308 GT4 and the Black Paint Beneath the Door (NOT Boxer)

I have a white -75 GT4 and prefer black below doors. It makes the car slender and the line from front and back continous in a straight line. The yellow car looks a bit "heavy" in the middle compared to the red and silver on the left.
/Peter

 

I’ve heard of both being claimed as the ‘original’ way they came from the factory. Mine’s painted black and I believe it’s original. Australian delivered, 1977 Series 2. Body colour is Silver - Grigio Chiaro M (metallic) FWIW.

I have no idea for sure but would suspect that with all the varying colours these cars came in they were probably available with either option.

 

Mine is a 1976 UK model and it was body colour when I bought it in 1985. That was the original paint. It was customary to paint it and the lip around the engine cover black when cars were re-painted.

 

You can always add the black paint or wrap later. I left mine body color

 

Interesting subject. My own 1976 308 GT4 is black below the doors, but it had at least one respray so don't know how it left the factory. I had a look at the 1977 sales brochure and noticed both variants seems to be shown:
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My 12/79 build GT4 with original paint is red with black underneath the doors.

 

Gratuitous post

 

I think the black makes the car look too slim from side on, and the door bottom shut looks a bit untidy - but it's your car so go with what you prefer.

 

I started this same thread years ago. With the same results basically

 

Maybe can help. Italian car manufacturers used to have back then a so called "Winter Countries" export package to ensure extra underneath protection against salt roads. Likely the bold black paint was part of the package . In my old Fiat Ritmo/82, bought in Germany, all the electrical connectors in the engine compartment were sealed and waterproof whilst same cars for captive market had the usual basic connectors

 

I am a bit hesitant about anything that makes a US spec car look longer/lower. The big black bumpers and their attendant rubber side covers already draw your eye to the ends of the car which makes it look overly long. It (US spec) already has a barbell silhouette. My GT4 was originally black, painted "resale red" by the original owner then red/boxer by the next with the boxer part gloss black. The boxer theme stretches the car even more. Just my opinion, yours may vary.

BTW, my son worked in the collision industry and we were going to return my car back to it's original gloss black but he has left that job so I lost my free labor, free paint and use of a paint booth, such is life.

 

I am pretty sure that was Adam Carola's GT4.

 

my car was originally Red / Boxer but it got in an accident in the early 80's and was repainted Red / Black Rockers.

 

You are correct, Serie 1 308 GT4 didn`t have the black painted rocker panels originally and it wasn`t an option....
Interestingly the 208 GT4 first series had them painted black originally. For what reason is unknown... I guess to make them visually easier to distinguish...
Series 2 painted black, both on 208 and 308 GT4

 

My 1976 Series 2 RHD 308gt4 was NOT.

 

#12842 should have black painted rocker panels
are you first owner?
do you have pictures when the car was new?

 

#12274 period picture with black black painted rocker panel


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I was picking up some poster prints last night from Walgreens that I am using for wall art in my office. Vintage Ferrari pictures.

The guy who rang me up looked about mid 30's. Sorta hippy. He told me he had a Dino in high school. I'm thinking he is full of **** until I started talking to him. He told me his dad was into classic sports cars so he was a lucky teenager. His father let him drive the Dino. He said it was a "weird green color" - which made be begin to wonder if he wasn't so full of **** after all. Said the interior was brown with green piping. That didn't sound so made up either.

Guy may have been for real.

 

The or a, Series I USA brochure.
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