Borrani wire wheels on 308?

Get the window sticker, or run the car through the Classiche program at your nearest Ferrari dealer.

I've never heard of a 308 with factory-mounted wire wheels and would be extremely sceptical as a buyer without factory docs. There's nothing easier to swap than wheels, and your information doesn't come from the original buyer.

(In fact, I don't think I've seen a 206/246 with wire wheels... )

 

elvis's gt4 has em

 

This Yngwie Malmsteen owned 1983 308 QV has them as well. Yngwie blew the engine and sold it "as is" to a fellow f-chatter. The engine is currently being rebuilt with high compression pistons. Yngwie had the interior including the dash and a-pillars done in connolly. It looks awesome.
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Contact the Classiche Department at Ferrari in NJ. I emailed them to find out about my "2 tone" interior and they confirmed it via email that it was original. For a fee they sent documentation confirming exterior color, interior color, dashboard color, carpets, and the month/year and name of the dealer it was delivered to. If do not know if they would have the specs. on your alloy wheels but they are probably the only source of credible information unless you can locate the window sticker.

Best regards,
Dino

 

The car, gorgeous. The interior, lovely. The wheels, EWWW!!! Why someone would opt for Borrani's over the QV 16's, I guess we'll never find out. They'd be too ashamed to admit to it!

 

I've always associated wire wheels with British and Italian cars of an era - 1940s through the 1960s, when cars had chrome bumpers and old school round headlights. With the Ferrari 'Daytona', I think we saw a transition to 'muscular' and aerodynamic over 'pretty'. By the time the Boxer/308 came along, Ferrari were using the 'penta-star' alloy design on pretty much everything, race and road, IIRC.

If you find out those wires are not original, you might see if you like the car even better with the iconic Cromodoras. Every time I clean them up, I'm reminded that the OEM wheels on my 328 are almost as famous as the car. The only wheels that come close are the Fuchs alloys on the early Porsche 911s.

Good luck either way.

 

They're just wheels, feel free to switch'em back after you buy the car.
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But a 308 isn't (quite) a "true classic automobile" (yet). Even if it were, it just dont look right IMO. I would say that maybe it might look good on a 250 or even maybe a Daytona, but it just looks plain wrong on a 308. Thats just my opinion though, to each his/her own.

 

Randy, I have always really liked the wires on 308s but they are very controversial. People either love them or hate them.

 

Aren't they knock off Boranis? Then it is much more then simply swapping rims for the 16's, it's the entire upright and hub that is changed. I did the Clasiche request online and it was free, it just took a long time for them to email all the certificate and info. You need chasis number, motor number and tranny number. I would be surprised if it was from the factory. The few I've seen in person were conversions...

 

Not sure why it took a long time for them to send you your certificate, with mine it was only a few days. BTW, the free on line Heritage Certicate will not tell whether the wheels were original. It just tells exterior/interior color, production date, model, vin #. To get additional information you have to contact the Classiche rep., in the USA its Lucy Petrone. She can contact them in Italy where they will check the file for your car and see whether they have any information about your wheels...that is free. If they have the information you need and you want written documentation there is a fee, I believe of around $250.00. From the date they got my check it took about 10 days to get my written documentation.

Best regards,
Dino

 

Hi Randy,

For information about your car trying emailing Lucy Petrone, the US Classiche Rep, her email is [email protected] .
I hope you find the informaiton you are looking for.
Best regards,
Dino

 

Hi Randy,

Sorry if it was not the answer you hoped to hear. But at least you have uncovered the truth about the "originality" of the wheels. If you enjoy your car with wire wheels than thats what matters.

Best regards,
Dino

 

I think the wires are awesome. They're expensive too.. Randy, you must have the coolest 308 on the Llano Estacado!

 

Randy,

First of all welcome to the site, and I am saddened to hear of your long time friend's passing.

Secondly, as others have alluded REAL knock off Borranis would have required hub mods to install and could well have been Dealer installed at cutomer request. Many mods were done that way in the seventies and recall the car was only recently available in the US a the time.

So despite FNA's response there is no doubt in my mind that parts support to modify the hubs would have come from Ferrari, and would be required. So what you are now looking for is a dealership invoice for the parts, to support the claim of "Original" at the time of purchase...

HTH

Do you have the books? The Warranty Coupon Book for required service is a soft cover of tear out coupons.
The first page will have hand written entries of the VIN number, the selling dealer, and the original owner. This will be invaluable in your search for additional documentation. Sadly many of the dealers are no longer in business, but if you can get lucky and track it to either coast at the time of importation, Ron Tonkin is still on the West Coast and Algar is rumored to have much of Chinetti's old papers, from New York.

 

This is really it...those wheels are worth about $2,500 EACH IIRC, so I wouldn't be so quick to cast stones at them......

You could easily recoup that money and buy 16" QV's but driving a Ferrari is a matter of personal expression and taste, and as you have seen from the pictures other late 70's cars ran that fitment.

As an aside the Cromodora, Campagnolo, or Speedline cast 5 spoke wheels for 1976-1979 308GTBs would have been a 14" x 7-1/2 fitment, at all four corners.

Note the wording of the FNA response........I think they are embarressed sometimes to admit how little of the 5 digit VIN cars they retained. They made careful "Build Sheets" of the 4 digit VIN cars, #0XXXX, then for a number of lean years they did not have accurate records of the options provided on the 5 digit cars, IMO.

They can tell me the colors, etc. of my three 1976-77's but little else.

"It had a horsie on it's azz, when it left here."

 

Hi Randy,

Sorry about the loss of your friend, Bob. Hopefully, the 308 with those special wheels will remind you of good times and car chats with Bob. If you are looking to find out the name of the dealer that the car was originally delivered to I'm sure you can get that from Lucy Petrone at Classiche. The documentation that I received from them contained the name of the dealer the car was delivered to along with the month and year it was delivered to the dealer. I'm not sure if that will be of much help in tracking down any other information about your car. Also I believe IIRC is If I Recall Correctly.

Best regards,
Dino