Chassis # info

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that's not your VIN, that's your engine number. That's why looking it up isn't getting you much information.

 

Sorry, Jonathan, but your right…and wrong.

Right as “106AS30083” is indeed not a VIN as we know these in their standard 17 positions format, but this is perfectly normal as no carbed 308 ever received a 17 positions VIN, except the last dozen or so of Right Hand Drive carbed UK GTBs, which are the only carbed cars with a proven standard 17 positions VIN.

Wrong as “106AS30083” is not an engine number, but the identification of the car as punched on the plate affixed on the steering column: it is not a “standard 17 position VIN”, but it is nevertheless a chassis number indeed.

The reason why car number “30083” appears as “unknown” in the main chassis numbers data-bases is simply that this car has not been spotted until today by a “trainspotter” who could have then sent the number and particulars (color, color of the leather, etc) to those people keeping the data-bases up to date. Remember that if “about 75%” of all Ferraris produced are indeed identified to this day by their chassis number, it leaves still 25% of all Ferraris unknown…so it is not surprising to see one pops up from time to time.

It would be nice, by the way, to know this car external color, leather color, carpet colors, to up-date the D.B…

As for its history, if it is a USA car (?), then the dealerships or servicing shops could perhaps help to find a path to trace its history (depending on what information is on the car’s papers, if any?). Otherwise, a stroke of luck, maybe…

Rgds

 

Did they put the F106AS info on the steering column in Europe? I don't think I've ever seen that here in the US. My '78 for sure only has the chassis number.

Check with Carbon here, he has a wealth of info.... http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/members/735.html

 

It's PART of the engine compartment's frame stamping, they most likely butchered it, on the Title paperwork.

Adding the "F106AS*30083*, to add the "stars" that the frame stamping uses, makes it a "F106AS" frame designation, correct for the 1978- 1980 GTS models, and the '30083' is the five digit VIN of the car under the pre-17 digit VIN law.

You still cannot tell from all that the designated market of the car.
Go by the rectangular fender markers, to make it North American, if round repeaters it's more likely a World Market car.

HTH

 

Sorry reading it again, if it's a 1980 with carbs, it's a Euro version!!

 

Well, that surely won't ease the research for its "first origins", unless some import papers can be found somewhere, or someone got the information by a stroke of luck, or from the factory...
because it can come from any european country, the chassis number won't allow any leads...

Rgds

 

Sorry to cool down your enthusiasm, but there were quite a few hundreds of carburatted 308 produced after 30083...
The last known GTBs are in the 34xxx range: 34501 and 34503; so even for the "tin tops" alone, you have a few hundreds produced after 30083: see the list here:

http://www.r-design.net/308/index_e.html

I guess it all depends how you define "one of the last"...

Rgds

 

And the production/manufacture date was most likely late 1979

 

You said in your other thread the manufacture date was November 1979 which accords with your vin number, but first registered 1980. My car 29041 has a similar story - built late 79, first registered 1980.

 

I think we have it sorted in the other thread.....

The fact that he has a Production Date style Door Jamb plate tags it as a North American spec car.....

I hope he bought it, there have been no pictures....

Recall in those days most cars were delivered by boat, so, six months transport time sounds reasonable

 

Well...not wanting to enter a war of words, but...there are a few inaccuracies here that perhaps need to be corrected.

I understand that your car left the factory in November 1979. Between its chassis number, 30083, and the last known carbed car, 34503, there are a few hundred other carbed cars already identified by those who work on lists of chassis numbers. This is a FACT, and it is proven.

The 308 was at the time the most produced Ferrari (remember that it is the car that saved Ferrari...) so the best part of all cars between 30083 and 34503 are 308 indeed; as Ferrari used only odd numbers at this period, between 30083 and 34503 there were 4420/2, that is to say 2210 cars produced, of which about 1000 were 308.

