Hi all I currently have a 1986 GTS which is great. Recently I have been contemplating a 328 GTB. Does anyone have any feedback on the differences and pro's and con's of each model? Also, I'm in Australia - any tips on what to look out for if purchasing a UK car (salt roads etc)? cheers, Peter
And one is pretty rare.....(328GTB) 1344 GTB 6068 GTS....and the RHD ratio will be even smaller.I prefer the GTB over the GTS
Hang on how about you suggest why you are thinking of changing then we could maybe suggest if its a good idea For example if you are very tall and usually drive with the roof off then to change is not a good idea
Obviously there are a few differences in trim and appearance, the GTB rear quarter windows are not completely louvered, there was the option of a leather headliner, there is an overhead dome light and a slightly different storage unit for tapes etc on the tranmission tunnel. Supposedly, the GTB has slightly better handling as its a more rigid platform. But still, I would wonder if the handling advantage of a coupe is slightly less pronounced when compared to later cars with the revised suspension (I'm guessing you are aware there were suspension changes in the 88.5 and later cars). In addition, people seem to be holding on to the really good examples of 328s so finding a great GTB or GTS might not be as easy as it was years ago. If you have a great example of a GTS hang on to it unless you really love the look of the GTB. Or get a black GTS and have the best of both worlds, from a distance the top blends in with the paint scheme and you still can remove the roof if you want open air motoring. Best regards, Dino
Definitely the GTB is scarcer in the States - I think 1200 of them went to Europe, so you should turn up quite a few there. If you have a really well-sorted 328, though, I would think twice before selling it to take on another 20 year old car. I prefer the GTS, mostly for the looks, but also for immediacy of the engine sounds with the top off. Howver both look good, especially in dark colors, IMO.
I've had both. The B is a MUCH nicer driving car and prettier to boot, but hang on to that S until you find a B or you may be Ferrari-less for a long time which would be no fun. IMO, if more people got to actually drive a B back to back with an S, B's would be a lot more popular and valuable, but I am admittedly biased. Best, Dave
It depends on the weather where you live but I have a GTS and NEVER use the top, it's so much more fun going topless in nice weather. It's not a daily driver for me , so I ONLY drive it on nice days. If you have to drive it daily or often in bad weather, I'd go with the GTB. I think the GTS looks much better than the GTB if the top is off. (the GTB looks better when the top is on)
thanks for all the responses. My motivation to change from a GTS to a GTB is: (a) I find myself driving with the roof on 90% of the time as: (i) Here in Australia the sun is quite harsh and while I like the sun it is not good to have too much exposure, (ii) again the hot weather requires the air conditioner hence roof on, (ii) I like the privacy of having the roof on. (b) The rarity of the GTB. (c) GTB's are apparently 80 kg lighter. My other concern is a salt exposed UK car, how big an issue is this? cheers, Peter
The UK is pretty famous for dampness and corrosion....Look at some of the Dino and Daytona resto threads... You are considering that market for RHD? There's a RHD '76 fibreglass GTB stranded in Las Vegas, you could rescue that one, but it's pricey!!
like ron paul, i'm still in the minority here. but let it be said, if you got a gts, you don't need a (bullfighter tm) cum buttress wing. that said, let the games begin.
if you go to the track you find the GTB is mor stabel then the GTS but in the summer there is nothin better then to take te Targa out and i think the car looks better with the top off.
I am told the weight difference between the B and the S is actually quite a bit more than 40lbs. The factory may have been fudging that number as well. The 911 targa and the 911 coupe has about a 145lb difference. That might be a decent reference point considering the 911 is a lighter car than the 308/328 anyway.
Told by whom? The weights reported over the years (carbs, 'i' cars, QVs, 328s) are all very similar in that ~50lb spread, and performance figures are nearly identical, within a margin of error (0.1 sec from the road tests I've seen cited). If there were that big a weight difference, performance numbers would suffer. Also: 911 is a unit body; 308/328 are tubular frame/steel panel -- very different animals. Butzi Porsche designed the 911 as a coupe from the start, with no provision for an open-top car. Given the success of the 246 GTS, I would bet Ferrari had the targa 308 in mind well before the 308 debuted. That said, the targa top on light-colored 308/328s is kind of '80s looking, so I can see why some people like the GTB.
You would certainly know much better than I regarding this. As a general rule, I have always heard that a targa car is a minumum of 100lbs heavier than that of the hard top version. Being that the Ferrari factory in those times was less than 100% forthcoming regarding the performance of their engines (prior to the mid-80s), I would not see it as being impossible for them to be less than 100% forthcoming regarding the weight difference between the B and the S models. Performance figures being what the are, I guess it would not surprise me if the weight difference is in fact less than 50lbs. Although, being a previous Porsche 911 targa owner, I found that the performance figures were very near the coupe figures as well despite the weight difference. The differences were in fact much more apparent between the targa and the coupe versions of the Porsche though..
I got the numbers from my 89 owner's manual. They are the offical numbers given to the government. I will reitterate from above. There is no substantial performance difference that can be objectively measured, but there is a huge difference in overall driving manners. Dave
I had have several examples of both, the GTS and the GTB. The B is without doubt a better driving car, especially after the 1988.5 update. If you can find a 1989 will also have ABS. but they were only about 35 units coming to the US, so good look find one !!!! Vin GTB
Funny, there was very little market for the B back in the day which is why Ferrari didn't make all that many of them. That, of course, now makes them rare and "valuable." If Magnum had driven a GTB (they would have had to cut a hole in the roof for his head), I suspect the US market would have been skewed toward the GTB rather than the GTS.
