Questions for 348 Guru's

1. Very late Spiders and GTS/GTB in Europe had front emblems. Very easy to add.
http://www.ricambiamerica.com/pages.php?cID=2&pID=16

2. Very late Spiders and GTS/GTB in Europe had painted skirts. Send it to a professional and have it painted for 1k or less
3. 2.7 cars will have dual throttle position sensors. 2.5 only has 1x.
http://www.ricambiamerica.com/parts_catalogs.php?M=FE&P=&V=diag&I=3072

4. See #3
5. That is an original (I'm pretty sure) optional storage box for the cabin. I have one in my car, but the leather grooves are not as deep. Your's might have been recovered?

 

Grille emblem is aftermarket, not original on most cars.

Early cars were black on the bottom, a lot have been redone in body color.

Motronic 2.5 has one TPS, 2.7 has two.

I've never seen a console quite like yours. There seems to be a few variations.

 

p.s. I'm not a "guru" of the 348-- but I've owned one for 7 years.

 

Let's see what we can do.

Originally, they did not come with a front horsey. People have added them to the front.

The horsey on the back also comes in black, but people change them to chrome horsies.

I think the 1994 and 1995 Spiders came with a front horsey.

The early cars were black around the bottom and had black paint on engine covers The info can be a bit sketchy in regards to this. But I am sure around 1993 is when they started to colour code the bottom and colour code the top of the engine covers.

The early cars *up to 1990* are M2.5 and the later cars are M2.7. The M2.5 has only one TPS on the throttle body.

Different running systems, the later cars have the two TPS's on the throttle bodies.

I have noticed only the early cars have this centre console lid. I have a 1991 Euro car and it doesn't have it.

It could be a USA thing also. Im sure I have seen many US cars with it.

 

Very inconvenient to open and retrieve anything from (like the GDO) while driving. I'd rather it be an open tray than that rear-hinged lid.

 

Yep, for sure. I put EVERYTHING in my open console.

Easy to grab when I get in and out of the car at least.

 

I also have that type of center console... haven't seen it in any other 348 until now.

DF

 

The SS models do, and they are chrome

On the SS models they are chrome

 

Same with the 348 Challenge cars.

 

I have one in Black, in my '90 TB

 

I see a pattern here... mine's a '90 tb as well.

DF

 

As is mine. 1990ts

 

Thanks mate, you learn something new everyday.

Hopefully I remember that for next time.

 

Thankyou thankyou.

 

OMG! if you sift through all these responses, you can almost get a complete correct answer to the OP's questions!! Some are right, some are wrong, some are partially right... i'm really disappointed in some of you guys for not knowing this stuff!!!

Im reluctant to come off as the "know-it-all" because i'm not... but I do know the correct answers to all these questions... so here they are, all in 1 reply.

89-91 had fewer slats in the front grill, and no cavallino.
92-95 had more slats in the grille and a chrome cavallino.
ALSO...
89-91 had a black cavallino on the taillight grille.
92-95 had a chrome cavallino on the taillight grille.

89-91 had the painted bottom from the factory. The black is painted OVER the body color and the black can be carefully stripped off, or painted over.
92 & 93 Challenge & SS, also ALL '94 and '95 (only produced spiders) did not come from the factory with painted bottoms.

#4 answers #3... 2.7 had dual TPS's and i'm 99% sure that only 1989's and only a handful of early 1990's had 2.5.

Console covers were only options in '89 & '90, there were 3 variants, the half cubby insert (leather covered metal), the full cubby cover (padded leather), and the extended (padded leather) cubby... yours is the extended version. '91-'95 had open center cubby.

 

Interesting responses guys.

Must admit, that's the first time I have seen one of those consoles. Mine is a '93 tb with an open console.

 

89-91 had fewer slats in the front grill, and no cavallino.
92-95 had more slats in the grille and a chrome cavallino.
ALSO...
89-91 had a black cavallino on the taillight grille.
92-95 had a chrome cavallino on the taillight grille.


Sorry to rain on your parade but mine is a 8/92 build date (RHD Oz delivery) and I have the fewer slats (5 verticle instead of 9) grille but do have the chrome horse. Apart from that your spot on on everything else.
Just one more point looking at some pics I have the front grille insert on the later models also appear to have an outer ring as part of the mould. The earlier grilles were slats only so the the mouth around the grille appears colour coded as opposed to black plastic

 

I should point out that my 348 trivia expertise is likely somewhat limited to US LHD cars, but at the same time, I am inclined to wonder if somehow your front bumper cover was swapped at some point with one from an earlier model.

I thing you'd be hard pressed to find another '92 or '93 348 that has the "early" grille, where the owner can positively confirm that it came from the factory that way.

 

"I am inclined to wonder if somehow your front bumper cover was swapped at some point with one from an earlier model".

Ouch , a scary thought. Have I had a front end smash !!! No only joking.. Have full history back to first owner and no record of such.

A point to note. With my previous Alfa Romeo Montreal, all the RHD models were manufactured in one or two main batches and late in the life of the model. Alfa tended to use bits left over to put these together and the RHD Montreals are well known to have earlier model parts. Usually small trim bits like door handles kick boards, and other, mainly internal trim, bits can vary. Some of the Australian delivery cars, like mine was, still had the 'Italian' language on the clocks. Aqua, Benzena, Oilio etc.

Could it be Ferrari used the earlier grills on the limited production of RHD models..?? Were RHD models made in a few limited batch runs as was the Montreal. Just a thought...!?!