328 buttress wing | FerrariChat

328 buttress wing

Discussion in '308/328' started by bill brooks, Jan 17, 2008.

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  1. bill brooks

    bill brooks F1 Veteran
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    perhaps it's a silly question, but here goes.
    does the buttress wing perform any real aerodynamic function on the 328?
    thinking this is a ferrari, s.f. must have done some windtunnel work and discovered a reason to
    justify such a jive device. engine cooling,etc.
    is there any documentation (threads) to support the appendage from an engineering standpoint? i think the cars lines are "disturbed" by this device.
    would you consider removing it unless wind science dictates otherwise? (concours not-with-standing)

    do any of you have opinions?
     
  2. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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  3. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    I think it does counteract the dead air area at the glass that results at the rear lip of the roof, when underway..

    There's a metal 'scoop' under early 308 engines as well, trying to increase upflow thru the engine compartment for cooling.

    So it probably does have a slight beneficial effect.

    I agree with you the early GTBs without it have a better visual line...one of my 1977 cars has one as it sat unsold thru 1980 and they added the rear wing and black anodized front fender louvers to 'update' the car......since these were Dealer installed I am reluctant to rework it, but may be tempted with a coming total repaint of the car!

    HTH
     
  4. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #4 Bullfighter, Jan 17, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Maybe it's because my car's a dark color, but I like it. The 328s I've seen without it look a little bare.

    Ditto on the Boxers -- if it came that way from the factory, I'd leave it alone.
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  5. Dino944

    Dino944 Formula 3

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    I prefer the rear wing on a 328, as thats what I grew up seeing in the US. To me, it looks like something is missing without it. 308s can get away without having one as the early 308s did not have one.

    Best regards,
    Dino
     
  6. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    #6 GrigioGuy, Jan 17, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  7. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
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    I like the shiny wheels.
     
  8. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I was just going to beat him up about that... ;)
     
  9. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    I bought it because of those wheels. Fact.
     
  10. f308jack

    f308jack F1 Rookie

    Jun 7, 2007
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    If anyone has one gathering dust, drop me a line. My 308 doesn't have the wing, and I like the looks.

    Happy motoring,

    Jack.
     
  11. bill brooks

    bill brooks F1 Veteran
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    and i probably will. afterall, i know you'd haunt me if mine was removed.
    just thought i'd pose the question.
     
  12. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
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    You would be visited by three ghosts.

    I'm the ghost of 328s Present. :)
     
  13. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    I'm the ghost of 328s Future, telling you all will be well :D :D
     
  14. doug328

    doug328 Formula 3

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    Nobody going to be the ghost of 328's past?? Then I will do it. I will take people back in time to the factory and watch those beautiful 328's rolling down the production line, all of them with their rear "spoilers" sitting majestically atop the cars. For a little "extra" on the side, I will coordinate your trip to coincide with your cars "birth" so you can watch her journey through the factory.
     
  15. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Clearly you need to cherish the wing. :)
     
  16. 308-newbie

    308-newbie Guest

    don't mess with the evolution of near perfection. Play with a Fiero if you want to mod something up. Love the look of the 328...
     
  17. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    Hmmmm. My first reaction was to respond with something impolite. However, I shall attempt to explain:


    There are many people out there who believe in pure stock configurations (except, for some reason, exhausts). That's great, and we can thank those people for maintaining those examples so that enthusiasts in the future can marvel at the factory's interpretation of the fabulous 3x8.

    There are others who, for various reasons, have a need to make the car a bit more 'theirs'. Thankfully, the joy of individual ownership of property is the ability to use that property as one sees fit. In my case, that means replicating a 77 GTB using the much better 87 GTS platform. For others, it means shoving 10 lbs of engine magic into a 5 lb bag. For yet others, that means a custom designed suspension and braking system built from supercar parts. All are perfectly valid ways of enjoying the 3x8 Ferrari experience.

    Take care
    T
     
  18. bill brooks

    bill brooks F1 Veteran
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    after what i did today, i think one of the trinity has visited and put the kibosh on my hose pm.

    for the record, let's forget i brought up the subject of buttress wings.


