mondial to 328 or 348

having owned 2 Mondials, the latter a 3.2 and loved every minute of trouble & hassle free motoring ,am this year upgrading to either a 328 or a 348, both seem similar price banded, like the retro looks of the 328, love the butch stance of the 348, but many people I have spoken to have less than good things to say about the 348, one independant dealer calling them " a bag of bolts", yet they couldnt quite specify why! my leanings are toward the 348 car, apart from the additional maintance costs of the T shaped engine config, belts etc, has anyone good independant advice of ownership/ experience of both cars to help build a true picture before the big financial plunge is taken.
many thanks
js

 

Go for the 348. A 328 will be mostly similar in feel to the Mondial you own - they have the same engine right? A 348 would be quite different.

The 348 has better sound, more grip, and is faster to boot.

As far as bag of bolts goes - I think that is an unfair remark. A 348 is perhaps not as reliable as a 328 but a well driven and cared for car should be quite reliable

 

Hi John,

Yes, some 348`s have been known to be a little unreliable but so have some 328`s!! It `s down to how they are driven and looked after that makes the difference any Ferrari will be a pain if it`s not looked after properly. I own a 348 Spider and its far better then any 328, the best ones to look at are the later cars ie GTB/GTS and the Spiders!

I have a friend in Stoke who has a Spider, he used to own a 328 so he can give you a good idea of the difference between the two. PM me your contact details and I will get him to give you a call.

Regards,
Phil.

 

Don't listen to them,
If you find a good example, you will be very happy.
I have not regretted my decision on buying a 348 since I took delivery over a yr ago.

Don't believe everything you hear....

Bag 'o bolts? hmmm, that's a new one, I don't know what to say about that.

 

I have also had the best time with my 348 in the last 15 months. Very very cool car. That 'bag o bolts' is total crap! Never heard a 348 called that before.

 

thnaks for the info,
the "bag of bolts" has touched a raw cord, that was the dealers expression not mine , when you say some early cars had problems, later cars sorted, whats constitutes a later car?

js

 

If you are looking for unbiased advise you might want to post the same question in the 328 and Mondial Section. I had looked at all these cars from a different perspective. Since I have been a realestate investor for many years I took this purchase on a 10 year plan. Ask your self the following..

What car wont have dated styling in 10 years
What car will appreciate in value most likely in 10 years
What car will be the most reliable over the live of your ownership
What car will cost less to maintain
What car do you like right now and how do you think your taists might change

THen draw a conslusion

Oh and I purchased an 89 328 gts red tan with less than 5000 miles on it in Feb of 06 and it has gone up 10000 dollars in value since purchase. Forsa Magazine has a v8 buyers guide in one of the summer publications and list my car at a value of 75,000. How many 348 do you know went up 10,000 dollars in the last year??

Final note I think we are at the bottom of values if you can afford it buy 2 or 3 and keep the one you like the most and sell the rest later.. JJ

 

Have owned a 308qv gts, a 328gts and now a 348ts. Love retro styling, but when my 348 is next to any 308 or 328, those cars really look dated and not all that great IMHO. And then theres the go kart feel of a 348 and the power, now that brings lots of smiles, that any 328 cant touch.

 

This is your experiance from a car that is Known to have handling issues?? Sorry the 328 is a much better handling car in My experience. Oh and Dated styling. The 348 is a smaller version of the Testarosa's Flare and chare styling. My only acception to this rule is I like the 348GTB with out the Slatts over the Tail lights. I forgot If thats the CHallenge car or what. What ever your cup of tea they are all great cars. BUT his question on the 348 vs the 328 focuses on Trouble free driving, Low costs to maintain, Yet he likes the styling of the 348. SO Maybe the question should be if each model was priced the same what would be the logical choice. The 328 is almost as fast as the 348 that I dont know if the average driver could tell the difference. THe Mondial is very slow compared to both so We know he will be pleased with that. THat only leaves Styling, Reliablilty, and Maint Costs..

