
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    Isn't posting a .heic pic a ban-worthy offense? ;)
     
  12. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    LOL I'm glad some software in my box knew how to open it...
     
  13. Dal308

    Dal308 Karting
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    Nov 4, 2014
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    Is it a pre-cat car?
     
  14. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 11, 2001
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    Every US 308 before the 1978 model year is "pre-cat" (but they still have a lot of US specific emission equipment including a special "thermal reactor" muffler).

    I'd swear there are prior threads about this with good pictures.
     
  15. DigitalPirate

    DigitalPirate Rookie

    Jun 19, 2020
    21
    Delray Beach, FL
    Yes, and the thermal reactor exhaust was replaced by an ANSA.
     
  16. JuLiTrO

    JuLiTrO Formula Junior

    Nov 2, 2017
    383
    Full Name:
    Julio Saiz
    Ill post pics of my '77 later today.
    She still has both the original skirt and muffler
     
  17. 308Kelly

    308Kelly Rookie

    May 18, 2004
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    Edward
  18. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 11, 2001
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    Thanks. As Big Tex already said, that's the later US "diaper". I believe a 1976 308GTB Vetroresina would have the single-tip muffler so, if yours got updated to a quad-tip muffler, maybe that would explain why you'd have something a little different or custom.
     
  19. 308Kelly

    308Kelly Rookie

    May 18, 2004
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    Edward
    Here's a scan from the 308 GTB Spare Parts Catalog dated 9/1976. This catalog states it's for the U.S and Australian Version. It shows a four outlet exhaust.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  20. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #21 Steve Magnusson, Nov 9, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2020
    My mistake -- I had euro version in my head. If you've got the SPC, doesn't it also show what that exhaust cover should look like for your car?

    (After looking at your photo more closely, I'd say your "diaper" is not for a '78-'79 US 308B/S, but maybe could be for a US 308i-2V -- if it isn't the correct one for your car.)
     
  21. 308Kelly

    308Kelly Rookie

    May 18, 2004
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    Hartford Area
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    Edward
    The spare parts catalog shows the "mail slot" type rear valance (Item 40 in the parts diagram) which is missing from my car. Maybe the later style diaper was retrofitted to my car when thermal reactor exhaust was replaced years ago. That's only a guess since I purchased my car when it was about 12 years old.

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  22. MFlanagan

    MFlanagan Karting

    Dec 21, 2016
    153
    My '77, purchased in '88 still has the ANSA exhaust that was on it when I got it -- and the "mail slot," 'diaper" has always been missing on it, too.
    Mike Flanagan #22963
     
  23. Hannibal308

    Hannibal308 F1 Veteran
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    Jan 3, 2012
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    Kahuku / Cottonwood / Prescott
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    Will
    US glass cars never had a single tip exhaust. And, I’ve never seen the “rats balls” diaper on a US glass car. Might be a great excuse to lose it...
     
  24. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Dec 6, 2002
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    That's what I assumed the OP was calling "mesh"..it's perforated metal sheetng.

    Yes it was fitted ONLY to the North American version of the NON CAT Carbed cars, between say November 1976 until the cars got CATS in 1978.
    Which took the later "hamster balls" shroud..
     

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