To the original poster: You may want to look into a Vintage Air universal system. The street rodders swear by these guys, and I'm sure with some thinking you could make this work. www.VintageAir.com
A Ferrari without a Ferrari engine is simply NOT a Ferrari. A Ferrari is not all about its engine's speed capabilities, it is about the completely unique character of how the engine works - the sound, the RPM range, the sound, the feel, the sound. And comparing a 308 to a modern 350Z is an absurd argument: duh, it's slower (slower than a Civic, too). But again, that's not the point. And if I have to explain "the point" any further, you just don't get it to begin with. And dare I say that this is not a snob thing, it's just that a Ferrari is a Ferrari because of the engine: it's heart/soul/personality all wrapped together. Drive your car in good health and have a blast racing 350z's. And the girls won't know the difference, so if you're a profiler, you'll be in the pink. Just don't try to argue that a Ferrari without a Ferrari engine is still a Ferrari - or better yet - some sort of modernized "upgraded" Ferrari. It isn't, and you'll look like a fool for trying to convince anybody - especially people on this board - that it is.
On topic A/C comment: I am very new to Ferraris, but I had a Maserati 430 a couple years ago. My father converted it to R134...bad idea. I think I was one of the only people in the world who converted from R134 back to R12. But it was 100% worth it. The higher head pressures of the R134 almost stalled the old Maserati compressor. Off topic Ferrari-Fiero comments: 1. You'd get more respect if it was at least a V8. Maybe an LS1. Something high tech maybe. 2. To say the Fiero V6 has similar performance to a 308 V8 is ABSURD. The Fiero V6 makes ~ 125 horsepower. My carb'd 308 makes almost TWICE that. 3. The sounds...the sound of pretty much any V6 with an aftermarket exhaust is horrible. It sounds like someone is gargling. V-6 Camaros, S-10 pickups and blazers, Isuzu Troopers, old Jeep Cherokees, (what else had the 2.8 V6 in it, actually what didn't have thet motor in the mid 80's?) GAAAAAAAAAARGGle....as they go by. I'm not judging, just commenting. Aaron
Keep in mind that he bought it like this. I would like to know why the person that replaced the engine did what he did. The way I look at it is everyone has different tastes. The last thing I would want is to drive down the road and have every other car be a concours 85 308. If this 308 would come to the weekly car show that is out in SoCal, and had it's bonnet up, love it or hate it people would notice the engine.
Actually, the Ferrari people would be there trying to help out because they heard the car arrive and want to know if the owner needs help with that engine problem. But seriously folks, a previous poster made the real point. If this car makes him happy then more power to him! I mean, most of our cars are not technological wonders. We're just crazy about them for what they ARE. And that is where the fanatical appreciation of the drive-line comes in. I'd venture that most of us enjoy our cars for the drive-line. The fact that they are beautiful isn't even Ferrari's doings. That's Pinninfarina! rick '79 308GTB #28133 with Webers, dry sump, deep chin and oodles of fun.
I understand why the previous owner replaced the Ferrari engine. It would have probably cost far more than the owner could recover when selling the car. About 15K for rebuilding the engine. The 6 cyl GM engine was less than 1K rebuilt. It made a practical option, buy it to drive with the 6, later convert it back with a Ferrari engine. Have fun, the car really looks nice. Charles
Great thread, but what the !#@* was I thinking? I mean, I may have just as well went to Catholics.com and tried to convince people that the Pope was Satan!! Actually, that may have been easier. But honesty, I appreciate everyone's input And to you naysayers - I gotta admit when I first saw the car, my first thought was "who would put a Fiero engine in a Ferrari? ". But in the end it works for me. I'm afraid of those $4000 belt changes and tune ups. If money were no object, I'd be driving a 360. And if I feel the need for some respect, I'll just jump over to the Fiero Forums Those guys can cram a lot into an engine compartment. I may drop in a small block chevy or 3800sc later down the road if I dont' get tired of it first. Love this forum. I guess I'll be a stepchild of sorts, but it truely is a great place for a novice like me to get help.
We might be able to help if the car is stock, but if we don't know what hardware you're running for heat/ac, then we can't make good suggestions. If you're still running the stock heater cores and evaporator, then it may be a mismatch with the hardware in the back. The stock mill runs coolent at 180-190F. If you can't get heat out of that, there's a problem with the heater cores moving fluid or air. But the stock radiators may be overcooling the output of your V6. Aircon was never a 308's strong suit. But hooking a generic compressor up to the stock evaporator could have random results. It might take actual engineering to match up pressures. The stock machines have a few common issues, but your one-off is unique. Few people will be able to help you in a forum where we exchange experiences, because nobody else has experience with that combination. That's one of the reasons I'm hesitant to replace the CIS on mine. It would run better until it broke, and then nobody else would be able to diagnose it. And that's why mods reduce the value: even if it runs better, the next owner wouldn't be able to get it repaired or serviced. And without service, it won't run too far.
Skewz stick with it. The AC is no big deal and as many state the system is under designed . The compressor conversions done by some here will not cause a problem so if you go with sanden or the old piston type it won't change the output. The problem in my opinion is the evaporator and blower set up. They are undersize. When the car sits in the sun it has a greenhouse effect due to the large glass area. So cooling it back down is a problem. I find if you drive it out of your garage on a 90* day and turn on the AC it stays pleasant but if you park it in the sun it takes a long time to cool it down. So if you want to restore it back to OEM standards you need to strip it down and flush the system , replace the receiver dryer and the other valve in the system. Then refill the system with either R12 (most efficent ) or 134A. (I retro'ed with 134A) and you got what you got. The heaters should work fine and you should have no problems with temp. in the engine. I would do a tuned port EFI 350 V-8 though. I still wonder how the conversion went because when I look under mine I can't see how to deal with the suspension unless there was some cutting and welding. Interesting and enjoy the ride. So with a V-8 you would have the 308 version of the Cobra.
It's all good. I should have stated at the beginning that my a/c and heat ARE working. II'm just looking for ideas on improvement. I would like the car to heat and cool as fast and efficiently as my other cars do. This will be a long term project car for me. My ultimate goal is to make the car as comfortable and fun to drive as possible. Thanks
Selling your car? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981-Ferrari-308-GTSI-AMERICAN-ENGINE-NOT-A-KIT-CAR_W0QQitemZ250078363203QQihZ015QQcategoryZ6212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Yeah, the AC might be marginal on a Ferrari, but HEAT is generally one of the few things that works all the time, whether you need it or not! The heater in our Mondial could be used to heat our entire house. Same thing for the 308. Birdman
If you like the mod so much, why are you selling it? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981-Ferrari-308-GTSI-AMERICAN-ENGINE-NOT-A-KIT-CAR_W0QQitemZ250078363203QQihZ015QQcategoryZ6212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
