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My 348

8K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  Italian Lover 
#1 ·
I think some of you may already know about my 348......

Since getting it nearly 3 years ago, I've slowly updated and modified it. Most of the bits replaced have been with OEM parts.

360 Carbon sports seats
360 Challenge steering wheel
355 Magnesium Wheels
355 Suspension bushes
Carbon fibre heatshields (From Lars vet)

and the most recent addition... a Scuderia Stripe using the same measurements as the one on the 430 Scuderia.

Future modifications include ....

- 6 pot AP racing brakes for the front (any day now)
- 355 brake calipers on the rear (painted and ready for fitment)
- 355 bonnet vent (painted and ready for fitment)
- 355 gearbox/clutch (end of this year)
- Carbon fibre interior (end of this year along witha full paint job by Al at Alsa Automotive)

I'm also considering installing a Race logic traction control system. Haven't decided on that one yet.

Once finished, I'll have what will be for me... the perfect Ferrari.

I still get regular comments from others that I should just go out and get a 355/360/430 etc rather than do these modifications. To be fair, it would probably be cheaper to get a 355... but i love my 348 too much and it's a keeper. Well... for as long as I can afford to keep it that is. :D

When i first got the 348, I wouldn't do any work on it myself. leaving it to others to do. After all it's a Ferrari and you don't mess with such highly engineered machines now do you.

However, with the the influence of various Ferrari forums, I began to realise that working on a 348 isn't really that hard. As my good friend Chas used to say "an engine is an engine......"

So last year, with the help of a friend I decided to to do an engine out cambelt change. Actually it was my friend George who did most of the work as i don't know one end of a spanner from another. :D

Before we started, I put the 348 on a rolling road. The figures showed 304.8 bhp. The car is a GTB which has 320 bhp stock. plus I was running it without cats and it had a Tubi exhaust. I was expecting at least 320 bhp minimum!!!! OK...so it was a 14 year old engine....and it lost a few bhp over the years. Besides, rolling roads aren't that accurate anyway...unless the figures come out great that is. :rofl:

What was supposed to be a simple engine out cambelt change, turned into a 4 month ordeal. I spent ages running around getting bits and pieces. I even managed to get SFS Performance to create a set of silicon hoses for the 348.
I also put in new water radiators & fans as well as a new OEM water pump.

Every bit on the engine I could change I did. It's only when you take the engine out yourself, do you begin to see what needs replacing. One item that left me speechless was a broken alternator bracket that was wedges into position. A £29 part. :rolleyes:

While the engine was out, we had the cam timing done. It looked like the timing was out by quite a bit.

We did a compression test before taking the engine out as I thought perhaps there was a problem with the engine due to the loss of bhp. Turned out, we were getting 195 on most of the cylinders. One of them was 185, but it was a bit sticky. So the engine was healthy!!!

A few weeks ago, I took it to another dyno company where it was put on a hub dyno. This time we got 281 bhp at the hub. With a 15% transmission loss, it works out at around 332 bhp. Although some people have said transmission loss can be anything up to 20% to 30% due to the inefficient 348 gearbox (it's archilles heel???) which equates to well over 350 bhp.

Normally I wouldn't be belive it, but my 348 revs up to 8,200 which is more than it should be doing which means some previous owner may have played with the ECU's.

By the way, last week I managed to do an oil change on the 348 all by myself. First oil change I've ever done on any car. :D

I actually feel more comfortable working on my 348 than I do on my Honda Accord.

I've currebtly putting together a full running reporet on my car and will post up a link to it when it's done.

In the meantime, here's a few pictures.
 

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Discussion starter · #2 ·
The 360 Carbon Sports Seats just about fit. The drivers recliner knob had to be removed as it hit the handbrake.

Fantastic seats, although the lumber support is non existant.

The steering wheel is from a 360 Challenge car. Cost £180 here in teh UK and for teh money, probably my best investment. Feels great when driving.
 

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Discussion starter · #10 ·
Just to finish off....... a couple of months back I also had the suspension bushes chnaged. Could'nt get hold of 348 ones so got 355 bushes instead.

Also tried out stiffer springs, but I found them too hard driving around London. Managed to get a set of new OEM ones. Well, they were new in that no one had used them before, but were made in the early 1990's. :D

Last task was to have a full geometry set up done. I went to Damax near silverstone who did it for me.

All I can say is that teh handling ahs been transformed. The car feels like it's stuck to the road now, although I do get a little bit of understeer.

I'll be getting Al to add a lip spoiler to teh front bumper when he works on teh car. taht should also help the high speed stability.
 
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