288 GTO clone from a 308. stretching the rear end?

I have seen a few custom jobs where the cars were stretched, the kits are all for the normal length 308. The kit is $8,000, figure installation and paint brings the total to $20,000. I would say stretching the 308 would double your figure to $40,000, so $10,000 per inch? In the end you still have a 308, so I can not see the added value. I am in the market for a 308 already kitted to 288 body, where they often give the modification away for free on resale.

 

A more interesting mod was putting a 355 motor and tranny into a 308. Apparently it fits.

 

BLASPHAMY! BE GONE EVIL DOER!





Seriously though, the charater of the car will be very very different with a chevy vs ferrari engine. If you are going to change the engine anyway, it seems like it would be a lot cheaper and probably easier to start with a fiero.

 

Start from scratch then, a tube chassis is not all that hard to build. I’ve given a lot of thought to building a 308 on a custom chassis with a carbon fiber body, I’m pretty sure 1800 lbs is doable. The body panels are available…although IMO it’s still wrong to use a Ferrari looking body and a chevy engine. Why not a vette if you're a chevy fan?

 

I may have something of interest for you. It's a frame & shell ready to be turned into a 288. Also below is a pic on a frame stretch for a 288 GTO clone using a G50 transaxle.
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All true, but when you're done, you will be driving a lie. Don't get me wrong, I've done plenty of questionable engine swaps over the years (chevy turbo in an MG, Caddy in a fiat), but those cars weren't known for their engines either. I had a porsche speedster kit years ago, and I can tell you that it was pretty well accepted...after I put a 911 engine in it, before that people who asked about it always seem to look cheated after asking about it. and the value went up more than enough with the 911 engine to pay for the engine and install.

I think it you build a ferrari with a 600hp chevy engine and do a nice job, you will have a $20k car when you're finished. If it has a 400hp ferrari engine you will have a $40k-$50k car. It's all about the engine.

 

Most of the after market GTO conversions use the stock 308/328 wheelbase. The only one that may have stretched the 308/328 for a GTO conversion was Jim Carpenter when he was in Phoenix. But I believe that he mostly did conversions on the stock 308/328 wheelbase. The car pictured above posted by Nick, looks like a Carpenter conversion with a stock wheelbase.

Carpenter is now in Oregon somewhere, and earlier this year he was building a carbon fiber GTO conversion on a stock wheelbase that was for sale. Butch at Italian Car parts in Phoenix has a 288 conversion made from old Carpenter molds, stock wheelbase, no engine or trans, but the GTO body is mounted and painted. Likely very reasonable and Butch is very reliable.

I now have the Carpenter molds for the 288 GTO Evoluzione, and they too are for a stock wheelbase. Although, I have been toying with the idea of have someone like Carobu stretched my 328 wheelbase, and have one of the many fiberglass experts here in south Florida modify the rear section for the longer wheelbase. Since there aren't too many Evoluzione conversions in the world, the expense may be worth it. But I would not mess with the wheelbase if I were doing a regular 288 GTO conversion. There are at least three companies that offer these parts, so there must be 25+ GTO replicas in the USA alone.

 

The point is that with a chevy engine in it you never COULD sell it and you will be treated like a lepper by the Ferrari community, it’s just considered very bad etiquette. Even with a chevy engine and doing all the work yourself you're talking about a $40k-$50k project. Keeping it Ferrari powered wouldn’t add an awful lot to the build price, and will make it a Ferrari. A 308/328 engine with a turbo or blower will make 600 hp, my blown qv is at about 520 and is more than a handful to drive.

Enough time on the soap box though, good luck with it regardless of what you decide to build.

 

I've wanted a 288 since the first time I saw one on the track. Not likely to happen though, but have considered this clone. Would be a great track car imo. Check it out, and tell Ron I sent ya!
http://www.ronsusser.com/vehicles.asp?t=n&v=591

 

The stock motor is very strong, all it needs is boost. My engine is stock inside with the exception of stiffer valve springs (to stop float - stock are good to 15 psi I'm told) and total seal rings (because they are better and cheaper than stock). The stock clutch is a problem, but a heavy pressure plate and kelvar disc (from Norwood) or a mutli-disc from Nick or TIlton (mine is from tilton) solve that. Here's a pic and a rear wheel dyno graph of mine.
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It depends on the model. A QV is 8.6, a 328 is 9.2, I think all the 2v are 9, butI/m not sure. If you want make hp, a QV or 328 are the best place to start.

All 308/238 have forged rods, billet nitrated crank and are factory balance. the 2v pistons cast cast, the QV/328 are forged I think, they look it - nice looking pistons at any rate and I can tell you they work to 22 psi

forged pistons are available for all models.

 

Yes, it hits 22 near redline. Boost is the yellow line on the graph I posted and read off the scale on the right. It hangs around 15 psi until about 5500, them climbs to 22 by 7700.

Converting to EFI can be done for about $3k, but could hit $5k or $6k depending on the ECU you choose.

I did the blower the hardest way possible and built a custom intake because I like the way it looked. The stock intake off any injested motor is fine, but requires the blower to be mounted in where the stock CIS unit would sit. A screw type blower runs $1200 (autorotor)- $2400 (lysholm - whipple in the US) then backets, belt, pulleys, bypass valve, plumbing. Say $2000-$3500 in parts, if you can make stuff yourself, add another $1000-$2000 if you can't.

Adding a water/air intercooler would add $1000-$2500 depending on what you do. With a GTO body that has vents, I guess an air/air is possible, say $500 - $1000 for that.

A turbo set-up would be similar in price.

 

There's no reason I can think of. Norwood says the stock 308 gear box will handle 800hp...which is what a 308 makes at 30 psi boost.

 

A couple years ago, I was thinking turbo and spent some time on the phone with Norwood. What they told me, as I recall is that the parts in a 308 trans look very similar to a G50 or TR....they are all from ZF I believe. a TR turbo starts breaking stuff at 1200hp when hard shifting into 2nd.

Ferrari stuff is very very strong right from the factory.