Finally The Perfect 308 In This Month's Forza

I originally bought my 308 as an interim Ferrari, to keep until I could get my classic-car insurance back (I lost agreed-value classic insurablity for 30 months after the 330 2+2 was totaled in 2007) and buy another Vintage 12.

Though now vintage-insurable again, I'm so happy with the 308 that I want to keep it longterm rather than go back in time to another 330 2+2 or 365 2+2 or get up to date with a 360 or 550.

This makes the idea of major engine mods attractive to me. I could do $20K-plus by early next year, and my car is maintained by a shop eminently capable of performing the work.

The downsides are value questions and insurability. I'd like to keep daily-driver coverage with State Farm, but a total loss with a probable 50-cent-on-the-dollar payback for the value of an unmodified car makes this part of the question spooky proposition indeed. I'm willing to accept such a loss now as opposed to finacial ruin, but another $25K lost would mean bye-bye Ferraris.

I'm leery of classic companies...Hagerty paid full agreed value for my totaled 330, but I wouldn't expect this kind of luck again. In these times, I'd more expect a classic insurer to "find" a reason to deny both collision and liability payouts.

 

How is your 328 going to legally pass smog test in california with the carbs?

 

I love the idea of a 300 hp 308..... BUT I think for the cost to do this I'd just buy a late model 348... That way I could have two ferraris.... win win.

 

I don't think there is any reason you couldn't do exactly the same think on a 2V. The block are very similar and I've heard Norwood had do 328 liners in a 2v....which get you most of the way to 348/355/36 liners. QV heads flow about exactly the same as 2V heads, the @V engine just needs a bit more cam to make them work right.

 

a 300 hp QV 308 is basically just a conerverion to ITBs and a bit more on the intake cams (maybe just 328 intakes). WIth head work 330-350 is were I'd expect a mild street build to be.

 

Amen +1

Boost is the way to go. Norwood know's what their doing too and you get much more bang for the buck! Eberhardt knows how to make hp too for alot less.

Cheers

 

This statement always tells me that the person (you) wants a ferrari not a specific model of ferrari. Why? Probably for the image and ego not the passion. You want the newest for your dollar so you have no real love for any era of ferrari. A 348 is the worst ferrari built and thats from Montezemolo's own mouth - an educated ferrari buyer will know this. The buyer of my restored 308GTB could have bought a typical worn 308 and a TR as a package deal for the same money but he wanted an excellent 308 so he paid and got what he wanted. I respect that.

 

I dont agree totally (surprised?). There would be a trade-off that the ITB cant offer like the plenum can, not to mention the OEM look which was the goal. Win at the concours and on the street, it wasnt just about numbers on the dyno sheet. Im a poet and dont even know it.

 

How is your 328 going to legally pass smog test in california with the carbs?

Why do you think I haven't pursued this more wholeheartedly? ;-)

 

A 348 is the worst ferrari built and thats from Montezemolo's own mouth - an educated ferrari buyer will know this.

The 348 Spider is actually a pretty good car. The early ones...eh...

 

But your feet showed it, because they were Longfellows.

John

 

WOW... LOL! Ego? you obviously don't know me.... love how some of you people on here shoot your mouths off... AND my educated friend... you are wrong about 348s... An educated ferrari buyer will know which model years have issues and which ones don't....

I admired you and what you did with your 308 right up to this post.

 

It would be perfect for me too... if I could rationalize the price of basically buying the car twice.... You're also correct if I wanted to just go fast I'd buy a corvette..... nah... no I wouldn't.

 

If you did it yourself and used donor bits from a salvaged motor . I think it would be more like $15000 !

 

Same here. Other than lacking lowend torque, I just can't find anything not to like about my car.

Well, not totally true. The dash lights could be brighter, AC a little colder, parking brake work better. I can live with these, I think.

I love the idea of the stealth 308, keeping the CIS, etc. Mine's grandfathered out here in TX...no smogging required for 25+ yer old cars. the state gvt. actively encourages classic preservation.

 

Fair enough.

For stock looks I THINK it would be possible to gut a CIS unit and installing electronic injectors to feed the fuel distributor. Everything would look right but you wouldn’t have the CIS junk in the way of the air flow and could run better cams with no worries

 

http://www.forza-mag.com/art2/art2p1.php

 

Well if that's the case Tommy then by all means please report back to us when you've had this mod done on your car! Excited to see what your impression is before vs. after.

 

WoW---you are obviously not a good judge of character...One statement and you can tell exactly how a person is? Not a very fair statement to make to someone you don't personally know is it?

 

Go you!!

 

+1

Some people love just one particular model, some love ALL Ferraris pretty much equally and appreciate each of them for their individual strengths and weaknesses. Neither type of enthusiast is right or wrong. Some people would rather have one shining, perfect, eat-off-the exhaust-pipe-clean example of their favorite model, others would rather have "drivers" and try several different models. It's all about personal preference and what kind of car enthusiast you are. For the same money, I'd rather buy a Mondial, a MGB, a 911 3.0, a Buyeye Sprite restoration project, and a steak dinner instead of one F355. But that's just me. In most cases I would say 2 stock Ferraris in the garage >> 1 modified Ferrari in the garage. Unless that 1 was an F40, and then I'd have a real dilemma on my hands.