Ferrari 308 with wide body kit, engine options

What's your budget? A modern EFI setup and a turbo would do you very well. Don't forget a brake upgrade, you'll need it.

@ATSAaron

 

I have Ohlins shocks too and love them.

On the engine there is a lot to consider, it not "what's best", it more like "what's best for you"

Is this a street or a race car?
Any idea or target hp or acceleration rate goal?
Fast off the line, or fast through the turns is enough?
Sound? Boost makes high hp much easier but they sound different. Naturally aspirated has a sound but limits hp unless you go big (mine is 5.4L v12) and/or spin fast (9500 for mine, Scott built one that spins 11k) and 500-800hp become possible even naturally aspirated.
Throttle response? from idle or it it ok for good response up at higher rpm?
308 based build of could it be something newer or bigger?

A lot to think about. Most choices end up as a compromise driven mostly by budget but if budget is only a modest consideration, well the question is what exactly do you want?

 

I don’t know if you can still find this use but back in the 80s these to sell this performance kit by Koenig Specials.
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We specialize in custom built engines, mostly the crazy kind but there's a couple mild ones as well.

https://www.instagram.com/nff_skunk_works?igsh=YzVkODRmOTdmMw==

There's my shameless plug

I also utilize 3D printing and additive mfg whenever possible.

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There is NOTHING gentlemen-like about my V12, its down right dangerously uncontrolable (when it runs ) , it doesn't cross 1/2 throttle in the video according to the data log.



I THINK the 355 trans gives you the shortest setup, but 348 might be similar, someone more knowledgeable would need to chime in, but for sure there are at least a couple 355 eng/trans swapped 308s but no 348 swaps I know of.. That will just get you to the 400 but not with webers, they will cost you 10-15% if you want it streetable.

There is also a TR swapped 355 and I'm pretty sure the same could be done to a 308, I measured it up years ago. The reason I mention it ieven though you said no 12 cylinders is when it comes to streetable hp from a naturally aspirate engine, there is no replacement for displacement. Tame or scary is the tuning not the cylinder count.

Years ago a guy (Bert?) posted about doing a GTO body in steel and mentioned you could get near the 4" wheel base stretch by swapping the control arms right to left. Since you are doing body work something like this might be an option to better let us use the modern longitudinal setups. Again though, as you go more modern webers make much less sense, at least in my mind.

You mentioned and Max ECU, what would you be using that for is you're planning carbs?

For track use, my personal though is the closer to stock the more likely it is to survive. So again, more modern or larger displacement lower reving seem to be the best way to actually get driving hour rather than repairing hours.

 

I'll add this, before this engine I had a rearly stock QV with a screw type supercharger making like 500hp and 420ft-lbs torqure at around 24psi. It drove similar to the v12 which is making maybe 500 ft-lbs and 800hp....on the street you basically never get to scream the rpm so it's the lower rpm torque you feel and with that kind of torque 1st and 2nd gears you really need to watch throttle position or its spinning and sliding. There is no replacement for displacement but a blower comes close other than the sound.

 

Yes, my car is scary fast, that was literally the first time I tried pushing the throttle and was not mentally prepared. It handles extremely well though.. With a mid engine its way less sensitive to weight changes in the engine bay. My engine, trans complete with headers and everything else is right about 670 lbs, but I have no AC. I took about 20lbs out of the clutch and flywheel assembly alone but that could be done on a 308 engine as well.

I have never seen great numbers on a stock V8, the K24 swap thread guy said about 800 complete with the AC...that seems high but he did did weight it and post pictures so hard to argue. That includes everything and race prepped I'd think closer to 600-650 complete. Then you need to add the turbo, intercooler or whatever. I had a blower that added right around 80lbs to the top of the engine so I think the car is lighter with the V12 and the weight is sitting lower....but the blower V8 setup won its class at the local autocross so handled better than anything else the couple times I had it out.

Cost to build, well it depends on a lot of things. Turbos are popular because they are cheap hp. A stock 308 engine will handle 15psi which will about double the hp, so if you have a good engine you can just turbo it and call it a day. Depending what you use its say $5k-$10k in parts and then at least that in labor if you have it done. If you decide to freshen up the engine at the same time and maybe better rods, pistons, valve springs you'll add another $10kish in parts and $10-20k in labor depending but then it will handle closer to 30psi if you so choose.

Building a hot QV engine to give you 400-450. You need head work, cams, pistons, rods, maybe a 360 crank, maybe oversize liners, custom intake, probably new headers then your carbs of ITBs.....$20k in parts? and the same in labor. So turboing a good stock QV engine is 1/2 the price to get you 400-450hp.

I'm not sure the going rate for a good used 355 engine/trans but after you buy it I'd plan on $20k in labor to do the swap. Maybe a little more for a TR swap because there is probably more cutting and probably custom headers. Both are about 400hp.

Scott can give you better numbers, mine are ball park estimates as I do most all my own work and try my best NOT to keep track of the hours.

Its really what you want as a final product and what you're willing to pay to get it.

 

We absolutely need pictures of the car you’re buying dammit. Otherwise I’m afraid you can get banned

 

Is there another garage shop we also need pics of when you get home perhaps? I don't see tools and stuff for engine building or metal body panel build is what is a really nice car display area??

Looking forward to seeing what you put together!

 

I think the issue now is you're garage is already quite full or wonderful toy.

 

I dont get having all that power when you cant use it. My base line would be no more power than an F40, and you better have the tires and suspension to cope. More than likely 400 HP max for a 308 / 328 would be just perfect, anymore is just a waste in my opinion, in a 308 / 328. The F40 has the rubber and suspension to make use of the 478 HP on board, and frankly, YOU WILL NOT FIND A BETTER DRIVERS CAR THAN AN F40, ITS THAT SIMPLE. I certainly appreciate all the work MKe has done with the V12, keeping it under 500 HP is the way to go in the 308, anything more is a waste of motor, My thoughts are the V12 for sound and reliability , not 800 HP. Upgrade the tires and wheels and make sure the suspension can cope, and there you go.

Big G

 

I think the most economical direction would be to find a complete engine drivetrain from the 348 and modify the chassis to hold. Good power in stock form with no need to really modify it unless wanted to.

355 is too far a jump in engine management to try and relegate back to carbs. Waste of an engine to do that to in my opinion.

I've done the R&D and mated a 360 transmission to the 308/328 engine. It's a bunch of work and not inexpensive. There's a lot more then just sticking it on the end since the 3x8's sit on their gearbox, so midplate and oil pans etc need to be designed.

 

I agree after nearly two decades of modifying and driving every iteration of these, 350-400 is the sweet spot for balance. It's manageable without being exhausting.
However!
Nick's monster I built that has over 700hp.. it's an absolute hoot to try and control. It's 30 mins of hair raising butt puckering fun that's more Mr toads wild ride then anything else. After 30 mins or so, you're thankfully too low on fuel and just exhausted. And that's a chassis we built designed to handle it.. it's still nuts! Zero regret though.. besides he's got the McLaren and Alfa for more controlled stupid speed.

The one downside to the 308's is the crappy gear ratios, they just don't play nice with big power and high rpm.

 

275-315.. lean towards 315 tire width if doable. 275 works but still easy to throttle drift.