Another Ferrari Crushed by a Minivan! (and...Classic Car Tuning)

We've read the articles or seen the video many times. A journalist will review a classic car and comment on how a modern minivan/hatchback/riding lawnmower will "beat it".

Most of us know that while it is silly to compare old cars with new ones, it will make a general demographic of readers/viewers laugh.

It would be nice to see some of these journalists review classic cars that have been updated by dedicated enthusiasts to get a more accurate experience today.

It is my thought that any consumable item should be updated or uprated when possible to maximize performance without compromising the classic aesthetics.

I tried this with the first old car I had purchased. I immediately switched it to a lower "Euro" spec ride height and fitted higher performance shocks.

A huge difference was realized...monumental really.

Then, I swapped to modern DOT R tires on the original wheels.

Another massive leap.

When my brakes needed service, I went with a modern carbon pad. An amazing upgrade and it felt like I had installed a big brake kit. Two piece rotors and steel lines would take it another notch up.

We advanced the timing on the motor, removed the restrictive OEM exhaust, added an MSD box and swapped to lower restriction filters, synthetic lubricants, etc.

Two race seats, a Lithium battery and Euro spec bumpers shaved so much weight off that it felt like a totally different car.

Of course, none of these "updates" made a huge difference individually. When combined all together, the difference was staggering.

Best part was the car looked almost totally stock to just about everyone.

I think that if any of the journalists drove one of the classics tuned in this way with modern tires, they would be surprised.

There are great threads here about reintroducing yourself to the older cars and being disappointed.

I hope everyone gets a chance to try an old car that has been tuned this way before issuing a conclusive verdict!

LSJ

 

Well, I was trying to make an overall point about inaccurate generalizations of classic performance cars in today's world.

But...I was summarizing the transformation of most of my cars but especially the 308GTB and the 66 GT350.

Driving a classic stock vs one that has been updated can be very eye opening.

LSJ