328 GTS vs GTB query, plus more

Nothing to do with Magnum or not; in actual fact, the show was very popular in Europe, and everybody knows who he was. And even today, you can't even count how many times you have been asked "is that the "Magnum car""?

The coupés have always been considered as the natural choice here; many like open-top driving, but it is not as popular as it is in the US. For most, a Ferrari is first and foremost a coupé (or a "Berlinetta"). Proportion is about 2 GTBs to 3 GTSs.
I'm not biased towards one or the other, I have both.

Rgds

 

Yes but I meant which of those and especially which GTB, we don't know everything about each.

Concerning Magnum PI, be sure that many people around the world know the TV series and every 328 owner should explain that this car is not excatly the same as his, again and again ....

 

"every 328 owner should explain that this car is not excatly the same as his, again and again ...."

Well, in reality nobody but 3x8 owners know or care about the distinction. My reaction to the Magnum car comments or questions is usually, "This is a later model but they look pretty much the same."

 

The cosmetic difference between the 308/328 is pretty significant to Ferrari nerds like us but subtle enough that normal people will never notice. Plus both are so rare (especially now) that people may only see them 1-2 times their whole life. To them it is the Magnum PI car. OK by me -- I loved that show!

 

I’m a GTB owner in the UK. The ratio is 5 x GTS to 1 GTB.
Again I alway have to say the Magnum car is the earlier model 308.
According to DVLA records only 73 RHD GTBs are registered so a rare car.


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According to Maranello Concessionaires, there were 130 RHD 328 GTB & 542 328 GTS produced, so the ratio is one to four.
The australian GTSs are not included in this account, but I believe that among these, some were sold in other countries than in the UK.
For the US market, there were 135 328 GTBs and 2445 328 GTSs produced so the ratio is one GTB for eighteen GTSs...

Rgds

 

In the late 90’s many GTB’s were raced and written off, sadly, which has reduced the numbers around today.
The GTS’s were not as good track cars so far more survive.
Then the values were quite low unlike now.


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Yes Bruno, some RHD GTB were sold in HK, New Zealand.. To my best knowledge they were 161 built so 31 were sold in other countries than UK. This is hard to get information from those country and I still don't know which country received at least one GTB.
May be one day we could see all the note from Maranello Archives

 

[QUOTE="nerofer, post:
For the US market, there were 135 328 GTBs and 2445 328 GTSs produced so the ratio is one GTB for eighteen GTSs...

Rgds

nerofer:

Your figure of only 135 U.S.-spec 328GTB’s over a three-year production run is much lower than what I would have expected.

Weren’t there something like 1,344 328GTB’s made in total? So, only 10% of them came to the U.S.? Seems low.

18:1 ratio with GTS’s also seems very low.

Is the source of your data dead nuts accurate?

Thanks for indulging my queries.

Alan
N.J.

 

@lopena to complete nerofer post they were 130 GTB for US market but 135 "US type" 328GTB produced.

There is a numerous discuss about them and one 328 registry thread

 

People don’t see them often. Drove my 86 Nero/Nero GTB to work today— lots of stares, pointing, a couple doing iPhone video and one comment at stop sign—“328 right? Have not seen one in quite awhile”

 

As said by Betrand above, the United States market-model 328 GTB is probably the easiest matter regarding the 328 production (which, by the way, ran for four years, not three: Sept 1985 to Sept 1989):
there were indeed only 135 US-market GTBs produced; there is no doubt about the number; all these cars are well known, the full list is in the "328 GTB registry" thread;
Bertrand has updated the list in the last page of the thread recently, all US GTBs are here, see at the middle of the page.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/328-gtb-registry.312511/page-24

1344 less 135 Us GTBs less 161 RHD GTBs (of which 130 for the UK) = 1.098 ROW, the majority being " Standard Continental Euro version" and the "Swiss market model"; the main unknown factor is the number of "japanese market model" GTBs.

Rgds

 

Okay…I’m convinced there were only 135 U.S.-spec 328GTB’s produced. Thanks, guys!

