Multiple quesions about 308 gtsi/308 QV

I'm in the market for buying a Ferrari 308 gtsi but I was told through a Ferrari owner not to purchase an 81 or 82 model due to common overheating. Is this a truth?
Also, he'd said that 1983-85 QV models were the ones to buy and that they don't overheat.
I've seen plenty of sales adds for Ferraris 328, 308QV's that have had engine fires. How do I prevent one from happening?

 

Proper maintenance will resolve most of the issues you mentioned.

 

There's plenty of threads on the different model 308s. Search is your friend as is the Bluemel book
IMHO:
81-82 aren't loved as much because they lost power with pollution controls.
83-85 went to 4valves/cyl to recoup the lost power

having an 83 I can say it doesn't overheat , but runs very hot and hates traffic. Especially stop-n-go.
I've replaced the thermostat, coolant hoses, had the radiator pulled & flushed, replaced the foam around the radiator, etc. etc and still have to watch traffic in the summer. My experience isn't unique. Search the archives for the re-occuring theme.

And, you might want to check out the late model carb cars. they sound especially sweet compared to the FI models.

Regarding fires: plenty of threads on this too. Basically, buy the best car you can afford, get a PPI done, and remember this car is 25 years old: hoses crack and split. Especially fuel hoses. Replace the rubber.

 

I don't think anyone should expect fuel lines to last a quarter of a century. Same goes for the coolant hoses. As the coolant hoses age they start to deteriorate and little bits flake off and clog up the radiator. Other maintenance issues may cause the catalytic converter clog up and/or overheat. I think proper maintenance is the key.

 

every year I have the fluids changed at that point everything is inspected,that means all hoses and clamps,I do this in April,the start of my driving season,the hoses around the engine get very hot and can crack, due to these fires are people who don't take the time or inspect all hoses every year and then lose the car to a fire mostly its the hose that runs from both tanks thats under the engine,every year its not uncommon for my mechanic to tell me he had to replace a hose or two,and I'm replace them with silicon,they'll last longer but its frown at the concorse shows,who cares!!!!!!!!!

 

I know I'm new here, BUT............Different people have different expectations of their Ferrari.
Some like to posess a museum piece. Some like to tinker, while others ,like me, like to drive them.
Some people just like being able to say that they own one!
Frankly, I don't know why someone would discourage you from buying an 80-82. 308's in general are not fast by todays standards.
So if speed is your concern, buy a different car. An 80-82 has the same incredible good looks as the 83-85, in fact, I happen to prefer the black windshield pillars.
I'm never hard on any of my cars, so speed is not an issue. I don't see why an 80-82 should run any hotter than any other year. I have an 82
that is driven daily in the heat of Florida without an incident. Sure, a Quatro would probably be a better long term investment but an 80-82 2v can be had for a more reasonable price. There will probably
always be a decent market for these entry level cars. Just an opinion.......................
NOTE: I never said they won't have an oil leak!

 

thats true,all 308's are fun to have,my qv is a lot of fun and more enjoyable after having a major service done,I spent about 5k on mine but it don't leak oil and if it did that would be a sign of needing new seals or due for a service but either way what ever you get make sure you have $$$$$$$$$ put aside for services or anything that comes up that needs to be replaced or looked at by a machanic,and please do always get a ppi,only a gambler would say different

 

While most agree, PPi is a wise move I'm not so convinced. Yes there are tell tale signs of an abused car that even a novice can uncover.
Unless you have a highly trusted Mechanic that will practically disect the car, I feel that buying any older vehicle is a crap shoot. NO ONE can see inside of an engine!!!!Some will seemingly run for ever while others can be a chronic nightmare.
My first Corvette comes to mind..........
I had a Corvette mechanic go over the entire car! He pointed out a handfull of things that would need attention. I bought the car , trusting his knowledge.
I spent 3 years, damn near replacing the ENTIRE CAR.
I didn't have my 1985 carrera checked out. It had 160k on the clock. I drove it every day for over a year, with the only maintenance being an oil change.
It still runs perfectly....No smoke.. no grinding...no leaks.....
Sometimes, even well cared for cars can be dogs.....NO ONE CAN SEE INSIDE AN ENGINE!!!

 

I have an 81...it will have "hot" issues if you don't keep the cooling system up to snuff...also a problem with other years, not specific to the 2V car [that I am aware of]. Most of the problems you will read about here with cooling systems are across the board. As a matter of fact I think the early QVs were more prone to overheating due to the engine change w/out a cooling upgrade. Let's face it, the radiator is in the front, the engine is in the back. All of the piping and hoses need to be maintained and the system bled...often. This will keep things running fine.

In any event I like my 81 a lot, it's a bit more primitive than a QV, but that's it's charm. If you don't need the smog equipment, drop it all [as I did], get rid of the cats and do some head work...it'll beat any stock QV

See my baby...yes!
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I had my '81 out last week when it was about 106 and had no problem even in traffic, never went above 195. The A/C kept it cool as well. It is a matter of keeping it well maintained.

 

4re-man is right no one can see in an engine or know whats going to happen next but in my case a ppi was what I wanted I knew the ferrari machanic for over 18 months and very well known,he did a inspection on it for over 4hrs,and he said if he saw anything that he didn't like during the task he would stop right there,will everything checked out good,it went on the rack,dyno, and compression and leak down,thats what a ppi is all about,that will tell you about the engine you can't see inside but see the #'s it's giving you,don't try to compare this car to a G.M. product or a german supped up V.W. its a ferrari

 

My 81 actually runs a little cold (tiny bit, not by much mind you).

 

Sounds like someone is pulling your leg. The 80-82 injected 2V cars have the same basic cooling system as the later QV cars, including same fans, radiator, waterpump, T-stat... In fact its the same basic cooling system as the early carbed cars.

These cars are old now, and the maintainence any particular car has recieved over its lifetime is directly correlated to what kinds of troubles you will have. If the car never had new coolant, or ran only water as many seem to do in southern states, you could have some real problems and a car doesnt need to be 20 years old to see trouble. Hoses deteriorate over time, and as Birdman found out can totally plug your radiator, making for some real head scratching far from home trying to analyse a problem. In other cases, getting the heads off can be a real shop of horrors if the engine has begun to corrode from all that lack of maintainence.

If the radiator is internally clean (rodded), as well as externally and if the engine is flushed and running at least a 30/70 mix of antifreeze, newer hoses, good T-stat and pump, AND if they are bled regularly and checked for proper coolant level (like before each run, or at each fill up like I do) they dont run hot at all. Ive had my 77 out in temps well above 100F and never seen the temps rise above 195F with spirited driving.