SPOILERLESS

are you selling it?

 

I have a spoiler on my 85 QV but I wish I didn't. The problem is what to do about the holes. What is your plan?

 

Good for you, Otis

GeoMetry, one can plug the holes with metal pretty easily if you have a good local bodyshop. See this thread for details.

 

Car looks good!!!

Nice wheels and tires

Did you narrow the rears?? and what size tires?

regards,
chris

 

looks 100x better without!

 

How are you going to force the air down in the rear of the car at high speed without the spoiler?

 

Make sure you hang onto it if you ever plan to sell. Ditto those 328 wheels.

 

and you may have gained a couple miles per hour on the top end even though you might not be able to use it

 

Remember, 308's did fine for 7 years before that thing was added in 83...

 

I want mine off too.

exactly what plugs did you use that fit down in there so well and where can I get some?

 

I have a die cast 328, removed the spoiler from it too

 

I would suggest painting it to match the car like mine was done and put it back on. Just personal preference but I think the color matched spoiler looks better than the black, plus you don't have the mount holes exposed. Just my 2cents.
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But I like the look of the spoiler. Anyone know why Ferrari added the spoiler? was it aesthetics? or functional? or both?
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I concur - I think it's part of the '80s vibe of the car.

There were some threads about the reasoning behind the spoiler, but I don't think there was a conclusive answer. If you look at the underside, it is angled down, which suggests that some thought went into the shape of it and how it would direct airflow.

We also know that with the introduction of catalytic converters that Ferrari gradually improved the cooling flow on the 308/328, adding more vents to the rear deck and (with the QV and 328) going to a Boxer style of bonnet vents (and deleting the decorative fender vents with the 328, essentially coming full circle back to the Boxer scheme of vents). Boxers have a similar spoiler, IIRC, and as Ferrari's first mid-engined road car there may have been cooling issues -- something to ask the guys on the Boxer forum here. The Boxer was never sold new in the States (except grey market), so the notion that the spoiler was added for American tastes doesn't make sense.

My other theory on this was that the spoiler seems to have disappeared when the radiators moved to the rear -- Boxer/308/328 have the radiator up front. But the TR/348/355, with the cooling system in their flanks, seem not to have had the high/mid-mounted spoiler.

Bottom line is for the kind of driving we do in the States it probably doesn't matter. However, they will probably cost a fortune once 328 values rise and everyone is trying to put their cars back into original condition.
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The fact remains that on the euro models, the spoiler was optional throughout the 328 production run. It's a fact that Europeans run their cars harder than we do, so if it were in fact a cooling mod it should have been mandatory there also.

My take is 90% aesthetic, maybe 10% weak functionality.

Reinstallation is no worry, simply redrill the holes and bolt on.

 

I knew I saw this somewhere. Though this is for the Boxer I would think the same applies to the 308; albeit at very high speeds.

The Mel Nichols" Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer book on p. 30 and 31 show some drawings that were used in the design of the Boxer. I would guess they were by Pininfarina; they are done in that style but no reference is made to them. Page 30 shows the rear "spoiler" and calls it a "Transverse Air Deflector in Plan". Not a spoiler. On Page 31 it goes on to show "How the carburetter's air gets in and out" There are arrows that show air beign gdeflected downwards from the deflector to the rear air intake where it gets sucked into the carbs. There are also different style arrows that show how air gets out.

Drew

 

except that no carbed 308 ever had one of those things from the factory


I have always believed it was an aesthetic add on.

 

My question is how did you get it off? I can see one nut on each side but I think there are two. How do I get to the second one? Also what is a used spoiler in excellent condition worth?

 

Good information. If Pininfarina had these in their design drawings, that dispels the idea that they were a "marketing thing".

I think it's similar to the Porsche 930 whale tail: realistically, it does nothing at the speeds 99 percent of the car's owners attain 99 percent of time. But it does have a valid purpose.