So since im over here playing in the 348 forum lets here some of the Maint costs from some owners that have had there 348s for more than 3 or 4 years and have repaired some. I have one friend that is 18000 bucks into his Transmission because it keeps giving him problems.. JJ

 

I would go with the 328 just because of the 3X8 lines. That's one reason I'm selling my 348ts. I miss the last two 308's I owned and just like the lines. I need some cash now, but will get another 308 in the Spring of '07.

 

I have driven numerous 328, and NO they do not handle like a 348 or perform like one. NO WAY... My experience tells me so, and everyone else on this board most likely has the same opinion. 260hp do not make 300hp. Thats basic math. Technology from the early 80's is not better then technology from the late 80's. Dont get too testy about it. Nothing wrong with any 3xx car but seriously, these cars keep getting better in performance not worst. Am logging off, happy new year!

 

348

 

You just made an argument for horse power in handleing.. Oh and Same torque rating.. Oh and the 328 can get 290 horse with euro timing and a tubi exhaust. Assuming the 348 is a better handling car how does someone explain the handling problems that have been published in all of the Ferrari Buyers guides. Example Keith Martins Ferrari Buyers guide?... Oh and Im not Testy just good banter.. JJ

 

hi john..

go for the 348 all day long..
looks
feel
power.

neil
(you cane to look at my 348 wheels i hull)

did you sell your enzo plate?

 

and i see by the profie pic you manages to get some wheels!

 

328. I love the classic looks and driving position, and it does without the troublesome electronics of the 348 and later cars. It was also a very mature design even in 1986 (after 10 years of 308 production), so Ferrari had banished pretty much all of the gremlins. I find that it has more than enough power for street driving and my biggest frustration is speed limits. For track use, however, you'd really want a 360. Automotive technology has changed incredibly since 1989 (348 launch). I'd only recommend a 328 or 348 for the style, raw driving experience and unique feel of a Ferrari.

Parts tend to be cheaper for a 328 than a 348 (random example: wiper arm for 328: $60; for a 348: $400). Not a primary decision factor, and the 328 isn't always the 'parts bargain' car, but it's part of the financial aspect of owning the car.

The 348 is polarizing. I like the stance as well, and don't mind the strakes, but don't care much for the interior which seems dated and in places a bit cheap. FWIW, the 355 interior isn't up to snuff either. That said, a red 348 near where I live is more of an attention magnet than my black 328. So again aesthetics are up to you, and both cars have presence.

With regard to performance, neither car will keep up with a modern sports car, so buy what you like the most. If you go with the 348, the Spiders and later models seem to have had most of the bugs resolved.

Good luck either way. Both are exciting cars.

 

the 348 is best for sure... if not 308 is great.. 328 is just not a balanced looking car .

 

Have to chime in here......

I have had both models and put at least 15K miles on both. The 348 was a '94 TB with all the factory updates and improvements made throughout the model's manufacture. I tracked the car a lot and would describe it as a handful that struggled for balance, sometimes pushing, sometimes loose. So, I went back to a 328, this time an 89 GTB. I tracked it a fair amount and posted just about identical times on a short, twisty track where power was not much factor. 328's main handling deficiency comes from body roll, but the car is better balanced and easier to drive than the 348. In a long turn, I can easily manipulate the balance with the throttle. I had an instructor in the passenger seat once who abruptly declared what a "sweet" car it was, though certainly not a world beater in any way.

Reliablility.....I put 15K on the 348 with no problems, but it was virtually new at the time. The next owner has had to put a lot of money in it. I put 9K on an 87 GTS and the only thing that broke was a clutch cable with 40K on the clock, a cheap repair. I have put 15K on the 89 in the last five years. It had a bad tach when I got it (very common problem) and that's been it.

Build quality....Anyone who has a 308 or 328 can tell you that the body panel fit is somewhat irregualr due to hand fitting. It is not uncommon to find a little waviness here and there as made. The interiors also exhibit some of this characteristic, but seem to be put together with care. The 3 308's and 2 328's I have owned never exhibited any rattles or parts falling off, etc. 348's have better panel fit it that's important, but the interior quality is inferior to the earlier cars. I found loose fitting panels, leather shrinkage and rattles. The melting plastic problems are well documented. Materials seem cheaper overall. I also noted the seats wore very quickly compared to earlier cars.

