Hi everyone, this is my first post so please take it easy on me. I have seen threads about people painting the targa top on their 348s. Was there an option to get a hard top or is this some kind of conversion (mine has a "soft" targa top you would not want to paint - see pic)? Ive read that 355 panels are basically bolt on for the 348, is this true for the targa top also? Is there anywhere to get the hard top - anyone have an extra laying around ?
Welcome to FerrariChat! I'm a bit confused about your post. Do you have one of the folding canvas tops for your car? These were not original equipment, I believe they were a special order item ($1500?) available from the dealer. If the original targa top is stored behind the seats, you can't push the seats all the way back if you're a tall driver. So you leave the targa top at home and carry the folding top for emergency use. The early 348ts's all had black removeable targa tops with kind of a "grainy" surface on them. If you had a non-black ts and wanted your top the same color as your car, you had to sand the surface smooth before painting. This was done on my own white 1990 ts, and on many others. When Ferrari started painting the rocker panels and bumper skirts in body color, they also went to painting the targa panels in body color. As far as I know a 355 targa top will fit onto a 348, but I don't know this for a fact. I have seen a few 348 targa tops for sale on ebay over the years.
Thanks. I guess I do have the one everyone else has (the hard top grainy surface). Just wasnt sure thats what people were doing. How did yours turn out, were you happy with results? Can anyone confirm if a 355 top will go on a 348 without mods (same latch etc...)?
How much did the 348 targa tops sell for? I guy I know wants to sell me one for my car off a wrecked one. What would be a fair price if it was already painted to match the body?
My targa top was already sanded smooth and painted white when I got the car, apparently by the original/previous owner. I suppose the results are fine, I don't think about the top much, I almost never drive the car with the top on, I'm short enough that I don't have to push the seat all the way back, so the top sits under its cover behind the seats. In the winter when the car is in the garage, I put the top on, but the whole car goes under its cover. Looking through the archives, I had forgotten that there were two styles of "soft tops" for the 348ts. The first one is the canvas (or cloth?) top that was for emergency use if the targa top wasn't being carried in the car. The second was strictly for parking in the rain, it wasn't intended to be used when driving at all. It had suction cups to hold it down against the glass.
At http://www.allferrariparts.com they are going for about 3k (do a search for part #63635600). This is by no means the end all price you have to pay to get one, just what I found from a quick search. Im giving my paint guy a call this week to see about getting mine sanded and painted.
Ferrari Service of Costa Mesa has used tops for sale. http://mysite.verizon.net/res1la3r/index.html I had mine painted. The tops are molded fiberglass, so the testure can be sanded of. I smothed mine out and had it painted body color. The car looks so much better with the top the same color.
They look great with the tops painted. It loooks as though your 348 has had the rocker panels painted to match the body, this was not oem as well, especially not on an early 348 such as yours.
Vince - Am I a total ignoramus? Which of these two pictures depicts the proper storage of a 348 targa top? I store mine similar to the owners manual, but perhaps the other way around I'd have more legroom and the seatbacks wouldn't scratch the painted surface. Then again, when stored like the OM it seems the ECU's can probably vent a little better. ??? -Daniel p.s. By the way, that merde-pot of a 348 is NOT my car... it's from the FerrariService website. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Daniel, I had always though that it was stored with the headliner towards the rear of the car, keeping the clasps away from the seats. But then again what do I know, I always kept mine in the garage for maximum legroom.
Daniel: The headliner does go toward the rear, otherwise the locking clasps would hit the seatback as Vincent described.
Yes, I've always stored mine with the headliner to the rear. The seat movement is really restricted with the top, so like Vince, I usually just leave it at home. That picture from FerrariService just got my mind wandering. Thanks.
