What determines a lower front spoiler?

Yes, I believe optional on US cars. Not sure about Euro models.

 

Exactly the same: optional all along the production life of the car.
As I said many times, I just cannot understand why you call the "Sottoscocca Anteriore Maggioratto" (its real name, which simply means "larger front spoiler") the "euro spoiler" in the U.S, as in Europe it is by no means universal on 308s. In fact, most cars here have got the small front spoiler (which I personally prefer from an aesthetical point of view...to me, the big front spoiler somewhat ruins the lines of the car)

Rgds

 

+308 "Euro spoiler" is a stupid name out of nowhere. "Deep" or "shallow" is a more useful description.

 

Have you guys heard of Snow Plow spoiler?
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Well, to evocate Ferrari history (albeit in Formula One), you should rather call it "Spazzaneve", Mike: it would be more appropriate...
It was the original Formula one 312 B3, drawn by Mauro Forghieri, that never raced but was so called ("Spazzaneve" means "snowplow", by the way) by the italian press due to its unusual lines.

Rgds

 

Beside serving as a snow plow on Mike's car (in Cerritos, California...) I guess it is obvious that they were supposed to produce some kind of downforce, or rather to control/cancel the 3x8 tendency to lighten its nose at high speed, but try as I might I can't recall of any figures or impressions being published about this...

Rgds

 

Of course they do, the deeper the spoiler, or splitter, the less air under the car which reduces lift. Cars are shaped like a wing and they make lift, so the less air under the car the less lift at a given speed.

APR Performance - Splitters

And they look damn good doing it.
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IIRC according to this book
The Ferrari Dino 246, 308 and 328 (Collector's Guide): Alan Henry: 9780947981235: Amazon.com: Books

The first lot of journalists that test drove the car thought the nose went light at speed. Ferrari produced the DFS in answer to this criticism.
Subsequently the reason for the nose going light on that particular test drive was blamed on a stack of heavy, photographic equipment being carried in the rear luggage compartment...

But either way I'm a fan of them, I think they can look a bit 'pointy' without the big chin.

 

About $1,250 with paint.

 

cars with bigger front spoiler (we call it "spoiler maggiorato") have much better steer feeling at high speed as it reduces a lot the natural lift effect you have at high speed. Then the car has better Cx drag coefficient, but this is not so significative as the lift reduction. Despite i suppose you do not use anymore a 30+ year old supercar at high speed today, i still prefer the "spoiler maggiorato" as it adds aggressivity to the front. The "spazzaneve" front spoiler has not enough ground clearance: it's stupid as you will destroy it at the first traffic slower you find on the road.

ciao

 

I've driven the same car with both deep and shallow spoiler. On a track, maybe you'd notice on faster sweepers. For leisure road use, it adds absolutely nothing to driving pleasure / effort and for me it detracts a lot from the car's elegant lines.

So, I switched permanently to the shallow that came with my car for better aesthetics and practicality. The deep gathers dust (but at least stays in pristine condition).

 

I love the look of it on mine and the add of the front driving lights. I also like the silver grill and the cavallino. (though that may only be a Euro thing) Its all a personal preference I guess. I did just scrape for the first time leaving Peters house the other week. Chipped it a bit.

Here is a side by side of both of them. My car is on the left and Peter's car (cape308) on the right.
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I go back and forth on which I like the look of. My French Euro QV GTB came factory with the shallow one. The couple of grand it would take to convert over to a deep one makes me think I like the shallow a bit more

 

….well thats what they thought 40 years ago when air dams were the rage on the tracks. yes are dams are effective in reducing lift but having less are under the car isnt merely reason why.

been in a wind tunnel lately? the wind tunnels show when you get the lip of the air dam close to the ground it creates a venturi building low pressure. in fact many modern "clean bottom" sports cars are actually trying to get air under the car to a specific area to increase this low pressure effect.

depending on the shape car you can easily over do it with a monster airdam. You would want to keep the axle loads balanced with a rear spoiler or trim element to balance the areo axle loads. center of pressure makes a difference also in high speed stability. just ask the guys who totaled their early round tail audi TT on the autobahns.

cheers

hf

 

Interesting subject.

Anyone knows what it takes to fit a deep spoiler on an early 77 GTB ? The car is Euro spec btw

 

I believe that there were/are also a bunch of aftermarket "deep" spoilers made by US shops/suppliers (and must be the same situation elsewhere) -- so it's not A or B -- it's A, B, C, D, E... or snowplow

 

!!!!

Any pics from A to E ???

 

No, but, if you look at the pictures that have been posted here before, you'll often see very slight differences in the edge profiles, the depth, various duct inlets/shapes, etc.. (I'm pretty sure my ex-308 carb had an aftermarket "deep" front spoiler.)

 

Original Ferrari glassfibre parts are orange.
The original deep spoiler have three small rainwater-drain holes inside the lip -one in front and one each side rear. Also shaped to give room for the squirrel-cage fans. (See picture of underside)

Another easy to spot difference is that the original grille opening is relative flat. The aftermarket ones I have seen so far have a more "oval" shaped opening leaving too much airspace midspan under the grille.

H
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Apparently the deep spoiler wasn't available on the Vetroresina as an option when new. My former 79 308 didn't come with one, however, I installed one because I liked the look and the front end was too light at speed for my liking. I was able to find a NOS part which ran approximately $2500 after paint and repair, it showed up damaged from the journey over from Europe. A few pictures attached.

 

Side by side
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Old removed.
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A couple more.
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