246 GTS - help needed

The roof panel should be satin black on both sides with heat stitched insert panels in black Dino vinyl on the under side (cabin roof). I've not driven mine in rain so can't comment on point 2. In spite of fitting new seals and doing a lot of adjustment there are still some very small minor gaps where daylight can be seen in the top front quarters where it meets the screen header rail. The rest of the fit is pretty good and I don't think it would let water in.

Being hand-built cars there is no uniform guarantee that panels will line up the same on every car so I'd suggest fitting new seals all round if in doubt. Chassis flex on an open car of this era is a given as it still happens to a degree on current vehicles which have much torsionally stiffer monocoque designs. The only cars to eradicate this are generally ones with carbon tubs. Only you will be able to decide if you can live with it but it is certainly not an issue in most normal spirited driving situations. If the 328 GTS was not up to your expectations I'd be surprised if the older 246 GTS is if you are pushing it that hard. I had a brand new 2012 458 spider and you could both feel and see the slight scuttle shake in that with the roof open.

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I owned a 246GTS for several years and often drove it in a spirited manner...... nothing to report except it was always a joy. However when driven back to back with a 246GT the GT was better, but on a sunny day the roof off is great.

I have had 328's in both GTB and GTS variants and its the same story, not as rigid but more fun (although the GTB looks better).

I currently own a 488 spider which is a big improvement on the 458 Spider a friend has, there is still a very small amount of shake but only noticable when the roof is down, and its really hardly noticable at all. Again though for the type of driving the car gets used for its worth the slight issue to get the roof off on a nice day. I like the way its really only a targa top, much like a 328/246GTS. If you want total rigidity forget an open top.

As a side note, the 488 is a great car, ballistic speed with very good manners, and its a real looker too in my opinion.
It has exceeded my expectations (I was a bit unsure mainly due to the flack the 488 gets in the press for being a turbo). Knocks the 458 out of the park in all areas (it just needed a valve controller to sound great).

Getting back to the OP's question......get the GTS.

 

Stick with the GT and buy a track day car for flogging

 

Your ultimate limit will be tires but yes, there is some chassis flex in a 246 GTS.
Dinos are fully endearing and going 7/10s in a Dino on an open road is far more fun than .... well, than most any other car!
The chassis is made of overbuilt oval and square tubes which really do support this lightweight car quite well - it is the open top which causes some flex but it never bothered me. Here is an example:


On back roads with rolling vertical curved sections the tires will get unweighted and you need to have the confidence to ride it out smoothly. I took a friend over Hwy 253 in North CA to his vineyard and was driving in a spirited manner. He absolutely froze as we became rather unweighted over the crest of a hill
"What was that?" he chimed
"Nothing, just lack of adhesion"
but I knew what the car would do on the back side and I had already had the benefit of 50,000 km in this same Dino so I was at full advantage and comfortable

 

Nocciola is so choice!