[FerrariKiller]

I am in the market for an older Ferrari, but I have and always will a need for speed. Where can performance upgrades for 308 or 328 (or even Tastarossa) be bought, and which are most worth the money?

 

[ferrarispider]

I do know as far as the 328 goes, i was looking into tuning it for power befor the 355. And the ultimate for these cars are the Alpha Webber injection and Motec ecu set up which costs around £8,000 for a extra 90bhp or so. Not forgetting the exhaust system needed to help it breath, around a grand. All in all a very expensive excercise but with reasonable gains. Thats NA, dont get me started on the Blown options imfo that i looked into

 

[Andrew]

If you are located in the USA our board sponsors DexM www.dexmllc.com Powerchip www.powerchipgroup.com can help out.

 

[enjoythemusic]

If you are located in the USA our board sponsors DexM www.dexmllc.com Powerchip www.powerchipgroup.com can help out.

And where in the 308 does the Power Chip go

(Hint, the 308 has no chip)

As for the 308, i would first begin by losing weight and getting steel braided brake lines and better brake pads. As for weight loss, attack the unsprung weight and rotating mass by getting the Brembo front brake kit and Girodisc rear slotted floating hat discs. Another option is drastically improving the suspension by using http://www.nicksforzaferrari.com/forzaferrariwebsite1_028.htm . Since you are doing suspension work, may as well replace all stock bushing with Energy Suspension 'G.' The better suspension will allow you to lower the car and have it corner weighed (with your weight in the driver's seat) to insure proper balance.

If you are in good shape (read: not fat), removing the nearly 40 lbs seats (each) for better ones such as the Sparco Roadster (19 lbs each with OMP low brackets).

AM sure many people feel i have left out making the engine more powerful, yet losing weight, in a sense, add power and the upgrades suggested above greatly add agility and better handling/braking.

If you have tons of funds and want to sort out the occasional problems, Norwood of Texas (USA) offers turbo upgrades for the 308. Me? Still waiting for a good blower setup as turbo is too peaky compared to the linear curve of a blower.

Just my humble 2 Yen.

Other weight loss ideas, get a CF rear deck lid.

A custom lightweight radiator and various other tranny tweaks http://www.nicksforzaferrari.com/forzaferrariwebsite1_003.htm . The flywheel on the 308 is a beast so losing weight there does equal more HP reaching the tires PLUS faster throttle responce.

 

[BrentC]

Alright,

Here's my two cents, but I may be a bit biased :wink:

Along with the excellent recomendations above, you could get titanium wheel bolts for even greater reduction in wheel weight. Add some wheel spacers for a more aggressive wheel track and better handling. Next, get a Larini Sport Muffler for better sound and freer flowing exhaust. Add a slick shift gate for quicker upshifting, throw on a K&N airfilter, and a durable Baldwin Oil Filter. And you can get it all in one place, in the Ferrari Forum Shops at DexM.

Ok, shameless plug. But I couldn't resist. Good luck with the car and keep us posted.

-J

 

[Pete04222]

Steven,
As always, excellent advice. Things I never thought of. You don't have to increase the power-to-weight ratio by increasing the power!

DexM,
Titanium wheel bolts? Exactly how much lighter are those than the stock bolts? I would really like to know.

I do like the idea of the wheel spacers for a wider and more aggressive stance. Does anyone have experience with them? I would be worried about the tires sticking out beyond the fenders and kicking rocks up into the paint. I have wide 16" tires now and they are close.

As for the Larini sport muffler, how does it compare with the Tubi for performance and price? Can you post some more info on the Larini? PM me with a price on the Larini. Just curious, I'm not ready to move on an exhaust just yet as I'm trying to build another garage but I would like to know how much this costs for future planning purposes.

 

[Boxer]

Going back to part of the original question "need for speed" is this straight line or track ? If the first then I would look for Testarossas, on the second 308/328. You might also want to consider that for the price of a 328 plus the mods, you might be able to pick up a late 348 or even a high mileage early 355.

 

[enjoythemusic]

I do like the idea of the wheel spacers for a wider and more aggressive stance. Does anyone have experience with them?

DO NOT DO IT! Many race tracks refuse to allow cars with such devices. They reduce the integrity of the tire connection. i decided to go with Kinesis K27 rims that were 17x8 front and 17x9 rear (stock is 16x7 and 16x8 respectively). Spacers alone does not account for proper offset while having PROPER rims made to account for the offset is best IMHO and those of ANY professional mechanic. www.kinesismotorsport.com

Oh, i remembered a few other tweaks... Durable 1 can bore out your throttle body and plenum from stock 65mm to 70mm to increase airflow about 10%. See http://www.durable1.com/injectors.htm

i use the Durable 1 power one-way valve and it seemed to make a good difference in braking ability by providing more to the brake booster. It WILL NOT make your brakes feel like a POS Buick, yet IMHO it allowed more feel and better off-throttle high rpm braking ability and made the brake more responsive. See http://www.durable1.com/brake.htm


And now various pics of what i have suggested in both posts...

REMEMBER: have the car's tires aligned after doing the suspension/tires/rims upgrade

REMEMBER: have the A/F ratio checked and adjusted after doing the throttle body done