'79 or '83 308?

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58376&highlight=carb+fuel+injected+308

This has been discussed a few times - check this thread for a start. Carb versus injected 308's are very different animals.

 

If u've always wanted a 250GTO or 365GTB/4 then buy the carbed 79, on the other hand if u've lusted after a Testarossa then buy the QV.
Bill

 

carbs carbs carbs !

 

QV, QV, QV...although '84 and '85 were improvements over the '83 (so I've heard). But I don't like "no records".

Check this out Re: a carbed car:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63648

 

Get the 83.
To be honest I have had both 83 and have an 85 QV. They is no major reason to stay away from a nice 83. There is nothing wrong with them they are just slightly different than 85s.

 

Engine bay fires are supposedly much more common in carb'ed 308's than in injected - actually in many cars that combine carburetors and catalytic converters. My '76 MGB, engineering marvel that it was (), had a single carb directly over the catalytic converter - those burned up left and right. I had one close call and then popped the hood every time I started the car up for a drive.

I suppose if you do the "pre-flight" check and are religious about replacing fuel lines then the risk is minimized. Plenty of nice carb'ed 308's around, so it's not like they burst into flames as a matter of course...

'84 and later 308's have better rustproofing and a single cat, IIRC. An '84 or '85 WITH records would be more desirable, although a great '83 with records is still a nice car.

 

I would be hesitant to touch any Ferrari without any service records, especially one that is 22 yrs old.

Now if you are comparing like vehicles with similar records and mileage then it comes down to a few things.

Carb cars are just as quick as QV's, however they make a very different sound. They are also a little more raw, if they both have the 16" wheels you will find the carb'd cars have a little more road feel.

The Qv's will start and idle a little better and easier than the carb'd car. Aside from that, buy the best car you can afford, but make sure you get as much of the service records as possible.

Either should be PPI'd by a reputable shop.

You have to decide if you are a carb guy or a FI guy.

 

Having had both, I would go QV. However, the 3 primary factors you should consider are condition, condition, and then, condition. Good luck.

 

Either one would be great.
But you might want to consider driving it more than an average of 2.7 miles a day.

 

After seeing the recent melt down of a carb'ed car... i LOVE the sound of carbs and all, yet FI seems to be less troublesome and easier to maintain. LOOK FOR RUST as in 83 they did not rustproof as they did in 84/85.

 

"I can't take it to work lest my colleagues think they are underpaid"

I'll bet most of the SUV's in the parking lot cost more than an old 308.

 

I've had both. I love the carb' sound but love the ease of fuel injection. My opinion is to get the best car you can afford. Let us know what you do and good luck. BTW, I have an fi'd 308 but certainly do not blame those with carb'd cars. The sound is remarkable. Dane

 

Carbs's!!

 

I owned a '83 QV for five years prior to my Boxer.

It was a really great car! The '83 is the only year of the QVs to have a true dual exhaust system. The 84-85's have a single cat and single inlet muffler.

The '83's have two cats and a two inlet muffler system.

They sound absolutely outrageous with test pipes and a Tubi.

http://www.ferrari308.com/sounds/gary_308qv_redline.wav

 

Drive both of them then decide. I'd go for the carb'd car.

 

Congrats!

 

Congrats, lets see a pic.
Bill

 

That makes me smile and the more I play it the more I approach laughter. I'm saving this site on my desktop for when ever I need a pick-me-up! Play it again Sam.

 

damn that sounds cool!


congrats on the carb 308 purchase, i have been the carb car cheerleader here for some time.

 

Even better, I get to play with my 83 for the first time in two weeks.