    _________________________
    say it ain't so joe....
     
  19. 308-newbie

    308-newbie Guest





    Fair enough tillman. After the 308 Pasta Disasta I believe we are all a little gunshy on the "mods"...there are only so many of these left for the purists to enjoy! No offence meant...
     
  20. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
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    I happen to LIKE the "basket handle" look better.
     
  21. Irishman

    Irishman F1 Rookie

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    Can't recall the exact source but what I liked were the claims that it was quite functional. Not just for looks but a device designed to direct cool air towards the engine. But, I never heard why all the American cars got that cooling device :):).
     
  22. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
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    It's very common among European makes to send the loaded-up cars to America.
     
  23. regisgtb4

    regisgtb4 Formula Junior
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    USA Cars are loaded down with barbell bumpers and cats and they have to work harder and get hotter to move compared to the unmolested pure production euro's.The wing is upside down to force air over the vents? The spoiler looks to make lift not downforce and I shopped hard in 1990 to get my 84 euro sans stupid spoiler.As to drilling 4 holes in a Car to mount that salute to stupidity please dont. When asked about the sweeping new USA Govt regulations of 1973 Enzo replied "if they want stupid give them stupid". Americans are too stupid too drive a motor car over 55,now 65,maybe 70 in west texas,they must have barbells for bumpers and their engines strangulated. They are too stupid to bear arms to protect themselves,speed limits and G control have worked wonders in places like Buffalo NY, my old home town and Buffalo is the National template.15% of folks in Nevada voted tonite to say NO to Federal Foolism.Washington can F*** Up the world but when they messed with Enzo they crossed the line,to say that The Cars benifited in any way by govt regulation at any time is moronic,have you heard of the latest legislation? The Shuttle is being tested for emmissions!
     
  24. Sigmacars

    Sigmacars Formula Junior
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    If you take it to the Track this wing helps to suck the hot air true the vents you can see it sits a lttle above the top of the car this forces the air over the motor vents.there is no other use i think only for the track
     
  25. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I don't know about the Space Shuttle, but with regard to Ferrari you're confusing several issues. First, yes, the U.S. version 308s got stuck with heavy bumpers (100 lbs each?) and cats that hurt performance. Blame the government. (Of course, the F430 has cats and it runs OK... so maybe blame Ferrari for being unable to quickly adapt an old car to new laws.)

    I've never heard of a 1973 government regulation specifying the 'basket handle' spoiler on the 308/328, but I do know that over the course of the 308/328 series Ferrari made an effort to improve the cooling features. Thus we get bonnet louvres on the injected 308s, and even more on the 328 (to match the Boxer design), and lose the superfluous fender louvres. We also get a larger area of decklid louvres on the 308s with cats, telling me they were updating the car to cope with extra heat. I have not seen documents to prove it, but from the shape of the underside of that spoiler it is clearly designed to direct air down over the decklid vents.

    You will see that same spoiler on the Boxer, which was never marketed -- or intended to be sold to -- the U.S. market. So the "marketing gimmick for the Yanks" explanation doesn't work for me.

    With regard to creating lift, I suspect a thin, mid-mounted spoiler would do next to nothing in that regard. But aside from a front spoiler (on Euro 308s and all 328s) and the subtle lip on the rear edge of the decklid, I doubt aerodynamics were a huge consideration in these cars. Remember, the 308/328 design is from the early 1970s. I think there was a lot of "discovery" over the 1976-1989 model run, and one of those discoveries (I'm guessing) is that a cooling device that worked well on the Boxer -- with its massive array of rear deck vents and spoiler -- might help out on the catalyst-equipped 308/328.

    Many Euro cars seem to lack the spoiler, but they also lack cats.

    If we have any physics majors here, I'm open to any critiques on this. As far as looks, I agree with Mike C -- it's one of those signature details on the 308/328 that makes it recogizable anywhere (except at a Boxer owners convention...) Kind of like the intricate door handles and those air intakes -- functional, but then they also became iconic.
     

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