348 TS roof latches: All metal or with leather straps?

Guys, an interesting curiosity has cropped up whilst trying to help a 328 GTS owner out in the UK who has been sold a 328 targa roof that turned out to be a 348 targa top when unpacked: Targa roof for sale Ferrari 348*-* Gassing Station - PistonHeads.

348jeff (also a member on Fchat - Hi jeff if you're reading this post! ) has shown a picture of the 348 roof latch (handle), and it has a small leather strap attached to it (similar to the 308/328 GTS latches).

There is also a comparison with a 355 latch (handle), and that is an all metal construction with no leather strap.

The curiosity is, My 1990 348 TS roof panel has the solid metal latches (without any leather straps), and looking through the big folder of bills that go back to day one of the cars life, there is no mention of the roof or latches ever being replaced.

When I bought the car I also managed to purchase a folding targa top for the car and that too has the solid metal latches with no leather straps.

My 1990 348 parts list quotes part number 62219400 for the latches (the same number for the later GTS models).

So My query is:

Which type of latch is attached to your 348 TS/GTS roof panel? - with leather straps attached or just solid metal? (it would be useful to know the age of the car with the type of latch fitted).

Should part number 62219400 be the type with the strap or without? (I've tried investigating this but it seems people are using the same part number for both types):


This advert is for part number 62219400: Ferrari 348 - HANDLE/TOP Part No. 62219400 | eBay and shows the type with the leather strap.

However, this advert (also for part number 62219400): Ferrari 348 - HANDLE/TOP Part No. 62219400 | eBay shows a solid metal version latch.

And to further complicate things, this advert is for part number: 64323200:
Ferrari 355 GTS - Targa Roof / Top Release Handle # 64323200 | eBay and seems to show the same part as the second "62219400" advert.

(PLEASE NOTE: I have no affiliation to any of the Ebay adverts and they are shown purely to highlight the issue with the different latches).

And finally:

I was always under the impression that the 348 and 355 latches were different and were not compatible but 348jeff indicates that they are compatible, and that the problem with fitting a 348 roof panel to a 355 (and visa versa) is with the rear pins, not the latches.

Having searched this topic, so far there does not seem to be a definitive answer, so what exactly is the truth of the matter?

 

Thank you for the response so far!

It's starting to look as though Ferrari decided to change the latch design sometime in 1990 then.

The visor interference seems like a good bet for the change of design.

I did wonder if the early cars used 328 latches but checking it out, although they're a similar design, they're another part number yet again! (Part No. 60421500 ).

So now I'm left to wonder if there should be another part number for the 348 latch with the leather strap rather than 62219400?

And I'm wondering if there is any difference between the 348 latch and the 355 latch despite the different part number?

Would leather strap cars be worth more than solid handle cars?

If entered for a Concours event, could you lose points if your car should have leather strap version latches but actually had solid metal latches fitted?

Trust Ferrari to complicate something so simple!

 

My car was delivered in the UK on 1st September 1990 and has solid metal catches so perhaps we're narrowing it down and homing in on the changeover period!

(Cue someone with a 1991 car to announce that they have leather straps! )

$100K? - As that's "only" @ £67.5K, I don't think it will be too long before we see RHD cars hitting that amount.

£100K though, now that's a different matter!

 

Yeah! - We don't tend to go for those common as muck LHD's here in the UK, we much prefer the far rarer RHD cars with the steering wheel literally on the "right" side of the car!

Take My car for example - Out of 4,230 348 TS' ever made, it's one of only 261 UK supplied RHD cars!



(I wonder how many of those UK RHD cars had leather strap latches? - They must be Mega rare!)

 

My roof panel is about even for tightness on both sides but the profile of the front edge of the panel doesn't exactly match the profile of the top windscreen rail and so the outer edges of the panel stick up above the rail very very slightly (TBH, you'd have to be a bit "anal" to notice it - Sadly, I am!).

The tops fit could be adjusted with a shim ("Thickness" ) fitted underneath the latch:

Ferrari 348 TS (1993) - Roof - Outer Trims: Page 105 | Order Online Eurospares

Ferrari 348 TS (1993) - Roof - Outer Trims: Page 105 | Order Online Eurospares

And also with a shim ("Thickness" ) underneath the "Striker" plate fitted to the front windscreen rail:

Ferrari 348 TS (1993) - Roof - Outer Trims: Page 105 | Order Online Eurospares

I'd probably just make My own out of some flat plastic and adjust it accordingly (I had to do this with My FNA folding targa roof panel as it was incredibly tight to clamp down on the latches when I first got it. Now I've made some shims it's a lot better).

I think you could make the fit better (especially in regards to the tightness, or lack there of), but I'm not convinced you can ever get the tops to fit 100% perfect in relation to the roof rail as I think there was a bit of a discrepancy in the roof panels front edge profile from new (My folding top fits perfectly though! - When I showed it fitted to the car at the Ferrari specialist that I use, they thought it looked better than the standard hard top by a long way!)

Hope that's of some help.

 

Sounds like we have found the changeover car from when Ferrari swapped from leather pull tab latches to solid metal latches!

 

Which month was it built in 1990 though? - I only ask because it looks like the changeover was most likely in July 1990 (and possibly Shaide's car! )