US 308 GT4 Bumper "conversion"

Anyone know of anything already available out there to reduce the weight of my US version 308 GT4 bumpers? Any hope of finding Euro bumpers at a reasonable price?
Thanks,
Ben Schotz
Austin, TX
'75 GT4 10568

 

Even if you were to find Euro bumpers, you would have to do a fair amount of metal work to make them fit. Make sure you know what you are getting into there. Try Superformance http://www.superformance.co.uk/a-308/fittings.htm
They sell a fibreglass remake.....

JIM
'74 GT4 #08140

 

Thanks, Jim.

 

It a lot more then just bumpers

Rear space frame
Rear euro panel
Rear lower fender
Front Fenders
Front and Rear bumper brackets

Hope the pictuers help.

AL
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We are doing 3 308gt4 in our shop for our customers

1974
1975
1976
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what is the cost of that rear panel?

 

Your 1st born...

About 445 Euros:

http://www.eurospares.co.uk/partsListing.asp?M=1&Mo=674&A=2&B=39705&S=&ID4=1612662

The part number is written on the part in the picture above. So it wasn't too hard to find...

 

I guess if someone has to paint his car this would be an option prior to paintwork.Perhaps better off to start with a euro spec car. Has anyone on f-chat converted to euro bumpers?

 

If you use the search function, you can find almost anything you want here. There is at least one thread on this topic and probably a couple.

 

i have , thanks

 

Strictly Ferrari has. As he pointed out above it requires new metal in the rear to do it right. In addition, you will have to add and modify metal in the front of the car. It can be done, but it's quite involved to do it correctly.

Jim

 

It also makes your car something "other" than what it originally was, when there are plenty of other examples that really are that "other" thing to begin with, and without having to be be modified to become something they are not.

Not that it will matter in the next year or two, but somewhere down the line you may find that it would have been better to keep a U.S. spec car a little more original. Because it will always be a source of "????".

 

This is always the debate. Early on, I backed out on a perfect '79 GT4 because I did not want to have to maintain it to "Concours Standards". I then found the best '74 that I could and have made it "my own" Ferrari. Electronic ignition for road trips and reliabilty, QA-1's for comfort/performance, etc..... I did this because I took the time to understand what my intentions were with the car and what I was going to do with it.

Bottom line, know what your goal is for the car (mine is to drive the hell out of it!) and go with it. I went for "perfection" and quickly realized that I was not the "Concours" type of owner, so I switched gears and went for a perfect driver. I have no regrets after 25,000 miles/3 years!

JIM

 

i agree with JIM. another option, possibly, if you want to retain factory cred, is to send the car back to the factory to their Classiche shop, and have them do the conversion. really expensive, but then you have a factory car, no different than stuff that went on decades ago.

 

+1

Mine has a Series II front grill, which I prefer. Right now, is the time I should change that, if I'm ever going to - since it's down to bare-metal. But I'm not. I also don't have the tools, or jack or complete records. My car is not a show car. It's..... a Driver [SIC]

So why bother?

I'm also going electronic ignition, but a little different setup that probably anybody here on FChat has, except for the person who makes it. It's very simple and involves removing the points, installing an electronic plate with a special fitting over the cam. You still use the distributors, but the internals are all electronic. No drilling things into the cam covers, no special pulley, and no separate coils to setup. It all "looks" original, but it's not. And if you want to convert back to original, if you have a concourse car, this is the only logical setup to get - since you can easily switch back-and-forth. It's a very simple but reliable setup, and I believe this same setup is used on the V-12's.

 

OMG! I found him!


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does anyone make, or has anyone made, fibreglass bumpers in the same mould as the current rubber ship fenders?

I dont want to do a US-Euro conversion, but replacing those bumpers would be probably be the cheapest 'weight saving where it counts' upgrade one could make on a GT4, by reducing a lot of weight at the far ends of the car.

Any experience/suggestions/examples?

 

I've only seen euro style fiberglass replacements. One guy on ebay UK and one of the members here from Florida.
The only other is the rubber replacements for euro bumpers from Mr.Fiat
AFAIK

 

I am also interested about fiberglass US bumpers. I think the conversion also needs the covering panels in the ends. I was seriously thinking of the euro conversion, but ended up to maintain the origanility of the car. I have learned my self to like the ugly bumpers. I could start making fiberglass us ones, if there is not enybodey making them already.

Juha

 

I have Euro bumper (without rubber) mould
front and rear pictured on this car

Also have a full set of body moulds for euro 308 GT4 - strictlyferrari - you should buy them !! - make your own panels and make your customers lightweigh Eurospec GT4's (obviously wont pass Classiche though........)

Its not difficult to mould components if you have an original US bumper
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Thanks Playframe K., but I will stick with the original bumpers like KJEDino (like him I am also getting used to their looks). I might have to see if a boat shop can knock me out some over winter, I guess they could have the gel coat coloured too. That and push them in a bit. Definitely a job for a cold winter!