Erik, The Z will be considerably lighter than the standard steel/aluminium bodied QV but stiffer with the CF body bonded to the chassis giving better suspension control and of course an improved power/weight ratio. The Mondial cost me US$90,000+ here in Singapore. So I must be mad, right? Take a look here at a TVR Griffith development we did: http://www.pistonheads.com/tvr/index.asp?storyId=2792 Best regards Clive
I was thinking about that, but just a new set of brakes slapped on it last year. Do they even sell slotted brakes for this car?
I also live in Pierrefonds (and in reality it really is Montreal, Pierrefonds did not vote to demerge from the mega city). On Prevost, it's about 1 street east of St-Charles. And one street south of Pierrefonds. What Ferrari do you own?
While the wheels themselves look good and I'm sure they do handle better, they still look a little odd on the Mondial IMHO. I think the OEM higher profile tires look better. But, different stokes for different folks I suppose.
Had the car for 1 full season now, and since I slapped these puppies on, been getting alot more looks and alot more compliments. But you are right, to each his own, that's what makes this world a cool place.
I own no Ferrari... I'm only 16 right now. In a couple of years though... Will you be driving your car year round?
Not year round, But I will be driving until that first snow flake hits the ground. It's good to see a sixteeen year old with an interest in real cars. Most of the youger generation are nuts about the rice burners. (Japanese Cars), or Sewing machines, as I like to call them.
Cool... Ferrari or bust! I can't wait to see the snow this winter when I go back to Montreal for a week... It will be the first time I've seen snow in almost 3 years!
Hey guys...hate to take a turn to the brutally simplistic....but I have a couple Mondial questions: As I indicted earlier, my wife is really pushing for a 2+2 for "practical" reasons. I'm fairly set on a 355, but my most recent target vehicle pretty much fell through when a dealer bought it from the guy who was selling it...now they'll details it, put a dealer plate-frame on it and up the price $20k, so I'm pretty much on the prowl for another vehicle. As such, and seeing as the rear seats actually can seat kids (and not just a golf bag)....what years were the Mondial made? What price ranges can I expect to find? Are these things actually quick and Ferrari-fast...or will a 5.0-liter Mustang leave me in the dust? Will the maintainance be pretty much similar to a 308 or more like a 348? I can only say with certainty that I wish Ferrari had continued to evolve & develop the 2+2. A sexied-up front-end, more power and some features would have made a modern version a very desirable vehicle. Why are auto manufacturers so ignorant to customer interest??? When the F-group gets together and bring family..everyone shows up in SUV's!!! If anyone can email me some pics of the Mondial's interior...they'd be much appreciated & studied. Thanks!
Steve, www.ferrariusa.com (GT Cars/Past Models/Mondial) has some images of the interiors of the various versions (8 to t) along with history and specifications. The Mondial 8 has just 205hp (USA spec) whereas the Mondial t has 300, 50% more power makes a big diference in performance! My wife also insisted on a sports car with room for my daughter, but I didn't tell her I was buying the Mondial (an 83 QV) until the morning I was picking it up. All of the Mondials are heavy (IMHO) and this obviously affects the power to weight ratio and hence performance. I am developing the 2+2 mid-engined Mondial to bring it into the 21st century. This process is being covered int the thread: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33819 and the idea is to reduce weight (the target weight loss is 300kg) then add more horses to the 240 original donkeys that it already has, possibly a Norwood turbo or a Nick's Forza 4 litre conversion. That will be done after sorting the brakes and suspension. My intention is also to considerably update the interior as the '80s box shapes give the game away. This will include better seats with memory foam and more space. It will be trimmed in Alcantara and leather with an exposed carbon fibre headlining. I have plans to make a full luggage set as well.... Clive
Yeah I know what you mean everything looks great . . . but, Those rims realliy make te car stand out. Maybe if the head lights were flipped down
