I agree. Doesn't take much, either. In fact, Audi's 24-hr. car has 2 strips - that's it. Newman - kudos!
I noticed a heat damaged wire from behind the relay block when I pulled it down. Ill be repairing that and there are a few connector ends that are beat like the washer pump and a few others I cant think of. Il be going through the harness as I replace the sheathing. It wasnt an easy harness to remove being one piece and in my GTB there is no room under the dash to work if there is ever an electrical concern.
Newman, greatly admire your effort here also. I did something similar but not quite as in depth as your resto job is going. Sandblasted all of my A-arms, took off the chin spoiler on my 75 GT4 and had to repair the cracked fiberglass on the spoiler due to bottoming out. Chin spoiler was just finally installed last night, took me one full day to rivet the darn thing back in. What a PITA that was!!!! Came out perfectly however, can notice the fiberglass repair work I did. Sandlblasted the front frame area where the A-arms attach to, blasted the radiator fan area to remove years of rust and also the inside area sheet metal just in front of the front wheel well and POR-15 the **** out of all sandblasted areas then followed with 2 coats of rubberized undercoating. I love POR-15, that stuff dries rock fricking hard. Sandblasted the front deck lid frame and recoated with POR-15 flat black paint as the top coat, did the same to the rear trunk lid also. Going to attack the rear lower qtr panel area in the trunk area that is loaded with rust, having new metal welded in behind rear wheel wells and the inside fender sheet metal that is a problem area on GT4's. Taking the GT4 to Scottsdale Arizona this saturday for a complete body strip to bare metal then respray along with new interior. My GT4 will rival Jay Grande's GT4 no doubt, his engine compartment is a bit cleaner than mine, but not by much. Won't have to do very much on my car for many years. I am in my 18th month of work---I started on the engine with new seals, new AC comp., retrofitted new Hayden fans, new fuel lines, new vacuum lines that run to the vacuum assist power booster and also the heater hose. Rehosed all cooling hoses with industrial rubber.
Thanks Don, Sounds like you are going crazy on your car too. Im sure it will be nice when done, its alot of work but worth it. Someone has to keep these cars looking nice rather than parting them out. Post some pics here, I wont mind the hyjack.
I hope someday I actually have the time to do something like this. It would be great fun, especially when it gets running again. Are you going to rebuild the engine as well and if so, put HC pistons and different cams in it?
I rebuilt the engine 2 years ago and put high compression pistons in as well as some porting, carb rejetting but retained the stock smog US spec cams. I hope to address the cams this time around and I must replace the sodium filled valves with stainless ones before one breaks. Ill be going through everything even a new clutch while Im here as well as cam belts considering they dont cost much and the heads will be off.
Rebuilt my engine in 89, only 10,000 on the clock since the rebuild. I am with you on not parting it out because the GT'4 are being parted out left and right making them more and more rare just as is what is happening with the GTB's and S's. Whether or not this will drive up the prices of the 308's isn't known---yet. If more F-car owners took care of their 308's, they would get more for their cars and drive up the prices where they should be. I won't sell mine for less than 30K after I am done because my example is so far above the standard GT4 condition. 308's are a true sportscar of the 308 style (308, 308QV, 328 series) cars and don't have the disco upgrades(cruise control, hydraulic assist clutch, FIAT looking control knobs and plastic, FI, etc.) 308's are raw and uncultured just as a true sports car should be. The GT4 series versus the mondial isn't a contest IMO even with the Mondial T consideration. Mondial interior looks like a gloried Cadillac with its thick unItalian looking leather seats, brown plastic FIAT knobs on the console and dash cheapens the look dramatically. First Mondial series cars are so slow they cannot get out of their own way courtesy of FI and umpteen smog controls and just simply weighs more than a pregnant pig. Same argument in regards to the 512BB versus TR time period. TR has seats that look like they are out of a Cadillac and Ferrari ruined the dash board/console design looks too FIAT---too square while the exterior of the car is round as it should, this doesn't match. 512BB has one of the best interior designs IMO with the thin seats and leather seams. Early Countach's are #1 in interior design and exterior. Guess who designed the body of the Countach? My only gripe is the lack of antirust controls vs. the zinc coated 80's 328's. Restore em right and they will be, just takes alot of time dough and patience. Hope you will be able to put it back together, I learned during mine, that it takes twice as long at least.
