Ferrari Barn find today

UNBELIEVABLE....There really is a Santa Claus!!

 

Hi Chelle<

Wait till I show Helmut your post ( He's on a Buz. trip)

He might just apply for our relocation back to Germany to be delayed....

A find like this, is what he wants to occupy his time, when he retires from his present job! Those two are just his "fix-her-upper" dream!!!

Regards
Gisela

 

A nice GT/4 is about $ 18,000 on ebay. This one needs probably some work. You get a 50% discount. So are you going to be the proud new owner of a real Ferrari for under 8k?

PS: If you do, I'll buy you a new Ferrari badge for the hood.

 

Chelle -- sounds like you guys had a fun time.

Would there be an opportunity to give some of the "Forums" folks a shot a these BEFORE they get listed on eBay ??

From your list

Inside the shed :
- 69 Corvette; (not for sale ?)
- homebuilt custom car;
- MGB;
- 65 365C porsche coupe; (not for sale ?)
- mid 70's mercedes convertible;
- 74 Corvette convertible;
- Cavalier convertible;
- 74 Ferrari 308 GT4 RED;
- late 60s white VW Beetle (from picture)

In the weeds out back:
- Triumph TR6
- Fiat x 1/9
- Triumph GT6,
- MGB with a hardtop
- a few mercedes
- Maserati Biturbo

LMK if you need any help sorting through / cataloging / etc. Am relatively local as well.

- Manuel

 

FYI -- saw this one for sale at http://www.ferrari-forsale.com/308GT4

Interesting model info as well, and some pix.
Here's one (of several) 308 GT4 sites: http://members.tripod.com/~ferrari308gt4/ferrari.html

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Ferrari began the family of highly successful V8-engined road cars in1973 with the 308 GT4. Formally guilded until 1977 as a Dino, the 308 replaced the preceding Dino 246, named after Enzo's son.

The 308 GT4, the Maranello factory&#65533;s first mid-engined 2+2, was the unique design work of Bertone rather than the customary Pininfarina. By placing the front seats well forward, Bertone made room within the 100" wheelbase for two children or one sideways-seated adult in the rear, while the compact engine/transaxle package left space behind the engine bay for a 188-liter (6.6-cubic foot) luggage compartment.

Although the new wedge-shaped styling was controversial, the performance of the quad-cam three-liter V8 certainly was not. The 236 bhp proved sufficient to propel the 308 past 150 mph, with 60 mph coming up in under seven seconds. All-round independent suspension ensured the handling.

Road & Track magazine was most impressed by the 308 GT4's blend of speed and civility when they tested an example in 1974. Apart from the performance, which you take for granted in a Ferrari, and the aforementioned remarkable flexibility of the engine, perhaps the most outstanding feature of the Dino 308 is the excellent ride it provides. There is no low-speed harshness and at speed the road irregularities are beautifully smoothed out. The progress, compared to earlier Ferraris, is enormous.

The Dino 308 GT4 is a mechanically robust car, with wonderful driving dynamics. The cab-forward layout gives a real 'race car' feel, and the stiffness of the tube chassis combined with the wonderful sounds coming from the rear can be truly inspirational. When well tuned they make great power, with the smooth V8 making terrific noises from idle to the 7,700-rpm redline and beyond. Power is especially good in early, non-catalyst-equipped cars or in Euro cars which have more radical cams and timing than the later (1977-80) US cars with catalytic converters.

The ride quality is perhaps the most amazing aspect of the car, as it is truly comfortable with no impact harshness. The low height and mid-engine layout enabled the use of fairly soft springs and shock valving for the double-wishbone front and rear suspensions, without any sacrifice in handling. These cars are a joy to drive, if not to look at. The 308 GT4 is preferred by many enthusiasts over the later 308 GTB/S for their more stable handling due to the slightly longer wheelbase.

 

Hmmmm......I might be interested in the '74 'Vette Convertible........Had to Sell my '75 'Vette Convertible when I was getting Divorced from Ex in '99.(And,a Hot Rod '81.... ) Let me know what He wants for it,(Via ""Private Messaging here on Fchat,preferred... ) THANX!!!!!

