Interesting GTO repro

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/1578938833.html

 

It is interesting. I'd like to look at this one up close.

 

I think they're smokin dope on the price....and the color????

 

Same here. Always a turn off for me when the ad for a heavily modified car like this has more words and photos dedicated to the paint color than the (extensive) technical modifications. The 1-4 camcover indicates that it's a (lesser) '78-'79 US engine -- and since no torque rod is attached would be curious about how that was addressed (and too bad they didn't cut the ears off the camcover). Forgive me for nit-picking, but I'd have to deduct some for not only having a Fram oil filter on it -- it isn't even the right Fram oil filter

 

+1 on that. Too much money. It is interesting though.

 

I remembered seeing that car:
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=226047

 

Is that not a Norwood creation? Cant believe they took the time to change the engine layout and did not add boost! If it was red and turboed I would seriously think about it. GTO is my all time fav!

Cheers

 

I am going to be in Albuquerque in a few weeks, I am half way tempted to see if I can see the car during my trip. I will only be there for a day or so, so I may not be able to do it, but its definitely an interesting car.

I definitely see the wheelbase difference with this from an original 288GTO. I never noticed it really before this though, so maybe my eye is becoming more discerning over time.


PDG

 

I'd really like to see some better pictures. The 288 is, hands down, my favorite car on the planet. I'm aquainted with someone who has one and it's the sexiest car I've ever seen. The only thing that could improve it , IMO, would be if it were black. I hate to throw in the towel, but it's unlikely I'll ever own one. This re-creation ( motor and wheel-base not withstanding) looks pretty damn nice to me.

 

Looks too stubby - retains the 308 wheelbase.

 

Lots of guys seem to know that there's the 4 inch difference in the wheelbase. I've never really caught onto why that would matter, if the car looks good. If a 308 or 328 looks good (lots of guy obviously like those cars) why would the wheel base matter?

 

The wheelbase is four inches longer for a specific technical reason - so that the output flanges on the transaxle can reasonably line up with the rear wheel hubs....

 

I go to Albuquerque on a weekly basis. What do you want to know about this car? If it is reasonable, I will check it out and report back. If I saw this yesterday, I would have been able to do it then. Please feel free to PM me info for my trip this coming Wednesday.

 

+1. I must be a purist or something because to me this is now a kit car with Ferrari parts and some not Ferrari parts (gearbox). Sorry but I wish they'd left it a GTB.

 

I predict that the values of 308gtbs will hit $80,000 before this guy gets $80,000 for this car.

 

Very impressive conversion. I have always liked the look of the 288 and if anyone wanted to do the modifications this was the correct way to do it. You lengthen the car and realign the engine and change the gearbox. As to the price I guess it will be determined by someone in the market for this type of car. I thought I saw somewhere that the body kit was around $5K so that coupled with the ZF gearbox would add the most amount of dollars. The rest would be labor and paint. I bet you would have another $25K into this in no time. Add that to a lets say $35K base 308 and you're talking minimum of $60K. So asking $80K may be steep and my guess is it will sell for maybe $70K. Time will tell.

 

I think it's a simple matter of proportion.

 

When the engine is run longitudinally, and you add the length of the transaxle from the bellhousing to the output flanges this puts the output flanges a good 4-6 inches rearward of the standard 308 rear wheel hubs. You can't reliably run CVs with such angles even with the standard hp/tq output. Add turbos to that and it's a junk configuration.

Net, a decent 288gto conversion absolutely requires lengthening the wheelbase. So it's not aesthetics driving the bus. As JVs89 says it's "proportion" calling the shots.

Incidentally, the ZF box is a great transaxle. In good shape it'll reliably handle a lot of hp/tq and it has some good history - lemans winner, pantera, gt40, etc.

The 288GTO "conversion" I'd love to see carries an all alloy small block ford 347 with flat crank and webers mated up to the same ZF. Not that much heavier, but with a good 250+hp/tq over stock 308 levels (475/450)....yikes!

 

The wheelbase matters because it changes the proportions. All of the 288 replicas based on 308s look too "tall," i.e., the height of the roof is too great in proportion to the length.


Turn the engine longitudinally and you HAVE to lengthen the wheelbase (as Cliffbeer noted above), or you have a mechanical disaster just waiting to happen.

Personally, I have issues with turning any genuine Ferrari into a kit car, anyway.