"Glass engine hood" on F355? Anyone else notice this?

You know what, i was very seriously considering this conversion for my 355 spider last year. So i have all the pics and measurements ready. In fact i had every thing ready until the dude i was buying the 360 spider engine lid from broke the glass You see only a 360 spider lid glass will fit a 355 spider lid due to it being flat. A 360 modena wont fit due to its curve. Also the glass has to be inverted upside down.
I am on the look out for another 360 spider lid when one comes up at the right price. I think it would look great on a spider, so watch this space over winter 2007.
Any ways here what i have dude
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Wow, that is unbelieveably sexy.

 

The 355 has venting all across the rear hood while the 360 has the venting on the sides. Will this make a difference in cooling?

 

I think thats why the car in the picture has a challenge grill. There may be problems with a standard solid grill.
Have emailed the German company that did this to ask them about cooling but the job was done some time ago. It would be great to talk to the car owner about it. But IMO there should not be a problem. I was going to keep my standard lid so i could swap back when the fancy takes me. 10min job to swap a lid.

 

Very nice mod. If I wanted to alter my car, that's one mod I'd seriously want to list.

 

To each their own, but to my eyes it looks not so good. Arguably the prettiest aspect of the 355, particularly the spider, is the lines of the rear fenders which compliment the vents on the decklid including the concave third brake light. For me, it looks out of place...and well, it is, as the 360 has different rear proportions from the 355. My $0.02. Not to mention, your car will carry more weight and have less cooling capabilities.

 

wow, that looks awesome! First step may just be the red coated engine bits...do you know if he just painted the air filter covers / intake covers? For that matter are both bits aluminum? There's quite a few vendors around that could do that...

 

Looks awesome! I love the challenge rims on that 355 also!

 

WOW----If someone in the US could do this conversion, they would have alot of business--I'd be in!!!!

 

The body shop i use who is owned by a friend http://www.wilkinson-son.co.uk/,says its a brezze to do mate. They quoted me the whole job at £700 (UK) compleate with paint,but i had to provide the 360 glass and frame. So a good body shop could do this easly.

 

+1

Although the execution is near perfect, it is too glitzy for my taste.

 

The execution is great, but I agree wholeheartedly with Gothspeed. I do like the CS rims and the red airboxes though

 

I think that it would look great on a F355 spider. It seems a little to busy for the GTS or Berlinneta.

 

+1

 

I think it great wonderful. But of course, too each there own. I seens a tr once with it, and it didnt look as good..IMO

 

If (when!) I eventually get a 355, I'll be doing this mod!

You could also do it to your Elise if the mood takes you:
http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18514

Would look great - especially as since you did your engine overhaul you must have the cleanest 355 engine bay in the world!

 

Looks great!!

 

Great look! someone could make a chunk of change by developing this as an after-market piece. Applicable to fit 348's as well......any entrepreneurs out there? Only small hitch with our 348's is (I hate to say it) but the 348 motor is lacking in the visual "Wow" and "Bling" factors compared to the 355/360 motors ...Ouch! that was hard to say. I'll go wash my mouth out with soap and sit in the corner now.. If we could all look like Andy's engine with those sweet throttle bodies/stacks sticking up, well, that's something else altogether.

 

I think it looks fantastic...But I have always been of the mindset that you should be able to revert back to the OEM look fairly easily. That means you would have to keep the original decklid and air boxes ect. and do the changes to spares so they could be easily swapped back. I am in the process of installing an original challenge wing on the rear of my 355 but I am doing it with another decklid so I can revert back in 30 minutes. Again the pic of the 355 looks fantastic.

 

Love to see it when your finished..

 

So do I need the entire 360 rear bonnet?? or just the glass and another 355 rear bonnett??

 

If someone comes up with a kit, I'm in. Then I'd have to add CF airboxes and.......and.....should I say...Turbos maybe?


Darrell.

 

No Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!