A Keeper

I've been looking in every now and then for a few months now (after John Moretti said "have a look, these guys are a laugh!") and after reading Peters post (Pp?) about his 355CH thought I might add my 5 cents worth.

On Christmas Eve 1985, at 23 years of age, I flew to Sydney on my fathers behalf and looked at a 308 QV in Chiaro Blue with 137 km's on the speedo. The car had been (allegedly....you know Motor Dealers!!!) delivered to a fellow in SA who had ordered a Gold car and knocked the blue one back. It was right at the end of QV's and the 328 wasn't due till June 1986...we thought an unleaded, non cat car would be better and we had missed the last new car ( a silver car sold to Alan Jones? and then owned for a long time by Phil Creagh) so thought the blue car would suit.

We drove it back from Sydney on New Years Day 1986. Over the next few years we were very active in the AFR (as it was called then, FCA now) and entered and won many Qld concourse and a couple of national ones. I also drove it on the track and won 4 national track days outright. We went on many club runs and had a great time with the car.

In 1992, while driving the QV, my father had a brain haemorrhage and luckily stopped the car in front of a Doctors surgery. He survived brain surgery but was never able to drive on the road again (he did have a couple of drives around Lakeside...scared the hell out of my brother!!!!(ausdino)). Over the next 10 or so years I took him out in it on drives either with the club or on our own and it always cheered him up. He would clean it as best he could with very limited eye sight and still managed to win a few Qld concourse.

Over the last few years he wasn't well enough to get into it and as I had a young child, the car has had little use. He passed away last November and would have been very happy that it was parked outside his funeral.

I have averaged 1000 km's a year over the last 14 years but it seems so much more than that. I had a glass 308 GTB for 4 years but never grew attached to it. I have had a lot of cars since ( not that many interesting ones except maybe a 993 twin turbo - the baby seat could fit in the back!), but it is the only car I have ever felt an emotional attachment to.

Last weekend we went on a club run and even though the air-con wasn't cold and it played up ( fuel starvation like John Moretti's I think - yet to investigate) it was superb. It felt like putting on a pair of your favorite shoes!
7500 rpm, click clack of the gear lever, lovely note......beautiful.

The car will never be sold. This year is 21 years of memories (do I buy it another key?). I'm going to make a big effort to drive it more this year. It's recently had a mechanical freshen up and a set of tyres (Michelin Pilot Cup Sports...seem pretty good) and feels as good as it did all those years ago in the Sydney traffic in 1985.

It is definitely "A Keeper".


Jon

 

Hi Jon. I remember the blue 308 rego "HORSE" from queensland and I remember your dad. My 308 GTS was my only running car back then and I went to lots of AFR (australian ferrari register) rallies. I still have my 308 and I think that the 308 has one of the best balanced engines that Ferrari has ever made. In fact the F40 has lots of bits that come straight off the 308.
My 308 , which I bought brand new in 1980, has done 86000 K's. More than any other car I own. So I have spent most of my time in my 308 and when Scott and my wife say, "why don't you sell it, you never use it", I can't. I have owned that car for almost half of my life. It's part of me.

 

Jon, I have promised my qv to a mate in SA but as you say, these cars are very sweet and tactile.

I think I will have to help my mate find "another" car as even if I get the 355 I am after this car is too nice , I love it, I feel good EVERYTIME I get in it and the smile never leaves the face.

I remember your dad coming to the Darlington Park trackdays and you expertly driving the car around so much quicker than my GT4.

Sad to hear your dad has gone but glad you took that beautiful car to the funeral for him,,,,a nice touch.

Be careful in here though Jon as there are some "characters"

I'm testing the qv fuel theory this weekend, will let you know how it goes

Cheers

John

 

Thanks Gil, Horse is about to click 33,500km! I used to really enjoy the Rallies..and remember you well at the Wangaratta one!!

I will get to Rallies again in the future.

Cheers.

 

Thanks John, I'll keep an eye out for the "characters".

Cheers,

Jon.

p.s. I think I should put "Giddy Up".

 

nice entrance to the fchat cocktail party!

do you take scud's sloppy seconds?

 

get your own

 

Thank you Jon for sharing your joy of ownership of a treasured car,often nowdays a lot of people don't understand or appreciate the sentimental value of things that can rekindle happy memories of time spent with family and friends.

DD

 

Cant say it better, soo I wont

 

Agree 100% DD.

Great post and thread Horse!

 

i feel so ashamed. Why can't i see DD without thinking of big boobies?

 

because you obviously haven't been getting any lately.....

 

Hi Jon,

good to hear from you after so many years. I have "fond" AFR rally memories of having my arse kicked in the concour by your Father, only for you to follow up with more of the same at the track! "Horse" is one of the few cars to have beaten my 308 in a concour. It was also the colour inspiration for my Father's Testarossa and later, the Blue Chiarro 328 that I bought.
I also remember your glass 308 quite well. You bought it from a "nut job" specialist Doctor as I recall.
I was sorry to hear of your Father's passing, he was a real Gentleman. Nice to see "Horse" is in good hands, don't ever sell it!

Cheers
Scott D.

 

Horse:

Would it be possible to post any pics of the 308? I'd love to see it. TIA


Aircon: Why am I not surprised!

 

It was in a picture that JM posted re his QV a while back. Should be maybe 30 pages back as a result of all the utter cr*p that Phil and PP have posted lately.

 

2000 posts of utter crap from you too, i see.

oh..and get fricked.

 

Oh, I see. This is that Jon! From memory, it looked wonderful. I'll have another look.

 

Is that 2000 thing significant? Should I break out the champers or something?

 

Just to up my "utter crap" post for PP, I spent an hour cut and polishing some paint this morning- on a BOOK ! Sad case, really sad.............

 

This was almost a perfect thread to read. I enjoyed and related to most of the sentiments expressed.

 

Here is that pic:

Love blue Ferraris!
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Theres a Azzuro 2V GTSi in Vic now that was an Adelaide car...

I think theres a pic of it at a Calder track day on the VIC site...

 

Yes, I remember it. It's a lighter hue than Horse's car isn't it?

 

Hi Jon
Welcome to the funny farm.
Sorry to hear about your dad.
john

 

Here is a pic originally posted by Ausdino in the Vintage section:
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