Road driving......348's have a punishing ride compared to 328's. They are more powerful, but not tremendously so and the brakes are better. However, the 328's brakes have excellent feel and though not as powerful, I never had fade even on hot track days. On one hot track day with the 348, I boiled the fluid in the clutch slave cylinder, but never the brakes. I did see another 348 boil his brakes once, but I think his fluid was old. 348's have the crappiest shifters Ferrari ever made, and that's saying a lot. The interiors are roomier, of course, which is important for some. I would compare driving the 328 to dancing with a graceful, but not powerful woman. It's easy and predictable with a lot of charm. The 348 is more brutish and unpredicatable, lacking in any charm whatsoever. Some people prefer that, I am not one of them.

Dave

 

348. The 328 will give you a pretty similar driving experience to what you have already owned. I have found my very early 348 to be more reliable than I expected before purchasing it about two years ago. I personally am glad I went with the 348. They are just about the most rare Ferrari in South Florida. I would not worry about the model year (except as far as resale goes), the cars are all old enough that any problems should be worked out by now. But I do like the lines of the 328. Drive both, then decide.

BT

 

That's interesting. My '94 348 tb is rock solid on the track. That's with 18 speedlines. Almost no body roll no push and very neutral exit. Excellent brakes (dot 4 fluid and racing pads). It may depend on the set up of your car. Compared to previous 308QV with tremendous body roll and significant turn in understeer. I would cook the brakes in 4 or 5 laps.

The 348 suspension is much more adjustable and can be set up for your driving needs. The '94 tb's were challenge cars and had stiffer springs and hard bushings so they will inturn have much stiffer ride, but not all 348 will have that harsh a ride. The 308 had a very compliant ride and balanced fee at the expense of at the limit handling. I know not a 328, but the 308QV ride and handling will be similar to early 328's.

 

I've had my '87 for about a year, so not as much experience as Hardtop. But for a 19-year old used car it has been very reliable to date. I had a $9 coolant hose that needed replacing (luckily before it failed), a bad door jamb switch for the courtesy lights, a broken clock and a steering rack boot leak. One of the tonneau snaps broke ($26) and I replaced the battery ($78 at Interstate) just because I didn't know how old it was.

My miscellaneous Ferrari bills this year probably don't add up to $1K. However, it had a $4K major a year ago, and the car was owned for many years by a guy who worked at Ferrari of Atlanta, so it wasn't like I had any deferred items to drain my wallet. Just buy a good car, whatever model you decide on.

So far the car has been far less trouble than my '02 BMW 3 series was. And it's just stupidly fun and gorgeous...

 

I've actually owned both cars. 88 328 and 348.
I don't know how anyone can say that a 328 can out perform
a 348.
I still have the 348 I like driving it more so than I did the 328
It is much more usable and more fun to me.
both cars had same milage (approx).
I had to fix both cars.... the 328 was not trouble free with less than
26k on the clock.
I hated the injection system on the 328, just old.
the shifter sucks on the 348 and the idea of pulling an engine to change
a belt is rediculous.
would I buy another 328 after the 348 probably not.
I would think about buying one with even more horse power or
even 12 cylinders.
Wished I would have bought a 348 spider.
the rap about the 348 being a reliablility nightmare, I haven't experienced that yet, and I have put twice the mileage and greater distances on my 348 than I did on my 328.

 

Yes, mine was a factory challenge car though not raced. Body roll was minimal, but balance was difficult. I was told by one guy who actually did race them that my experience was typical. Same guy also said selling the 348 for a 328 GTB was a smart choice. I have tracked 308's as well and agree they have some initial understeer, no doubt built in to keep amateurs from swapping ends. However, a little more toe out cures it, and they are still nicely balanced and predictable. I have tracked a number of cars, including more recently a Subaru STI, Lotus Elise and F430. Of all the cars I tracked, the 348 was the most nervous, difficult to drive. As far as ride harshness goes, I drove a couple of earlier TS's and they were just as harsh, just more cowl shake. I don't mean to imply 328's scare anyone on track day, they don't. They are old school, but a joy to drive anyway.

Dave