Foskers News

Following our extensive restoration of his Dino 246 GT, a Foskers client based in Malaysia gave us one final instruction for his car - it must have an air-conditioning system that can cope with the tropical climate.

Given that the temperature in Kuala Lumpur remains fairly constant at around 28-32°C all year, this presented us with a real challenge. Furthermore, we wanted to craft something that was entirely reversible in the future, and which caused absolutely no damage to the original parts of the car.

The Dino in question was not a factory air-con model, but we would need to come up with a much more up-to-date system for our client regardless. We knew we needed a fully electric installation that wasn’t tied to the 2.4-litre V6, so we tracked down the details of another car with an air-conditioning system not powered by a combustion engine - the Tesla Model S.

Elements of the air-con system in the all-electric Tesla proved to be the perfect solution for our Dino GT, including the Boyard compressor. The battery was swapped to a higher-power unit, and we also installed a high-output alternator to cope with the increased load on the electrical system.

With the large evaporator located above the battery and the compressor mounted behind, a full-size spare wheel was out of the question. Instead, our team fabricated custom mounting brackets and a carrier panel that would accommodate an immaculate spare from a Dino 308 GT4.

This bespoke work carried out by Foskers means that our client in Malaysia can now enjoy ice-cold air-conditioning in his beautiful Dino, and use the car as Ferrari intended, even in tropical heat!

While this solution may not please the purists, it’s important to remember that it is an entirely reversible installation and was done with originality in mind wherever possible.

We would much rather see this stunning Dino out on the roads in Malaysia, than have a car locked up in a collection because its air-conditioning can’t cope with the climate. We’re sure there will be many more people out there who agree!

If you would like to discuss any bespoke work on your Ferrari, give the Foskers team a call on +44 (0)1474 874777 or email workshop@foskers.com.