I'm searching for a 348 and found this description for a 348: This car was a street 348, then converted to a Challenge car, spending over $45,000 then reconverted back to street again at substantial expense. Several Challenge options remain in the car, exhaust, ECUs, suspension etc. I've come across a number of these. Are these the kind one should run away from because of the race history? Thanks
If this is the car at Cavallino Motors, Martin is a sponsor here, and Byron (Bmyth-FDC) is a PO and can give you some history on the car. Check with 'em - depends on what you want and apparently, whether or not you value your hearing and your dental work if this is the car I'm thinking of. Cheers Kevin
Race history usually means "repeatedly and heavily crashed", so that's largely why many people shy away from ex-Challenge cars, even if they don't mind deafening (straight) exhaust and harsh ride (solid suspension bushings). If driving a "hair shirt" car on the street doesn't bother you, by all means go ahead and buy a 348 Challenge car or '95 355 Challenge car (the only ones with titles), assuming you live someplace where you can get a tag for it. It took me quite a while to buy mine, the only unwrecked car I could find with a genuine (albeit brief) Challenge history.
I'm sure i read in Forza that converted street 348's to Challenge 348's cannot be switched back to street-legal?
I guess I'll have to get a mouthguard if I test drive it Is there a way to find out if the car crashed on the track?
Aside from putting the car up in the air to examine the tub, you could see if David Seibert might share his knowledge of the car's history in Challenge races with you- I think he'd probably know more than anyone else about a particular Challenge car's history, at least during its tenure in the series.
Know, you don't need a mouth guard, no one could hear you scream anyway! Actually I love my 348 Challenge. Go to Petit Le Mans footage under general for a viewing. I drive it relentlessly and excessively, every chance I get.
I owned a ex european 348 challenge, it was not stripped out as I believe the US cars are, with exception to the hard seats on long journeys it was a great car.