The production year 1980 - I mean the calendar year, from January 1980 to December 1980 - is one for which the transition between carbed 308 and "injected two valve" is not easy to understand. The carbed cars were produced solely from January to August; the "injected two valve" appeared in september 1980, but did not superceeded the carbed car completly and immediately, both models were assembled in parrallel during a few months (standard Ferrari practice in those days, same in 1989 for the late 328 and early 348 assembled together during five months, from april to september 1989).
So the biigest part of all the 308 produced in the calendar year 1980 were carbed cars, but some carbed cars were still produced in the first week of 1981. The factory production figures are available, and well known, by the way.

NOW: which car could claim to be "one of the last carbed 308"?
"AlbertoLP", on this very forum, has 34501, which is the one before the last, so that makes his car indeed one of the last carbed, I think, as is its sister which was the one produced before Alberto's car, and which is in Martin's hands, alos on this forum.
You could also say that any car among the last hundred is "one of the last carbed"; or any carbed car produced in 1980, or whatever...
After all, Carbed 308s were produced from September 1975 to September 1980 (not taking into account the last hundred or so assembled after September 1980); so March 1978 is the mid point between the first half and the second half. All "second half" cars could be considered as "late carbed 308"...

I really don't mind, in fact. What I am sure is that the very last carbed cars that I know are those of Martin and Alberto.

Rgds

 

What was the # of the first injected car, Bruno?

 

31327 was the first GTBi
31309 was the first GTSi

 

Yes; there is a "true overlap" of about four month of production between the last carbed cars and the first injected until the end of 1980, plus a slow production of a very small number of the last carbed cars, one by one, during some of the early months of 1981, at a time when the production of the "2 valve injected" was the majority of the 308 build.

For instance, 33759, a carbed GTB, auctioned these days in France (an ex-Albert Uderzo of "Asterix" fame GTB) was delivered new on February 5th, 1981.

1981 – Ferrari 308 GTB ex-Albert Uderzo Voitures Rhône - leboncoin.fr

Some carbed cars were even delivered new later.

As for the "2 valve injected", the figures given by the factory for the last months of 1980 are sometimes debated; we have discussed this with Dr Tommy Cosgrove in the past, they seem "somewhat low". Also care must be taken between factory production figures, which are calendar (from Jan 1st to dec 31st) whereas our American friends usually distinguish their cars by "model year"; another potential can of worms here!

(but that would be another matter)

Rgds

 

If you say Martin308GTB is truely one of the very last, his car had been built oct 80...
Which carbureted cars have been maid early 81 then ?

 

Ive posted it on another thread, but certainly for the RHD carb/injection market, this is as good a data point as any, i would have thought . Red line shows the cut-off point for GTB as dispatch from factory on 11th December ,1980 (my car)...... also 'one of the last' 308 carb's cars built, and i believe officially the last carbed 308 sold in the UK (according to Reg Vardy and Classiche records) on 11th March 1981.

BR,
Jez
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Always interesting to see in period information, thanks for sharing!

I'm wondering what all the different options are? Air is obviously aircon and Splr is spoiler (but which one? Front or roof?)
What would F/F mean? And WW?
P7's are maybe Pirelli tires, hinting at 16 inch wheels? Some were specifically asking for TRX wheels.

Best, Peter

p.s. Also interesting for me to see two Blu Dino metallic 308s in that list.

 

Splr is the rear (roof) spoiler. F/F is front fog lights. WW is an alternative wheel/tyre option (to Pirelli P7 or Michelin TRX). Goodyear, I think, but not sure.

Jonathan

 

WW = wider wheels?

 

According to my sources .....
Splr = front spoiler (i understand that the rear spoiler/aerofoil, only came out for the QV)
Air = Air con
WW = Wide Wheels 14 inch Cromadora
P7 = Pirelli tyres for the 16 inch Speedline wheels
F/F = Front Foglights

Yes Peter, it is interesting to see the prevalence of blues in this list, isn't it?!
BR,
Jez