'75 vs. '78 GT4 Compare/Contrast

I've had a '75 208 GT4 and currently have a '79 308 GT4 both euro models.

The series I has foglights built into the front valance, whereas the series II has them behind the grille, which I think looks better.

Inside, the series II has inertia reel seatbelts which really are an improvement over the fixed ones in the series I. The glovebox area is also different, with the later car having the fuses behind a removable panel below the glovebox instead of inside.

One of the biggest differences I noticed was in the weight of steering. My 208 had the original Cromodura Dino style alloys with narrow tyres. The steering was much lighter and "sweeter" allowing very precise positioning of the car even on the limit. The later Campagnolo 5 spoke alloys on my series II give much heavier steering but ultimately more grip. I actually prefer the feel of the Series I and have bought a set of Dino alloys, but not yet fitted them. I also prefer the look of the earlier alloys.

Apart for the foglamps, the big giveaway is the number of distributors. Series I had 2, Series II had 1. There may be a slight saving in servicing costs for the later single distributor models? The earlier cars had slightly more power, though I'm guessing at this sort of age the overall state of wear and tune will have more of an impact?

 

Isn't this a Euro-only deal? My '79 has 2 dizzys... I've driven a Series I car, but it has been upgraded to EFI, so the cams are different - not really an apples-to-apples comparison...

 

Really? Maybe it is a Euro only deal as you say?

The wheel/tyre options do seem to have quite an impact on handling though.

 

Upgraded! Thank you! I've said it so many times he's starting to believe it!

I've driven three GT4's. I'll discount my own Series 1 because it has the very desireable fuel injection mod mentioned above, and less potent later cams, but I would say it is comprable to Perfusion's 1979 as far as power.

I've driven another 1975 GT4, and I thought it had a little more zing than Perfusion's, but not night and day. Did it feel like 50hp? I don't think so. Was the car in top tune? I don't know that either. The seller thought so, but he was trying to sell the car.

But at 30+- years old, there's probably a lot more difference to be had with tuning and maintenence than with Series 1 vs. Series 3. I really don't think a series one with plugged up mufflers and worn rings will outperform a series three in top tune.

Wider tries do make a difference to steering feel. My steering is way lighter than Perfusions, but the wide tires do look cool at the very least. I think his car handles better, but my bushings look so awful I can't say how much is tires. And I prefer the five spoke star wheels to the earler Dino wheels.

Series three seems to have a few other unhealded improvements, one of which is a little more clearance for wider tires in the front and a 1978 should have a sunroof, I believe. Probably has cats, though. At least they come off or can be replace with free flowing cats.

All of the GT4s I've driven have inertia belts, that was probably mandatory in the US. For me, besides smog considerations, choosing between a series one and a series three, I'd give a lot more consideration to things like paint condition and mechanical condition. I don't think you'll really notice the 50 hp less, but you'll notice a $10k+ engine rebuild.

OK, that's more than I meant to write.

 

I would think that it would be fairly easy to remedy at least some of the emissions related HP drain through carb tuning and cat/muffler swap-out (and hold them in reserve if ytou ever wanted to go back to spec). The tougher decision I believe is not Series I (HP, Dino wheels, probably cloth interior) versus Series III (looks: wider grill, wheels, interior options: leather, SRoof) but consideration as to mechanical and exterior/interior condition.
Even that is not easy.
I have recently looked into a couple 79 carbed 308's.... one was a two owner, 16K mile car which had won several platinum awards, was maintained as needed (hoses, belts at 11K), but paint (some spidering) and other elements such as interior, wheels were 100% original and very fgood condition for a 30 yr old car. The other was a 25K mile car which had decent original paint, and some patina on the interior, but was driven a bit more, and had a few more mechanical replacements/updates along the way. Also, a bit more performance on this car due to P6 cams ordered from the factory.
Is it worth it in this case to pay a premium for the more "original car"? versus the one driven a bit more, and in very nice condition (although not pure show ready).
My fear (probably unfounded) is that you select the more "original", show-ready car, and it does not hold up in the transition to more frequent driving. Only the mechanic who has maintained the car could provide guidance through a PPI, I'm afraid.

 

If you truly plan on driving the car, it's not worth it to pay a premium for the show car. If you want a show winner, it's almost always cheaper to buy somebody elses rather than trying to make your own, unless you just enjoy the restoration process. From a finincial standpoint, however, buying a "show-ready" car has to be the way to go. As soon as you start driving the show car (regularly), it will no longer be a show car and as such, you won't be able to ask show-car money for it when you go to sell.

Everybody's opinion is different, but another thing I'd recommend against is relying on the mechanic who has maintained a car to do a PPI. Of course they should be fair and unbiased, and I bet most are, but you just never know. In an ideal situation, you'd be able to use a highly reputable, local, independant mechanic who has never seen the car.