Dino Ferrari 208 / 308 GT4
Discussion
On Sunday, May 14, 2023, a special event called Dino Day took place. A gathering of four GT4 cars, out of the of approximately dozen in The Netherlands today, assembled at the Kroon Wire Harnesses parking lot. Founder Gerard Kroon, also the proud owner of a silver coloured 208 GT4, was interviewed by RTV Noord.
(Watch from 7:30 to 14:00 https://lnkd.in/e4hjsUH5)
The invitation to drive his cherished 70s gem had been neglected for some time, so this was the moment to seize the opportunity. However, I wanted to make the most of the occasion by establishing an annual tradition of bringing together these delightful two-liter and three-liter cars.
After all, this bloodline of Dino's were the pioneers of Ferrari's most successful lineage in the realm of road cars: an agile sports car boasting a lively V8 engine positioned behind the seats. In my opinion something worth celebrating.
Stepping into the cabin propels you back to 1975, equipped with a dogleg 5-speed gearbox, a compact steering wheel, petite pedals, and a rev-happy V8 engine fueled by four thirsty Bologna Webers. For me it's hard not to appreciate such a combination. A few years ago I had a taste of a 308 and fell in love. Sunday I enjoyed the 208 guise of the GT4.
I felt an immediate sense of belonging when I sat in the car which is designed by Marcello Gandini. When the numbers fall my way a GT4, a Khamsin and an Espada will join a daily 1972 GTV (also by Bertone but penned by Giugiaro) in the Bertone section of my garage.
Never stop dreaming!
We're planning a Dino Day 2024. If you are an owner or know anyone with a GT4, please let me know. Tks!
> My 75 pics in this topic: drop by drop.
(Watch from 7:30 to 14:00 https://lnkd.in/e4hjsUH5)
The invitation to drive his cherished 70s gem had been neglected for some time, so this was the moment to seize the opportunity. However, I wanted to make the most of the occasion by establishing an annual tradition of bringing together these delightful two-liter and three-liter cars.
After all, this bloodline of Dino's were the pioneers of Ferrari's most successful lineage in the realm of road cars: an agile sports car boasting a lively V8 engine positioned behind the seats. In my opinion something worth celebrating.
Stepping into the cabin propels you back to 1975, equipped with a dogleg 5-speed gearbox, a compact steering wheel, petite pedals, and a rev-happy V8 engine fueled by four thirsty Bologna Webers. For me it's hard not to appreciate such a combination. A few years ago I had a taste of a 308 and fell in love. Sunday I enjoyed the 208 guise of the GT4.
I felt an immediate sense of belonging when I sat in the car which is designed by Marcello Gandini. When the numbers fall my way a GT4, a Khamsin and an Espada will join a daily 1972 GTV (also by Bertone but penned by Giugiaro) in the Bertone section of my garage.
Never stop dreaming!
We're planning a Dino Day 2024. If you are an owner or know anyone with a GT4, please let me know. Tks!
> My 75 pics in this topic: drop by drop.
bumskins said:
'Dino Day' with no 206/246s? What is this madness?!
This started out as an invitation to drive the silver 208...Long story short: we try to catch as much 208/308 as possible and at future Dino Day meetings add the (more posh) 206/246 and Dino Fiats to our meeting.
Just wait for it.
Edited by dinkel on Friday 19th May 09:50
Rumdoodle said:
Great. Thanks for posting that. Terrific looking cars. What about the GT4 with the GTB rear lights i.e. round ones rather than the usual arrangement? What's the story there?
Arian drives his 308 since 1986 and it seems to be a showcar with origins in the UK. So the interior is different and the rear lights are round. Looks great in my eye but I prefer the square originals.The engine is rebuilt and drives fantastic. Sodium valve snapped and all that.
The car is on 16" which is not at all standard and works very well on Michelin tyres.
I have about 75 photos and some are worth posting. Enjoy our love of the forgotten Ferrari: the Dino 206 and 308 GT4.
The gathering here at Kroon Wire Harnesses could have been about 6 GT4 cars instead of now four. And almost three!
The 208 on the rightside suffered from a blown rear tyre. The owner had a wrong size spare and changed the rears to the front and reverse to save his diff. Hero!
There's a debate about which wheels look best on a GT4. I like the Ferrari Five Star although the original Cromodora 14" seems to be the preffered choice.
