The start of a new year is a great time to pick up a new hobby, whether it’s getting in the kitchen more often, learning to build a bike or taking on a new project car. If you are considering undertaking a restoration project, this video might convince you to avoid anything from Ferrari.
It’s easily done, you start browsing used car listings online and stumble across a bargain Ferrari. Then, suddenly, your mind starts racing as you envision yourself blasting down the highway with a glorious Italian V8 soundtracking your every adventure. It’s a tempting vision, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Vintage Italian supercars tend to come with their fair share of quirks, and buying a bargain Ferrari can come with more headaches than it’s worth. That’s exactly what a a pair of budding wrenchers discovered this week when they picked up the cheapest Ferrari that they could find for sale.
The car in question is a Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 and it’s been bought by John and Edd from the Edd China YouTube channel. In other videos, the pair has set out to restore vintage Range Rovers and a classic VW van, so how much more work could an old Ferrari really pose?
The answer is quite a lot, as the list of issues with the vintage Ferrari goes on and on. In total, the car has 26 warnings about various components, parts or structural issues, and it was even caught up in a fire at the hands of a previous owner.
After surviving the fire and having its interior replaced with a divisive color scheme, the car sat unused for more than a decade, which hasn’t been kind to the its overall condition. In a report covering the condition of the car, the paintwork is classed as “poor,” one of the doors is listed as broken, issues with the electric windows are identified and even the windshield wipers have issues.
Under the hood, the timing belt needs replacing, the water pump is seized, a new thermostat is required and the oil is contaminated. There’s also no air conditioning compressor, the carburetors need new gaskets, the radiator hoses leek and the oil cooler is leaking.
There’s more, and when the pair hoists the car up they uncover corrosion in the brake calipers, the pads are seized, there’s pitting in the brake discs and there’s play in the anti roll bar linkages. There is also corrosion on all kinds of pipes, rust on some of the bodywork and issues with the trunk. The list of problems really does go on, and on, and on.
If you were considering undertaking a new project this year, then this clip should serve as a warning to really inspect any car you’re going to take on before you hand over any cash, no matter how cheap it is. If you needed any more convincing, here’s every issue that John and Edd will have to fix on the vintage Dino:
The paintwork is “poor in places”
One door won’t open from inside
The electric windows have issues
A new timing belt is needed
The water pump is seized
A new thermostat is required
The oil level is correct but contaminated
The AC compressor has been removed
The tail lights are damaged
The windshield wipers are broken
The trunk needs some attention
The carburetors need new gaskets
The radiator hoses leek
The front brake hoses have issues
The brake disks are pitted
The brake pads are seized
The brake calipers have perished
Steering rack seals are damaged
Suspension bushes are perished
There’s play in the anti roll bar linkages
The under tray is damaged
Pipes have started corroding
There’s rust on the bodywork
The oil cooler is leaking
Fuel lines have corroded
Fuel drain has seized
If there mere thought of fixing these issues is bringing you out in a cold sweat, then don’t worry as you personally won’t have to make these repairs. Instead, it’ll be down to the Edd China YouTube channel, which is sure to document the heartache of this repair over the coming months.
If you want to see more of our favorite automotive builds online, then head here to find out more about a six-wheeled Kei truck, or here to see how a totaled Rolls-Royce was brought back to life.
