1979 308 GT4 | FerrariChat

1979 308 GT4

Discussion in '308/328' started by OhioMark, May 15, 2006.

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  1. OhioMark

    OhioMark Formula Junior

    Feb 16, 2006
    464
    I found this in yesterday's Cleveland Plain Dealer ( Antique, classic & collector
    car section). I'm not involved in the sale and have no contact with the seller.

    For sale:

    1979 Ferrari 308 GT4
    80k miles, red, sunroof, a/c
    exc. cond. in/out. $19,900
    call 216/ 536-7241 or 216/321-0956


    Good luck!!

    Mark
     
  2. Perfusion

    Perfusion F1 Rookie

    Oct 16, 2004
    4,151
    Marietta, GA
    Full Name:
    Aaron
    If the car truly is in "excellent" condition, I think it will be well bought at 20k. Sunroofs are desireable, and although the earlier cars have the advantage of smog exemption in certain states (i.e., CA), I prefer to have the newest, best example of a partiular modelrun I can find.

    I think GT4 values are on the way up...clearly, as this ad demonstrates, not everyone is aware of the trend (owners included!), but I forsee the days of sub-20k GT4s fading away.

    Aaron
     
  3. Beta Scorpion

    Beta Scorpion Formula 3

    Jun 22, 2006
    1,336
    I saw this in the paper and picked it up. Now in the process of detailing it and giving it a good mechanical inspection. Came witih new belts, rebuilt carbs, aftermarket sans-cats exhaust, new brakes, disks, calipers, new tires (225/60/14 pilots), newly recovered seats and dash, working airpump(why?), fresh oil change and filter (including gearbox oil), recent paint touch up, original jack and related stuff, and working battery.

    Call me crazy but I actually like the Bertone GT4 styling. I wanted a Lancia Stratos since seeing one in R&T in 1974 in school but they are way over priced now ($100,000). I think this is the next best thing. In fact, probably better (bigger engine, longer more stable wheelbase, a-arm suspension, etc.)

    I also wanted something louder and less attention grabbing than my 100% original testarossa.

    One theory on why the GT4 might be under rated. People who cannot afford a modern 12 cylinder ferrari get a GT4 and say 'wow this is great but I bet a modern 12 cylinder ferrari is much much better.' Well, in fact the 'fun' factor of this GT4 is about twice that of the testarossa.
     
  4. Serg

    Serg Karting

    Jun 18, 2006
    104
    Los Gatos, CA
    Ah my friend.. Stratos.. you DO have good taste! A huge fan of the Stratos here as well... Actually any of the Group B cars.. I was gonna buy a Renault R5 Turbo until I found my GT4... still looking or one though.

    Enjoy the GT4 and post some pics!


    Serg
     
  5. miketuason

    miketuason F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2006
    15,517
    Cerritos, CA.
    Full Name:
    Mike
    Im thinking about getting an 037 Lancia or an Integrale
     
  6. Beta Scorpion

    Beta Scorpion Formula 3

    Jun 22, 2006
    1,336
    #6 Beta Scorpion, Jun 23, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  7. pernicev

    pernicev Karting

    Jun 22, 2005
    134
    Congrats! Though wouldn't the mechanical inspection have been better prior to purchase?
    I can whole heartedly agree with the fun factor comment!
     
  8. DavidDriver

    DavidDriver F1 Rookie

    May 9, 2006
    4,416
    Grass Valley, CA
    Full Name:
    David Driver
    #8 DavidDriver, Jun 23, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I too started off looking a the Stratos and ended up with a GT4 instead.

    There are only a handfull (6 or 7) here in the US, and only one kit for sale. It's an Litton/Allora/Carson (CAE)/Napiersport, which is a better track car than either the Hawk or (original) Lancia Stratos, but not the exact replica that the Hawk car is.

    IMHO; It's not worth buying an original Stratos, if you simply want to drive the car. If you're a serious collector that's another matter. But I want a car I can drive. And since a great number of the original Strato's (Strati?) have been repaired with anywhere from 10% to 90% Hawk replacement parts anyway, I didn't see buying a "kit" as being much of an issue, for the experience of driving a Stratos.

    That was, of course (of Corse?) until I learned more about the hidden value and merits of the GT4, and then bought the Ferrari instead.

    I still like the Stratos though. I now have one too. Albeit, a 1/18. But after buying the GT4, it's about all I could afford <sheepish grin>.

    I've got a ton of pictures of the Stratos.

    Here are two cars here in the US:

    The Yellow car has a 308 motor in it. I believe it's somewhere in PA. It was for sale last year, in the mid-$30K range and sold. Don't know where it is now.

