Roof spoiler discrepancy question | FerrariChat

Roof spoiler discrepancy question

Discussion in '308/328' started by Rosey, Jul 14, 2019.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Rosey

    Rosey F1 Rookie

    Nov 5, 2015
    3,587
    Australia
    Full Name:
    Mark R
    #1 Rosey, Jul 14, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2019
    I know there has been a bit of debate about roof spoilers in the past... fitted vs non fitted, red vs black, GTS vs GTB, textured vs smooth but here's a curly one.
    My roof spoiler on my 89 328 GTS is textured and another 328 GTS made just THREE cars later on the production line is smooth (see photos).

    Both are Australian delivered cars.

    Am I correct to assume mine is factory correct and the other car has had theirs replaced at some stage?

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  2. bertrand328

    bertrand328 Formula 3

    Jun 1, 2015
    1,474
    France
    Full Name:
    Bertrand
    #2 bertrand328, Jul 14, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2019
    I think that the other car has had theirs replaced. I Don't remember saw and/or heard an GTS originally fitted with black (no painted) smooth aerofoil…….. until today
     
  3. bertrand328

    bertrand328 Formula 3

    Jun 1, 2015
    1,474
    France
    Full Name:
    Bertrand
     
  4. Rosey

    Rosey F1 Rookie

    Nov 5, 2015
    3,587
    Australia
    Full Name:
    Mark R
    #4 Rosey, Jul 14, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2019
    His chassis number is three numbers further along on then mine.
    Mine ends in 64, his ends in 67.
     
  5. Ferraridoc

    Ferraridoc F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 20, 2012
    16,057
    Gold Coast, Aust.
    Full Name:
    Patrick
    Yeah, I'd guess the other one's been painted. Very hard to repro that crinkly finish
     
    Rosey likes this.
  6. kcabpilot

    kcabpilot Formula 3

    Apr 17, 2014
    1,527
    California SF bay area
    Full Name:
    Paul
    There are a few in my local group that have '83 GTS's with smooth spoilers (myself included) . Maybe the intent was for the smoothies to go on the GTB's but the guy putting them on at the factory didn't get the memo. Or, maybe there were just a lot fewer orders for GTB's than they had planned for so they had to get rid of them somehow.
     
  7. Rosey

    Rosey F1 Rookie

    Nov 5, 2015
    3,587
    Australia
    Full Name:
    Mark R
    Both seem logical options.
     
  8. Ferraridoc

    Ferraridoc F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 20, 2012
    16,057
    Gold Coast, Aust.
    Full Name:
    Patrick
    I'll have to check mine out now... I think it's a smoothie, but you've got me thinking :eek:
     
  9. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Jun 11, 2004
    10,625
    CT
    Full Name:
    John Kreskovsky
    My 85 GTB QV which I bought new came with a textured spoiler. Generally it was GTS = textured, GTB = smooth, but there are original cars around with that flipped, like mine.
     
  10. Rosey

    Rosey F1 Rookie

    Nov 5, 2015
    3,587
    Australia
    Full Name:
    Mark R
    Yeah logic would suggest the spoilers matched the roof.

    GTB painted roof- smooth spoiler
    GTS textured targa roof- textured spoiler

    Now thinking my friends has been swapped at some stage.
     
  11. Rossocorsa1

    Rossocorsa1 F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2017
    6,200
    For 328’s, GTS spoilers were textured and GTB spoilers were smooth. The other version is likely a post factory installation or it’s been refinished.
     
    Rosey likes this.
  12. Rosey

    Rosey F1 Rookie

    Nov 5, 2015
    3,587
    Australia
    Full Name:
    Mark R
    All Australian 328 GTS's (we never got GTB's) were fitted standard with roof spoilers so looks like its been swiped or refinished.
     
    Rossocorsa1 likes this.
  13. nerofer

    nerofer F1 World Champ

    Mar 26, 2011
    11,967
    FRANCE
    Not exactly...
    The smooth spoiler was intended for GTBs...AND for GTSs when ordered with a body color painted roof spoiler: it's obviously easier to paint a smooth spoiler than a textured one.
    The textured one was supposed to go on GTSs only, when not ordered with a painted spoiler, that is with a black one, because the texture matches the one of the top.

    That being said, two observations:
    We know instances of a few GTBs coming straight out of the factory with a textured spoiler: obviously the smooth one was not available this day.
    We know of countries were the "body-colored spoiler" was not available: in France for instance, no red GTB or GTS sold through Ch.Pozzi (the historic importer) ever had a body-colored roof spoiler: on a new french-delivered red 328, the roof spoiler was always black. Whereas in the UK, Germany, Italy, many red cars were sold new with a painted red spoiler.

