348 348ts folding soft targa top

Can’t see your add. Which type is it? I have one but yours seems to come over the side window further. Be interested to see more images.


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There was a guy posting here recently that was looking for one. I believe from Britian ?

 

couple of people in the uk looking.

drop me a message with an email and i will pass it on

 

Have got one of these and it transformed my enjoyment of the car. Living in the UK you could rarely leave home and be 100% sure you couldn't get a shower but I can't drive comfortably with the hard targa stowed. It allowed me to leave home without the hard targa whenever I want to. A great buy for someone so

Also, this is definitely a 'legit' one. There are some copies floating about which aren't as good quality and I doubt have been speed tested (the originals have a silver speed sticker on them although they can obviously come off). You can obviously get a copy cheaper but frankly I wouldn't.


Edit

 

There are two main versions of the folding roof panel:

1) The Official Ferrari factory version Part No. 63380800: No longer available - Again (A few years ago Ferrari found a few that had been misplaced in the factory for decades, and sold them all)

2) Ferrari North America Version (no Part No. available)

(And way back yonder, when the 348's were still fairly new, there was a guy in Europe [can't remember if it was The Netherlands or Belgium] making a copy of the Ferrari factory version, but they are very few and far between, as he didn't manufacture them for long)

The one shown in this thread is the Official Ferrari Factory version. When it folds out, it uses hinged rods at both sides of the top to push pins into the locating holes that sit behind the driver's head, and lugs into the locating brackets mounted to the top of the windcsreen/windshield rail. The rods are locked in their straight position with a locking screw mounted to the hinge section.

The top is held in place by tension only, and when fitted to the car, both front and rear edges sit above the cars windscreen/windshield rail, and rear metal roof section. Because of this, they come with a warning not to exceed 160 kph/100 mph, due to a possible risk of them coming off at high speeds (this seems to be a case of Ferrari covering themselves for any possible liability issues, rather than actual cases of tops flying off)


The Ferrari North America version also uses hinged rods either side of the top, but these are only used to tension the roof panel, to keep it rigid. The rods are held in their straight position with two spring loaded locking sleeves that sit against the hinge sections, preventing the hinges from bending. To collapse the roof panel, you have to slide the spring loaded sleeves away from the hinges.

The Ferrari North America version replicates the factory hard top panel, locating in the exact same way, with pins at the rear edge, and genuine Ferrari targa top latches at the front edge. It also sits on the car exactly the same as the hard top panel does - Flush with the rear roof section and windscreen top rail. Because of how it fits, there are no speed restrictions for it's use.

Either version is ideal for drivers over 6 feet tall, because the hard top sitting behind the sits steals valuable legroom, regardless of which way round you put the roof behind the seat, as the top sits on the floor section right behind the seat. With the folding top collapsed, it can sit on the shelf just ahead of the rear window (I wrapped my collapsed folding roof up in a cheap duvet, and placed it into a suitably sized keyboard bag, and then sat it on the rear parcel shelf).

(With earlier cars such as the 308/328 GTS, the roof panel sits on a low ledge behind the seats, so the seats could not go back any further, with or without the roof panel in place. With the roof panel behind the seats though, it can mean having to have the seat slightly more vertical than when the roof panel is not there)

Both versions of the folding roof panels are hen's teeth rare - If you need one, and find one for sale, buy it straight away!

I sold my 348 TS almost six years ago, but I still have the Ferrari North America folding roof panel I bought for it, because given the opportunity, I will own another 348 TS/GTS (or ideally my old 348) again one day, and I will once again need the folding roof panel (The 348 TS was my first Ferrari, and I have great memories of our time together)

I own a 328 GTS at the moment, and the weird thing is, the 328 is a smaller car that the 348, but there's more legroom in the 328. With the 348 I had to have the seat all the way back on the runners (hence the need for the folding roof panel). With the 328 though, when the seat in the right distance from the pedals, the seats still have 3 positions it could go further back.

 

Do you have any more pics of the inside to see how it works?
Reason I think I may want to make a few. Been looking for ferrari project

 

There have been a few people on Ferrarichat who have had that exact same idea over the years.

A couple of them looked into reverse engineering the FNA version, and re-manufacturing them.

They eventually concluded that it was more complex than it first appears, and to recoup the cost of the engineering and manufacture, they would have to charge a price that was going to be more than people would be prepared to pay.

The official Ferrari version is a simpler design, but could come with it's own issue - Namely: Ferrari.

Even though it's for a now ancient model, Ferrari may still own the rights to the design, and if you're thinking of manufacturing them to sell, you may find yourself getting a legal cease/desist/destroy letter from Italy.

I would also suggest looking into the possible liability issues.

Should someone purchase your roof panel, and it fails for any reason, causing either them to crash their car, or another vehicle to crash trying to avoid the detached roof panel, you could be held to be legally liable.

Just a bit of food for thought

 

Thanks Phil
I have a 348 ch targa and been thinking of making one for a while now
Have no remote thought or reverse-engineering one of their second thoughts.

I am fully equipped to make one and actually looks quite simple. Seriously I have made a dozen or so bespoke convertible frames for some old chopped hot rods here. Been a few years but I'm game. Been lining up a few projects (canvas covered frames) now may be the time to put them in cue.
My main most important issue would be do I cover it in 4 inch fur or plaid, yeah plaid would rock ?

I would do a prototype then if satisfied do a run of a dozen of them

 

i got a 348 spider soft top convertible frame only no fabric on it only frame if any interests

 

Spider or Targa?
In case Targa I could be interested.
Thanks

 

its a full convertible mate

 

its for a spyder full convertible

 

This thread is about soft tops for the TS. Not for spider soft tops, btw. It's completely different.

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ok didn't no, if anyone can delete my post then pls do so coz i don't no how to my end. its the 1st time im using this site ...

 

Hi, did you progress the soft top idea? If so pit me on the list, or make contact. Cheers

 

send me ur whattapps number i will call u cheers