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Someone Left a Fake ’88 Ferrari 328 GTB Replica To Rot in a Field, Still Pretty Sad

Field Find Ferrari 328 GTB 6 photos
Photo: Craigslist Las Vegas
Field Find Ferrari 328 GTBField Find Ferrari 328 GTBField Find Ferrari 328 GTBField Find Ferrari 328 GTB1988 Ferrari 328 GTB
Unless you're an oil magnate fleeing a deal gone wrong in Dubai, who in their right mind would ever abandon a Ferrari? If you're going to go through the expense and trouble of owning a car with the prancing horse on its nose, wouldn't you want to protect your investment like it's your baby? It still winds up happening more often than you think. Thanfully, this one's fake.
So the owner of this vehicle claims, only 1,500 328 GTBs left Ferrari's Italian factories back in 1988. The year would prove to be something of a watershed moment for the 328, as it received its first and only mid-life technological update and exterior facelift starting roughly in the 1988.5 model year. At this time, the 328 platform gained then-new digitized driver aides like anti-lock brakes, convex 16-inch alloy wheels, and a re-tuned suspension geometry to account for the new handling characteristics of the updated 328.

In the state it's in, it's tough to tell whether this particular replica 328 GTB for sale on Craigslist comes from before this platform-defining redesign or from before. What we do know is all these years have been none too kind to this little Ferrari. Its once bright and vibrant yellow paint, baked by the unrelenting heat of the savage Nevada sun, has turned it into a sad, drab state compared to what it used to be.

It's as if you can physically see the years of neglect battling the elements take its toll on whatever's left of the clearcoat on this Ferrari's exterior. The Pininfarina-designed bodywork does at least appear to be in good shape, a nice prospect for anyone brave or dense enough to restore this Ferrari with their own money. Had it been the real thing, an ultra-unique 3.2-liter, naturally-aspirated Tipo F105CB V8 from the lauded Ferrari Dino line of V6s and V8s would've been the heart and soul of this car.

The engine, had it been the real thing, would've been stroked by 300 cc over the smaller 2.9-liter units found in older Ferraris, like the various iterations of the 308. In addition, the Tipo F105CB was also found in the Mondial GT car between 1985 and 1989, easily the most polarizing and least respected Ferrari model in the 84-year history of the brand. But in a true-to-form sports car that weighs well south of 3,000 lbs (1,360.7 kg), each of this Ferrari's 270 horsepower can effectively whisp this 328 GTB to 60 mph in five-and-a-half seconds.

Even with just 45,000 miles on the clock, it'd take an extremely skilled mechanic to even begin restoring this Ferrari. That's why the asking price of $17,000 might seem like a lot to you. But on the other hand, the profit potential if someone did have the guts to restore this "Ferrari" can't be ignored. Even though it's probably just a Fiero underneath.
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Editor's note: Article contains one photo of another 1988 Ferrari 328 GTB

 

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