Paul, what is the part number for the 328 door skin (the number written on the skin in your picture has been superseded)? Are the only differences between the 308 skin and the 328 skin the door handle cut out and the fact that the 328s are zinc coated? I thought the 328 had a slightly longer wheel base made up from the doors being a little longer. Regards, Paul
I would have to check my invoice for the skin part number but the skin fit the hole. I held it up the night they arrived. I didnt think the 328 had a different wheel base either. The skin is the later 328 skin because of the door handle style. The other difference is my 79 has the lock cylinder mounted on top of the skin so it sticks out. At some point on the 308's possibly on the injected cars, they recessed the cylinder so it was flush with the skin. I know the QV's are flush mounted as are the 328's so that is the other difference and the zinc you mentioned.
I missed it but did you mention that you could not find 308 door skins? Are you going to put 328 handles on the car? Norwoods is a great place to check for cams for your car. Jim Patterson owns it now and their was a nice write up on rebuilding your 308 motor in Forza about a year ago. He talks a lot about cam profiles and HC pistons. I know I'm happy I got the '77 car over the later carb. cars. The cams are better and mine even has a "no cats" on the emmisions sticker on the car.
As a side note, 308QV's were anti-rust coated starting in 1984. So the door panel is also different than earlier models i would assume. Enjoy the Drive, Steven R. Rochlin
308 door skins are available but the ones I found were $1800 cdn each rather than 200.00GBP each for the 328 ones from ferrari UK. It was a no brainer and Im not installing 328 handles, Im eliminating the hole for the 328 handle.
Some engine pics from when I rebuilt it in '01 using high compression pistons. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Awesome job Newman, tons of TLC in your project. best of luck getting it all back together, thanks for the xlnt fotos on the procedure. I wish i had the ummmm..eeeeerrrrr "guts" to do the same on my 308 Bravo !
Uhhhhhhh nobody said you werent nuts. Its just that everyone already knew you were nuts, everyone is ok with that and most of us understand because were nuts too. OF COARSE ripping apart a perfectly decent 308 in order to throw many thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours into it so that it can be a great 308 is a tad silly from a finanical perspective. So what.... its still cheaper than a mistress (maybe) and perhaps even less likely to lead to divorce (maybe). Good luck! Terry
A mistress would be more expensive Terry, I would have to sell the car and give her half. She would do that just to pi$$ me off or get even. Ill add up the bills at the end, Im trying not to put too much thought into how much it will cost and that way my wife cant yell at me in advance.
I hate those dinky 308 Handles. If you end up cleanly cutting the 328 handle holes out, let me know what you want for them. If I can find a couple of 328 handles I may install them into my doors.
Sorry Verell, I bought the later 328 skins so I could avoid cutting into them. They have a recessed flange around the hole that accepts the handle which is now going to accept a patch cut from the same area of my 308 skin. Correct gauge metal, correct shape, no left over parts.
Heres some more pics. Now im tackling the door skins. Im glad I went for replacing the entire skin because under the lip I found more rust even up by the air scoop. There was no evidence of rust prior to unrolling the skin lip. It would have been disapointing if I fixed the lower portion only and had rust come back a year later in a different spot. You'll notice they left the skin bare metal under the lip, no wonder it rusts and they ran a strip of foam beside the center chanel in the skin to stop it from vibrating on the door frame. Ill send the shells out to get chemically dipped before attaching the new skin. I got ahead of myself just to see the new skin in place, it fits. Image Unavailable, Please Login
