Restoring my 78 308GTS

I have come to an interesting new chapter in the restoration of my 78 308. The engine is in and I am putting everything back together around the engine compartment, which after 4 years of restoring feels good. (I will post pictures in a few days, camera battery is dead) Today I installed the new gear reduction starter and noticed that there are 3 cables that meet on the power terminal. Power from the battery, one to the Relay panel and one to the Alternator. There is barely enough room on the terminal for all those cables. Its already a pita to reach up there and trying to put the cables on and tightening it down. I am wondering if anybody has had problems with that nut coming lose etc.?
The original starter motor btw doesn't have any more space on that terminal. I triple-checked to see if I may be doing something wrong but the diagram shows all three cables going to that place.

Helmut

 

Yeah, that definitely seems to be the way to do it, or the way it should have been done from the designers originally. Your engine looks fantastic by the way.
So did you run the white cable that goes to the ignition and the yellow cable that also goes to the alternator in a separate harness besides the 3 power cables?

I bought my starter from britishstarters.com, I found them on ebay and my mechanic said that he thinks those starters are way better than the original ones. I had to replace the flywheel most likely due to a failing starter, so I was very interested in finding something thats hopefully better.

Helmut

 

This is what I have to report after 4 years, I know it sounds somewhat pathetic but I am chipping away at it. I had the car sodablasted and repainted Red, I know its the cliche color but I am sort of enjoying the things I have never had, one of which is a red sportscar. I used Glasurit Paint which really came out lovely. Considering that I used to work in production sound on movies, I have come to learn the strangest ways in which cables can go bad so I got all new wires for the car (from Ferrari UK). I rebuilt the suspension got new Koni shocks, new wheelbearings, new engine mounts, I cut one of the old ones open.... pretty scary whats inside one of those after 30 years. I had all the major components like nuts and bolts and brackets etc. replated or powder coated including the brake calipers, which are being assembled right now. I got the aluminum precision cam pulleys instead of the original plastic ones, stainless steel valves, JE pistons with 10:1 compression, got the transmission completely rebuilt and had the carbs rebuilt; Mastercylinder and brake booster got rebuilt, new clutch, new flywheel, new starter, Dave Helms rebuilt the waterpump to the expected level of perfection and I installed his waterhoses which are very nice and great to work with. I also removed the heatshields from the headers and had the entire exhaust triple ceramic coated, inside and out. Of course there are many more small things that got replaced, all the hoses got replaced or are being replaced including the AC hoses and heater/vacuum hose in the rocker panels. I still need a fuelpump etc.
I feel like I am about 75% finished right now and just wanted to share some of it, especially since this community has been extremely helpful. A project like this would have been impossible for me without the internet.

Thanks
Helmut
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Thanks Dave!

 

I am glad to hear that you like the starter, I am looking forward to actually using it

Yeah, I am prepared for the bugs as long as they are not major, I wouldn't be happy if for some reason an oil-leak would appear etc. but I think it should be fine. It's funny because when I got my car, your thread was already in full swing and I read your posts, thinking hmmm that's interesting, this guys is realllly going for it, may be I should dig a lil deeper as well. So there you have it, it's all your fault
I will be very excited when I hear that engine running.

Thanks
Helmut

 

Thanks! It was a metallic finish paint for high temperatures, probably SEM since that is what I use the most. Its been a while since I painted those. I scrubbed them first as much as possible, I still have to put the rubber patches back on.

I hope that you would still wanna restore one after you read a lot about it

Reading Newmans thread really is what helped me; I am the classic germanic perfectionist enough to drive people who work with me nuts but Newman went all the way. I am looking at this more like a hobby. I am not following exactly whats original, I add touches that I like, like the red cam covers or some gloss powder coat for the sake of cleanability later on etc.

Helmut

 

I focused on the front of the car first, its pretty much put together, still looking for some parts for the headlight lifting device etc. In the last few days I installed most of the new carpeting. I work on different areas at a time until I am missing some part etc. then I work on another area where a part may have come in in the meantime. I also finished up the doormechanism after I finally located some new plastic clips that hold the rods for the doorlocks. Russ from Ferrparts, definitely the man to call I have to say. I also have been looking forever for the rubbergaskets that go on the rear little shocks that hold the rear bumper, the gaskets that sit right behind the bumper where the shock enters the body of the car. Most catalogues don't even show a partnumber for that but US cars have it.

The picture of the front is from last year when I was working on that area. A lot of things have been tightened up in the meantime. Many times I put something together and I feel like it could be done better and I take it apart again and get more new parts or get more plating done on parts which I originally thought I would just clean and reinstall. Its a very organic process as I constantly quality control myself and also get to know the car better the more I work on it. I looked at the thread of the factory pictures and I feel like these guys had it easy, whenever they need a part they just grab a brandnew one out of some bin, I could put this car together pretty quickly at this point if I had all the parts brandnew at my fingertips. Many times I end up improving on the original like the insulation material for example, I took out all the tons of rockwool and replaced it with various layers of Dynamat. Under the trunk, on the firewall etc.

Helmut
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Thanks Cliff! Can't wait til the "neverending string of tasks" is finished at this point