    The white kit, is the Allora/Corse car here in the US. I think it can be had for about $20K, but needs assembly.
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  9. DavidDriver

    DavidDriver F1 Rookie

    May 9, 2006
    4,416
    Grass Valley, CA
    Full Name:
    David Driver
    Great looking GT4! Just like mine too. Except for the Wheels. I have the Dino wheels and badges on mine.

    Like your bumpers too.
     
  10. writerguy

    writerguy F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2003
    6,786
    NewRotic
    Full Name:
    Otto
    ooooooh daddy like the stratos
     
  11. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,687
    North shore, MA
    Full Name:
    THE Birdman
    Oh well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think the Stratos is weird looking! Too short. "Honey, I shrunk the car."

    Congrats on the GT4, that is a manly car!

    Birdman
     
  12. Dom

    Dom F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 5, 2002
    8,475
    Congratulations on the new GT4!!

    Another GT4 owner/stratos lover here. Lots of similar lines between the cars. The GT4 is a great car, very underappreciated and undervalued.

    Beta Scorpion- my first car was a lancia beta sedan, then followed by a lancia beta zagato. Always liked the scorpion, but a nice one never fell into my hands.

    Dom
     
  13. Perfusion

    Perfusion F1 Rookie

    Oct 16, 2004
    4,151
    Marietta, GA
    Full Name:
    Aaron
    Welcome, welcome, welcome! The GT4 brotherhood grows another member strong! Congrats on your purchase...
     
  14. DavidDriver

    DavidDriver F1 Rookie

    May 9, 2006
    4,416
    Grass Valley, CA
    Full Name:
    David Driver

    Birdman,

    If I told you that your fuseblocks would fit on a Stratos, would that change your mind?
     
  15. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,687
    North shore, MA
    Full Name:
    THE Birdman
    No, it would still be funny looking....but it would have a better electrical system!

    Birdman
     
  16. ants2au

    ants2au Formula Junior

    Nov 19, 2003
    774
    Sydney Australia
    Full Name:
    Anthony
    I thought I was the only one crazy enough to think that. My other car is a 512TR, and even though I love that car to death, and well basically it's a missile compared to the GT4, I can't help taking out the GT4 for a burn.


     
  17. dinogt4guy

    dinogt4guy F1 Rookie

    Oct 31, 2004
    3,408
    Hewitt, Tx.
    Full Name:
    Kurtis Fordice
    Congrats on the GT/4! And Welcome! As all have said and I agree, the GT/4 is a great car! I really don't know anything about the Stratos, but is is a bit odd looking. Kinda like a Fiero/camaro morf. I'm sure they are very cool, just odd looking to me!

    Cheers!

    DT
    _______________________________________________________

    There is nothing like a Ferrari, there never has been and never will be!
     
  18. gerritv

    gerritv Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2001
    1,400
    St Catharines
    Full Name:
    Gerrit
    #18 gerritv, Jun 24, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  19. Beta Scorpion

    Beta Scorpion Formula 3

    Jun 22, 2006
    1,336
    I actually "shop price" and was looking for the cheapest car I could find. I already have a perfect low milage testarossa, but, I needed a PROJECT. I have this compulsive disorder where I have to fix and clean things.

    In terms of mechanical inspection prior to sale, that takes the fun out of it! Basically I just told him the thing needs a lot of work and made a low offer based on that. To use an analogy, just as a challenging road course is exciting to a driver, the thrill here is the challenge of being able to personally restore this car to perfect condition. Maybe I can, and maybe I can't, but knowing too much beforehand takes some of the excitement away.

    In particular to this car, it would not run well below 2500 rpm. Just by tugging on the accelerator cable I could tell both banks were not opeing in sync. Shure, there could have been something else wrong with the car but my bet was on the sync, thats the excitement. Then the compulsion is that I have to buy this thing for cheap so I can get it home and in 5 minutes (after pulling the air cleaner) have a perfectly running car for 5 grand under the asking price.
     
