Hi All I have a 84 QV GTS. The louvres on my engine cover are two separate sections. I have noticed on some models the louvres are in the shape of a U instead of being two like mine. Can anyone please enlighten me as to the which models and why. Regards Jan Image Unavailable, Please Login
I have an '83 with the same louvres as you. My car is also a "Euro" but I am surprised to see that you do not have the rear spoiler. I had heard that they had added that to deflect air down to help with over heating issues. So i always supected that the different louvre configurations were also to help with heat issues, like the addition of catalytic convetor on the U.S. model. Image Unavailable, Please Login
That engine cover is the standard 'Euro' European specification cover, used on cars without catalytic converters. My 84 Euro 308 GTS QV is exactly the same. The spoiler across the top of the cover was actually optional in Europe - mine doesn't have it either. I've read that while it was technically optional in the US, it was ordered on all the cars, so it was effectively standard on the US 308 QVs.
Yes, it is the standard "Euro" engine cover, because cars in Europe did not have cats: there is no such thing that an "Euro 308" with cats (not even for Switzerland); so no need for extra cooling in the engine compartment, and no need for the extension of the last five rows of louvres across the full engine hood from one side to the other. The roof spoiler was always an option on all european markets, for which you had to pay extra, this until the end of the 328 production. About half the cars have it, the other half don't. The true function of the roof spoiler has been often discussed on this forum. It came from the BB, for which it has an effect on accelerating a stagnant boundary layer of air over the engine louvres, for better cooling. It may have a aerodynamic function on the 308/328, but it does essentially nothing on engine cooling...its main virtues are aesthetics (but some do not like it...) Rgds
The 1977 US non catalist cars also have the same cover. From 78 on with catalytic converters the U shape grill was added for cooling.
True. It has no effect on cooling. Funny thing is it is an item that appeared on the QV model - the very model with an earned reputation for having hot running issues.
The roof spoiler was the least expensive of the short list of options on a 308/328. In 1989, a 328 costed new 430,000 Francs in France if it was a GTB, 440,000 for a GTS. The roof spoiler costed an additional 2.720 Francs... Note that on some markets, when ordering the spoiler, you could have it painted body color at no extra cost, but, for reasons that I have yet to discover, it seems that this was not proposed in France, where, to my knowledge, all cars ordered with spoilers seem to have been delivered with black roof spoilers. Normally, the "smooth spoiler" (= smooth surface) was intended for GTBs, and for GTSs when it was ordered body color (i.e, painted). The "coarse spoiler" (= surface mimicking the textured effect of the targa top surface) was intended for GTSs if not painted, i.e Black. As a recent thread has proved, there were many exceptions to these rules. To give some elements of comparisons with some other options: Extended leather for "parcel shelf" around the rear window and roof liner was 4,800 F; metal paint was 6,400 F; Schedoni Luggage was 12,400 F; A/C was 13.600 F; ABS 16.000 F. For some reasons that remain unclear, most of the last-year (= 89) GTBs here were ordered without the roof spoiler, as if it became out of fashion. Rgds
