2.7 Motronic on a 97 model year? | FerrariChat

2.7 Motronic on a 97 model year?

Discussion in '348/355' started by SethP, Mar 31, 2022.

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  1. SethP

    SethP Karting

    Jul 2, 2014
    83
    Corning, NY
    Full Name:
    Seth Parks
    Hi everyone. It's been a couple of year since I sold my 355B and am looking at buying another 355 because I miss it so much. I'm looking at a car in France that is marked as a 97 model year, first registered in France in 8/96 but it has the 2.7 Motronic system. Could this be original? Thanks in advance!
     
  2. Targatime

    Targatime Formula 3

    Feb 22, 2014
    1,212
    Los Angeles
    It's got the separate intakes into each plenum, not the merged intake and single MAF? If it's really got a 2.7 engine there's no way it's original.
     
  3. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 7, 2002
    11,166
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    Barry Wolinsky
    Seth,

    If the car's initial delivery was to Switzerland, it might indeed be a Motronic 2.7 car. Switzerland did not mandate OBD2 Motronic 5.2 until 1997.

    The build date is what's important in this case.

    Barry
     
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  4. SethP

    SethP Karting

    Jul 2, 2014
    83
    Corning, NY
    Full Name:
    Seth Parks
    Yes, seperate intakes. Everyting appears original. It was first registered 08/96 but the vin plaque in the door jam says it is model year 97. It has been in France it's whole life. My old 355 had the build date on the vin plaque but this one does not. Does anyone know where to find that on a Euro car? The Vin is 104472. Based on the registry, this would make it an early 96 car so I suppose it could have been built in 95.
     
  5. Suffyk

    Suffyk Formula Junior

    May 25, 2012
    284
    I imported a car from Europe and was able to obtain the exact build date by calling a European dealership - they were able to email me a screenshot showing the vehicle details.
     
  6. SethP

    SethP Karting

    Jul 2, 2014
    83
    Corning, NY
    Full Name:
    Seth Parks
    Thank you everyone for the replies. I was able to determine that at least the block is original and I believe everything else. Everything I read said that OBD2 was not required until 2001 in Europe and there were cars made at least half way through 96 with 2.7 Motronic and even some cars that were sort of hybrid version of both.

    Unfortunately, I was not able to purchase the car. And the search goes on......... Wish me luck. I need it!
     
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  7. bobzdar

    bobzdar F1 Veteran

    Sep 22, 2008
    6,367
    Richmond
    Full Name:
    Pete
    I have seen a '96 MY 2.7 motronic but never a '97. That doesn't mean anything, though, Ferrari is known for oddities like that, especially pre 2000's. They were still making the parts and cars with 2.7 motronic through '99 for the challenge series as none of them had the 5.2 setup, so it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for them to ship some road cars with it that were in countries that didn't have the obd2 requirement. The '96 car I saw was, I think, Swiss and had made it state side.
     
  8. Targatime

    Targatime Formula 3

    Feb 22, 2014
    1,212
    Los Angeles
    It's true that OBD2 was not required by RoW until several years later than in US. For Porsche, US 993's were OBD1 in 1995 and then switched to OBD2 for the rest of production -- but the RoW models stayed OBD1 throughout production, which ended in 1998. But it is really weird if Ferrari picked out one single 355 in the production line and installed OBD1 on it.
     
  9. kenneyd

    kenneyd Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 30, 2014
    1,944
    NE FL
    Full Name:
    Ken
    Is it a challenge car? I'm pretty sure they were available in a 2.7 in all years they were produced
     
  10. SethP

    SethP Karting

    Jul 2, 2014
    83
    Corning, NY
    Full Name:
    Seth Parks
    Just thinking about how rare it must be makes me wish I had been able to buy it even more. I would really prefer the 2.7 so having this on a later car is really appealing to me. It is not a challenge car. It's a GTS.
     
  11. INTMD8

    INTMD8 F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Jun 10, 2007
    6,487
    Lake Villa IL
    ^ You would need to get an importation letter from Ferrari stating it meets US DOT, EPA, and CARB standards. (Which it would not)

    Not sure if there's any way around that.
     
  12. SethP

    SethP Karting

    Jul 2, 2014
    83
    Corning, NY
    Full Name:
    Seth Parks
    I just put a deposit on a 95 GTS so the 2.7 should not be any issue on that. Can't wait to get it on this side of the pond!
     
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