'Motorsport' magazine review of Ferrari 308 Vetroresina

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https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...

I stumbled across this fascinating review recently. It is written by the great Denis Jenkinson who seems to be a little underwhelmed by the Vetro. He doesn't seem that bothered by the Berlinetta Boxer either. Even after a lap or two of Paul Ricard sat next to Niki Lauda no less!

I also love his criticism of the 308's instrumentation -' 'styled' by someone in Turin more used to 850 c.c. Fiat's'! Personally, I think the 308 interior to be one of the most stylish and attractive of any car - classic Ferrari elegance.

Enjoy the article

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ras62 said:

Enjoyed that run down memory lane Sent the link to my Ferrari mad mate who texted back...was it a silver car? I've still got that mag in the loft!

Hi Rob, hope you're well? Yes it was a silver car with red interior.

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Leithen said:

The "Vetroresina" monicker always causes a quiet chuckle.

They were a 308 which happened to be "glass fibre" or "fibreglass" when being sold and owned.

For a while after that they were a cheap way into Ferrari ownership, and then the market went mad and any form of perceived rarity was important.

All of a sudden a lovely Italian sounding name was attached to them.

It sounds so much sexier than 'fibreglass' though, doesn't it!

'Monodado' for the original single mirror Testarossa is another example. Amazing how those single bolt alloys make the car so much better looking, imo

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priley said:

Yes, I recall a 26k mile one for sale locally for for 25k about 11 years ago. I had some money at the time and decided to go 355 for mid 30's (I also passed on a white 246GT-requiring restoration-for 37k). However I managed to buy a 'regular' carb' GTB this time last year and absolutely love it.

Anyone recall the actual weight difference, steel/fibreglass?

It's not as much as some figures make out, roughly 25kg?

Harry Metcalfe actually weighed a Vetro in his video review at 1250kg. The official kerb weight for a GTB QV is 1275kg. The only variables I can think of are the optional 16' rims and aircon

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Slippydiff said:

Hi Antony, I hope you’re keeping safe and well ?

Apparently the ”resina” was incredibly thick, Ferrari wanting to ensure the material wasn’t flimsy and didn’t crack, whilst using it on their first production car.

Did you get my last email btw ?

Edited by Slippydiff on Monday 18th May 16:41

Hi Henry, just checked my emails, last one received 7th? I emailed you Saturday night with some pics of the QV

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Slippydiff said:

I think that falls under the banner of "Damned with faint praise" !!

Hope you don't mind Antony ? But for a somewhat less jaded, more enthusiastic review, try Mr Cropley's ownership experiences, he seemed to like it so much, he actually put his money where his mouth was. Enjoy :

Don't mind at all Henry! That's a good article. I rediscovered that one too recently. Forgot I had it. Steve Cropley certainly regrets selling it and laments how, back in 1988, the market had moved such that he could no longer afford to buy it back..

Have resent the email.

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priley said:

It’s been nearly six months since I drove my 355 (it’s undergoing a very protracted service), but I honestly think I prefer the 308. It’s lower and smaller and the steering feel all contribute to a go kart like driving experience. The sound is incredible with pops and burble on the overrun and the sucking of air into the carbs behind your head. But most importantly you can drive it hard on the road and you’re not doing ridiculous speeds. In fact, even when stuck in traffic it’s engaging. So I can get back from a relatively short local blat and I’ve had some fun.
People also seem very positive to it on the road, with less boy racers wanting a race.

Agree, the 308 is a lovely thing to drive. I've only had my QV for a couple of months so with lockdown there's not been too many opportunities for a decent and really long drive. However, I find myself really enjoying an empty twisty road around the national speed limit. It does seem to be a sweet spot whereas a much more grippy and competent modern supercar feels like its barely moving on a similar road.

I also agree about the positive attention - so far! Lots of flashing of headlights and thumbs-up and some people even just stand and gawp. Must admit I'm not entirely comfortable with that side of Ferrari ownership!

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Thanks ratrod for posting that and thank you Henry for posting the link. You both beat me to it actually!

That's a lovely example and the car ain't too bad either! Eye-watering restoration cost - wonder if thats partly down to the higher Ferrari maintenance costs alluded to in another thread?

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rat rod said:

What car ?oh yes that one. I thought you would have seen it.It amazes me how channels like Colleen's and John Temerian Curated get overlooked and don't get the recognition they deserve by us in the UK preferring the more regular You Tubers such as Shmee ,Mr JWW ect,maybe most American You Tubers are a little on the loud side and same old thing for us ,the yanks seem to like them that's the main thing. Only reading and watching you tubes it would seem that repairs and restoration on cars like Ferrari's and Lamborghini's generally have much higher rates in America than here in the UK. There's always so called specialist's that will take advantage of the badge both here and the states or anywhere else for that matter .

Edited by rat rod on Wednesday 8th July 00:36

Yes, I'm a little surprised Colleen hasn't yet received more recognition as the content and watchability are far better than some. I think her channel is more an extension of the garage sales and there's perhaps not enough driving footage to get serious viewing numbers.

