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July 12, 2010
How Is It Possible To Lose A Part This Big?
By Sam Barer
Sound Classics
One of the most frustrating things about do-it-yourself auto repair is dealing with vanishing parts. The only thing worse than turning a twenty-minute job into a two-day event by dropping that special nut, bolt or spring is to break the part outright due to sheer frustration or stupidity.
I’m well experienced with all forms of parts losing, but I seem to specialize in fumbling nuts and bolts into the depths of the most inaccessible places. With this in mind, I wasn’t surprised when during the process of replacing the eight too-lean jets on the four Weber carburetors on the Infamous Craigslist 1976 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, I bumped one of the tops of the carburetors sitting on the edge of the air cleaner housing. I heard it go falling down into the engine bay with a succession of clanks and pings.
I figured it was no problem. After all, an air horn of a Weber DCNF is too big to lose, right? Read on…
Continue reading "How Is It Possible To Lose A Part This Big?" »
June 28, 2010
Top Ten Vehicles That Need to Come Back
By Rob Einaudi
Editor-in-Chief
Most of these vehicles should never have disappeared in the first place, but all of them need to come back. Now. Let me know what you think of my list. What did I miss?
Ford Bronco
I really don’t know what Ford is waiting for. Seems like a no brainer to me.
See the rest after the jump!
Continue reading "Top Ten Vehicles That Need to Come Back" »
January 7, 2010
Just A Few Wires And A Fuse Away From Sweet Music In The Ferrari
By Sam Barer
Sound Classics
When I bought the Infamous Craigslist 1976 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 last year I noticed its stereo didn’t work. Now that it’s back on the road and I’ve been driving it a bit, I decided to do a little digging into what might be the source of the issue.
Before you make some knee-jerk comment like “the Ferrari’s V8 should be enough music”, when you’re stuck in traffic or on a long trip even a supercar’s engine doesn’t cut it.
Diagnosing classic radio issues is so easy that an ADD-riddled journalist can do it. If you can hook-up a home stereo, you can generally get a car stereo working, because the same issues apply: one power wire (which usually goes to the fuse box) and one ground wire, plus a positive and ground running to each speaker. There’s also a big cable that goes to the antenna (and sometimes a wire to connect if the antenna goes up when the stereo is turned on). That’s it! Basically, the only catch is to make sure you unhook the battery cable so a live circuit doesn’t give you Don King hair.
Continue reading "Just A Few Wires And A Fuse Away From Sweet Music In The Ferrari" »
April 24, 2009
Frustration and Ego Deflation: the GT4 Won't be Ready for the Show
By Sam Barer
Sound Classics
Like many automotive journalists, I’ve been burning the candle at both ends. One lit wick represents my columns, including “Sound Classics” and “Sam Barer’s Four Wheel Drift”. The other side has been a napalm blaze to get the infamous Craigslist 1976 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 back on the road for this weekend’s All-Italian car show at the XXX Rootbeer in Issaquah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know…the 308 GT4 was going to be back on the road in February. After ripping it apart and getting all necessary parts in January and February, I got sidetracked…Work started in earnest to put it back together last week.
Continue reading after the jump!
Continue reading "Frustration and Ego Deflation: the GT4 Won't be Ready for the Show" »
February 17, 2009
Pinpointing Problems, Parts, Prices, and Purveyors for Project Ferrari Dino 308 GT4
By Sam Barer
Sound Classics
With detective work regarding the history of the Sound Classics project 1975/1976 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 finished, it was time to open that mid-mounted engine hatch and dive in with reckless abandon. All I learned during the buying process was that the car ran like a flatulent hippopotamus with a bad hip.
Actually, to avoid making an extremely costly mistake, it is very important to have a good method to the madness even before one buys a classic. From the time I first started the car at the seller’s house, I had a pretty good idea of the possible culprits, as well as sources and a ballpark cost estimate for the parts necessary to put it all right.
Continue reading after the jump!
January 30, 2009
Detective Work Reveals Special (If Not Confusing) History on Project Ferrari 308 GT4
By Sam Barer
Sound Classics
I’ve made it a habit when buying collector cars to go through the vehicle nose-to-tail in search of any parts, records or interesting stuff. Although the Sound Classics’ project Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 didn’t give up much in the way of interesting stuff (unless you consider a Walnut Creek Ferrari dealer license frame and large and delightfully cheesy nylon pillow that looks like the Ferrari badge interesting), I did find the original owner’s manual billfold to go with a small folder of recent receipts.
It was when I opened the owner’s manual billfold that I got a big and totally unexpected surprise: a complete record of service invoices and documents from the day it was sold new, including the warranty booklet and original sales form. The car’s biography starts with some uncertainty: its serial number (12500) and build-date plate indicate a build date of June 1976, but the car shows on its title and sales paperwork as being a “1975” model car. Less out of the ordinary, the car was originally sold by Ferrari of Los Gatos, CA in 1977 as “new” with just north of 2000 miles on it. This original owner, Dr. Binder, kept the car until selling it to James Young (probably no relation to the coachbuilder of Rolls-Royces of the same name) of Palo Alto in 1982. Continue reading…
June 4, 2008
Faux-Faux-rrari on eBay
By John Coyle
Editor
Since the Dino was never technically a Ferrari—any Prancing Horse badges you’ve seen on them aren’t stock—this auction isn’t even for a real fake Ferrari. That said, I think it looks a hell of a lot better than some of the Faux-rraris I’ve seen. Sure, the treatment over the rear windows looks shabby, and the sunroof is wack, but overall, I don’t think the car looks too bad. What do you think? Five more pics after the jump. via CarScoop
May 6, 2008
Baby Ferrari Spotted in Maranello
By Rob Einaudi
Editor-in-Chief
The best shots yet of the upcoming baby Ferrari surfaced today. It’s still unclear what it’s gonna be called–maybe Dino, maybe F149, maybe California GT. The front engine, rear drive car will reportedly be powered by a 480-500 hp 4.7 liter V8 and will be priced south of the F430. Two more pics at Jalopnik.
April 24, 2008
Mystery Ferrari Spotted on the Track in Maranello
By John Coyle
Editor
Ferrari is keeping its lips sealed about the newest addition to its stablecode named F149but some footage of it on the track has made its way to the web. The thoroughbred is slated to be a replacement for the Dino, and signs suggest it will be a 2+2, sport a V8, and feature a retractable hardtop. Specs aside, in this video, it sounds pretty dope. Enjoy. YouTube via Autoblog
