Back to where it all began

How could 8 months have passed since my last post? Last Spring, I did get the front end put back together and even managed to drive a little. I still need to get the front end aligned, but I think I will wait until I replace the rear suspension bushings and align all four wheels at once. I would love to be able to say that the car drives 100% better with a fresh front suspension but sadly, I don't really notice much of a difference at all.

Some things happened last Fall that made me think about a lot of things. One of those things was the 308 and how for many years I've been avoiding the elephant in the room -- my impending engine and transaxle rebuild. I've been saving my pennies for the inevitable and that day has finally come. A few weeks ago, I attended a tech session at Ferrari and Maserati of Seattle and got to talking to a few of their technicians. I decided to take the next step and bring my car in for what is essentially a pre-purchase inspection. They will go through the entire car, focusing their attention on the drivetrain including compression and leakdown tests. From that, they should be able to tell me the condition of the engine so that I have an idea on how much needs to be done. The next step will be to pull the engine out and tear it all apart to see the condition of the parts. They won't be able to give me a cost estimate until they can actually see what needs to be replaced.

So here my car sits, in the walls of the former Grand Prix Motors building where it all began. I can imagine the day in 1978 when my car rolled off the car hauler and into this shop for the first time. I don't know how many times GPM serviced the car in the years following 1978, but I think I can pretty safely say that my car has not been back here since the late '80s.

Break out the checkbook and let the money start flowing!