  20. Beta Scorpion

    Beta Scorpion Formula 3

    Jun 22, 2006
    1,336
    I started with no-cost procedures while I was making a list of things to buy:

    Re-balance carbs
    Adjust play in throttle cable
    Adjust clutch so 'holes line up'
    Adjust engine lid opening cables and clean latch
    Clean and refurbish battery cable ends
    Clean carpets
    Treat interior leather
    Wash + wax exterior
    Rub out some orange peel
    Clean Jack bag, repair broken black circular plastic thing
    Clean trunk
    Remove broken rad. fan motor, clean overspray from fan
    Open fan motor to see if it could be fixed (failed when ceramic magnet cracked and jammed in the arm. Would need total arm rewind, new comm., brushes bearings and source for new curved ceramic magned-->junk)
    Clean superficial dirt form engine compartmet, eyeball everything along the way
    Clean windows
    Remove homemeade front licence plate bracked
    Remove old registration stickers on windshield
    Repair plastic handle on parking brake
    Replace lost ball bearing in headlight stalk (spring was still there!)
    Replace 3 fuel lines under airbox
    Inspect other fuel lines
    Clean spare tire and front bonnet area
    Replace bolt on popup light
    Repair turn-signal light assembly
    Touch up paint on wheel
    Remove and clean front grill, replace with matching screws
    Filled tires with air
    Remove glove box and re-seat big spring and clean glove box
    Close glove box and have spring pop out again (re-repair of this is on the back burner)
    Re-glue felt on parts of glove box

    Drive short trips totalling 120 miles to 'shake down' car to see what else needs to be fixed or replaced.

    Cost so far= almost nothing.

    Now we are ready to spend some money
    List of parts needed:
    Lucas radiator fan
    bushings for thing in engine compartment
    one bertone badge
    new front seat belts
    reverse light lens
    turn signal lens
    coolant tank cap
    fuel filler hose
    air filter
    one plastic gormmet around door opeining lever
    short parking brake cable and fancy long adjuster nut
    wheel emblems (even though they are original i'm going to group these with air filter, fuel filter, tires and other comsumables on the car)

    Parts should be coming next week
     
  21. Serg

    Serg Karting

    Jun 18, 2006
    104
    Los Gatos, CA
    Just wanted to make sure you realized it is only supposed to have ONE Bertone badge on the right hand side of the car, not on both sides.

    Serg
     
  22. Beta Scorpion

    Beta Scorpion Formula 3

    Jun 22, 2006
    1,336
    Thanks for the info! My single badge is on the right. I just checked the parts manual and indeed "quantit&#224;" is listed as 1. Though the parts manual seems to be showing it going on the LEFT side, I suspect this is wrong.
     
  23. 78-308gt4

    78-308gt4 Formula Junior

    May 22, 2005
    735
    Memphis, TN
    Congrats and welcome to the club!

    Early production gt4s had the badge on the drivers side and late production models had the badge on the passenger side.

    I couldn't have said it better regarding the "fun factor". One could spend 100K+ more on a car, while it may go faster it wouldn't be any more fun to drive. 7K upshifts with the passenger window down are a thing of beauty. Sound and Fury in this case signifying Enzo's passion.

    I've had mine for about 13 months, the last 7 of which have been completely trouble free - I had to replace the alternator in early December '05. I drive it 2 to 3 times a week.

    I still need to order a set of Birdman's fuse boxes though...
     
  24. miked

    miked Formula Junior

    Feb 7, 2001
    821
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Beta Scorpion
    Welcome to the "Dark Side" of Ferrari ownership.
    The GT4 is certainly under appreciated in Ferrari circles but thats OK with me.
    You will find that gearhead types that actually love to dive into working on their Ferrari (other than wash & wax with the "best, upscale, premium" wax) are pretty rare. I am with you, I like a mechanical challenge, machinery seems to talk to me. I'd love to have an open wheel daily driver just to watch all the mechanical bits working. Like you I bought my car after noting out of sync carbs etc. Not a big deal to fix. You will find the GT4 pretty easy to work on and a lot of the parts are also used on many other cars so prices and availability are resonable with a little research.

    I remember the Stratos well, little more than a race car with just enough body work to appear civilized. They were top dog in rallying until the Audi Quattro introduced all wheel drive.
     
  25. Beta Scorpion

    Beta Scorpion Formula 3

    Jun 22, 2006
    1,336
    On a little shake down run I noticed every once and a while the (G) light would flash on, then it stayed on dimly. Back in the garage with the key out and engine off it light brightly. Looks like some diodes are out! One can trace a nice closed circut on the wiring diagram up to the diodes. Of course a web search on Bosch on bosch diodes shows they do exist, (http://www.chiefent.com/products/bosch_diode.asp) but the 'where to buy' links on the Bosch site direct me to my local AutoZone where the 'sales representative' did not know alternators have diodes and they had no cross reference for BOSCH # 120489434 which I think is the correct number for the alternator.

    Anyway the alternator is out. Not too bad of a chore because someone had already replaced the alternator with a rebuilt unit and put the lower bolt in so it comes out easily toward the rear tire. Of note when I drained the coolant and checked my coolant pipe the inside is pristine, without buildup or crud. I also found it easy to remove the small bolts holding on the heat shield and then easily removed the wires from the back of the alternator.
     

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