| Author |
Message |
Andy Falsetta (Tuttebenne)
Junior Member
Username: Tuttebenne
Post Number: 208
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2003 - 9:18 pm: | |
I've never had the pleasure of a ride in a Dino but I can tell you that my experience on the track with Dinos was that my 308GTB and the experienced Dino owners were always lapping together. There didn't appear to be a real advantage. Any other experiences out there? |
rich (Dino2400)
Member
Username: Dino2400
Post Number: 286
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 9:18 pm: | |
Anyone else driven the different cars and have comments on their handling characteristics? Are the earlier cars really superior or is that just the view of old auto journalists who wanted something different out of a car than we modern drivers? |
Peter Pless (Aircon)
New member
Username: Aircon
Post Number: 4
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 6:46 pm: | |
Thanks Mitch. |
Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
Member
Username: Mitch_alsup
Post Number: 797
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2003 - 9:21 am: | |
Front 163 mm
Rear. 187 mm
Both are measured from the (flat and level) ground to the center of the pivot bolt at the rear of the control arm. |
Peter Pless (Aircon)
New member
Username: Aircon
Post Number: 3
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2003 - 7:50 am: | |
Mitch,
What is the standard ride height on a 355, and where is it measured?
|
Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
Member
Username: Mitch_alsup
Post Number: 788
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 9:37 am: | |
I can only respond with data pertaining to my F355. When I got it, the suspension was all farted up, and I spent a good deal of time determining the tires were NOT the culpret, the camber was not the culpret, and the front toe was not the culpret.
My car was entirely changed from a tail happy meduim grip F355, into a high grip, neutral track master by resetting the ride height back to factory specs.
These cars are very sensitive to the complete setup package. My Vette would respond to 2 PSI changes in tire pressure, my F355 responds to 0.5 PSI changes. a 3 PSI change in the Vette could go unnoticed for a long time. A 3 PSI change in the F355 is as noticible as a good swift kick in the groin. If you get in one of these cars and it does not 'feel' right, there is every reasonable possiblity that it can be set right with a good setup (alignment, ride height, tires).
I have driven on several tracks behind 308/328 cars with modern max-performance rubber. In the turns these cars give away very little to the F355 on equivalent tires. Exiting turns and straightline speed is another thing entirely, though. |
Peter Pless (Aircon)
New member
Username: Aircon
Post Number: 1
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 11:07 pm: | |
At the time that I owned my 246GT Dino I test drove a 308GTB and a 308GT4. Obviously I wasn't prepared to really push those cars, but while the 308GTB behaved very well at reasonable speed on a familiar road, the GT4 gave me quite a fright under the same circumstances by suddenly sliding the back out at what I considered quite conservative speed. |
rich (Dino2400)
Member
Username: Dino2400
Post Number: 276
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 2:04 pm: | |
I was recently looking through Doug Nye's book on the dino race cars to find a quote to support the claim that the Dinos were intended to be a separate line of cars than the 12cyl Ferraris (not the topic of this thread please!) and read the road test articles of the road cars that are included at the end of the book.
On this forum and in current classic car magazines I have often read of the excellent handling of the 308, particularly the GT4. But in the road test articles published when the cars were new, one often read comments saying things like "the 308 handling is good but not quite as good as the original dino", etc.
So my question is: if you have driven all or some of the 206, 246, 308 gt4, and 308GTB Dinos, what was your impression of handling on each. If the earlier cars are superior, can you give some insight into why?
Thanks. -Rich |