You CAN use a 308 as a daily driver | FerrariChat

You CAN use a 308 as a daily driver

Discussion in '308/328' started by BwanaJoe, Dec 28, 2007.

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  1. BwanaJoe

    BwanaJoe Formula 3

    Oct 23, 2006
    1,764
    Former Space Coast
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    Joe Burlein
    #1 BwanaJoe, Dec 28, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    My wife's 5 series is down with some serious electronic issues (German engineering my a$$). Since I have to drive a four door car on a daily basis the only other car left is the 308! Now my wife is about as low on the car enthusiast podium as can be. Not the bottom mind you (she CAN tell the difference between a Ferrari and Lambo and knows how to pronounce Porsche), but pretty close. My take is there is good news and bad news about all of this. The good news: she loves driving it. The bad news: she loves driving it! It has run beautifully with only one hiccup so far (a blown window motor fuse). Aircon has worked great on the one day she had to use it. She loves the ride and handling. Says the seats are fine on a daily basis and has ZERO complaints using the car like this. The only draw back is the gas mileage. She has a twenty minute drive to work and we have to fill it up at least once a week. She likes it so much we may be getting a 400i in the future!

    Below is pic of the car parked in front "work".
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  2. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 7, 2002
    11,166
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    Barry Wolinsky
    Real nice picture, Joe! And a 400i is an excellent choice.
     
  3. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jan 26, 2005
    22,352
    Indian Wells, California
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    Jon
    Great post.

    I had a BMW, MB, and now Audi as daily drivers and if you compare all of those to my Ferrari 328... the German cars come in 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the widely acclaimed Jon's Official Garage Reliability Ratings.

    Not sure a 400i would have the same charms as your 308. It is much bigger and not the same kind of fun. My g/f loves the 328 because the car is small, she's small (5'0"), she loves convertibles, and everything works -- so she's been sheltered from the foibles of old Italian exotics.
     
  4. DavidDriver

    DavidDriver F1 Rookie

    May 9, 2006
    4,416
    Grass Valley, CA
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    David Driver
    So loving a Ferrari is not ( :eek: sorry), rocket science?
     
  5. desire308

    desire308 Formula 3

    Oct 19, 2007
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    Peter W
    Hmmm...and the clutch isn't too stiff for her? Must be an easy drive.
     
  6. sammyb

    sammyb Formula 3

    Jun 23, 2006
    1,857
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    Sam
    I think I'd rather drive in a twenty-some year-old 3X8 every day rather than most other contemporary cars. Plain and simple, a well-maintained car is more reliable than a car that has been ignored/neglected. The lack of complex electronics make 3X8s wonderfully reliable on the whole.

    Now as for BMW 5-series...they have always had significantly more reported problems than average. BMW for the last three years have been better than industry average (in this year's JDP VDS survey, BMW was around 15% better than the industry average), but credit goes to the 3-Series and Z4 for pulling up the less reliable 5 and 7 series.
     
  7. BwanaJoe

    BwanaJoe Formula 3

    Oct 23, 2006
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    Several stop signs, a couple of lights, the highway, exit, base gate, several stop sign, rinse, repeat...
     
  8. patpong

    patpong Formula 3

    Jul 6, 2004
    2,274
    Bangkok, Thailand
    Full Name:
    Patpong Thanavisuth
    ... a 308 QV car with hydralic clutch....., may be???; ..... not 308 carb with cable clutch, that's a killer clutch....

    Lucky you, She must be a real sport to live with... I love the ride and feel of the raw 308 carb., it makes the smooth ride newer cars feel like a kiddy ride.
     
  9. pdmracing

    pdmracing Formula Junior

    Feb 14, 2007
    755
    atlanta
    I truly used mine daily for many years,86 to 92, until the 1st snow fall that is. It never ran better than then. The only issues were aleak in one gas tank from some chaffing & the time I punctured the oil pan on some road debris, hardly the cars fault. Even got caught on the mass pike in a blizzard on the way to lime rock one April, It went good in the deep snow on AVS intermediates until the state police pulled me over to see who was driving a ferrari in 12 inches of snow. I explained it wasnt snowing when I started the trip & I was well over 100miles from home , So I decided to press on. I made him push me out, it was pretty funny & we made the rest of the 180 mile trip through the Berkshiers. It was amazing how good it went in that sloppy stuff. Good times.
     
