355 Rear - Body Color Panel Or Challenge Grill?

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I am rolling the original painted panel and while the challenge helps with cooling, I think, I prefer my painted.


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I like it colored

 

I'm torn. I like it both ways. Originally I like the contrast on non-black cars and figured I would never install one on my black car until Cuneo was pushing me to - the same guy would got me to buy a black car after seeing him post his. So I installed one and I love it - looks more race like.

However, with the 95 GTB I'm restoring (which is Rosso Corsa), I will likely keep it original as that is my goal with the car (full original restoration less exhaust components)

With and without




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Challenge Grill is essential with reducing heat from a Capristo.

Cant really run one with a painted solid grill.

Robb

 

My 95 GTB I sold had a Capristo, Robb with solid panel - no issues whatsoever

 

Capristo, Fabspeeds and high flow cats for me, no issues. I prefer not to drive in 95 degree plus weather though. I have and AC stays ice cold, but I know that engine compartment is HOT. Will drive early am or after sunset in deep summer Texas heat.


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I’m not saying it won’t function or explode with the solid panel, just that it runs A LOT cooler with the challenge grill with the capristo.

Owners can see if they prefer medium rare or well done.

Robb

 

Both are nice but the Challenge grill is essential for my F355 Challenge on the track.

 

I have had mine in there for all most a decade and I prefer the painted but that said I may change because of the heat reduction

 

I feel the same - torn like both looks. OEM
For clean original look and challenge for that contrast and race look.

 

I bought my yellow car with the challenge grill. Found the painted original grill from a previous owner. Planned to swap back and forth based on the season but I found that with the capristo the temps were quite a bit higher on the gauges and inside the lid.

So my swap did not last but a couple of weeks.

If I had the stock exhaust on - like on our red GTS, I wouldn’t hesitate to switch back and forth or just leave the painted grill on full time.

Someone should do a heat gun reading with each. I bet you would find a noticeable difference. Sorry I can’t do that test now.

But there is a reason the race cars went with the perforations...

Robb

 

This is just me, but I think by the time you put the cappy on you were a much better faster driver extracting just the correct amount of power from the car, thus keeping the engine temps etc at a higher level.
I could be wrong but you know, just sayin!!

 

Robb - my 98 doesn't have a Capristo - just custom pipes. Still hot as hell. Not sure why you think the Capristo is the heat source. The motor in general is.

 

Not sure of Robbs experience but my stock muffler had quite a bit of packing it and def did not get as hot on the muffler part
As you said though the exhaust pipes themselves I would guess would provide most of the heat but who knows

 

Both are good, but this one is the best.

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I will rely on the engineers to flush out the “reason” for the heat. But I can tell you that my dash temp gauge and my general skin based thermometer is telling me there is a big dif between oem stock muffler and the capristo.

Sorry that this precision is above my pay grade. but I eagerly await the mythbusters episode.

Robb

 

I like both looks but if I owned a 355 it'd be Challenge grill all the way, simply because of the heat factor. It's a factory part so it looks right on the car and it serves a purpose so it's not exactly "bling". I'd definitely retain the stock panel for originality's sake though. I remember being in dealerships years ago and seeing tons of them hanging up out of the way. At least they had the good sense to keep them, but they rightly belonged with their respective cars.

 

when I bought my 355, I set aside some $$ for a challenge grill, as I convinced myself it was (aesthetically) mandatory.
After having the car i’ve realized that the stock grill is more to my taste, yet agree that the challenge grill does look pretty great.
Would be interested to see some before/after temp measurements or hear about any heat related failures/problems associated with non-challenge grill cars

 

The capristo exhaust was the first thing I got, within weeks, of getting my 95 GTB. After installing it I noticed the engine was running hotter and I opted for the challenge grill, which was on my wish list anyway, to help bring the temps down. It worked like a charm. Oem grill and exhaust are not for me. Much like the oem wheels... I'd go challenge wheels anyday.

 

The engine runs hotter with the Capristo becasue y'all are driving the peter out of your cars making all that glorious noise!

durr...

sjd

 

Putting aside the heat issue, which do you prefer purely from an aesthetic standpoint?

 

The rear of the 355 is one of the finest examples of art in the car world - how the hips return across the soft corners and the amazing horizontal feel. I don’t like the challenge grill on a lighter color car because it creates a strong and abrupt break to this visual flow. I much prefer the rear as a single color. The reveal lines are then more prevalent above the bumper and below the bonnet and carry the eye around. Heatwise, I run fabspeed headers and tubi exhaust and run the **** out of it and no issues. Plus the challenge grill guarantees that the engine is almost always filthy as it’s circulating all the road dirt into the compartment. But to each his own.

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Has anyone painted a Challenge grill to match body color? I can't remember seeing a pic of someone who has done this, but I'm sure it's been done before. This way one would presumably have the best of both worlds, improved cooling while reducing the color contrast - assuming that one considers the oem black to be jarring to lines of the car. I have an argento Nurburgring 355 with the Challenge grill and while I like the color contrast, I can see how others wouldn't on lighter color cars.

 

Original body color panel for me.