348 Rear Alternative

Mark, I doubt there is a part number for just the connector, Ferrari typically sells wiring harnesses in sections. Have you contacted RayWheels to see if they will sell you just the conversion connectors? Also for the record, 355 & 550 tail lights are the same part numbers.

If you intent to make more of these kits, I may be interested... I have a feeling that Husker is abandoning his project.

 

By mesh do you mean the stuff they make Challenge grills out of for the 355, 360, et al?

To me this looks great. It adds back some traditional Ferrari look that was missing from the stock 348, while retaining some of what made the 348 unique. Best of both worlds!

jds

 

Are you mounting the round lights behind the factory grille or cutting round holes in the grille? I think the lights would look awesome with round cutouts in the 348 grille and mounted the same, depth wise, as the 355.

 

That looks sharp. Should be intersting to see final detail shots. Now when people spot you on the road from behind they'll say " hey look at 3-4-5, or Uhh 3-5-8?"

 

How about the lower picture without the horizontal grilles and reqork the exhaust to exit some screens in the other spaces? I do like the look of this mod.

BT

 

While I do not condone messing with the stock look of a 348 rear end (hey get a 355 if that's what you want!), I do like the first picture of the round tail lights behind the 348 grates. Now that is what the factory should have done to keep the rear end theme and create a separate 348 identity. Plus there is room for Challenge style rear vents. Imagine a SS version with the grates cut out at the lights. Wow, instant classic.

 

I do wish you guys wouldn't use such technical terms...I didn't even sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night, and now I've spent hours on google...these "Ferrari Specific" terms just make me wish I could speak Italian more and more....

Mike in Kuwait

 

That looks sweet!

 

WRONG. Project is very much on target. These things take a little time!!!

June was my target date for prototypes and still is. Everything is on target still.

 

Excellent

 

I cant say pecifically about the connector itself... but I can tell you absolutely that the 355, 360, 550 & 575 all have identical tail lights... all of them have the same tail light part numbers.
It occurs to me that if the 550 already used some harness that had a main connector that was the same as the 348, then split off to the individual tail lights, RayWheels wouldn't have spent a small fortune having their harnesses custom made for their conversion kit.

On the other hand... having them custom made would probably cost 20% of what Ferrari would butt-rape you for the equivalent OEM harness.

Call Raywheels, tell him what you're doing and just ask him for some advice about connecting the lights... unless he turns out be a total jerkoff, i'm sure he'd help you out.... he IS a Ferrari guy afterall!

 

If someone came upon a spare grille it would be cool to see what it would look like with the round cutouts. It would take some fabrication and reinforcement for sure. Maybe cut some mesh screen and tack it to the inside of the grille inbetween the left and right bank of lights.

Reading about you guys changing the rear grille got me to thinking that this might be a good way to get the traditional round tail lights and not make it look 355ish. Sorry, just the designer in me.

 

The 355, 550 lights may look the same, and they are but the connectors as I found out are entirely different. 355 lights use a different wirring harness that connects male to female differently then 550 lights. When I did my Challenge grill and bought 355 lights I had NO idea they would not just connect to the 348 wirring, hard lesson, had to find used 355's wirring harness, ended up Blackhorse Motors in LA where the car gets serviced had a few and gave them to me, if not its an expensive item to find new or used. If I would of installed 550 lights, there would of been absolutely no problem connecting to the 348 wires. Ferrari parts very expensive, lessons in life priceless...
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

It is a term pioneered by some porting companies:
See here:
http://www.maximumraceengines.com/intakemanifoldporting.html

BT

 

Albert - Do you have any moe pics or instructions on your conversion? I am waiting for the "Husker Challenge Grill", and already bought the lights from Ferrari. I'm sure I bought the ones that will require the most rewiring possible. Thanks!

 

Helps?! Its a complete cure! Thanks Mark!

Also, I took you up on your offer, and PM'ed you a request for the light support specs. Thanks again, Tom

 

Husker's still working on it! Stay tuned!

 

Will be interested in seeing the results!

 

WOW! Pics, we need pics!!!