250GTE geeks

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365gtc/4
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Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 1:36 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

250GTE geeks

Post by 365gtc/4 »

I was talking with the owner of 2615. He has only leaf springs. An experienced vintage Ferrari mechanic told him that it should have coils in addition to his leaf springs. He just has a shock and leaf springs. Should his car have coils?
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John
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tyang
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by tyang »

I know early GTEs like your friend's car did NOT have coils. I'm not sure when Ferrari started installing coils, but I'm sure the "train spotters" can tell us when!

Tom

P.S. I never claim to know everything there is to know about these cars, but I've noticed the big Ferrari shops are starting to restore the 2+2s for their clients using the knowledge gained from years of restoring SWBs, Lussos, and Cal Spyders, but the information for these cars are not necessarily the same.
'63 330 America #5053
zac
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by zac »

John,

Your friend certainly has the big stack of springs that is indicative of the early cars which came with just leaf springs. But you can also see in the picture that he has a Koni shock with the spring perch so possibly Thur shock was replaced at some point with the shock model for a later car. Not sure when they switched to coil overs with the 5-6 leaf stack but I thought it was right around #2800 serial number. For what it's worth I think the coil over set up is much better and much more serviceable, the old leaf spring tend to sag but with the coil over you can just replace or upgrade the spring to restore the ride height.

Zac
1970 365 gt 2+2 13137, 1997 550 Maranello, 1969 Lamborghini Miura S, 1973 365 GTB/4 Daytona
kare
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by kare »

It is generally thought that the coil-overs were introduced for the third series. None of 2nd series cars that I've crawled under, didn't have them. Haven't inspected a late one though.

Best wishes, Kare
365gtc/4
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by 365gtc/4 »

Thanks guys. Even I knew that early GTEs have that big leaf spring stack and no coils. I just didn't know if 2615 was early enough. The very early green car from South Australia has the big leaf stack. And the owner drives it pretty hard with luggage on long drives. 1000s of kms. What they were built for - long distance GT driving. Fabulous to see them driven that way on our rallies we have here.
John
Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with Windows.
250GT
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by 250GT »

zac wrote:John,

Your friend certainly has the big stack of springs that is indicative of the early cars which came with just leaf springs. But you can also see in the picture that he has a Koni shock with the spring perch so possibly Thur shock was replaced at some point with the shock model for a later car. Not sure when they switched to coil overs with the 5-6 leaf stack but I thought it was right around #2800 serial number. For what it's worth I think the coil over set up is much better and much more serviceable, the old leaf spring tend to sag but with the coil over you can just replace or upgrade the spring to restore the ride height.

Zac
Hi Zac, this problem took my attention over years never find the right solution .
without replacing them by new ones
" the old leaf spring tend to sag but with the coil over you can just replace or upgrade the spring to restore the ride height."
cars with the old houddailles can not simply put in the newer Konis .
my cars hangs down severely when two grown ups and full luggages are inside.... see pic below
any tips to eliminate the metalwearness(fatigues) to this tiredness ?
I tried with an extra leaf and also did let them overhauled by prof leaf producing company but only for a few month it works.
frustrating...........

Cornelis
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zac
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by zac »

Cornelis,

Unfortunatly the only real way to make the old springs new again is to take the whole stack apart and start the heat treatment, quenching and arching process all over. That would also require having the original specs and that all the leafs were reusable. I have had new springs made with good sucess but the spring shops I've found have a slightly thicker material so I end up with fewer leaves to get the same spring rate. I know on the Houdaille cars it's not so easy but at least on the tube shock cars I think it's a lot easier just to put an adjustable coil over with a soft spring in place of the shock and set the ride height that way.

Zac
1970 365 gt 2+2 13137, 1997 550 Maranello, 1969 Lamborghini Miura S, 1973 365 GTB/4 Daytona
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Besters
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by Besters »

My 2281GT also only has Leafs , no Coils. See picture attached with three grown ups and on the Throttle. New leafs made some 3 years ago and the Konis on "hard".

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Markus

´61 250GTE #2281GT ; ´80 308GT4 #15112 ; ´83 208 turbo GTB #46599 ; ´85 Mondial 3.2 #59769
abrent
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by abrent »

3835, a Series 2 car does not have the coilovers. I am pretty sure it was a Series III thing, so what's that - later than say 4093?
I have the big valve engine however. Woohoo.
365gtc/4
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Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 1:36 am
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Re: 250GTE geeks

Post by 365gtc/4 »

Besters wrote:My 2281GT also only has Leafs , no Coils. See picture attached with three grown ups and on the Throttle. New leafs made some 3 years ago and the Konis on "hard".

Image
That colour just suits the GTE so well. Beautiful. Summer in Bremen is coming so Woohoo AND Yipeeeee. Take her up to the Harz Mountains for some excitement. Stay at Goslar and have fun.
John
Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with Windows.
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