| Author |
Message |
Edward Salla (350hpmondial)
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2001 - 9:07 am: | |
1) Ferrari makes engines not cars.
2)A fiero engine in a Ferrari, are you sure it just wasn't a fiero engine in a feiro? I have had conversations with people ( not nice conversations, mind you) who sware that the fiberglass panels that they glued on to their fiero were from the Ferrari factory. ( Yah, when monkeys fly out of my b-t.)
3) My 85 Ferrari Mondial Cab. is more reliable then my 1991 Z-71 Chevy pick-up. And it sounds better.
4) A North Star engine is a boat anchor. If you are really going to go to all of that time and expense, get one of those Briggs and Stratton Chevrolet 350's from a 1990 to 1994 ZR-1 corvette. In my opinion, it is close, in a technology sense, to a real Ferrari, it is light too, so you could still corner.
5)I can bake the tires with my Mondial, It has a low boost Turbo on it with Bosch port injection.
So, I'm not really a "Concourse" purist, but again,,,,,,,,, see #1.
6) I'm open to suggestions, but it seems that if you have $4k's and all of the free time to do a conversion, you could re-build your Ferrari engine, better then new. |
Scott Anderson (Srandrsn)
| | Posted on Monday, July 16, 2001 - 11:06 pm: | |
Steve, Prior to buying a 308 GTS a few months ago I too looked into the possibility of an engine conversion on a 308/328. I thought I might lend some thoughts. There is a guy out in Phoenix who deals in a lot of 308 project cars, his name is Butch Hooper & he's a pretty nice guy. His web site is "[email protected]". As far as engine conversions go I have seen a 308 with a Feiro drivetrain, I've heard of chevy 350's with Porsche transaxles and Cadillac Northstars. There are a lot of companies in the kit car industry that make/sell engine conversion kits for various applications: SBC on Fiero trans, adapters for porsche trans, etc look there for some ideas.
Personally I think the Northstar engine is perhaps the most viable. It may not have the power youre looking for but its already designed as a transverse unit and probably wouldn't take to much to drop in. You can get one with its own trans for $2-3K (and its a 32 valve engine so one could call it a quatrovalve). If you have the space, time, and ability I think a person could adapt a Northstar to a Ferrari trans (to keep the shift pattern and feel of Ferrari), also the newer Vortec engines and the LS1 from Chevy may work because the bottom of the engine is flat, potentialy making it easier to adapt to the Ferrari trans.
I ended up buying a 308 with its own engine. It needed to have the interior redone but it had a fresh paint job and was pretty cheap. So I figured the money I saved I could put into the engine/machanicals if needed. The easiest engine conversion would be on a TR or a 348. There is plenty of room to bolt a big block to a porsche transaxle and really bake the tires. As a matter of fact if I found a TR or 348 (engine fire, damaged whatever) that someone was willing to trade for a now nice 308 I would again seriously look into doing a conversion.
My reasons for wanting to do it were simply ones of dependability/reliability. I live in Northern WI and no one around here works on Ferraris and parts take forever. I figured that the one time cost of converting to another engine would be less than the on-going service and maitenence of the Ferrari powerplant. I own several 327/350 mid to late sixties corvettes and an LS6 Chevelle and they are all pretty cool but there is something special about the exhuast note of a Ferrari (danm the cost) |
steve l (Steveferrari)
| | Posted on Monday, July 02, 2001 - 12:32 am: | |
peter sorry for being so harsh, I just don't like the feel the car gives me. The car makes me think of the knife edge designs of the current cadilac prototypes.
So, I am still looking for that 328. Anything in realitively good condition will do. As long as the body is good, the interior can be crap and as I have said forget the engine. |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
| | Posted on Sunday, July 01, 2001 - 11:11 pm: | |
Wow, I've never heard such a comment towards that car. Which version are we talking about here, the original (pre '74) with slender body lines, or the excessive, flashy, be-spoilered '80's pimp mobile with tires that make up half the width of the car? I'm not much into that version, I find the earlier one better with those uncluttered lines and smooth shape.
I met Tom Tjaarda at C.I. two years ago and got his autograph. While on stage he made comments of the cars he designed as they came up. He is responsible for designing the Fiat Spyder, Ferrari 365 California and this Pantera that you so lambaste.
Sorry Steve, I thought this would meet your criteria....
(Bret, here's an alternative to that 'Vette you're thinking of driving while in college J!) |
steve l (Steveferrari)
| | Posted on Sunday, July 01, 2001 - 4:56 pm: | |
peter, when I look at a pantera it makes me want to vomit. The only good pantera is a dead pantera.
I just really want the great looks of the 328 combined with a high horse power modern day fuel injected engine. |
BretM (Bretm)
| | Posted on Sunday, July 01, 2001 - 2:30 pm: | |
There's a dealership with a Pantera for sale, like two miles away from me. It's been there as long as I can remember, I think I'm gonna go look at it just to check it out. |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
| | Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 11:40 pm: | |
Just noticed in a recent edition of the Ferrari Market Letter there was a guy selling a 328 engine/tranny for something like $9000. Claims the car was "burnt-out".
For what its worth, you want an Italian car with a 350 in it? Read: DeTomaso Pantera. Even better, its got one more extra cubic inch for you in displacement (@ 351)! Engine is perfectly oriented to sport a menacing blower that'll tower above the roof-line (if you don't mind the drivebelt rubbing your right shoulder). Biggest plus is they can be bought cheap, try $17000 for a shabby one. |
Steve Magnusson (91tr)
| | Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 5:45 pm: | |
steve l -- not really. It's always the same fundamental problem: big motor needs stout gearbox/differential/axles, maybe even some chassis reinforcement, so the project expands cost-wise into every major component. |
BretM (Bretm)
| | Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 10:51 am: | |
In Forza they had a 500 ci engine in a 308 and it was putting out ridiculous amounts of horsepower. Granted they had a different trans that was made for setting highspeed records, there has to be something out there related to this whole thing. |
steve l (Steveferrari)
| | Posted on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 10:45 pm: | |
steve magnusson, good question! Do you have any suggestions? |
Steve Magnusson (91tr)
| | Posted on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 9:17 am: | |
steve l - what's the plan downstream of the flywheel? |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
| | Posted on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 3:08 am: | |
Looks like you missed your chance. Someone posted here recently that he just bought a 328 with a seized-up motor.
I say you're crazy, but then again, many years ago people were dropping American V-8's into 250's that had f---ed up motors in it. These people were "unique". |
steve l (Steveferrari)
| | Posted on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 1:58 am: | |
I really want to get a 328 gts without a engine so I can drop a 350 in and super-charge it. |
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