So burn me at the stake!

I think a 308 rat rod would be pretty cool. You'll always have people who will cry sacrilege and so on, but if you're going to take an unusual/special car and modify it, starting with one that already needs a lot of help is the way to go. The wine-and-cheese crowd will gasp when they see it, but the car guys will appreciate it, even if it's not their taste. You may not be welcomed by certain circles of Ferrari enthusiasts, but it would be a hit among people who modify cars.

And 308s aren't especially rare; you wouldn't be making a significant impact on the 308 landscape by going berserk with one, or even a dozen.

There's a 308 for sale right now (I forget where I saw it) that had an engine fire, but the damage is really not bad. Might be a thread about it on here. The damage is probably enough to total the car, but nowhere near being bad enough to be considered "beyond saving" for the sake of a project. Buy a car like that -- save a 308 from the grave, and make something unique in the process.

Personally, I'd rather see some snarky insanely modified 308 than the dozens of cars that owners have tried to "update" with big wheels, TV screens, beedy fog lights, body colored bumpers, etc.

Either way, at the end of the day, they're just cars, and the law of the land is "to each his own".

 

And, I might add, that I am for the most part a purist when it comes to classic cars. I strive to keep them original and return modified ones to original. But variety is the spice of life, and by rescuing a 308 from the grave and making something interesting, you are doing the car world two favors.

Just don't put a different engine in it (unless it's a Ferrari engine); with Ferraris, more than any other car, the engine is really the heart of what makes it what it is -- it's a Ferrari. (...and I think you will be hard pressed to find an engine to fit in there that is a better combination of performance potential, robustness, sound, complement the body, etc. than a Ferrari engine...)

 

As long as it has a Ferrari engine, it's a Ferrari...not original, but a Ferrari.

Caveat: it's may cost the same or more than an original car by the time you are through if you do keep the Ferrari drivetrain.

 

I've never seen a Ferrari as a "hot rod" I have trouble with the idea as the cars are fairly complex European sports cars, more finesse than brutalness (308's). And looking at your original post it appears you'd probably be looking for a budget car with a blown engine. Someone in a post showed a 400i that had a chevy V8 put in place of the blown engine they could not afford to rebuild. I'm thinking for a crafty guy you could find a junk yard 3.8 buick, junk yard turbo's, etc. If you could get that setup to work you'd probably be faster than a stock Ferrari and have something that would be fun to bomb around in. Depending on the budget, there are 15K running 308's out there. Some rust, some prior modifications, etc. Even a bomber Ferrari doesn't go over speed bumps fast unless you want to destroy it.

 

There are photos here (on Fchat) somewhere of a 308 with a Chevy engine. (The car had a huge "blower" built to route air from above the top of the car down into the carbs.) I think that it was pretty cool.

Is the car still a Ferrari? Most here would say not, but who cares -- can you imagine how much fun that car would be?

 

Kelly, you're not going to be able to hot rod a 308 with a 308 engine in it - not enough displacement to get excited about from a hot rodder's standpoint. And, the modifications to make it put out some serious hp are probably beyond your budget. A ferrari V12 is incredibly difficult to put in there so that's out.

So, you're probably looking at either a chevy or ford V8 as a power plant. Go ahead and ignore the snobs who say it's only a ferrari with a ferrari engine - that smacks of elitism, and lacks creativity and engineering sophistication.

I've seen a 308 hot rod - about five years ago in CA. It was a 308 with a GTO body kit very nicely done - exterior looked just like a real GTO including all the small details. Power plant was an alloy block small block Ford stroked to 347 with four down draft IDF webers, put out roughly 425hp/425tq. It had a true cross over tubular exhaust (which roughly approximates the firing sequence of a flat plane crank) and sounded quite amazing, not at all like your average rodded Mustang SBF but rather something more exotic. Suspension had all been rebuilt and she looked and sounded great - exquisit craftsmanship and very good engineering everywhere. Definitely not a rat rod, more a show car rod with some serious hp/tq. That car was faster than any F430 (or any car!) that day.

Follow your instincts and make your car, your car. Ferraris are just cars, and if you're saving one from the scrap heap to make into a unique and interesting creation then you've done a good thing. Enjoy!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVjbf-dHjW0

 

You must be in Meridian.... (fellow Mississippian here).

