Ferrari 308 GTB/GTS

ENGINE

Cambelts need a precautionary change every 21,000 miles or two years, whichever comes first. That’s usually a £600 job. Belt failures are very rare, but very expensive.

The most common area of neglect is the cooling system. The two long pipes running down the centre tunnel from radiator to engine can become sludged up, and lose as much as 75 per cent of their diameter. As a result, not much water gets to the radiator, even if hoses are new at both ends.

It is vital not to cook the engine as the alloy heads can warp and two-valve heads are nowadays hard to find.

TRANSMISSION

Clutches last very well and are simply and easily replaced, usually a four-hour job costing £500. Early cars had quite a heavy clutch action. It is possible to adapt a later Quattrovalvole ‘light’ clutch to fit, for about £250 extra.

Second gear is notoriously difficult to select from a cold start, but if you ease the lever into position, rather than force it, it should engage. In the summer you only need to drive four-five miles and the stiffness eases.

However, if a warm gearbox still baulks or fails to synchronise, expect bills in excess of £2500.

EXHAUST

Silencers usually last forever, but it is not unknown for manifold flanges to crack on earlier cars.

ELECTRICS