I'm looking at making a few of these later this month if anyone is interested. Probably 3 or 4.
Husker: While I own an F355, I think your LeMans Grill absolutely makes the 348. It would be one of the first things I did to my car. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for the compliments guys. Me and my dad designed this piece for my own car a few years back. It was really a lot of fun doing it, and I'll never forget the memories of the project. My dad's garage was like a lab and we were the mad scientists. My dad can make practically anything and he just loves stuff like this. Believe it or not he bought a '63 250GTE from a guy a few blocks from our house along around 1978 for $6500. He was in the process of restoring it (the floors were rusted out) when he and mom got a divorce. She got the the Ferrari out of the deal - on blocks at the time - and promptly sold it to a fellow for $3,000. It was a cool car. Nice interior, good looking engine. The car just needed rust removal and a paint job. No telling where it is now. The price on this batch is going to be $1,200 per grill + Fed Ex Ground. When we first started out we were a few $ hundred higher than this I believe. What's funny is I've shipped far more of these out of the country than within the country. I don't know what the US-versus-the-world count of 348s is but I figured that most 348s would be right here in the US.
Loved your grill, made huge difference on the look of my spider Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
No, he sold it to a guy in Calgary (I think) and he is the proud owner of that Silver Beauty in his avatar
I just want to make sure I understand everything with the grill. The $1200 is for the black grill only correct? I would then need to get the light assemblies myself right? If so, what is the approximate cost of everything else I would need? Thanks!
Lights are about $95 each, the wiring harness can also be sourced for about $100, do a search. Bit of sheet metal cutting, I just did a customer car, made a few changes to the actual grille and install hardware but the instructions and kit are adequate for most owners. Looks great though. Total cost is 1700-1800 plus install.
That's about right. In the beginning it was more like $2300, as the grill was a tad higher and those lights were running $200 or so a piece! The installation can be done by pretty much anyone - it's not difficult it just takes reading the directions and taking a few hours to do it right. Steve (TheOnlyest) used to make the wiring harnesses. Not sure if he's still a member of the forum. The wiring is actually quite easy if you know how to follow colors. I did mine quite adequately myself with just some wire and connectors from my local AutoZone.
Sorry, your car looked so much better with the original grille and lights.I really don't see the point in changing.
It's a matter of personal taste Steve, I like it. Having tried to do the same as Husker many years back I can say beyond question, that price represents one heck of a good value!
Is it possible to reinstall the old setup without having to "undo" the removed sheet metal? I was thinking it would be fun to be able to install the Lemans grill and strakeless side panels for awhile and then swap them back to original now and then just to change things up.
Nope. You have to spot weld or solder in some new strips of metal to house your old rectangular unit. Hardly a major deal but wouldnt want to do it every other weekend!
Of course you are both correct it is down to personal taste and I'm not questioning the price or effort that has gone into it.Although IMO it makes the rear end of the 348 look like a kit car. What I am questioning is the need to do it in the first place.The 348 rear lights are part of the charactor of the 348 just like the side strakes.You never see Testa or TR owners asking to change their rear lights for those of the M or 308 owners fitting the 328 rear skirt so why do 348 owners feel the need to ruin their cars.It's almost as if they have some kind of inferiorty complex about not owning a 355
I see it the same way as when people change the wheels on their cars. Just something to change things up a bit.
I for one appreciate Husker's efforts to provide us 348 owners another avenue to customize our cars. In the same way I put a ring on my wife's finger, when I get a new-to-me car, I want to make it identifiable as "mine" such that anybody who looks can tell that it's not like all the others on the lot. Just as I may want to add a boob job after 10 years of marriage, I may want to add a new grille to my car. If everybody's got one or wants one, what's the point? If everybody likes it, it's vanilla. If some love it and some hate it, it's probably art! (Gosh, I hope my wife doesn't read this!)