One more question: can I safely assume that all 135 U.S. cars are still existent? We haven’t lost any?

thanks again,
Alan
N.J.

 

I have a 308 GTBQV in the NorthEast. In summer, it gets darn hot. I've had the cabin register 120+F windows open, moving slowly in NNJ traffic. The A/C is pretty much useless except to red line the engine temp - esp at slow speeds.
Though in the rain, the A/C works great!

As to the (countless) Magnum remarks/queries: Mine is the sister to Magnum PIs car. Without the removable top. I seriously doubt most folks notice the full roof.

Somewhere in the old-old archives someone wrote of the GTS vs GTB:
In a GTS, a woman goes topless. In the GTB, it's an evening gown.

 

The AC in my 328GTB blows proverbially cold as they all should. My Dino does not have AC but I understand those never worked that great but I could be wrong.

 

the GTS is a fantastic looking car. The GTB no less. I purchased a GTS first, but now I only own GTBs. Everyone has his own taste!

Some models (308 dry sump, all turbo models) in my opiniom are more valuable if they are GTB (expecially as there isn't any factory drysump GTS...)

Ciao

 

The A/C in my GTB blows cold too…money can make it work.

 

None of the 135 US GTBs have been totaled ? That seems a bit unlikely.

 

+1 - Seriously unlikely!

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the UK weather affecting these cars. They have galvanized bodies and very rarely would see winter salt. Plus, they're all garaged. I've owned my GTS for 17 years now. 54K miles on the clock and only two rust bubbles have needed attention. There's probably more danger of buying one that's either been trashed or burnt out and repaired badly. Do an online insurance history check before you buy!

 

But let’s not get carried away: Ferrari did not use “true” galvanized steel. They used SOME rust protection, but that was certainly not the best available at the time.
Starting October 1983 for BBs, and January 1984 for 308 QVs, the standard sheet metal received a “Multi-layered Electro-Galvanisation”, called Zincrox, but the factory description of this process makes clear that only one side of the metal sheets receive the treatment, that is the inside of the body parts only.

The outside, that makes the exterior of the body, did not receive the Zincrox protection, probably as it received the primer and paint (primer being pink for red cars, gray for all other colors).

The thicknesses of the coats for “Multi-layered Electro-Galvanisation”, as given by the factory, are supposed to be (factory figures):
- layer of zinc on the steel surface (Zn): 18 to 80 grs per m2
- layer of chrome on top of the layer of zinc (Cr): 0,5 grs per m2
- layer of chrome oxyde on top of the chrome layer (CrOx): 0,04 grs per m2

So..if your car gets a stone chip on her body from road rash, and the impact gets to bare metal, on that spot, the OUTSIDE of the sheet metal, not being true galvanized steel, is not protected any more…

Rgds

 

Bruno,

je suis toujours impressionné par la somme d'informations que tu as emmagasiner et de leur précision

 

Well, nothing really extraordinary here, Bertrand. When Ferrari started to protect their metal against rust, with the "Zincrox" process, the factory described it in detail in the press "dossier" for the launch of the 288 GTO; then again in the factory periodicals: all the information about the rust proofing process is easily accessible.

Rgds

 

Do you really think UK 328's were all pampered cars from new, that were never used in Winter, and always garaged?

When these cars were brand new, in general they were bought by people with money, who used them as everyday cars, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, including when the cars were covered in salt, and plenty would have sat outside in the rain/wind/snow, whatever.

Their owners didn't have any concerns about what road salt would do to the cars, because chances are, they'd be swapping them for a 348 when it came out, followed by a 355 when it came - Any possible future corrosion issues were going to be someone else's problem!

There are loads of 328's in the UK that have had paintwork to correct lower panel corrosion at some time in their lives.

The body panel galvanization isn't perfect, and it's nowhere near as comprehensive as you get on cars today, it's basically a light surface treatment.

Let's not mislead prospective buyers into believing that 328's are impervious to corrosion issues, because that really is not the case!

 

euh....no rust ?? I hope you all look underneath your cars.