Driving in a pouring rain

Dude, it's a car. It won't melt.



Darrell.

 

Dude, it's a Ferrari. It might melt!

 

Check that your dash top air vents blow air.

Cracking the windows even a hair may let in a lot of water. If it's a GTS, if the top seals are the originals, it might let in some water anyway.

If you keep the windows up, and you get water inside (such as on your coat), your windscreen may fog up. You'll need to figure out how to blow hot or cold air (or both) at the windscreen to clear it.

The weather seals on my 328 were renewed by the previous owner. I drove it in heavy rain many times. The wipers have a lot of area to cover, so when the rain gets really heavy, they have a hard time keeping up. But that's only the worst downpours.

If you have summer tires on the car and it's a cold rain, you may have traction issues. In the summer, the S03s don't have any trouble with wet traction, FWIW.

Also beware of very light rain. When it first starts to drizzle, all the oil dripped onto the roads will rise to the surface. You can discover "power oversteer" very easily.

 

Why did it leak or is it now a boat?

 

Take along a bath towel as precaution.


Baptism: My first drive...I brought it home after purchase, grease-stuck windows half up/half down in a 1 hour pouring rainstorm. PO gave me a couple towels to fend off rain in my face.
No adverse consequences anticipated nor experienced.

 

The chances are 100% that it will need a wash when you get home.

 

Absolutely, only use 100% genuine Ferrari wiper blades. If a leak develops, only use a genuine Ferrari licensed towel -- anything else might cause engine failure, for which the original dealership might be held liable.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138401




.

 

The local Italian Bike and Car club had a gathering near downtown Minneapolis last fall, and I drove down there in my carbed 308 in heavy rain. Of course it only started to rain after I was 5 miles from home, and got heavier as I went. Thats about 50 miles away, or about an hour of driving. It spit and sprinkled the few hours I was there, and then as expected, it rained heavy all the way home and stopped just as I pulled up the driveway. I absolutely felt like a fool, that I would have to be the only idiot dumb enough to drive a Ferrari in a rain storm to some car show.

I wasnt the only idiot. There were a few Countachs, 4 or 5 Panteras, and at least 30 Ferraris, many older V-12 cars from the 60's. Guys were coming and going giving rides, even in a Murci.

If everything is in good condition, and your distributors have the rubber protective boots, everything sealed properly, you should not have any trouble. Thats what will usually stop you, is the ignition.

 

I drove my 308 GTS (78, 79 and 85QV) cars in the rain all the time. The only thing I quickly learned was to have have towel with me. It wasn't a Ferrari approved towel though. The targa top is going to leak, at least mine all did. But, other than that, nothing else ever went wrong with the cars.

And, no, the cars didn't melt.

Steve

 

I drive my 308 & mondial in the rain s far never had a problem with the engine, just some waterleaks and the non Ferrari wipers.
DM

 

It is just a car, rain in fine., In fact track the 308 in the rain and have done over 100+ mph in the rain without problems.

Curious, why is it Fcar guys fear water? So many times i see Fcar owners seem to run away at the first sign of rain?

 

Check out this link to see some brave souls take Ferraris and other Italian metal out in rain.

http://www.wheelsofitaly.com/v2/us/en/xhtml/downloads/2006showphotos/index.html

 

I try not to drive my 348 here in the rain. I live in a mining town and went it rains, it is acid rain. Over a period of time, it damages car paint. When I take my 348 out and it starts raining, I take the car home and give it a thourough wash to get all the crap off it then park it till its sunny again.
Dont want my original paint damaged from the rain. It eventually leaves 'burn' marks in the paint that can be cut out, but not worth it.

 

I have driven my car in the rain with the TARGA top off! Ran into a driving rainstorm unexpectedly and there were no underpasses to stop under to put the top on. Just kept driving at over 60MPH to 'minimize' the wetness! Like everyone said it's not going to melt.

 

My BBi owner's manual states that it should ONLY be driven in the rain, "...else it will overheat, the passenger cabin will become unbearably hot, the air conditioning will not work, dripping oil will never be cleansed from the bottom of the engine, the cycling radiator fans will melt fuses and their fuse blocks, and one shan't notice the misfiring of the Dinoplex/fuel injection system as the power available at the rear wheels will be appropriate for the driving conditions..." Found on page 416.

Let it rain.

Jim S.

 

I get a little belt squeal in the rain. Otherwise, I can't see much difference in driving the car. After driving in the rain I have to let the trunk area dry out, and there's usually extra gunk all over the engine. I've got perelli P400 tires on it and they perform just fine. Normally I don't hammer the car, and I especally don't hammer it in the rain. Here on the Oregon coast you'll drive in the rain sooner or later. It's just a matter of when.

Bob Wassam

 

the main concern i have with driving in the rain is being seen. down here the majority of vehicles are trucks. driving a dark car so low to the ground makes you invisible to a driver 5 feet in the air. they'll change lanes and run right over you.

 

My first ever ride behind the wheel of a Ferrari - my Ferrari was in torrential rain which started in London, continued on the other side of the channel and only abated in central Germany. That was 800 kms. Car was absolutely fine and didn't even look too dirty.

 

good point tatcat, I have nearly been flatten several times by trucks who can't see me

as for the rain, I drove my car for 2 days through the worst downpour we have had for over 10 years, the road was cut in 3 places in the 2,000km trip which meant diverting up to the mountains using C grade roads and having to traverse 2 rivers (well they became rivers due to the rain) 18" deep, never missed a beat except when I lifted the engine cover and water ran into the engine fouling the plugs

Cleared in about an hour and was fine

 

Because Mother Nature doesn't use "Cascade" in the rinse cycle.

When you wax the car to protect it against acid rain, the water beads -- and then dries, leaving little circle marks all over the car ... until you wash it again.

But at least it washes some of the road dust off.

Heck, that happens rain or shine.

 

Well I dont know about all 308s, but my 75 308GT4 has lots of places like in the doors where water will sit and rust the car. I do not know when Ferrara started to use gavanized sheet metal to build the bodies but at least for 308Gt4 they did not. There are all sorts of doubler places,(two sheets of steel next to each other) particularly in the rear trunk area where water will accumulate, take a very long time to dry out and your car will rust from the inside out. Be carefull.