| Author |
Message |
Michael Montgomery (Dollartaker)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 1:39 pm: | |
I recently purchased a 1985 308 Euro. It indicates 19.5k on the speedo. The previous owner had it for 6 yrs and put on 6,000 miles per the service pprwrk(15k) Prior to him, there is no history. I have scoured the car trying to find indicators of higher mileage, but can't. The interior is excellent. The clutch,brake and accelerator pedals show low usage. It has original paint(very nice)It would appear that this car did sit.(pity) I currently have the 30k service being done and new pole positions coming in today. I believe in driving a Ferrari!!!!!!
With new rubber all around and some proper maintenece, I think that this prancing horse will get the driving it deserves.
Mike |
Mark C. Gordon (Markg)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 10:32 am: | |
Cars are built to be driven. Oil seals dry out and shrink if not exposed to oils, which have an additive that makes seals swell. Rubber componants will dry, crack or harden up. My 308 (31k miles) had $8k worth of work done 18 months ago by seller, after which it just sat. I just spent $10k re-doing most of that work (plus a little more - clutch, flywheel). Every day I drive my car it runs a little better than the day before.
With proper maintanance almost any well designed engine will last 100k miles. |
Doug Meredith (Doug308)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 9:42 am: | |
The curves remained the same with only 1.5 hp and ft.lbs gain. I'll bet that if combined with a better exhaust(mine was original), the gains would be greater. The by-pass gave the car more low rpm rumble. I could also save my cat for emissions testing. $250 by-pass is a lot less expensive than a new Ferrari CAT. |
Sam NYCFERRARIS (Sam)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 8:50 am: | |
Doug,
Curious, what did your dyno tell you about the cats vs. bypass test pipes? |
Dr Tommy Cosgrove (Vwalfa4re)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 7:04 am: | |
For years I have seen 308's for sale with "low milage" (such as 25k-35k) but with an engine rebuild X miles ago. I've seen lots of them. Why does someone need to rebuild an engine with less then 30k on the clock? |
Adelina V. (Dina)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 11:40 pm: | |
My 77 308GTB was a high mileage car, approx 90k when I got it. It was however reasonably well maintained with a fairly complete history. It was modified over the years, (no cat with Ansa euro exhaust, new guides & stainless valves, later aircon, no air pump, etc; but the basic block was untouched.It ran strong and even better when the webers were re-engineered. I would have no hesitation buying another high mileage Ferrari. It all depends on overall condition. I don't think they will ever be an entry level highschool car. Bret was not ahead of his time, just more money than most kids of his age. The 308 series have basically bottomed out as far as depreciation goes. With lower inflation and interest rates, the overall market is different today than it was 15 or 20 years ago when sports cars were easy and cheap transport. The situation as with the first Dino's will not happen to the 308 or GT4 cars. They are not as collectable now, but the prices for 'good cars' will be pulled up with the steady rise of the collectible Ferrari market. |
david schirmer (David)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 11:10 pm: | |
When I bought my car it had less than 8000 miles on it. It is a 1977 car so it had been sitting around alot. The records indicated as much and a guy I know who also knew the previous owner verified that it virtually never got taken out. The guy I bought it from was a doctor and he said that the car suffered from "sitting around disease" something he was only too familiar with in his practice. I took it to my trusty mechanic who replaced all critical rubber. That would be hoses, fuel lines, and of course the timing belts. Fluids got replaced just because. I also put new tires on it. And windshield wipers... Now, I follow doctors orders and give it plenty of exercise and take care of all the maintenance. I think the car is running better all the time and thus far no problems to speak of.
David |
chris cummings (Entelechy)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 10:23 pm: | |
Thanks for all the input, everyone mentioned some good points that I hadn't considered, which is why I asked in the first place. And thanks to Doug for enlightening me on his situation; glad to hear the car treated you well and congratulations to you and your wife! |
Robert Davis (H2oquick)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 9:08 pm: | |
My 82 308 gtbi has 62k miles,thats only 3260 miles a year. I don't consider that high mileage. Although my 81 corvette has only 48k and has tons of problems. I looked at a lot of Ferrari's before purchasing mine. I believe a lot of those low mileage so called "creme puffs" not to be the original mileage....wait did I say that? A well documented car is only as good as the paper it is written on, especially if the owner is a service writer. Don't get me wrong...there is low mileage Ferrari's out there....but usually looking at them and their owner sometimes tells the tale. For instance I looked at a 1978 8k 308, it already had the motor rebuilt, clutch replaced, interior refurbished and new paint...but always was garaged and had no records to prove anything. Maybe just a lemon?...I think not. Poorly maintained ? perhaps |
Doug Meredith (Doug308)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 8:08 pm: | |
I sold my 78k mile 308 as stated below, but it had nothing to do with the car. It was strictly because we have a baby on the way and I needed a 2+2 sports car if I wanted to drive it once the baby comes. My car passed a strict emissions after having the original injectors replaced. It put out excellent dyno numbers with perfect curves twice within a week. My purpose of the 2 dynos was to compare cats vs cat bypass.
When I get into a Ferrari again in the future, I will not hesitate to buy a high mileage one, as long as the history is complete. Mine was documented from day 1. I still believe that a lot of the "low mileage" Ferraris happen to misplace a lot of maint records. Why would someone who kept it babied and pampered for only 20-30k in a "climate controlled" garage somehow have misplaced records. I passed on two lower mileage cars before paying more for the one I purchased.
Remember, an '82 that has been driven only 3000 miles per year "should" have almost 60k on the odo. |
Jerry Wiersma (Tork1966)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 6:46 pm: | |
My 308 has 96,000 miles on it and it runs and looks so damn good I would not trade it for many of the 30,000 milers that I've looked at. So you need a rebuild eventually...so what. Go to Nick and give it an extra 100 horses when you do it. At least I "know" my car now. If I sell it and buy another I'd be taking a risk that the new one has got some underlying troubles. |
Sam NYCFERRARIS (Sam)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 4:32 pm: | |
Good point...At these prices, 308s will be trading like baseball cards. Everyone will see their chance to own a ferrari ( as is even promoted by magazines writers, web sites etc.) they will have it for a summer, realize the time/cost/hassle of maintaining it and quickly dish it off to the next ferrari newbie. I would say within a few years 308's will be the high-school entry level sports cars like triumph, healys and mg's once were ( hey Bret was ahead of his time)I say hang on to your own 308 'cause in a few years it will be hard to sort out the bad care, neglect and maintenence headaches that most 308's will have developed. The same thing happened to Dino 246s before the few good ones left were rediscovered, appreciated (remember when these 6 cyl. cars were "not" ferraris and were the epitome of the kit car go kart craze and were the "cheap" ferrari) anyway just my 2 cents |
Greg Rodgers (Joechristmas)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 4:18 pm: | |
I have seen 308's with over 100K on them and they ran great. I think it all depends on how they were maintained. I have seen 308's with 30K and ran terrible. Some think that 308's need a rebuild when close to 100K but I think that depends on the car as well. I noticed only a slight if any differnce in compression. |
chris cummings (Entelechy)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 4:06 pm: | |
Hi Guys,
I've seen this touched on in previous posts, but wanted to bring it up anew. I'm seeing a lot of what I'd consider "high mileage" 308's popping up on the market (50 - 75 K) and am wondering what the general impression is out there. I know it's a plus for one to have been driven as opposed to sitting in storage most the year, but the high miles also seems like a huge financial burden lying in wait. Of course it depends on how they've been driven and maintenanced. In reading previous posts, it sounds like Doug Meredtih was undeterred when he bought his QV, but if I read correctly he'd already sold it after owning it for a year. |
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