365 GTC/4

IMHO, they look better than the Daytona for less than 1/2 the cost. And, they are the best sounding road Ferrari ever...period. I think it has something to do with the side-draft Webers. They are a real bargin now, but have some idiosyncraties that make them hard to work on like having to remove the carbs to adjust the valves or having to remove the engine to change the water pump.

 

Major PITA, even compared to other vintage models...........

 

It is the most expensive Ferrari to service, that is one reason why they are cheap to buy. You don't pay up front, you pay later. They are pretty, sound real cool and are rare (IIRC 250 US, 250 for every body else). Very pleasant to drive , have power steering and are just generally a nice car. Considerably less real world power than a Daytona. For all that even though I work on them I would not have one, the ratio of power/ complexity/ cost as applied to the motor does not do it for me. The disastorous carb arrangement/ linkage design has caused people to compare the carbs to a work of art, "They are never finished, they are abondoned".

Fire up the flame throwers if you will but with the dissapointing motor and the expense I think it is a great candidate for a Chevy motor installation.

 

LOL! Brian, you were OK til the very last sentence; now your're in for it! Nomex on?

james

 

I was trying to tell ya' NICELY..........

My tech has special curses he only uses on these..............

 

I'm buttoned up pretty tight, bring it on.

 

If you're going to do that, why not just pick a Monza to begin with? They're almost the same car...
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Thanks now at least there are 2 targets for them to aim at.



OMG I just noticed the roofline.

 

The guy that works on my 330 has a regular customer with a 365GT/4 2+2 that has the sidedraft carb setup, plus some power stuff and a/c; he says that compared to mine it's a very high maintenance vehicle, lots of $$ to keep going.

I've mused about a 365 GTC/4 as an purchase-affordable lateral and slightly upward move from the 330, but reliability and reasonable maintenace costs are a big deal to me, so thats the end of that idea.

 

Seriously, I like the GTC/4, and was thinking about buying the white one shown above (80,000 miles+), but decided that it would be too much maintenance $$

 

Being an owner of a C4 for 5 years, I had to get my “2 Bits” in on this one.

A few years back when I had the engine out and on the stand in my garage, a friend commented “wow, that is a big engine”. Without thinking my responses was – “yip, about 5 times the complexity of a 327, for about the same horse power”. It is true, but that is not why you buy a Ferrari.

I love my car. I drive it to work on Fridays, and get out several times a month for road trips - over the Sierra’s or to Napa, northern CA, home to the Bay Area…. It let me down once when a relatively new Facet fuel pump failed in a high current mode and blew the fuel pump fuse.

I do my own work and like to believe that I have become fairly proficient at it. Also, because I am familiar with the car, and more importantly know the status of my car, I don’t cuss at it. I know what needs to be done and I just do it.

Many of the above comments about maintenance are true. Tune-ups require the removal of the carburetors, a multiple hour task. However – I also think (I have never owned a Daytona so I can’t say for sure) that once your past removal of the carburetors, it basically the same as the Daytona or a 4 cam 275 with out the dry sump.

I while back I wrote up some experiences about my C4. You can find them as the last post under the thread heading 365gtc/4 at Heritage Classics –

www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38985

Good luck

Aaron

 

Does any one out there own or have owned both a C4 and a Boxer who can comment on how maint. on the two compare? I own a BB512i and can live with its maintenance requirements. I have considered buying a C4 but was concerned that its maint. cost may end up to be even higher!

 

Frank - I qualify to answer your question (own both a C4 and Boxer). I have read with interest the concern raised about maintenance costs of the C4, but as in most purchases, it is the differential in cost that must be considered. Compare the cost of a major service in the Boxer with a comparable service in the C4 and I suspect that the C4 is less.

I have not purchased equipment to adjust my injected Boxer, while I do have a screwdriver and ear to adjust the Webers on the C4. An airflow meter (Unisyn) is inexpensive.

Yes, the carbs are situated in a less than desirable location on the C4, but the engine is bullet proof. Maintenance is required infrequently. The car drives beautifully. Can be a daily driver with power steering, air conditioning, power brakes, etc. Little is required between major service in the C4 (major services = valve shim adjustment, chain tension, points, fluids).

In my opinion, there is no better value today than a C4. I enjoy both the Boxer and C4 for different reasons.

Jim S.

 

Fire up the flame throwers if you will but with the dissapointing motor and the expense I think it is a great candidate for a Chevy motor installation.[/QUOTE]

Are you drunk??
Sober up and read your comment!!!!!



Oh! or is it me!!! Erg...erg...erg..

 

I own 15625.

I do not have near the mechanical experience that Aaron has. He's been a great help for my under hood poking.

The car does not run perfectly...but it is a Ferrari...and it runs.

I still enjoy it very much...it is a Ferrari.

GREAT sound (http://www.fca-houston.org/FerrariSounds.shtm), very comfortable seating position, immense truck space., good value.

Fun to tinker with because everything is mechanical, i.e. no injection, no ABS, no suspension control...outside of the transistorized ignition, there isn't anything even close to a computer on-board.

I am thinking about a 456 GT or a Boxer...could I be more polarized? They are both Ferraris. I am REALLY torn between keeping the C4 ( my first Ferrari) and anything else.

All considered , the C4 may not be the easiest to work on, but you can work on everything and...it's a Ferrari.

 

I own 15693... a euro prod car that´s been in California most of it´s life (try to figure out just how that was accomplished???). I love the car. Sounds great, hauls ass and is very user freindly in terms of comfort. Yes the motor´s a bit tricky to work on, expensive if you cannot do it yourself, and the appreciation in price hasn´t kept up with the rest of the classic V-12´s since I got interested in them (around 1985). Still, the car is built to last and hasn´t really given me much trouble once it was set up correctly.
My suggestion is to go drive one. The others in the same price range just can´t compete. If you want more investment value, and can afford it, buy a Daytona. My two cents..........

 

There are two GTC/4's for sale on Ebay right now.

 

There are special places reserved in hell for people that do those kinds of things! If you can't afford it, don't buy it.

 

I owned a C4 in the 80's. I did my own work with occassional help from an independant when it was too hard to do with out a lift. I did the major carbs off set the timing service in my garage. It was fun, although the thrill of rebuilding the carbs began to wane about number three. After that it ran great. I drove that car as my only driver for four years. The only thing wierd it did was crack a wheel at the joint of the rim and spoke. I sold it for what I paid for it after driving it all those miles. I consider that a fine scheme. It is a good driver and makes the best sound. Of course if you can swing a Daytona then that is the way to go. If not the C4 is a great car.

 

I think the GTC4 is way better looking than the Daytona. It just looks downight mean!

 

I'm still trying to find an aticle that compared the GTC/4 with the Daytona. It was published in a British car magazine within the past several months. Unfortunately, I can't remember which magazine title or month it was in.

The bottom line was that the GTC/4, while only half the price, was more than half the car. It was (those editors found) more civilized and less taxing to drive.

I've always liked the looks of the GTC/4. I'm not a fan of the interior, especially if it's equipped with tartan plaid seat inserts. I'm also not a fan of the wide transmission tunnel and othe period trim.

Having said that, I would certainly prefer a Daytona.

Oh, heck, I like both!

 

That would be Octane.

 

I've driven two of these cars. I too have been tempted by them as a cheap entry vehicle into big carburated V-12 nirvana. The sound is truly great. Acceleration is on par or slightly below my Acura everday car and thus not that exciting. I have never driven a Daytona. I assume the experience is somewhat more exciting.