    I understand that in some countries, like in the US, all cars were delivered with the roof spoiler already fitted, so there was no option of having it painted body color.
    Whereas in Europe, cars were delivered without the spoiler, unless you choose to order it among the paying extra options. Having it painted body-color was a non paying extra. My 328 GTS, a german-delivered car, is NeroFer (Nero metalizatto 901/C) and was ordered with a body-color painted roof spoiler, i.e, smooth.

    Rgds
     
    energy88 likes this.
  14. Rossocorsa1

    Rossocorsa1 F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2017
    6,200
    Interesting info.

    Actually, not all US cars. My 89 GTB, for instance, was ordered from the factory with roof spoiler delete. To my knowledge, it’s the only US 328 ordered from the factory without a spoiler. We learn something every day.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  15. nerofer

    nerofer F1 World Champ

    Mar 26, 2011
    11,967
    FRANCE
    I know, I had yours in mind when I wrote, but yours is an exception: ordered specifically without, when all cars were normally delivered with the spoiler in the US. Whereas in Europe, as the roof spoiler was an option (paying...) cars were delivered without the spoiler, unless you ordered it, (and paid for it) as an option...so the mix between cars with, and cars without, roof spoiler, is much more balanced "over here".

    Rgds
     
  16. Rossocorsa1

    Rossocorsa1 F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2017
    6,200
    I actually prefer a roof spoiler, though I would never install one on my car because I wouldn’t modify it’s originality. An interesting fact about my car (78894) - I have a roof spoiler in a box (smooth). It came uninstalled with the car. I’m guessing the original owner assumed, given that it’s a US car, that the successive owners would prefer to have it installed.
     
    Rosey likes this.
  17. Rosey

    Rosey F1 Rookie

    Nov 5, 2015
    3,587
    Australia
    Full Name:
    Mark R
    Well I can sleep easy tonight knowing that my textured spoiler is correct for my car. :)
     
    Rossocorsa1 likes this.
  18. nerofer

    nerofer F1 World Champ

    Mar 26, 2011
    11,967
    FRANCE
    Well, to tell the truth, my preference is still not yet fixed. My GTB doesn't have one, like your 78894; my GTS has one. I have had both cars together for about nine years, so should be able to have made my mind, but...no!
    Perhaps the roof spoiler was delivered with your car because it was included in the price paid, and as there is actually less labor not to fit it onto the car, the factory considered included in the price paid, so they delivered the part nevertheless...

    Rgds
     
  19. Rossocorsa1

    Rossocorsa1 F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2017
    6,200
    Sounds logical. One thing is for certain, however, It was not installed at the factory. Luckily I have the documentation that confirms it was ordered this way and the underside of the engine lid clearly shows that it was never drilled.
     
    Thomas Magnum and Rosey like this.
  20. Albert-LP

    Albert-LP F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 1, 2010
    7,779
    around Modena, Italy
    Full Name:
    Alberto Mantovani
    The texture black one is OEM and correct. No cars were ever delivered here Italy with some different ones. Some dealers, as someone didn't like at all the black rear spoiler, repainted it in body color before delivery (I saw only red ones, no other body color rear spoiler, expecially on the only Italian 2 liters turbo, as they came with rear spoiler as standard), so they were "dealer options" like the radio. I think the smooth black one has been repainted during a restore or after a damage.

    ciao
     
    Rosey likes this.
  21. kcabpilot

    kcabpilot Formula 3

    Apr 17, 2014
    1,527
    California SF bay area
    Full Name:
    Paul
    #21 kcabpilot, Jul 17, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2019
    I have a smoothie, it has never been painted, it has no paint on it. It is bare, smooth, black plastic. (Actually fiberglass I suppose)
     
  22. Rossocorsa1

    Rossocorsa1 F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2017
    6,200
    GTS or GTB?
     
  23. kcabpilot

    kcabpilot Formula 3

    Apr 17, 2014
    1,527
    California SF bay area
    Full Name:
    Paul
  24. SDDubbya

    SDDubbya Rookie

    Aug 10, 2016
    23
    Milton, GA USA
    Full Name:
    Scott Werner
    I also have a smooth black, never been painted spoiler on my ‘85 QV GTS Euro


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     
  25. Brian Harper

    Brian Harper F1 Rookie
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 17, 2006
    4,078
    San Jose area
    Full Name:
    Brian Harper
    I have one of the three '83 GTSs that kcabpilot mentioned. We have three '83s in our little 308 group here in the Bay Area and they all three have smooth spoilers. The odds seem just too great that all of the '83s in our group all had the spoilers changed at some point. They must have come that way.
     

Share This Page