The MMR motorsports site has an interesting article about a early 308 owner's unfortunate experience with hotel staff. See: 308 Upgrade: A Cautionary Tale | Motorsports Marketing Resources
If you are a 308 owner you are not supposed to let strangers shut the front or the back. It's in the rule book.
I am familiar with the rule book. Prior to this incident I offered to help a border agent and his dog open the boot. Eventually, the agent thought it was a good idea. When I went to help I suddenly realized that the dog had not agreed. I showed him the rule book and he ate it. The dog, I mean, not the agent. I just smiled my "nice doggy" smile and the agent took his finger off the trigger.
If anyone is interested in fixing their broken part, I recently ordered one from Unobtainium Supply. Perfect fit & function. Thanks Verrel
When I was gone to Afghanistan one of my neighbors/friends was helping keep my 308 running and failed to release the button on the hood strut, so I have that nice little dimple in my hood now. Dr. Tommy saw it several weeks ago in Atlanta at an event. My friend simply forgot about it although we had been through it several times before I left. Oh well... PDG
Yep, when border control went to start pushing on my front hood to get it to fully close I yelled "NO!" They looked at me a bit surprised, I explained its light alloy and can get dented by pushing on it. They allowed me to close all the panels. Border control gets a bit surprised when you yell at them. But by that time the dog had already moved on to another car. I've seen a couple people reach for my engine bonnet which has the locking mechanism on the Mondial. Those are moments of terror. We must always have the guard up.
Get some dayglow orange tape, cut it into the shape of an arrow and stick it on the prop pointing up to the button. Eyecatcher. Sa it on a 308 once and thought it was a pretty good idea.
Not being a 308 owner - I don't get it. What did the guy disconnect to break the closing mechanism? How do you close the engine cover on a 308?
On the 1978 308 the rear hatch, in open position, is supported by a solid rod which sits in a spring loaded track situated behind the luggage compartment at the top of the trunk. When you lower the hatch, the weight of it pushes the rod down into the horizontal track compressing the spring and holding it taut. It is affixed to the hatch via a "boot prop flex joint", as pictured in the story, a universal joint. one part of which is attache to a point directly above the track and about 1/3 of the way inside the hatch. The other end the other to the support rod. As the hatch is lowered the u-joint bends and allows the rod to slide into the track.The u-joint assembly is held in place on the rod with a sturdy "hitch pin". like a bobby pin but with one ripple and a big loop at the closed end. He pulled out the hitch pin and lowered the heavy hatch on the rod which he just let dangle and he broke the boot prop flex joint in the process. It is actually simpler than it reads.
No link exists. It is a holy writ that sits in a hermetically sealed rossa corsa colored vetroresina chamber located about 3 km north of Superman's Fortress of Solitude. I am going to make the pilgrimage someday myself.