Shmee is far too cringe worthy for me so I rarely watch him. Mr JWW has done some interesting stuff but he still treads the tightrope between cringe and enthusiasm

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Slippydiff said:

Morning Antony, hope you’re well ?
Though the cars are pretty straightforward mechanically, they’re fiddly to restore “properly”.
But as I mentioned in a previous email, many have been “maintained” by less than diligent owners and “technicians” (and let’s not get onto bodyshops) so all too often, restorations uncover previous heinous acts of butchery and bodging (both mechanically and to the bodywork) that take a lot of time and expense to rectify.
Add to that the original build quality of the early cars (as witnessed in the video I posted earlier in the year) hasn’t exactly helped matters either ...

Morning Henry, yes well thanks. Trust you are too

Interesting that before I bought my QV I was offered a GTBi project early in the year. The car had the most detailed history file I had ever seen from any car. It was truly staggering. The previous long term owner even included the factory drawings of practically every part that had ever been replaced. When I viewed the shell it was already prepped for paint and everything looked good to my eyes. The vendor reckoned I could create a concours perfect example for an additional 30k on top of the 30k for buying the finished shell. I felt this optimistic and although we can't directly compare the US example we all know how restoration costs can spiral. I agree with your comments here, Henry. Although I would say their shouldn't have been any nasty surprises with that amazing documented history.

But I really wanted a QV and as you know I'm over the moon with it!

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Slippydiff said:

And the Yanks take on the Vetroresina from March '77 :

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a33298474/tes...

Good evening, Henry. That was a good find. Enjoyed reading it, thanks for posting.

Makes you realise what an impact the 308 made back in the mid 70's when, for the road cars at least, a Ferrari historically meant front engined V12 grand tourer. This sentiment also came across in Jenks' article. OK, they already had the 246 Dino followed by the 308 GT4 but these weren't considered 'proper' Ferraris. Then of course there was the 365BB which hadn't been around for long enough and, like the Countach, perhaps viewed like we might today's hypercars. In other words impractical and certainly unobtainable. So the little 308 appeared with all its delectable beauty. Furthermore it was a delight to drive, reasonably practical and even, perhaps, slightly obtainable.

Just think what the everyday car was in the1970's both here and in the States. I don't know anything about American cars but we had the dogs dinner that was British Leyland. I guess Detroit was churning out similar st. Then there were the myriad Escorts, Cortinas, Vauxhall Vivas etc etc. With that in mind I'm sure the beautiful Ferrari made an impact that would be lost on today's generation of car enthusiasts for whom there's a new supercar on YouTube every week!

Certainly made an impact on this young car fanatic, which is why I ended up buying one!!

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Evening Henry, yes, definitely one of his better videos. I guess the immense privelage of a passenger ride in a 365 BB through beautiful Italian scenery chilled him out a bit. He's normally far too excitable for my tastes. Don't think a BB can be that difficult to drive as Carlo manages to remove both hands from the steering wheel in order to speak,he is Italian after all

Agreed the BB flat 12 sounds amazing and for me the 365 is the pick of the range. Interesting that Carlo had a 512 but went back to the earlier car.

Here's a good watch from Henry Catchpole you might also have seen. HC doesn't seem to have too much of a problem driving it either!

https://youtu.be/6ONZoar-Htk

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Ha ha, I'll take it in Giallo Fly over black any day of the week!

Btw, I'll reply to your email soon, Henry. We don't want to monopolise this thread afterall

Where's all the Classic Ferrari enthusiasts? Must be one or two BB owners out there. Are they really such a handful? Do you also need to take out a second mortgage to actually drive the thing? Would love to hear your experiences

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Ah, hindsight. 'tis a wonderful thing. Oh, how I wish I bought a BB instead of a Boxster. Or a Countach Periscopo or any kind of air-cooled RS or a Dino or..... the list is endless. I even remember a time when a 250 GT Lusso was vaguely affordable, except I was still at college and I think I only had 50 pence

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There's an interesting review of a restomod 308 in this month's EVO.

It's a GTB QV by Moto Technique with the 3 litre V8 expanded to 3.6 with Jenvey throttle bodies, Capristo exhaust and numerous other goodies. Unfortunately no power figures are given nor conversion costs but I would imagine it's a princely sum.

Now would somebody ask Henry Catchpole or Harry Metcalfe to do a You Tube review please!

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Hi Henry, I'm well thanks, hope you are too. The article doesn't mention if it's one of the 3 'Evo's - they do call it a 388GTBi however.

Actually the featured car should be called a 368GTBi as it has a 3.6 litre engine but I guess 388 sounds better. Another car in build is mentioned with a 3.8 motor and 400bhp.

I'm always in two minds about these restomods. Like the Singer 911 they're a seriously desirable piece of kit but unless you're David Lee and already have a fantastic collection my choice would be different.

