Further news on the restoration of my 348 Which I bought cheap cos nothing worked. Last weeks little puzzle was why was the right hand central locking was working and not the left. I stripped off the door lining and peered inside and realised that the lock barrel was not operating the unlock mechanism. At the inner end of the lock barrel there is a plastic orange tube which is connected to the lever which lifts the door mechanism. The plastic tube had sheared off at some point so when the key was turned the barrel just turned without lifting the lock. A replacement for the little plastic tube (which is about 1/2 an inch by 3/4 inch) was 130 british pounds because you can only buy the complete door opener assembly. Two questions, why is it made of plastic which can easily break off, and why can't I just buy a replacement plastic tube at around one pound ? The more work I do on this car the more I think it is a big attractive badly made tin can. The next job is investigating why the alternator is not charging, so watch this space. Have fun Ferrari lovers, Harry
I always say, a cheap Ferrari will be the most expensive car one will ever buy. They are just like a beautiful high maintenance girl friend. Just when you finish rebuilding them and buying them nice things, boom, they want/need more! But we always seem to fall for the shenanigans just comes with the territory. I know my 355 is the best car I have ever owned at redeeming its self after I poor a bunch of time and money in it. Good luck with the alternator.
Hi, Its OK, my passion is rescuing and restoring old vehicles. I am just as happy tinkering and rebuilding as driving. The car is 90% restored but still a few niggles left. Most of the problems have been due to poor electrical connections. I am checking the charging system completely before whipping out the alternator, it is probably the regulator.
Read through this entire thread, as it has loads of information. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/technical-q/142329-348-alternator-removal-rebuild.html Put in an upgraded regulator and rectifier, you may also want to replace the brushes and slip rings if they look worn.
^ what Ernie says. Also see the parts interchange sticky. I replaced my 348 alternator with a unit I bought at a US strip mall parts supplier called CarQuest for $156. It was a replacement unit for a 1986 Chrystler sedan. I only needed to change the pully to make it a direct bolt on, plug and play. Good luck!
