Hi, Doing research on good candidates for restoration.. When did Ferrari start using galvanized steel on the body parts that weren't aluminum or fiberglas? I've seen a number of posts on 308's with rust problems. Was there a year when the 308 became galvanized? 328? etc? Where's the dividing line? I don't want to deal with rust if I begin a restoration project car.. tia Thaddeus
According to the legends, Ferrari started using galvanized steel in 1983/1984. However, they were still buying Iron Curtain pig steel so you do the math. But you have to remember that until Honda and Toyota started building cars that lasted longer than 3 years, nobody built cars that lasted. Do you remember planned obsolesence? Dale
Well, that's true of all cars, even modern ones with galvanized metal, if the skin gets damaged, it begins. But surely there was some point when the Ferrari sheetmetal began to be protected in some way? My Porsche 928 has aluminum panels, or galvanized steel panels elsewhere; rust is simply a non-issue in the absence of damage (except for bolt heads under the chassis, etc.) When did Ferrari begin to protect their metal?
You can argue that they still haven't started. You need to judge each restoration candidate on a case by case basis.
That's a spooky proposition... being a Midwesterner, where we salt the roads more than the food, I am extremely sensitive to the issue.. Case by case it is. Thanks...
The Boxer was the first model to use galvanized steel in the main cabin, the rest of the body parts are aluminum and fibreglass, concerning the 3xx series he QV began using galvanized pieces but the 328 was fully galvanized, early cars in unprotected steel that used laquer are the cars with rust as laquer lets water through to the metal and you will eventually see rust bubbles appear in the paint which was why waxing was so important to protect from rust. This is just the body though the frames are steel tubes and can rust still.
There are two really good books on the ferrari factory the one "inside the ferrari factory" (or something like that) shows the entire frames & bodys completely being dipped in severl rust preventing dips. There is another cool book showing the gt4 being painted in a closed room with the painters wearing not even a dust mask!
Robert - think that's bad? I remember a picture in Road & Track (in the "PS" -- final page humor thing) showing a Benatton F1 car in the pits. The fuel guys are wearing helmets, the tire folks are wearing Nomex, and everybody appears well suited (for the time period, that is). The guy leaning over the nose of the car however, is wearing a pit suit -- but has a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth! Ah, the good ol' days.
Just do what I am doing. As rust apperas on my car, I change the part for a fiberglas one. I just got ahold of 2 fiberglass doors from a 76 GTB that I am about to put on my 78 GTS.
What's a good source for fibreglas replacement panels? I'm googling, but I'm not finding... I'd like to have a price list in hand when I go shopping for cars, since rust may not be the only issue on the car I decide to save...
It's a shame it's been difficult to find someone to give you a straight answer to your original question, but here it is: Rust-proof (or at least rust resistant) coatings were first added to the 84/85 cars (late 308 QVs).
Even if you get an 84 and newer, watch the trunk (particularly the sides under the access panels) and around the windshield on a GTS, those are the areas mine is having trouble.
I don't have the specific answer you're looking for but can offer you a real world example. My 1988 3.2 Mondial has been through rain, snow, sleet, and 6 New York winters, complete with salt, and has no rust. Tom
