Nitro (got a real name?), you may want to pull down the GT4 workshop manual. It's located here: http://ferrari.stevejenkins.com/books/ That indicates a 8.8:1 compression ratio, but I don't know what year. I believe the later ones and US models had lower compression numbers.
All the "8.8/1" Ferraris are fine on regular gas..... Those two shops are well known and it sounds as if this car has been in good hands... I'd remove that front spoiler AND the fender shields and drive it with pride.... The GT4 has a well known fan base, as it is considered a better handling car than the later 308GTB. That's 'top money' for one right now as the whole Market has hit the skids and all but frozen up at this level car.....that's why it's been there for sale a long period, a lot of them are sitting now. That one looks like a nice 'survivor' as most of them were beaten in the ground and have rusted away......
Whoo hoo! A Ferrari enthusiast from Houston! Do you have any recommendations of any local Ferrari repair shops outside of Ferrari of Houston?
I have three 1977 308s...GTBs though.. Sure, but I'll tell you later, one of them has one of my cars, for a "tune up"..... For TWO YEARS......... These guys over in Austin seem to work a little faster, sharp dressers, too! Image Unavailable, Please Login
No, they were introduced in 1981, much later......those look like OEM 14"s I didn't study closely....
Ferrari of Houston is very good, but they have moved on to newer Machines.... They have a Million Dollar Paint facility though......color match to the nth degree....
Does anyone know if the front spoiler on the car is an aftermarket piece or a Ferrari piece? Whatever it is... is it worth anything? I'm fairly certain that we'd want to be removing it and selling it. We're not sure that we like it very much.
Yep!!! The front spoiler is after market and the spoiler and the engine rebuild are linked. The guy that once owned this car used it for racing along with another Ferrari. His dad had a nice obit a few years back in the FCOA Prancing Horse and it talked mostly about how much fun they had racing their cars. They drove their cars fast and raced this car at SCCA events as well as other events and evidently did quite well. The spoiler is low and there to hold the front end to the ground. If you will give me a call I will tell you more. Scott
We tried calling you. We left a message early yesterday. We're just waiting for your return call. Check your PM.
They are great cars. Don't be afraid to drive it home. I found mine in Philadelphia and drove it 1100 miles to Memphis with much paranoia but looking back on it, with no real issues. Had I known of Ferrari chat before purchasing, my paranoia wouldn't have existed. This is a great source of knowledge. Mine was purchased through Algar Ferrari where they let me put it up on one of their lifts and inspect it with one of their mechanics there to answer all my questions. One item I may have overlooked on the work orders for your car was brake lines. Be sure the soft lines look OK before you hit the road. On the lift I noticed mine looked ancient. The mechanic took a look and agreed they were probably original! While the front spoiler may not look the best I can understand why it is there. My car gets a little light in front at high speed. Also, once I adjusted the seat position to my body this car is easily the most comfortable I've driven for a long trip. Absolutely no stiffness or driver fatigue - something I never expected. Some might recommend ear plugs for a long trip such as you will take... I bought some but never used them. Enjoy!!
When I bought my first Ferrari, a 1975 208 GT4, I drove it all the way back to the UK from Italy which was about 1100 miles. The car never missed a beat. Just make sure to check your oil and coolant levels when you stop for gas. It might well use a bit of oil, but it won't do any harm if you keep it topped up.
I did not want to give the impression that there was something up with Canillo. Just observing that the car has been for sale there a while. Anytime a car like this sits at a dealership for a long period its usually 2 things.....1) price, or 2) a problem. If you like this car, then take it to a 3rd party to have a PPI done. That will answer the majority of your questions. The rebuild on the motor was done a LONG time ago. 1994 I believe. It really doesn't count anymore. That was 15yrs ago! What matters is the motors condition now. A quick check of the Dino GT4 Registry reveals the following history on the car... """Owned by Mr. M. B. of San Diego, California and offered for sale by him in August, 1982. The car was painted Anthracite back then. Offered for sale by: "Bobileff Motorcar Co." of San Diego, California in February, 1984. The car was painted Red. Offered for sale by: "Bobileff Motorcar Co." of San Diego, California in June, 1985. It was stated that the car had 45,000mi on the odometer at that time. Offered for sale by: "Fine Car Store" of San Diego, California in June, 1985 (another source stated it was offered for sale by them not in 1985, but in 1986...). In 1994, the engine was rebuilt by: "Sport Auto" of Connecticut. The car had 70,000mi on the odometer at that time. From ? to 1998, the car was owned by Mr. M. M. Jr. of Pennsylvania. In August 2008, the car was offered for sale by: "Cannillo Motorsports", of Deer Park, New York, with a claimed 81,000mi on the odometer. In February 2009, the car was offered up for sale on "ebay" by "Cannillo Motorsports", but it failed to sell. """ I have some additional information on the car which shows a few more owners in there as well. The bottom line is to THOUROUGHLY vet this car and if it comes up clean, you'll have a great GT4 to drive. Don't put any value into a 15 year old rebuild as it means very little today. As to the front spoiler, it was actually an option on the GT4. There are a couple that appear on Ebay from time to time that are NOS new/unpainted. Its a different look on the GT4 Some like it, some don't. JIM
I've seen this car in the flesh and it's a beautiful gt4. Mike tried to get me to buy this one but I went with a mondial 8 he had next to it in the garage. It's been told to me that these cars a like gocarts on steroids
How did you find the previous owners? I'd like to get in contact with Mr. M. M. Jr of Pennsylvania. It's been said that he owned the car for 20 years. My understanding is that he raced the car for some time. I'd like to get more information about that.
Bumping up this thread. Can anyone take pictures of the trunk of their cars? I'm trying to get a better look at how the engine opens up as well as the trunk. I was looking at the wires and it looks like that it'll be fairly difficult to reach the four wires in the back of the engine. Doesn't look like much room there. The front four are easy to reach but how about the back four? Specifically, I'm looking for a picture that shows the inside of the engine bay and an open trunk at the same time. Hope someone can oblige. I've been scanning pictures for some time now and can't seem to find one that shows it.
I guess if you are standing at the back of the car the bank of cyliders you are refering to as the back are the cylinders that are in the front of the car? I would call them the other way 'round. Anyway, reaching the front cylinder spark plug wires is a reach, but I can do it without a stool or anything extrordinary. But I reach from the side of the car, not the back. I keep the trunk closed when working on the engine, unless I'm serious, then I remove the trunk lid and sit in the trunk. I'm not quite sure what you are after with having both lids open. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Aw man! That's EXACTLY what I was looking for there! Thank you, Brian Harper. Front or back... I can only reach four wires. How does one reach the other four?
Just reach in over the side. You might have to remove some air cleaner parts to get to what you want. It's not impossible, but it is nothing like working on your dad's old Chevy, either.
