Hi Guys I'm going to have a look at a fibreglass 308. Main concern is possible rust. Where should I look for typical tell tale signs? Thanks Greg
They are steel, and weren't rustproofed. The frame could rust, but the car would have to have been pretty damp.
Check the front and rear subframes for possible crash repairs. Especially the front section, take a good flashlight to look into the airvents behind the headlights, and also underneath the front hood. If possible, have the battery removed to check underneath. Also, I've seen vetroresina cars with fibreglass osmosis.
Greg the are you looking at the Sydney car that is advertised or the Melbourne car or is there another car?
The metal frame inside the doors. While the doors are fibreglass there is metal frame bonded to the inside of the doors which the hinges etc attach to. This can ( and often does) rust badly. You need to pull the door trims off to see this though. A telltale may be that the doors have sagged. You can also get rust on the A pillars where the door hinges are attached to, ( look behind the cover plate.) Also the sills of course but they are not structural. Another problem can be the bonding of the windscreen to the body, after XXX years the glue goes hard and cracks, which open up a gap between the glass and the body. The glass needs to be bonded in properly so it doesn't leak or cause squeaks ( as it aids the rigidity of the passenger compartment. Difficult to fix without breaking the glass. I'd also look under the front of the car, especially underneath the radiator and the battery compartment for signs of rust or accident damage. M The sills do rust, but they are not structural.
http://www.carpoint.com.au/used-car/FERRARI/308/Victoria/csn7429272.aspx This one looks really nice! Only 28.000kms. Vehicle 1977 FERRARI 308 GT GTB Colour Rosso Corsa Interior Colour Cream Leather Body 2 door 2 seat COUPE Transmission 5 speed Manual Drive type Rear Engine 8 cylinder Petrol Carburettor 3.0L (2926cc) Kms 28000 Miles 17360 Price $89,000* Price Denomination AUD Registration Expiry DEC-2010 Registration number GTB 77 Road Worthy Certificate N/A Vehicle ID 7219172 Short Description FIBRE GLASS, DRY SUMP - VERY RARE Description Very well maintained with only 28,000 kms. Belts recently done as well as rear suspension bushes. This is collectable and appreciating, with very few (less than 50) RHD, Fibreglass, dry sump engine vehicles ever made. Very original. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
http://www.automarket.com.au/vehicle.asp?vehicleNo=496838 Incredible price. But virtually new! 1976 FERRARI 308 GTB Price: $180,000 Kilometers: 4600 Body: Coupe Color: Red Transmission: Manual Engine Size: 3 Litres No of Cylinders: 8 Log Books: Yes No of Owners: 2 No of Seats: 2 Fuel Type: petrol Extras/Features: One private owner until recently, stored with Graypaul (England), for many years and exhibited at the Bridge-North Motor Museum. Engine and gearbox have been stripped down, checking components as a precaution, then converting the cylinder heads for unleaded petrol. The chassis, suspension and eng Registration No: GTB30L Stock No: 6965580 Dealer Name: Piccola Scuderia Dealer Lic No: 19805 Phone Number: 02 9519 4332 Mobile Number: 0418248452 Suburb: Marrickville State: NSW Address: 11 Barclay St, Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
what does osmosis look like and what problems can it cause? One of the cars I've looked at had small bubble like areas on some of the painted fibreglass panels. Is that it?
Thanks. The car listed above for $180k has it! (btw he has dropped the price to $140k) Does it lead to other problems such as cracking or is it purely cosmetic?
Well the Sydney car has the defects that you already mentioned otherwise nice condition and coincidently owned by the same guy that owns the silver GT4 you were looking out.He also has a grey 360 6 speed man thats for sale as well. As for the Melbourne car,I spoke to the owner once a few years back(I bought some spare Koni shock bushes off him)He was thinking of selling then and wanting to get a 360.Lucky for him that he waited as the 360 market has gone down while the fiberglass market is still steady.He described the car as being in very good condition and from memory he had just rebuilt the suspension.I wonder if any of our Melbourne boys know the car or possibly can have a look at it for you?Good luck....
Thanks. I'm going to be in melbourne in a couple of weeks and planning to have a look at it then. Heard some rumours that it has rust issues....... Yeah I knew the other car belonged to the GT4 guy as well. Sounds like he needs to do a spring clean. It's still overpriced at $140k. Not entirely sold on these cars yet
I've seen osmosis on boats and swimming pools, never on a fibreglass car, I would have thought very unlikely too on a car. It it fixable - at a price. Article here on boats http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/osmosis.htm You can get hairline stress fractures in the fibreglass, especially around the edges of the boot compartment, engine compartment and so on. Aside from that, I'd suggest a fibreglass dry sump car, (afaik the Aussie delivered glass GTB's were all wet sump). I have not seen either car, can't comment on the condition. But the low mileage one has been for sale for a while,I think the ask was over 200K when it first hit the market. Too nice to "drive",I think perhaps good for a museum, so unless concours or collecting is your thing, not the car to buy. M
On the short list are 330GT , queen Mary , GTC4 but they don't seem to come up so often. I'm not in a huge rush though. Will keep looking and just wait for the right car to come along. Not many of the injected cars appeal to me so I haven't really looked at any
They are alright, but an "old" car. I've driven my GTB more than any of the other Ferrari's combined, it's a car i am very comfortable with. If you like the shape, my view is the choice is between a 'glass GTB or a 328 GTB, being the first and last of the series. M
I don't mind the old car feel. It will only get used infrequently so no probs there. Find the sound carb cars make quite addictive so not sure about a 328 (although never been in one so don't no) Rarity of a dry sump glass car appeals to me and if I can find the right one I'll probably pull the trigger. Once I get my garage built (hoping council will approve a 7 car design ) then I'd like to get a 4 seater v12 stablemate like a queen Mary to lug the kids around in occasionally
I ended up with a manual 412 for that reason. Considered the older cars too, but decided that fuel injection, ABS and decent air conditioning were all useful to have when hauling the family around. M
Greg while you are down in Melbourne ask Pete if he would take you for a drive in his 328GTB.He was considering selling it and in GTB form its pretty rare,otherwise the GTS is nice to drive as well.With a nice exhaust and with out cats,the 328 gets close to carb induction noise,,but obviously doesn't quite match it. If you like,PM me and you can come and see my car as well.
Osmosis or microblisters on a fiberglass car is fixable. This is a common problem on fiberglass boats that spend a lot of time in the water, mainly below the waterline. On a car, it is often caused by painting over fiberglass that has too much moisture content. The glass must be dry. Dry heat will drive the moisture out prior to surfacing and painting. To fix it will require stipping to the gel coat, a good sanding to remove the blisters, and thorough drying before begining the surfacing and painting process. If one is really paranoid, there are various marine sealers (barrier coats) available, Interlux 2000 I believe is one, that are epoxy based and specifically designed to prevent this from happening. The barrier coat is applied to the prepared gelcoat prior to surfacing. I hoe this helps. Bill
