Please Help: 348 tb or 348 GTB?

After nearly a decade, it has finally been discovered and ultimately settled that a certain RHD green 348 is a berlinetta - and not a ts as it has been misidentified over the years. It has also been (mis)identified as black, and as a Challenge car, but we'll get to that in a minute.

First, I need some help in determining how to tell the difference between a tb and a GTB. It's my understanding that GTBs were only made in '93. Is this correct? This car was built in late '92. It wears a GTB badge on the rear deck lid lip, but we all know that someone could've just slapped that on their at some point. But the front lip and the side skirts are body-colored, which is consistent with a GTB, whereas the front lip and side skirts of a tb would be a satin matte black. It has been pointed out to me that the back piece of the rear deck lid (the piece closest to the rear window) is black, whereas the rear deck lids on GTBs are one solid color. This further adds to the confusion of this car's true model type. Are there other details, to which I'm not privy, that provide a clear indication of whether this car is a tb or a GTB?

Moving on, this car has been (mid)identified in the past as black. Clearly, here, it's green. I know in some pictures it looks blue - but I promise, it's green. Now can anyone identify the exact shade of green? Assuming this is an in-range factory color, Ferrari was using Glasurit in the early '90s. Can anyone discern the exact shade of green used here?

Lastly, some people have identified this car as a Challenge car. How can I prove, or disprove, that this car is a Challenge car, or not a Challenge car? I lament that I don't know enough about 348s; but this is a prime example of how I can learn, and an opportunity to learn from true 348 experts. So any advice and assistance that you folks could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Only with this pict, it's not possible to give you a just answer.

Maybe have you the VIN (or only the la five number).
GTB are ZFFUA35.... tb are ZFFKA35...
With pict of the interior it's possible to give you a just answer, the steering wheel and and the inside face of the door is characteristic of the GTB/GTS.

 

Hi, David - yes, I have a picture of the VIN! I wasn't aware the VIN would dictate the difference between a tb and a GTB. Thank you!
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A photo of the engine will clear up any confusion. The gtb had revised plenum chambers of a slightly different design. Post a photo and all shall be revealed.

 

Unfortunately a photo of the engine was not taken. The car is in Ireland, and it took a fortnight for my spotter to go back and just get a picture of the VIN. If he can go back again, I don't even know if a picture of the engine is feasible.

David 84 asserts that a picture of the VIN dictates whether the car is a tb or a GTB. The picture I posted above clearly shows the VIN as ZFFKA35B0000. Assuming David is correct, then that is ample confirmation that this is a tb that's been aesthetically modified to look like a GTB.

Assuming that the VIN confirmation is irrefutable, then I'm hoping we can move on to the two remaining questions about this car: whether or not it's a Challenge car, and how to determine whether or not it's a Challenge car, and; the proper and correct name of the car's paint color.

 

For European 348s the Challenge cars were a kit applied to standard production cars. The kit included racing seats, roll cage and Challenge badging. If the Challenge kit was ever applied to the car pictured it has clearly been fully removed.

Jonathan

 

Because the kits were interchangeable back then, I understand it makes it more difficult to determine if a car was or was not a Challenge car. Is there any way to tell, just via pictures, whether or not a car was ever a fully kitted Challenge car? Or, without Ferrari documentation, will this car's possible Challenge association always be questionable?

 

I'am absolutly sure it's a 348 tb with ZFFKA....

It's ZFFFA for the helvetica 348 tb (CH)
and it's ZFFUA for the GTB

K, F or U it's for the motor's version.

It's another possibility. The 348tb (ZFFKA...) with the challenge kit, in Europ, in 1994 received a motor kit for the transformation of the 300hp motor in 320hp, like the GTB.

 

So it's definitely a tb, with the possibility of being a Challenge car?

 

Fyi: Front wheels are on the wrong sides. Common error after new tires are fitted...

Nice color combo....

348GTB/GTS were built during late 1992 through 1994. It is my understanding that none of this type were converted Challenge cars. Only the prior tb/ts models.

 

Maybe Glasurit 1411. I can't verify if it is an OEM color for Ferrari in 1992, but it was offered on some Volvo models that year.

 

The first GTB/GTS is 96824, a 348 GTS Rosso/nero/nero sold in Deutschland on october 1993.

There is 348 GTB converted with the challenge kit in Europ :
#97242, a 348 GTB piloted by Wulf Frensel (#26 1994, #5 1995)
#98542
#98614 by Arturio Merzario (ex-F1 driver, the saver of Nicky Lauda on Nurburgring) #99 challenge 348 Sud Europa 1994.
#98983 with Anton Strasser, #27 for the Challenge 1994.

It's possible existed another 348 GTB converted but, I know only thisone.

 

You can see the motor :
The F119H (320) have a higher plenum with different strip than F119G or D

If it's a real F119H direct from Maranello, the motor number is higher than 3440 (approximately). If this number is lower, it's a F119G with the kit challenge for transformation.

You can see the floor in the cabin behind the front wheel.
If the challenge kit is installed, you see the screew for the rolling-bar.

I'am sorry for my very bad english....

 

Thanks for the clarification David.

 

I am in the process of finalizing my purchase of chassis 96824, the first 348 GTS built (as stated on an official Ferrari document). It is a late 1993 car, so I believe all 1992 cars were TB/TS and could not be GTB/GTS.

Also, the front grill of your car is a TB grill. The GTB/GTS has a thick black outline around it, as well as a greater number of vertical lines.

Your car seems to be a TB, rebadged GTB and with painted lower parts and non-standard chrome prancing horse emblems.

Here is my post, so you can see the front grill of a real GTB/GTS:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355-sponsored-bradan/483155-happy-found-bought-348-gts.html

Hope this helps.

 

Finally what is the full sn of this verde 348 tb?

Fred.

 

That definitely looks green to me.