I do this all the time with my kids 6 and 8...have been in the back seat since they started pre-school...for my daughter, that was 5 years ago. I did modify the rear belts on my 89 (only came with 2 point belts) and these are the bosters I used to use. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The coupe does not have the seats squashed together like the cab, there is an armrest between them. The seats are surprisingly spacious and I have carried 2 x 6 foot men in them (OK not long distance). The girl was 9.5 years old when she sat in the back. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi jscar71, The beauty of all this open forum with its miriade of opinions is simply this; he is guaranteed that you may not like his girl - and you are guaranteed the same!! I like what you did with the wheels on your Mondial. It's not the way I would go but then, I'm not YOU. You want my opinion? OK, fine - - IMO, paint the bumpers & blacken out the lower panels. It will integrate the the body with the larger wheels. Don't like that idea, cool - - You must be a complete dork, with no brains, a little d--- JUST KIDDING! Cheers, Hank
Steve, the Mondials come in many flavors from dog slow to reasonably quick, coupe/convert, dated to relatively modern. The pre-'86 cars with the 3.0 litre are pretty slow. Things got a little faster in 1986 with the 3.2 and the body got a little tidier with integrated bumpers and better (non-metric) wheels. The '88 and later have abs which is a good safety feature. If you take the cat off a 3.2 and replace with a straight/"test" pipe and put on a performance muffler the power to weight ratio is pretty good - you'll be able to hang with the 5.0 mustang off the line and wax it in the twisties. Further, the Mondial is a wonderful high speed car with that long wheelbase - mine is rock solid at 145 (153 indicated). The back seats are good size, even in the cabriolet. And, finally, there's no better way to arrive at the restaurant with the whole family than in a Mondial.
This car shown in my profile has been actually lowered about 2 centimeters with Koni coil overs, and the suspension settings re-set to factory. To keep the rear suspension settings to factory spec, it limits the amount you can lower to just a 2 - 3 centimeters, but it is enough. The target goal was to bring the car car more in line with the Euro ride height ( Euro models had different springs ). The Mondial is all about elegant subtlety and efficient usable capability, not a flashy 'look at me statement'. The wheels shown are Speedline, the Ferrari OEM with access to the original engineering data, in a specific engineered application for the Mondial and were available through German Ferrari dealers. Would just echo what everyone else has said - my daughter has grown up the last 9 years in the back of 'the Ferrari'. I always find it interesting that in a 1987 Automobile magazine review by David E. Davis, Jr., he writes that highly experienced European correspondent Ian Kacher suggested the tltle be "Mondial: The Best Ferrari OF Them All?". And the most telling quote was then Ferrari General Manager, Ing. Giovanni Battista Razelli confided that he preferred the Mondial, and that "the fastest time for his frequent trips from Modena to Genoa was achieved in a 3.2 Mondial". The Mondial is really an 'insider's' car. But, I am known to have an extreme opinion.
The Mondial 8 looked great in original trim when I first saw it in 1985. The black bumbers only look pronounced when you try to compare the car to later Mondial iterations, a mistake IMHO. The 8 bridges the visual gap between the bertone 308 GTC/4 and later Mondials. I applaud your updated wheels but don't discard the original 5 spokes, the next owner might want them. Ok, I'm a purest.
If you don't mind, I did a quick little photoshop to remove some of that wheel gap, nothing too extreme, just enough so it sits right. I don't know how feasible it is to lower the Mondial, but the 18" wheels do have an effect on the ride hight. http://img377.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mondial1nx.jpg ^ damn sexy if you ask me ^
I always find it interesting that in a 1987 Automobile magazine review by David E. Davis, Jr., he writes that highly experienced European correspondent Ian Kacher suggested the tltle be "Mondial: The Best Ferrari OF Them All?". And the most telling quote was then Ferrari General Manager, Ing. Giovanni Battista Razelli confided that he preferred the Mondial, and that "the fastest time for his frequent trips from Modena to Genoa was achieved in a 3.2 Mondial". The Mondial is really an 'insider's' car. But, I am known to have an extreme opinion. [/QUOTE] Bang On ! I currently have a T Coupe, and out of all the varying tipos I have driven or owned, the Mondial seems the Complete Ferrari Package. The fact that only 800-odd were made also keeps it nice and rare.
