Never too late for an 8

my humble opinion is the Mondial 8 was more electrical with doo-dads and doo-hickeys that did more harm than good in the long run compared to the 308. A lot of the 'early 80s' electronics I believe are to blame. I don't have much experience with the 8, but with my 't' - I know all my headaches mostly had to do with the electronic components. Once sorted - probably will be good until natural degradation occurs.

Best wishes.

 

And what do you think I should replace it with? I also had a Maserati Biturbo back in the day and with that I just bought better relays and kept a few in the glove box. The Alfa 164 was a great sedan...but today it is a matter of accessing the electronics for them. Are there special shops in the US that do Mondial fuse boards?

 

The fuse box in my QV was the bane of my life. It basically had the fuel pump circuit and another (I can't remember now which) that played up. In fact the fuel pump fuse would get that hot you would need pliers to pull the fuse and swap it for a cold one. That would help for a short time.
Eventually those two fuses were bypassed and that problem went away. I had an aftermarket immobiliser on as well which gave me some grief.

So a new battery and two new coils eventually made that car super reliable. I sold it then .

Those fuse boxes are horrendous in those early cars. They're not really up to the job and as mentioned if I had one again I'd rip it out and replace. I reckon that will fix 95% of the Mondial (and 308) electrical gremlins.

 

Is there a fuse box out there that can be swapped into the Mondial? If a fuse box is made poorly, it should be able to be "improved" or a copy of it should be able to be made that does not have the flaws. It isn't as catastrophic as a Porsche 996 IMS bearing and there are major after market fixes for that. How hard can it be to build a better fuse box and resolve the issue? I never had electrical issues with the 1980 308...certainly there must be something exchangeable there.

 

Hello! There are several members here that provide refurbished fuse boxes. You should be able to search the forum and find a myriad of providers. Also SRI provides a fuse box too. I believe the 8's drive train is rock solid (but you know this already!) - the electronics on the other hand were not as reliable. Factor in that these cars are almost 40 years old and the natural degradation of all things, it exacerbates the situation.

I commend you on your journey, I think the Mondial 8 is ridiculously underrated. I think more and more people are realizing this, and is evidenced by the rising prices. They are still relatively low, but nothing like the a few years ago, where the routinely would have asking prices BELOW parts value!

I would just focus on making sure the car you get is as sorted as possible, and 'most' issues are identified before purchase (you'll never identify them all)

It all depends on the condition of the 8 you're looking at. I personally would go with a higher milage example that is regularly driven and maintained then a lower mileage one that has been sitting for years. The Unicorn is the low mileage one that has had a faithfull steward.

Factor in that you'll have a period of 're-taming' the wild horse - and I think you'll be pleased and in the long run rewarded.

Cheers

 

Thanks for the answer. I will search for the refurbished as well as SRI's product. I am leaning towards the 8 because it will be less expensive to maintain and also to buy. These days I get my racing thrill in electric go karts...the Mondial 8 would be for daily driving, periodic canyon carving, and road trips. And for the pleasure of washing it myself...and even delving into some DIY. I specifically want a coupe...I've got a Porsche 996 cab right now and I miss the tightness of a coupe.

 

There's also this one: Ferrari Remanufactured Parts for your Ferrari classic cars like fuseboxes and other . The box that Guido makes . We have sold about 50 of these so far for Mondials, 3x8's, 400/412 / F40 ...

 

Yes I just found this source as well, with Google. This looks like a ready to go system and at a decent price. Thanks.

 

I think an 8 needs an owner exactly like yourself. Truth be told, any 80's car will be whipped by the cars that are coming out today. I wish you best on your search!

 

The old cars are always slower. But the European cars of the 50s were hand made jewels. I vintage raced a 1958 Alfa Giuliette Spider Veloce back in the 80s...and I'd love to have a Maserati A6G2000 Zagato. For me, the Mondial has that same classic elegance, it is like Gershwin and 1929 Chateau La Tour and a Rolex Bubbleback and a Picasso from the Blue Period. And it has a design integrity...and a real spare tire. I'm not sure if it will be one of the two I'm currently looking at...but it will be one and sooner than later.

Thanks for all the info and encouragement.

 

I completely agree. As more aggressive body work became more in vogue, the simple lines and more restrained styling I believe were further 'negatives' that was yet more fodder for those that sought reasons to disdain the Mondial line.

I believe time is treating the Mondial well and will only continue to do so. The styling to me is now one of the central reasons I find it so appealing today. I could easily sell my car and 'upgrade' to any other of the usual suspects (308, 348, 355, 360) - but I already feel I have exactly what I want. The fact that any Mondial is rarer then aforementioned models is simply icing on the cake.

Cheers

 

I've done business with them a few times!! Great experience

 

I get that. I fancy upping my daily drive Alfa diesel next year. A Mondial would be out of the question because the weather it would have to drive in on occasion (salt) would just not be right, but I'd love to own one again next to my 360.
The sound, smell and the way it drives, you know you are driving the car. Superb. I had a QV and I suppose some it is down to it being my first Ferrari but it goes deeper.
I'm sure I'd feel exactly the same about a 308, just a little less practical

 

Noticing that the 8s seem to have only one radiator fan but the later QV has two. Is it logical to add the second fan to the 8?

 

Fuel pump put a relay in and separate fused feed from battery. Current draw tends to burn the connectors even with replacement fuse panel. Later 16 inch Mondial wheels fit with same bolts and look good. I am 10 years and 18,000 miles into Mondial 8 ownership. Need to put the new Walmart starter in--old one starts fine when cold but hangs on restarts. In search for modern reduction gear starter British Car Starters markets them through Walmart.com. No it is not the fastest car in the stable, E500 wagon will outrun it, but is the most fun to drive.

 

Don't completely discount the cab unless you are really looking for track activity. I have a picture of my 3.2 on three jack stands but the 4th corner level and true in the air. Also I found in 2009 how flexible a VW sos is when I took it over some rr tracks that I drove mondial over all the time. Mondial solid. Eos jiggled a lot by comparison.

 

Hi

I just read your thread, what a great job you have done with your car. Well done and congratulations, you should be very proud.

Regards

Michael