My suggestion would be that if you are going to change the engine to a non-Ferrari engine consider a GTB over a GTS due to the chassis and torque that a bigger engine will put out to avoid chassis flex. I also would prefer to see the car retain a Ferrari drivetrain if at all possible. There are plenty of resources on the board to guide you through a project like this.

FWIW, I am also enlisted in the military, so I know Ferrari ownership can be done on what we make, you just have to be careful with what you do with it.


PDG
'85 308 GTSi QV

 

There's this guy Norwood in Texas who has put monster non-Ferrari V8s in 308 and 288 chassis, sometimes even in the wrong end, apparently, and gone racing about with them. That's why he is shunned by the whole Ferrari community.

NOT.

It is all about execution. (If you do a poor job, people around here will be looking for your execution!) Do a good job and make something to be proud of. I would guess that you would wind up spending far more than a good 308 on the project, but at least you'll be able to spread the payments out, probably over the next 20 years.

Buy that mess on eBay that is a bunch of 308 and 328 parts. Wait until this guy finally decides that market value is $128.96 and make what ever you want out of the parts.

 

just don't turn it into a pasta maker
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Not a lot, unless your definition of "fun" is donuts in an empty parking lot.

The flat torque of the Ferrari mill works in harmony with the suspension.
Put a peaky Chebby in that package, and watch the power oversteer bloom.

Real 308s are cheap enough, these days, if you just want a "driver" edition (not concours).

For what you'd spend trying to shoe-horn a bail-out mill into a 308 frame, you could have the real thing, and put the money into making it mechanically sound.

And no cross-crank V8 would ever sound like a Ferrari.

 

There have been in the past projects posted here with Chevy V8s and Porche transaxles. I've also seen Northstar V8s in 308s, a Pontiac Fiero V6, and a Toyota MR2 drivetrain. Basically any front wheel drive layout can be made to work back there if you have cojones and a welder.

In all seriousness, take a look at the Fiero forums. www.Fiero.nl

Those guys are putting together some seriously cool engine/tranny combinations. My favorite it the Corvette LS2 and the 6 speed from the Pontiac G6.

 

I keep re-reading this and I just don't get it.

To me Ferrari is art with soul. If it's made ugly, where's the art? If you take the motor, you steal the soul.

 

I keep hearing the V12 guys say that about the V8 cars. If they don't have all the pistons, they aren't worthy of the horse. I try not to listen to them.

 

I agree with Tillman. Go purchase a rebodied Fiero and butcher it! Buy the time you obtain a damaged 308 and finish with your circle jerk you'll be in it over $25k and have nothing to show for it except a handful of s^it with a horsey emblem. +1 with Viper Driver also.

 

You want HOT ROD?
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Kelly - Thank You for Your Service.

This is the Executioner.
http://www.norwoodperformance.com/Bonneville%20GTO.htm

Give 'em a call, drop 'em a line - y'all are speaking the same language. Ain't that far from 'sippi to Tejas.

But, remember - as long as it's yours - you're the caretaker of that Ferrari for the next owner.

 

No need to Redneckify a beautiful work of art..plenty of other lesser cars for that.

I'd put it on par with the 308 pizza maker Jessie James did.

Nothing personal.

 

It would be cool to do it right, but it would not be cheap or easy. If you have to change out the motor for something more powerful, I would not start with a 308. It's too light (in a good way) for monster power.

 

I think you misunderstood my point.

I've seen some first class "butchered" Ferraris with a ton more power and presence than stock machines. I don't believe that the 3x8 series is really all that well engineered or executed, and there's significant room for improvement. There's certainly room for more power!

My purpose in linking to the Fiero site was that there is some real quality engineering going on in the aftermarket with those cars. Take a look at some of the construction threads; they're putting all sorts of cool combinations together, and a lot of them will work in the hypothetical engineless 308.

 

Wrong.

 

Right.

 

+1

I read a great quote on here somewhere about how not putting miles on your car is like not sleeping with your girlfriend so her next boyfriend will like her more.

If you want to paint your 308 primer gray and drive it around with no exhaust, have at it. It's yours, do what you want, I just don't understand it.

 

Well, of course. Should neither be babied nor destroyed. It's more of a Goldilocks analogy - "this is just right" - Key is to be just right for the owner so he can drive the snot out of it and be able to pass it along, and not be a nightmare to sort.

Otherwise, in either case of redneckified or babied;

We'll have traditional barn find threads years later - of; oh, my god, why, why, why, why... wailing and gnashing of teeth, etc.