Gerard Kroon's 208 has the 14.5" option with Michelin TRX!
I can't spot a difference between the twolitre and threelitre engine. Only the bore seems to be resized so there should be not much of a weight penalty to the 308, which weighs in at 1,150 kgs. Only 840 208 were built, and 2,826 308.
There you go!
The two litres had the black coloured dash to the 3-piece metal sheets of the 308. I did sit very comfortably with a slight extra notice to my right foot, which barely fits on one pedal. The steering is unassisted and takes a bit of muscle and the dogleg box needs a firm hand too. But hey, this is proper motoring!
The gathering here at Kroon Wire Harnesses could have been about 6 GT4 cars instead of now four. And almost three!
The 208 on the rightside suffered from a blown rear tyre. The owner had a wrong size spare and changed the rears to the front and reverse to save his diff. Hero!
There's a debate about which wheels look best on a GT4. I like the Ferrari Five Star although the original Cromodora 14" seems to be the preffered choice.
Gerard Kroon's 208 has the 14.5" option with Michelin TRX!
I can't spot a difference between the twolitre and threelitre engine. Only the bore seems to be resized so there should be not much of a weight penalty to the 308, which weighs in at 1,150 kgs. Only 840 208 were built, and 2,826 308.
There you go!
The two litres had the black coloured dash to the 3-piece metal sheets of the 308. I did sit very comfortably with a slight extra notice to my right foot, which barely fits on one pedal. The steering is unassisted and takes a bit of muscle and the dogleg box needs a firm hand too. But hey, this is proper motoring!
More Dino:
Nice 308 of Jean-Pierre Ruijs - check the Fiat Dino wheels. This particular GT4 looks great but needs more miles to feel great too. Mouth watering condition.
The rear buttress is similar to the Pininfarina designed Dino 206/246. Aldo Brovarone Leonardo Fioravanti did a superb job but the V6 powered car is a bit too small for me. The space Marcello Gandini created in his Bertone design suits me way better.
In my eye the GT4 proportions are perfect: why would a car need to be any bigger? Period exhaust design is the best ever.
The way the mid engine V8 is mounted helps to keep the GT4 compact. It is built just like a Miura and original Mini: East-West.
Metal typograpghy: http://www.simoncars.co.uk/dino/slides/aa_Ferrari%...
Nice 308 of Jean-Pierre Ruijs - check the Fiat Dino wheels. This particular GT4 looks great but needs more miles to feel great too. Mouth watering condition.
The rear buttress is similar to the Pininfarina designed Dino 206/246. Aldo Brovarone Leonardo Fioravanti did a superb job but the V6 powered car is a bit too small for me. The space Marcello Gandini created in his Bertone design suits me way better.
In my eye the GT4 proportions are perfect: why would a car need to be any bigger? Period exhaust design is the best ever.
The way the mid engine V8 is mounted helps to keep the GT4 compact. It is built just like a Miura and original Mini: East-West.
Metal typograpghy: http://www.simoncars.co.uk/dino/slides/aa_Ferrari%...
Certainly not a Dino in this line up: a 991. a very early Carrera and a 70s icon, a lovely 928.
On with the show!
Local TV enjoys the display of Dino to the bone, and is even offered a hot seat.
The Dino dash has a period Starfighter or Phantom feel to it.
Campagnolo still produces wheels... for bicycles...
Dino GT4 - View from the workshop. Kroon not only produces (tailormade) wire harnasses, but also ensembles outlaw 911.
Very well built and cleverly engineered car.
But with the sodium filled valves you will regret a neglected rebuilt...
A mate had a popped valve and was not happy.
The sodium will keep the valves in shape if the V8 runns every now and then.
If not, or when you don't know... #enginerebuild
But with the sodium filled valves you will regret a neglected rebuilt...
A mate had a popped valve and was not happy.
The sodium will keep the valves in shape if the V8 runns every now and then.
If not, or when you don't know... #enginerebuild
Oef, geel staat 'm goed Rene!
More from the vault:
Fantastic colour compliments the angular Gandini shapes. Perfect proportions in my eye; but I seem to be one of the happy few.
Yes, the angular tail lights are standard Dino. These round ones don't look too bad though.
Inside the Kroon Wire Harnesses office there's old skool tech with a new skool approach. I could not take too much pictures for all the obvious reasons. But it's safe to say Gerard works with all the major players in the classic Porsche world.
