Not my GT40 but pretty cool

[Jack Houpe]

I know I haven't ran my big mouth in quite some time but this is what I have been working on for over a year now, I have owned the car for almost 20 years but had a few exhaust valves melt at 28 PSI boost in 2000, pulled the engine and then got distracted with something else, its been on my bucket list and its almost done. This was the second real start since I pulled the engine.

208 turbo GTB Ferrari
was 121 cubic inch V8 flat crank with 7:1 compression and twin turboed with EFI and DIS with pencil coils per plug

Its now 180 (308 block) cubic inch with JE pistons 8.5:1 compression twin turbos water to air intercooling, Haltech EFI, AEM twin fire to pencil coils. Remote electric water pump with bypass thermostat in the front. Here are a few pictures of the engine before I put it in the car. Headers are 304 stainless steel with ceramic coating inside and out, heat wrapped and then aluminum shield over the heat wrap. 14.7 PSI max boost should be about 438 HP @ sea level and 72F outside temp.

Guys don't get me wrong I still have my GT40 but I really do like all cars and this one has been around in the family for a long time.

Ferrari 208 twin turbo first start - YouTube

 

[René]

wow, sounds great...the 208 those were Italian Ferrari's I guess...I mean because of some tax they made it less cc? like they also did with the E30 M3..instead of 2.3 they did 2.0 (320is) and or instead of the 3.9 TVR V8S they made a 2.0 of that V8 with supercharger.

 

[Jack]

Could there be an RCR P4 in the future, wink!

 

[Jack Houpe]

wow, sounds great...the 208 those were Italian Ferrari's I guess...I mean because of some tax they made it less cc? like they also did with the E30 M3..instead of 2.3 they did 2.0 (320is) and or instead of the 3.9 TVR V8S they made a 2.0 of that V8 with supercharger.

Yes exactly correct.

Jack RCR could do better than me... :thumbsup:

 

[René]

also impressive numbers from where it came from about 250hp or so? (turbo version)
is it on the "same" base block? and same turbo's or all special...
I mean that hp number sounds very good...and how strong is the engine...is it still "reliable"?

 

[David in Durango]

Jack, that's great! How about more pics of the car?

Your typing is coming along pretty good, too. Hahahaha.

 

[Mike]

That is artwork Jack...

 

[Cliff Beer]

Jack, that's a helluva nice engine, and a helluva nice job there. Bravo. Way to go.

That's some serious hp. Should make your 208/308 get to 60 in under 5 seconds with a top somewhere around 175+ (you'll run out of gearing at 152 or so though.....). Are you going to leave the exterior a sleeper? Sure would be fun to pass the 355/360's on the straight away at an f-car track day with a total sleeper (other than that boost noise).

How are you limiting boost?

Is the plate on the starboard side a strengthening plate? If you're concerned about block rigidity, perhaps a 1/4 inch aluminum plate laying flat across the top of all the inlet runners (between the inlet runners and the throttle bodies) would help? Just an idea.

Are you doing anything to the brakes? The front calipers are standard porsche 911s/911sc. You can get calipers from a 911 carrera ('84-89) which are identical except for an add'l 4mm spacer, so you can have a 4mm thicker caliper - helps with heat soak when using the brakes hard.

I hope your transaxle holds up. I have a spare one if you need it......

Good work Jack!

 

[Randy V]

Sweet music!!!!!

The car that is.... :thumbsup:

Good job Jack!

 

[Jack Houpe]

Thanks guys, I have been really concentrating on this car for a year and after I finish the engine I will have to start on the paint and interior. I use to track this car pretty hard and its had its fare share of kicks and pits along the way. It was making some serious HP with the boost set at 26 lbs on the 2 liter motor, I put a twin disk clutch and aluminum flywheel on the car as the first original clutch smoked under boost, then I put a centerforce good for 350 HP and it slipped but the twin disk holds up well. Cliff the suspension is all neoprene with Alden 3 way adjustable shocks all the way around and 15 inch Brembos with floating rotors front and rear with adjustable brake bias. Halon fire system and corbo racing seats. The transaxle is not from the original turbo motor, they had a very low 1st and 2sd gear as the 2 liter 7:1 in original single turbo was a DOG out of the hole till boost came on about 4500 rpm, a Ford Fiesta could kick its butt at the light but after the EFI DIS conversion it started to come alive and 1st and 2sd was almost useless so I use a standard 308 gearing so it would load the motor and turbos in the low gears. The twin IHI RHB5 turbos is where this car started eating tires under acceleration, I put huge air to air intercoolers with fans on them to suck cool air in from the outside to cool the boost, the fans were controlled via electronic thermostat, but now with the water to air intercooling I have much more room in that engine compartment, the plumbing for twin turbos is crazy. The boost now will be controlled by the Haltec EFI computer on one of its outputs so I can't touch it while underway. Never put a knob in the cockpit that makes more HP, its like putting candy in front of child. The car is lighter than normal 308 series, its 2980 with half tank of fuel and me in the car.

Thanks Micheal, its different for sure. Dave my typing sucks as does my spelling. Cliff the plate on the front is to mount the Alternator at the top where the water pump use to be and the AC where the Alternator was. The air to oil cooler is gone, I use a water to oil cooler and a Oberg remote mount oil filter.

First picture is old set up from the 90s, the second is me at Homestead raceway, third is the original 208 block. Aren't those cute little pistons!

 

[Jack Houpe]

I hope to be tuning it underway next week, still fabricating the filtered air intake to the turbos. Plumbing is crazy, soon as I think I am done I remember I forgot something.

 

[René]

wow, that looks fantastic...
personally I would change those blue silicone? hoses for black ones, I think that would make it look even better.

 

[Jack Houpe]

I agree, but I had those so I used them, maybe down the road.

Thanks!