308 gts identification

Usually a dead giveaway is if the gear stick is on the correct side of the console, RHD car stick should be on RH side of the console with ashtray to the left . LHD is opposite to the that. I’ve yet to see a conversion where the stick position was successfully changed. Bonnet /wipers are also different with wipers parking on the LHS on a RHD car. But I have seen these changed on better quality conversions


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

Mine is a later model but layout is the same


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

If the car is from the UK there should be records from the chassis number either with private individuals or from Tony Willis at the Maranello Archive

What leads you to think its a conversion ? As a rule the wipers (& console) are the giveaway as most conversions were done cheap as noted in post 2

Did you buy this from Bonhams the other day ? https://themarket.bonhams.com/en/listings/ferrari/308-gts/d3bee171-47dc-48bd-8ed6-e8ba1927bf18

You could always ask QV and see if they believe it rhd originally

 

It looks like its registered here, along with its previous interior and exterior colours. Looks like it was yellow/black at some point. Might be worth getting in touch with Jean-Philippe to see if he has any more info?
http://308-328.com/registers/308gtsregisteren.html

 

That conversion might be really, really hard. Do the coolant pipes run right down the center of the car or are they slightly offset to the passenger side to allow the shift box to sit where it does on the driver's side? Not just that the floor is different, but that the actual frame right down the middle of the car is different?

 

No the coolant pipes don’t run down the centre. The LHD and RHD tube frames are mirror images of each other which is why I believe it is all but impossible to do a LHD to RHD conversion that is undetectable. At the very least it wouldn’t be possible asa cost viable option IMHO


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

https://classicmoto.rs/auto/ferrari-308-gts-1978-TytF7Z.html

 

Has anyone actually seen the pre-QV 16" 308 wheels? Those look more like the later reproduction 16" KN Wheels (Superfomance, et.Al) on the rear to me -- but I've never seen the pre-QV 16" 308 wheels. (Not complaining -- even if the 16" KN wheels, I'd prefer those to the stock 14" wheels).

 

There are a number of ways to identify if a 308/328 GTB/GTS has been converted from LHD to RHD or RHD to LHD.

The wiper arms should be angled/"point" towards the passenger's side of the car - If they're angled/"point" towards the driver's side of the car, then it's been converted.

The front lid should have two cutouts for the wipers arms: One on the driver's side, inline with the outside edge of the instrument binnacle, and one in the centre of the car - If one cut out is on the passenger's side of the car, and the other is positioned in the centre of the car, then it's been converted.

The gear lever/gate should be next to the driver's seat, and the ashtray should be next to the passenger's seat - If the gear lever/gate is next to the passenger's seat, and the ashtray is next to the driver's seat, then it's been converted.

The latches to open the front lid and engine cover should be on the driver's side of the car - If they're on the passenger's side, the car has been converted (nobody will ever go to the trouble of repositioning the release latches to the other side of the car - It would be a complete ball ache of a job to do!)

The speedometer should be on the door-side of the instrument binnacle, and the rev counter should be on the centre console side - If the speedometer is on the centre console side of the binnacle, and the rev counter on the door side, chances are it's been converted (it is possible someone might have had the clocks out and put them back in the wrong place, but highly unlikely)

Here is a classic case of a LHD car that had been converted to RHD (and was being illegally advertised as being a: "genuine RHD car - One of only 184 ever made" ) : https://www.1stchoicecars.uk.com/classic-cars/ferrari-308-1384/

1) Wipers pointing towards the driver's side? - CHECK!
2) Front lid cutouts on passenger's side and centre of car? - CHECK!
3) gear lever on passenger's side/ashtray on driver's side? - CHECK!
4) Latches to open front lid and engine cover on passenger's side? - CHECK!
5) Speedometer on centre console side/rev counter on door side? - CHECK!

Conclusion? - Definitely a LHD to RHD conversion, and not a genuine RHD as advertised!

(The chassis number comes back as a Swiss market LHD car)

That car was previously discussed here: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/out-of-line-308-328.532822/

If you know the full chassis number of the car in question, this site: https://www.red-headed.com/vin.html will give you a basic breakdown of the factory details (including if it left the factory as a RHD or LHD)

hope this information is of some help to people

 

Looks like they finally sold the converted car, I hope the purchaser realised that it wasn't originally a RHD car as the advert could be read as it was.