Back in the day I was an engineer student and this kit brought back some memories.
After the inside tour it was about time to bring the Dino quartet to a photogenic site.
More from the vault:
Fantastic colour compliments the angular Gandini shapes. Perfect proportions in my eye; but I seem to be one of the happy few.
Yes, the angular tail lights are standard Dino. These round ones don't look too bad though.
Inside the Kroon Wire Harnesses office there's old skool tech with a new skool approach. I could not take too much pictures for all the obvious reasons. But it's safe to say Gerard works with all the major players in the classic Porsche world.
Back in the day I was an engineer student and this kit brought back some memories.
After the inside tour it was about time to bring the Dino quartet to a photogenic site.
Convoy time!
OK, three of the four GT4 Dinos lined up and a spectacular sight & sound for the thirty-something folks who enjoyed their lunch, here in the castle garden.
There's always an odd one out, but we decided to have this 328 GTS to join the fun.
I've seen worse convoys.
The GT4 in front of the GTS also has round taillights and the owner has no clue why.
OK, three of the four GT4 Dinos lined up and a spectacular sight & sound for the thirty-something folks who enjoyed their lunch, here in the castle garden.
There's always an odd one out, but we decided to have this 328 GTS to join the fun.
I've seen worse convoys.
The GT4 in front of the GTS also has round taillights and the owner has no clue why.
Both 208 cars differ on details. Gerard Kroon invited me to have a go in his silver V8, which is the smallest postwar production V8, omit the Otto Vu Fiat. Anyone with the impression that a twolitre can't be the right engine for this car, needs some major rework on hand and footwork: proper revs, decent shifts and pretty engaging car this! - Maybe think again before you grab a threelitre...
Michelin WRX tyres are special too. Dogleg five box needs a firm hand, as does the steering. Don't be afraid to give it some beans and you'll have a lot of fun. A lot.
This 1976 308 GT4 is driven hard and still going strong. The car was given from father to son because dad wanted him to get rid of his dangerous bike. Imagine the milage on this threelitre: obviously the odo has broken down a long time ago... Whatever.
Another threelitre. Wheels are not original and are from a Dino coupe. This car was recently bought and needs some running in. Fantastic looker.
The Pininfarina penned 308GTS is a bigger car and has the targa configuration. The crowd stopped enjoying their coffee and cake to have a look at the noisy Italian quintet.
Caruso said:
dinkel said:
Gerard Kroon invited me to have a go in his silver V8, which is the smallest postwar production V8, omit the Otto Vu Fiat. Anyone with the impression that a twolitre can't be the right engine for this car, needs some major rework on hand and footwork: proper revs, decent shifts and pretty engaging car this! - Maybe think again before you grab a threelitre...
The 208 is shorter geared than the 308 so it accelerates just as hard off the line, but then you run out of revs in 1st and the 308 pulls out a lead which widens at each gearchange. Still with the 208 you get more of the noise more of the time, and it's a nicer noise.Dapster said:
Love all your pics Albert - colours are wonderful. What camera do you use?
Between 2006 and 2019 I used an Olympus E300. When the autofocus died I bought another Olympus: the compact and lovely E-M10 Mark III.It's a small thingy which fits in the pocket of both my raincoat and bluejeans jacket.
On lens I have a 67mm circular polarisation filter which sucks about 3 stops.
I shoot in RAW (ORF), transfer to my laptop, process in Olympus Workspace, adjust colours and crop in Photoshop.
Recently I have changed my Way of Work and I now manage to get better results from my older images.
It takes me about 15 mins to pick up 5 RAW images to an end result, cropped to fit a social and PH post.
Cheers!
Olympus gear is built like a tank: the old 2006 E300 still works albeit only for close-ups.
Batteries are obsolete as well.
The OM-D E-M10 mark IV is a perfect allround kit: it's the post-production that will give you the results you want.
Colours: I pep Kelvin about +100 and give it a tiny bit of extra saturation, and I have a shadow/highlight profile in PS.
Batteries are obsolete as well.
The OM-D E-M10 mark IV is a perfect allround kit: it's the post-production that will give you the results you want.
Colours: I pep Kelvin about +100 and give it a tiny bit of extra saturation, and I have a shadow/highlight profile in PS.
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