A 328 made to look like a 308

The improved reliability of the 328 and the look of a 308. There must be a market for it here?

Is the outer sheet metal around the front similar enough that you could mount a 308 valance and bumper? I hear the 328 radiator won't clear a 308 valance, but I guess something different could be installed. I have to get to more shows to see them side-by-side.
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you modify a 328 like that and you will never, ever, ever be able to sell it.



EVER.



Porsche guys love to mod stuff on thier cars. I have and like 911's so i am well aware of this.

Ferrari guys DO NOT like mods on the cars. A few upgrades like Verrell and Birdman offer are ok, but what you propose aint going to fly as a modded 328 will be unsellable.

ps: i think a euro QV looks better than a 328, I owned a QV GTB.

But the 328 does drive better. ( I have one now)


time to go change my gear oil........

 

Knowing what I know now, after 3 years with my '85GTS, I would have bought one!
Still loving the QV, but front and rear bumper/valence (and center console) were some of the reasons I didn't go for a 328. Pretty silly in retrospect, but a 328 modified to look like a 308 would be the bomb.
My 308 has several mods BTW, not concerned with resale.

 

I'd like to see it done... interesting idea!! With the 328 rad laid over, I'm wondering where the clearance issue is? Anyone have pictures of a 328 with its front valance removed?

Disagree with thoughts on resale... I'm not a purist.

Rick

 

I have perhaps a more elegant solution. Buy a 308 instead! Why butcher these cars when there are plenty of each out there?

 

I have talked a couple of times to the owner of the blue car. He hit a deer which is what prompted the front end rebuild. Lot of work involved. Almost nothing lines up.

I prefer the '77 GTB in the foreground. Of course, it is sitting downstairs in my garage. Lol.

 

you would have to put some sort of a speaker system in the engine bay so it sounds like a carbed car..

 

A market for a such a stupid idea are you serious or just trying to get the hair up on everyone's back,worst post i have ever read,find yourself a nice datsun 240z for a project and leave the Italian works of art alone !!!!!!

 

That would be an interesting project I think. You'll probably run into a fair number of complications in the conversion...things that aren't necessarily obvious when just planning it from the comfort of the arm chair. However, that certainly would be a desireable combination.

I'm not a purist either. Besides, it's your car, make it into what you want it to be!

Now if I could only find an old 308gt4 with a blown engine for swap out with a longitudinal all alloy small block ford (331/347) with webers and ZF......

 

Really, I mean really?????????????? Lost

 

Met a guy in Port Washington NY a few years ago. He had an absolutely beautiful Series 1 E type coupe. But when you got close it had a "modern" digital dash and the engine was a small block Chevy. It also had a modern aftermarket ac system. I got to drive the car and it was literally like driving a modern car as far as convenience/power (tons of that), air conditioning, etc It was a travesty, as far as I was concerned and worth nearly nothing to 99.9% of buyers but I have to admit it was a lot more fun and enjoyable to drive than the "original" E type I owned at the time.

I personally can't see any attraction at all in a 328 to 308 conversion but like the Jag, above, if you end up with something that you like better - it's your car.

 

Ouch, a digital dash would be too much for me also.

There are always two camps in this, divided between drivers and polishers with very little in between. People who like originality will often also frown upon daily used cars with higher mileages.
Personally I am more in the user camp, a car is meant to be used and modifications that increase useability will also mean we see more of them on the road, which is a good thing. I have little issues with performance modifications as long as they're not violating the original and could have been period for the car. As an example, BMW Classic has multiple 328s in its fleet that are being used as press cars or for shows. Those have been modified with better brakes and gearboxes because journalists and other folk that was allowed to drive them kept on breaking them. They still look the same but they perform better. Yes it takes away some of the character but you also don't heat your Victorian house with coal anymore.

Back on topic, I would keep the 328 look, as I think you'd be violating the original too much.

 

You have been rather slated for daring to suggest this.

It's done all the time with 911s and MGBs (and I daresay more than a few Mini's as well) and I don't think that there is much complaint.

Frankly I find ditching original 14'' wheels for newer bigger alloys just as aesthetically upsetting.

If you are after the classic look then it is easiest just to buy the classic car, but its not the end of the world if you 'retro' a 328 is it?

 

This is 100% untrue. There is a market for every used Ferrari, be they modified, high mileage, repainted in non-original colors, burned up, whatever. There is a buyer. The price might have to come down from a good original car, but there will be a buyer at some price everytime.

 

Or just rebuild it.

 

I've seen it before, I just couldn't find the photo of the 308 with a 328 front and rear bumper.
I'm sure someone out there has done the the other way around.

 

I agree, it moves the car into bottom feeder territory in the market. Would be worth significantly less than a good 308 or 328.

What he said.

Also, I believe the radiator angle was improved (i.e. made more vertical) on the 328, which was the reason for the return to the vertical egg crate grille. 308 QVs have less effective cooling. Given the higher performance envelope of the 328, I think you might be courting trouble by downgrading its radiatior setup to 308 spec.

 

Definately take the advice from a guy with 11 posts and unsubscribed. There have been lots of bumper mods done. Holes drilled in the struts to push back US bumpers, new bumpers built of fiberglass to save weight, etc. In your case though I don't get the "increased reliability" arguement for the 328 vs. 308. Increased performance is largely in the 328 owner's imagination in a real world sense. I agree that the best course would be to sell your 328 and buy a really nice 84-85 308 QV

 

Having had an '84 308 and wanting a 328 the only thing that I would carry over to the 328 are all the toggle switches on the console that I always thought looked cool.

 

BINGO! if you are worried about resale... invest in something besides a car.

Ahhhh... a GT4 with a Pantera drivetrain. I know where to get my hands on a complete Gurney Weslake top end.... Who needs a rear seat!??!?!

Well said.

Rick

 

Steve , i dont know the other poster, but I will respectfully disagree with you.

I had a EURO GTB QV. very rare. My plain-jane USA spec 87 328 drives better and has more power than my QV GTB did. in every gear, in all road conditions. its just a better 308 than the older cars.

And I have had a 208 and 308 GT4, 2 early carb GTB's, a 78 GTS, and the euro Qv already mentioned. My 328 makes #7.


I will repeat myself again: I agree a euro QV hands down looks better than a 328. i love the deep valance, eggcrate grill ( more noticeable on a euro car), the flash to pass lights, and the cool levers on the console.

But there IS a difference.

 

+1. Going from US 328 to Euro QV then back to US 328, I agree that there is a difference. My current 328 is a better-built, improved-driving car than my slightly better looking Euro 308.

 

The solution is to get a 308 and swap the motor to a 328, lower the bastard and put better brakes. Or buy a euro 328 and you'll have a much better looking car than the U.S. version. My F430 is up for sale and this time around I wont back down from the deals as I have done twice before. I'll be looking for a 308GTB euro 4valvole.

 

I know the owner.... He isn't concerned with selling it. It's been in his family since new and they have had several ferraris. He is a true hot rodder by trade and with the exception of a few details I might have done differently, I like it! There is a perfectly logical reason why it looks like it does too. But, at the end of the day, it's his car.... short of turning it into a pasta machine I find no fault.

 

I believe that someone on here did just that. I think it's very cool, and am considering doing it myself when I've got the time and money.

I also disagree that a 328 to 308-look conversion would never sell. 308 looks with 328 reliability and power? There's a market for it. Done right, I'd buy it!