348 make it the best

[bartosz]

Hi,
my name is Bartosz, I'm from Poland. I would like to share some information regarding my Ferrari 348. I think some things I've done may interest you. For sure I'm interested in your comments and suggestion. I love DIY, and cars, so a lot of things I'm trying to do my own. I do not have everything in the pictures (I did not concider to publish in the forum from the beginning). For the future activities I will remember to take a pictures.

Ferrari 348 from 1991. Originally bought in Switzerland, and was registered there till 2021. The car was driven till around 2012- 2014, and that it was parked in garage/ car dealer.
I have bought the car 2021 with "some electrica issue" and in the ocndition will run, but need major maitanance.

Car was purchased Jan 2021 and need some work to confirm it runs and drive. Oil, filters replacement, timing belt inspection (only for engine start up), and then.... nothing :/ Need new fuel pumps.


The engine finally starts, the car drives (few meters to check), the engine still requires major maintanance. Delivery day


And finally home



As you can expect, the car with more than 25 need some love, always... I have start from small things I can do my own.
1. drive door repair
a. central locking actuator replacement (universal one for around 2Euro is exactly the same like genuin ferrari
b. New release cable for inned door opener
c. new speekers (cheep one, because in Ferrari you should always listen to the engine)
d. door electric loom repair


e. cleanning the electrig windows drive (works much faster now)
f. replacing all the door panel clips and screws (Instead of genuine ferrari parts I was able to use much cheeper fiat, if I remember correcly) clips, which are exactly the same)

When both doors were finished I decided to start with sticky plastic... Everything was dismantled (dor handles, central panel, vents, and steering column plastic. A tol of cleening with acethone, small plastic weldig, black paint and its done hehe, it was not so easy. Together with some missing rubber gromet for gear selector looks perfect!

Ups, can't add next pictures, will continue with post.

 

[bartosz]

Interior cleening:
1. Sticly plastic

2. carpet cleening
before, sorry do not heve the picture after, but look brand new

some carpet pieces need some glue

everything was finished with red seat belts (original were dirty and damaged)

 

[bartosz]

The cleening is not complete without the seats and the floor mats.
Seats need a deep clean, some paint and a lot of conditioneer.




New floor mats are verydifficult to get, there is no exact color available, but still fighting
My looks relatively good, but are very soft (rubbery layer from bottom is gone). I had an option to select color as below, but did not take any of that option.

New custom made ordered, will share when available.

 

[bartosz]

Now with the new floor mats interior will be complete. Time to do something outside.
Engine cover isolation need some love as well, so the engine cover disassembled, cleaned and with new isolation, new hardware and new shocks placed back together. I've decided to replace as well old grease from cover locking mechanism, and align everything together. New release cable installed as well.

 

[bartosz]

From the beginning of owning my Ferrari, after turning the ignition on, I hear clicking noise, after a few seconds the noise gone. Few days ago I decided to track that noise. After remooving the carpet from the front trunk, I found the noise. The noise comes from the small actuator which select air source for HVAC unit (internal or external flow). After opening, I found one gear broken

New actuator costs 350USD. The price can be accepted for a Ferrafi part

but, that is still 350USD for small actuator- no way.
Fortunatelly I was able to design and 3D print missing gear, and.... everything works like new

you tube link

There is a lot more like rocker panels, for lights, etc. But not for today

 

[tom]

Great work. Keep posting the updates!

 

[spectretron]

Amazing work! Appreciate the updates

 

[Nosevi]

Good to see you’re enjoying bringing your motor back up to a good condition. Will watch your updates with interest.

 

[Lifeboatboy]

Congratulations, Bartosz - it looks like you're already doing great things. If I may make a suggestion? Do not be afraid to ask for help in this forum as you go along. I've had mine for nearly 20 years, and people like Nosevi, A348W, m.stojanovic, Ferrarium and many others (some of whom may no longer own theirs, and therefore moved on), have saved me a fortune over the years. There are some absolute GIANTS in here who will help you, so take advantage of the free education and help. Good luck mate.