For example, I'm guessing a build cost excl donor car for the 388 is going to be upwards of 250k. As a purist I might prefer a nice Dino or 365BB and keep my existing QV! Does anyone on here know the potential build cost?

As nice as a Singer 911 is I could have a 959 AND a Carrera GT for similar money!

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OLDBENZ said:

I am a new 512BB owner - photo below. When I say new, I had my first drive 10 days ago so I am probably not the best qualified owner to comment on the trials and tribulations of longterm ownership. I have, however, managed a few decent drives and have covered about 450 miles so far in a mix of motorway, central London stop start and country roads. It is probably an understatement to say that so far I am delighted. The car is fresh from a full rebuild in Modena in its delivery colours.

The first thing you notice when you get behind the wheel is that the clutch pedal is extraordinarily heavy although strangely it just seems normal after the first time you press it. Funny how quickly you adapt. I think that the clutch is just a standard characteristic of Ferrari's of that period - I have also driven another 512BB and a Daytona and they were both exactly the same. The other thing that jumped out at me was how similar the instruments were to those of my 1979 Series 1 Rover SD1 that I was gifted by my father in the 80s. I reckon a case of Rover sniffing around seeing what else they could copy from Ferrari after they had pinched the Daytona nose rather than Ferrari looking to Rover for inspiration but the similarity is uncanny. Visibility is very good - a world apart from modern supercars.

I was pretty cautious at the outset as I had read all the stuff about the wayward rear end, the difficult gearbox when cold, the heavy steering etc etc and as it was a new purchase I had my listening ears on for strange rattles and clonks and funny engine noises. Well, it all seemed pretty good to me - much more hewn from the solid than I was expecting, and as I started to push it a little harder the turn in seems very sharp and accurate and the whole car 'flows' very nicely on fast country roads. The engine is a complete dream - about 360 bhp give or take depending on who you believe which is a mere bagatelle in the current supercar world of 800 plus bhp. For all that it is a quite remarkable engine with a relentless linear shove. I was also impressed with how it takes traffic jams in its stride - it is happy to hold 90c on the water temp, keeps a constant idle and does not get fluffy and irritable. A/C is better than I expected too.

If there is one thing I do not particularly like it is that first gear is so tall (it pulls nearly 60 mph) that it is a (real) challenge to pull away
from stationary on even a gentle incline and still be kind to the clutch. I am nearly a Ferrari virgin - this is the first Ferrari I have owned and I have only driven two others (another BB and a Daytona as mentioned above). None of the three I have driven have suffered from the 'avoid 2nd when cold' syndrome which I had been led to expect so I unless I have been very lucky x3 I will no longer accept that is normal.

Why did I buy? I have a small collection of mainly 60s cars and had an itch for a Miura S having been lucky enough to have some decent seat time in a friend's example in the US a couple of years ago. The biggest compliment I can pay the BB is that (in my opinion) I have at least 75% of the pleasure of a Miura for about 20% of the cost. No more itching!

Congratulations on your purchase and thank you for the nice write up. Your BB looks stunning and what an introduction to Ferrari ownership! An F1 derived flat 12 in a road car is quite something, and this one from one of Ferrari's great racing eras.

It's interesting the car is comparatively user friendly. I suspect the famed 2nd gear issue is largely from cars that are not used. My QV was very truculent when I first got it but having used it regularly over the summer the gearbox is getting sweeter all the time. Of course if I jump straight in when cold and drive off like I'm in the Skoda it might complain.

A 12 cylinder Ferrari still remains on my 'must-have' list. It would be a Daytona but half a million quid is beyond my pay grade...

Keep us posted on your ownership experiences. Much appreciated.

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Slippydiff said:

I'm guessing that at the current price point for a new Singer (with a decent spec) most potential owners will already have a "collection", which probably contains a CGT or a raft of watercooled GT cars and a 2.7RS/964/993 RS.

The 959 is a great car, but my understanding is numerous parts are now NLA, and the parts that are, are eyewateringly expensive.

I was chatting to a gentleman who was considering purchasing a CGT recently, whilst probably cheaper to run than the 959, they're still not cheap ...

The thing about the Singer is, you could nip out to get a pint of milk and a newspaper in it, or you could take it to pub, or to Waitrose, or indeed the gym, and if it was one of the more discrete hues, no one would bat an eyelid, the same can't be said for the CGT, and despite the 959 being a technical tour de force, to the great unwashed, it just looks like a badly modified, slightly chavved up old 911 ...

That's not to say I'd buy a Singer, I'd more likely have a 964 RS, a 993 RS, a Challenge Stradale, a 308 QV and a Dino (and if there were any spare change, build a resto mod 308 QV ...)

That could be the perfect garage, Henry!

I would however need to have 12 cylinders in there somewhere.

I saw a nice Rosso Dino this week. It was parked up in a bus stop on the main A30 near Penzance - hope he wasn't broken down Looked utterly resplendent in the sunshine, strikingly beautiful and such a rare sight to see one actually being used.