Hello to all, Recently saw a 412 at the local dealer and really like the car. Other than trying to read ever back post, is there an FAQ out there that goes through the differences in the cars? How about pros and cons of each model/version? Thanks in advance, Joe
Not really, but you can get similar conclusions from the same evolution of the carbed 308 to the 328. 412 will have more electronics, painted bumpers and ABS. 365 has knock offs, carbs, "relatively simple" as simple as these big cars get. 400s and 400is are evolutions in between. Great cars, highly under rated, but get the manual.
Thanks. Are the electronics in the later cars gremlin prone? Hard to find parts for if they break? I am thinking about the electric seats, soft close trunks, touch sensitive switches, etc. By manual I assume you mean the repair manual? Joe
Not really gremlin prone, but you don't want to try and bring back a car that hasn't been driven much to top condition. Trim pieces are very hard to find NOS, but there are aftermarket places where you can find the major pieces. As for the manual, I was referring to a shift it yourself 5-speed...
Ahhh, a MANUAL! Sorry, my mind was in repair mode at the time. I'd love to get a manual shift, but, I'd like my wife to drive it every once and a while and she is a "typical" American driver. She loves the slush box... Plus, the other 2 toys are already manuals. Thanks, Joe
Get the automatic. Your wife can drive it with no issues, the roads in FL are mainly flat anyway, right? This car is meant for straight cruising. Even with a 5 speed you're going to be in top gear most of the time anyway. You'll save yourself some cash with the auto. First at purchase time, and later when it comes to servicing. Bubba at the local tranny shop can work on the turbo 400 on a Ferrari 400i, saving tons of cash. What's a clutch replacement on a 308 run?
Not sure, but I've had the clutch swapped out in the 365 for less than $800. It's a different car with the manual...
Really reasonable rates! Please tell me you are somewhere very near Florida? Oh, and my wife CAN drive a manual, she just doesn't like to...
Pretty involved? I think that's if you're lucky. When I was under my car last week replacing the starter I was constantly reminding myselft to be gentle on the clutch. It looks like quite a project to me... Brennan '84 400i (manual)
I bought a 85' 400i with the auto trans. These cars use the GM TH400 3 speed. If you do go with the auto, you will probably want to take it to a performance tranny shop and have them rebuild it with a shift kit. Also, the auto would be much better with a locking torque converter. The stock unit feels like a loose bucket of slop. If while cruising along you press the gas, but not hard enough for a down shift, the engine revs but the extra power never seems to get to the wheels.
The starter motor is conveniently located between the block and engine mount - I have a feeling that Luigi had no trouble at all assembling this BEFORE the motor went into the car, but getting to it with the engine in the car is a bit of a chore. You definitely need a lift to do this, but the steps went something like this (all of this is on the right side of the car): 1. Remove batter & tray 2. unbolt air filter assembly and (gently!) tilt out of the way. I didn't remove any of the fuel lines, so it didn't tilt too far. Just enough. You will have to remove the rubber boot between the air filter and intake. 3. Remove heat shield around exhaust headers (comes out through the top). 4. Remove rear set of exhaust headers. 5. Remove heat shield around starter motor (access from underneath). 6. Remove wires from starter motor. 7. Remove starter motor. Easy, huh! Once it was decided that we would have to grind the sides off the wrench, then cut it in half (the wrench, that is), it worked out just fine. The clearance around the stud head is VERY tight, which is only made easier because you can't see what you're doing! 8. Bolt on new starter and reassemble in reverse order. I bought the rubber boot from McCann, and the exhaust gaskets from GT Car parts. I was into this project less than $250 start to finish - and now my car starts every time! Instead of having my original motor rebuilt, I decided to go with one of these: http://hometown.aol.com/martingf/britishstarters.html It doesn't list Ferrari as an application on the website, but it was a bolt-on application. Perfect fit. There are several of us using them locally now, and we are all happy. It 'whines' a bit more than the original motor, but has high torque and low current draw. That was basically it. I may have left something out. I'd be happy to answer any more questions. Brennan '84 400i #47583
When I had my starter worked on several years ago, we found that it was the solinoid that went out. Take it to an old school automotive electrical shop before you go out and buy a new one. Minus the labor, it was something like $90 in parts IIRC.
