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308 GTS WOES

Discussion in '308/328' started by Classicman, Jul 23, 2017.

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  1. Classicman

    Classicman Rookie

    Jul 8, 2016
    6
    #1 Classicman, Jul 23, 2017
    About a year ago, I was lucky enough to buy a 79 Aus delivered RHD car. It drove reasonably well, presented well, but needed some tidying up. I was happy with the deal and the car. Not having driven one before, and having nothing to compare too, I was happy with the performance of the 37 year old sports car.

    There was always an irritating fluff through the carbs at low speeds though, almost like a sneeze through the carbs on acceleration. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I had the chance to drive a friends GT4. His car is properly set up and the difference was amazing. This prompted me to book my car in for a complete carb overhaul and Dyno tune.

    So far, we have found that most of the jets had been soldered and re-drilled by a previous hack-mechanic, and the distributor on the front bank was almost 15 deg out! The carbs and distributors have now been completely stripped and rebuilt. Most of the work is complete, and we should be ready to set it up on the Dyno this week. Can't wait to see the difference!

    I think the lesson to learn here, is sometime it is better to take the expensive route and start from scratch if you don't know the history of the car. We could have spent months trying to set up the car and not be successful. Now we know the car will be right and shouldn't need to touched again.
     
  2. Ferraridoc

    Ferraridoc F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 20, 2012
    17,226
    Gold Coast, Aust.
    Full Name:
    Patrick
    #2 Ferraridoc, Jul 23, 2017
    Welcome to the forum. You'll find a wealth of information and help here. Well done on getting the car sorted - every one of us has a story like that, it's just part of the game. You'll find this place a lot more helpful if you fill out your profile.
     
  3. wildcat326

    wildcat326 Formula 3

    Dec 10, 2012
    1,803
    Chicago, IL
    Full Name:
    Justin
    #3 wildcat326, Jul 23, 2017
    Welcome! Just finished 22 months of "starting from scratch" with a 79 GTS that didn't run right or have service history. Wait til you get done and see what it feels like "new."

    A couple things worth checking:

    - Theres a little one-way check valve about 10" down the cloth-braided vacuum hose that leads from the carbs thru the door sill, and on to the brake booster. These can rust, rot, get stuck, etc., and in that event will cause your brakes to feel "wooden" or not terribly responsive. I replaced mine with a $12 generic stainless one, and it made an instant difference in braking performance.

    - Depending what your budget is, check your suspension bushings, as well. With all new OEM-spec rubber, my car glides over railroad tracks more smoothly than my jeep.
     
  4. Patrick Dixon

    Patrick Dixon Formula 3

    Mar 27, 2012
    1,134
    UK
    #4 Patrick Dixon, Jul 24, 2017
    GT4s always go better, it's a known fact.

    ;-)
     
  5. MS250

    MS250 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Dec 10, 2003
    26,580
    Full Name:
    Avvocato
    #5 MS250, Jul 24, 2017
    Good luck classicman, as an FYI --- just some food for thought.

    Odds are that whoever did that may have been compensating for something else and was looking for the cheaper way out. I'm not trying to be negative, but this initial fix may expose another issue that also needs to be dealt with. Whatever the outcome, congratulations on the car, hope I'm wrong and this is your only fix.
    Let us know the outcome after you drive it a few times to let us know the real issue.
     
  6. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 29, 2001
    18,048
    USA
    #6 f355spider, Jul 24, 2017
    Our Ferrari club chapter used to host dyno days at a local shop every spring in the early 2000s. Every carb 308 ever tested was down on horsepower...always. But they are all fixable...usually involved rejetting the carbs, and going over the ignition system. Mine was way off (stock late 70s jetting was super lean for the USA), but man o man, it was sure sweet after getting things sorted out. :)
     
  7. Aus_yz

    Aus_yz Karting

    Sep 5, 2015
    52
    Australia
    Full Name:
    Mika
    #7 Aus_yz, Jul 24, 2017
    Good luck with the tuneup Im sure you will get it sorted , where abouts in Australia are you?
     
  8. Classicman

    Classicman Rookie

    Jul 8, 2016
    6
    #8 Classicman, Jul 28, 2017
    Thanks. I'm in Canberra. My car was originally from Brisbane though and went to Auckland NZ before I brought it back.
     
  9. Classicman

    Classicman Rookie

    Jul 8, 2016
    6
    #9 Classicman, Jul 28, 2017
    So far it doesn't look like it, as everything else checks out fine. Compression is good and they have fitted dual MSD ignition modules. We suspect there may be different cams, so it could have been to try and extract more power by giving it more fuel. Will know about the cams once we get it on the Dyno next week.
     

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