 

Chelle, how much do you think the GT4 could go for realistically? What would it need to make it drivable? Cosmetics are second in priority

 

the GT4 is a better performer than the Urraco - but in my opinion the Urraco is prettier

That pretty much sums up most of the comparisons between the two marques, no ??

 

Hey...how about that 356? Any more pictures or details of its condition? Of anything in the barn, that might turn out to be the keeper.

 

great thread Chelle! sounds like a bunch of fun!! by the way i would love to read more about how yours and Kim"s Urraco is coming. thank you for sharing this with us, ya could have kept it all to yourself!!! michael

 

"rented all the available garages in my complex" LOL!

 

Welcome back Gisela, missed you not being at the VA event.

Helmut said you were in Germany.

Helmut's on a "Buz trip"?????

Whoa, too much of his favourite cocktail?

Luv ya!

 

Chelle-

You and Kim know I'll help you out if y'all need it.

Just let me know.

 

Interesting. Keep us updated please.
Joren REMANS

 

Aw, man, it always happens this way. If I had not just bought my Biturbo I would be all over that GT4. Even if I sold the Alfa I don't think my wife would stand for another car purchase this year, especially since she is afraid of "junkers". I, on the other hand, think bringing a car like that back to life would be one of the most satisfying hobby projects imaginable.

 

I agree. I would love to see this car used as the subject for a rebuild on DIY. They are working on a 68 Camaro right now, and just ended the series on the 60's Alfa. I'd love to get a basic GT4 to drive regularly.

 

Be careful with the "barn finds" guys. These can be really tricky just to break even, and may or may not make economic sense. Know the retail value for the model, and parts prices/availability. Rarely do buyers come in under budget on these project cars. How many times have you seen the ad, "$55k invested, will sacrifice $20k OBO" when a restored car is resold?

Do your homework. There are nice near original 76' - 79' Ferrari 308 GT4's out there in the $17-25K asking price range. If badged correctly, 74'-75's model years are Dino's. Dino GT4's command a lower value than the later versions if in comparable condition. 79's with a factory sunroof seems to be the most sought.

Use the internet to search for a good car and expand your search area beyond local opportunities. E-bay is an excellent resource to determine what these cars are really selling for. You can allways fly or drive to the car's location to inspect, or post an F-Chat request for someone to take a preliminary look for you.

Dave

 

Dave makes a good point here -- unless you have access to inexpensive labor (i.e., DIY) and parts/supplies for body and mechanical restoration work, it may be difficult to make economic sense. Often the real "reward" behind these projects is the learning, and the good feeling of having preserved something of automotive significance (however slight it may be), plus the fact that you get something you can truly call your own. Moreso than any "resale value" one might recoup later. The only exception might be for rare, extremely-limited cars, such as a one-off racecar.

But I think this is an interesting find, and can yield a number of potential project and/or parts cars.

 

Might be some fun projects but they'd have to be cheep. Probably get a lot more parting out but that'd be a shame.

 

The fact is, unless you're capable of doing restoration work yourself, you're virtually better off buying a car that someone else paid to have restored.

I have a couple of friends that have extensive car collections (mainly Rolls Royces and Bentleys).

One does his own restorations, and I know the time, effort and expense that he devotes to it.

The other has a guy that works for him full time, restoring cars that he buys, and maintaining the cars that he already has.

In either case, the money put into the cars would probably not be returned or show a profit, if they were to sell any of them.

Both of these guys are very wealthy, and can easily afford their luxuries. Profit on their cars is not a concern.

If you plan on doing your own QUALITY restorations, make sure you have deep pockets and plenty of free time!

Money cannot become an issue if you want to do it right.

 

One of the best "barn finds" I've ever seen was in 79' when I was purchasing a 74' Jensen-Healy from International Imports in Waukegan. A flat bed pulled in with an original 66' AC 427SC Cobra. They found it in a Wisconsin barn.
Now that's a barn find! Rare, very sought, and now worth mega bucks.

Dave