308 Engine and Box

[Strat Fan]

My experience, having bought one from a bloke in an alley in Manchester some years ago, is that there is no such thing as a cheap 308 engine. Mine was a QV and the rebuild cost (even then) eclipsed the purchase price. Which is why it's still in bits. And this one is not cheap, especially without the twin distributors and the induction tackle (I presume that if it is ex-Mondial, it was Bosch K Jetronic injection, rather than carbs?). Looks like a world of pain to me...

Exactly my thoughts too, the K-Jetronic generation is not a great one, low compression, sodium exhaust valves, K-Jetronic injection, small inlet valves etc. To change the pistons and liners, swap to stainless valves (larger inlets) & fit uprated cams comes to about £6500 plus vat plus the rebuild labour. Then add on to that some decent induction, maybe an ECU and a rolling road session and you have just passed £20k for an engine that make approx 300Bhp. It will obviously look and sound fantastic however.

The engine shown looks slightly different to the '81 Mondial motor we have which made me wonder if it was a 308 variation instead. The engine steady bracket on ours was a separate piece rather than cast in and this engine has a port or fitting just above each of the exhaust ports which ours does not?