The Mondial 8 has never represented Ferrari at its finest. Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe example certainly does look right dressed in its traditional coat of red, but will one-hundred additional supercharged ponies seal the deal in making its price look attractive?
In much the same way you might swipe left on a Tinder candidate whose hobbies include “avoiding personal hygiene as a form of forced societal construct” yesterday’s 2005 Lexus LS430 ‘Ultra Luxury’ was skewered for its seller’s seeming unfamiliarity with vacuums and the proper use of trash receptacles.
The general consensus was: if he can’t be bothered to keep it even moderately clean, what other lapses in attention has the car suffered? In the end, that trashiness and questionable stewardship overwhelmed the car’s ultra luxury bonafides and its $11,000 asking, falling in a decisive 75 percent Crack Pipe loss.
When I was a teenager I had a T-shirt with an image of a Roots-style supercharger on it and the phrase “Injection is Nice, But I’d Rather Be Blown” framing the drawing. I wore that shirt with its inappropriate motto as both a bold testament of my teenage car guy aesthetic, and as a means of protecting my carefully cultivated virginity. It worked fabulously on both accounts.
Well guess what, teenage self—it turns out you don’t have to choose one of those attributes over the other! As it just so happens, today’s emphatically red 1982 Ferrari Mondial 8 is both injected and blown.
The Mondial initially played the role of successor to the 308 GT4 in Ferrari’s lineup. Later in life it took up the mantle of the model of Ferrari you’d be least surprised to see being offered on Craigslist. Yes, the Mondial does have some design elements that some might charitably describe as being less than successful. You’re also darn-tootin’ in suggesting that its mid-engine, 2+2 layout offers some uniquely awkward proportions.
But who cares? Here are the facts in the Mondial’s favor:
- It’s a Ferrari—you can toss its branded key on any bar in a calculated act of bravado with the same confidence you could for that for an F40. Nobody’s going to go look in the lot
- While its styling will never be considered beautiful, it really hasn’t aged all that badly
- Toyota copied much of the Mondial 8’s styling elements for the first generation MR2, which is a fun party conversation starter (see again: protecting one’s virginity)
- It’s pretty easy to wrench on since it’s appreciably old school and reasonably easy to clambor around and under
And in this particular car’s case, there’s also that supercharger that the seller says adds over 100 horsepower to the Mondial’s 3-litre DOHC V8. Should we believe him on that account? Well, the supercharger kit applied to this car isn’t just some backyard kludge. It appears to have been engineered by a company called 928 Motorsports. How do we know this? That’s this car in the company’s pictures touting the kit.
928 Motorsports claims that the kit is bolt-in, requiring no major modification to engine or bay to accommodate its big-ass snail. They say adopting the blower will boost the 200 horse DOHC V8’s output by half again. A later Quattrovalvole could see as many as 322 ponies.
The ad includes a couple of pictures of the drivetrain out of the car, likely for the supercharger install, and hopefully things like the timing belt and water pump.
It’s noted that the car will come with many more pics in both book and DVD form, which is fun. The install looks tidy and there’s nothing untoward in the engine bay either; no apparent oil leaks or overflow canisters made out of old PBR cans. Of course, all the add-on bits are painted in Ferrari red enamel.
The supercharger isn’t this Mondial’s only mod. Pop open either door using the levers shared with the later Fiat 2000 and Alfa Spiders and you’ll find a pair of real Recaro seats in black leather that have taken up residence inside. The small torture chamber masquerading as a rear seating compartment is also upholstered in black leather on the cushions.
It’s all set off against a biscuit-colored interior that, thankfully, looks clean and well cared-for. On the downside, the silver-faced JVC stereo head unit looks like the cheapest thing Walmart had on offer. That will need to go at the earliest opportunity, IMHO.
The exterior looks to be in excellent kit and rolls on aftermarket alloys that laudably do carry Prancing Horse center caps. I believe these cars came with Michelin TRX wheels and tires originally, so that’s a smart switch. Falcon Azenis tires wrap around those wheels.
The car rolls into our lives with 75,000 miles on the clock and a clear title. The seller claims that these cars have already attained classic car status and says they’ll skyrocket in price every year.
I don’t doubt that, but we still need to decide if this one—with its major mods—should go for its $39,995 asking. What do you think, is this Mondial worth that kind of cash? Or, while both injected and blown, does that price make it not so nice?
You decide!
Seattle, WA Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to FauzShizzle for the hookup!
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