 

[bartosz]

Congratulations, Bartosz - it looks like you're already doing great things. If I may make a suggestion? Do not be afraid to ask for help in this forum as you go along. I've had mine for nearly 20 years, and people like Nosevi, A348W, m.stojanovic, Ferrarium and many others (some of whom may no longer own theirs, and therefore moved on), have saved me a fortune over the years. There are some absolute GIANTS in here who will help you, so take advantage of the free education and help. Good luck mate.

Thanks for warm welcome. For now I'm doing some small updates/ repairs. Nothing complicated. For sure when meet some problem will ask. Before I write first post I have red a lot of post on that forum (all post from irarref for egzample ).
More comlicated repairs comming soon. Curently working to restore front fog light. New are not available, my was not in good shape, so...

​

 

[bartosz]

Hi, time to do some update. This time headlights, to be more precise fog lights/ indicators. Mine was quite OK, but there was some bud to be replace, so I decide to change all bulbs, and then.... everything starts
I found one lamp was not sealed properly, so there was several issues. To find good used lamp is almost impossible, new price can kill you, so I decide to resore my original one.

1. bulb socket coroded


2. electric installation coroded


3. Aluminium reflector oxidized


4. Dirt everywhere, so the glass was a bit matte becasue of that


No time to lose, some purchase, some external company involved, and it is fixed.

 

[bartosz]

Fortunatelly, I was oble to find almost exactly the same bulb socket to fit into original plastic, so was able to use factory positive cable without sotering. Negative cable need to be replaced, so new wire and new socket, and together with new bulbes evyrything looks like new.


The glass was clinew with a dish soap to be cristal clear


And, the most important. Oxidized aluminium was clened and covered with the new reflective layer byt the local workshop. There are some scafs, but everything is secured for the furthure oxidation, and will work like it should be.


Everything assembled together, and waiting for installation in to the car. On the table still main headlight cleaning, number late lamps restoraton and rear lamps.
Stay tuned

BTW total price together with new bulbes around 50Euro.

 

[Nosevi]

Nice work

 

[bartosz]

Sunday is the perfect time to love yuor car. As I mentioned earlier, there is still something to improve in the lights all over the car.
My head light does not look perfect. Everything was sealed properly, no cracks, but it looks a bit fogy... I decidet to do something with it. At first need to take it out from the car, and I think that was the most difficult task

Before/ atfer


Everything is bolt on, no need to cut or unglue the light.


There are 3 bolt to take out the lens. Fun fact is, you can change lights the EU to UK (and opposide) by changing the lens RH to LH (exactly the same in both head lights)


The lens as well is assemblied with 3 screws, so easy to be taken out for cleanning

Gently whipe the mirror with microfibre towel, and clean the lens.
The main glass part of the headlight was cleaned with kitchen soap and bottle cleaner. The final result visible on the first picture, I think it is worth the effort. Now, connectors cleanning, new bulb, installation and proper adjustment.

 

[bartosz]

most probabbly the next update will come with the wheels. Today I found out 25mm spacers on the rear axle. Is that a factory configuration, or prevoius owner invention?

 

[Nosevi]

most probabbly the next update will come with the wheels. Today I found out 25mm spacers on the rear axle. Is that a factory configuration, or prevoius owner invention?

Previous owner. Spacers slightly improve rear lateral grip so quite a few owners have added them at some point of another.

 

[bartosz]

Small update
Finally, the floor mats are ready. Colour matches almost perfectly (camera did not show perfectly), the quality is super, it was possible to fit original rubber pads.


Refurbish wheels and new tyres. Working on brakes (cleaning, pads, sensors, brake fluid), after that wheel assembly.

 

[Mark Blanchard]

Superb job you're doing. Very impressive.

 

[Lifeboatboy]

Bartoszki, has anyone pointed out that your steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car, mate?

Don’t worry. ‘The Boys’ will know how to fix it .

Superb watching your work bro.

 

[bartosz]

Bartoszki, has anyone pointed out that your steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car, mate?

Don’t worry. ‘The Boys’ will know how to fix it .

Superb watching your work bro.

Hi,
no one recognize that yet you are the first one.