  10. desire308

    desire308 Formula 3

    Oct 19, 2007
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    Peter W
     
  11. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

    Feb 17, 2006
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    +1!!!

    To me, the fun part of driving my '74 Dino is the raw, unpolished, unfiltered ride. It gnarls, snorts, barks flames when I let go of the throttle, it screams when I get it to 7000 rpm and it makes me work hard. I just LOVE it!!!

    Patpong: I wish I'd have know about the Thai Ferrari club when I was in Bangkok last May. I'd love to have seen some F-cars there. The contrast with the zillion taxis and tuktuks must be fun! :D

    Hans
     
  12. sparta49

    sparta49 F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Mar 3, 2001
    7,802
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    Of course a 308 is a great daily driver. Didn't Magnum use Robin's as a daily driver?
     
  13. DinoScuderia

    DinoScuderia Karting

    Apr 15, 2007
    206
    USA
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    Dean
    Thanks for starting this thread.. I think.

    I have been using a 22 year old Porsche 911 as my daily driver for the last year and clocked up about 16K miles and I still enjoy driving it.

    Now you have given me the crazy idea that maybe, I can talk my wife into a 3X8 daily driver...

    We purchased 4 hybrid cars this year and now my wife wants a new hybrid SUV in 2008 and I want to find a way to justify a 3X8. This might just work ;)
     
  14. patpong

    patpong Formula 3

    Jul 6, 2004
    2,274
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    Patpong Thanavisuth
    here are some of our activities....

    http://www.xok.com/sundaymorningdrive/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=1

    http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=137341121#post137341121



    ...
     
  15. alessiogiorgio

    alessiogiorgio Karting

    Nov 24, 2007
    139
    Italy - Sweden
    Full Name:
    alessio giorgio
    my opinion is not to drive a Ferrari as a DD because you may loose
    the magic moments of enjoy the differences from standard cars.
    to me to drive a ferrari would be
    a special moment

    my question is if the clutch of 328
    is more soft and easy than the 308?
    Many thanks
    ciao
    alex
     
  16. barcheta

    barcheta F1 Rookie

    Nov 15, 2003
    3,738
    that's a hell of a shot with what I believe is the best looking color on a QV. :D
     
  17. RAMMER

    RAMMER Formula 3

    Feb 20, 2004
    1,186
    Miami
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    Rammer
    then she would walk rather than touching the 308. You don't understand, she has crashed our Expedition twice in the last two weeks. And....its never her faullt cause "Ford made the Expedition to big." I can imagine after she wrecks the Ferrari she will say "Ferrari made the 308 to low". Thanks, but we shall get her a rental!
     
  18. simpleton7890

    simpleton7890 Karting

    Apr 10, 2006
    244
    Global
    glad to hear it,,go for the second F!
     
  19. dakharris

    dakharris Two Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 7, 2001
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    Cavaliere Senzatesta
    20+ year-old cars as daily drivers? Yes, it's possible, but you will find that little stuff just keeps breaking due to age or wear. It becomes an overwhelming PITA, IMHO. Sort of neutralizes the fun. Just wait until you wear out the headlight stalk. But for the admiration you always get at the gas station, 15mpg and a relatively small tank gets old, too.
     
  20. rimoore

    rimoore Formula 3

    Nov 18, 2004
    1,353
    Island in Maine
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    Richard Moore
    Your a rocket scientist and can't sort out some electrical stuff on a car? Stay away from the shuttle! :)
     
  21. Hans

    Hans F1 Veteran

    Feb 17, 2006
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    I've used mine as a daily driver for some time. Everything just kept working, not a single malfunction. And the car is 33 years old! In fact, I have had MUCH more trouble with my newish BMW than with the Dino....

    And no loss in magic either. Every drive still put that smile on my face...

    Of course, your mileage may vary....

    Hans
     
  22. JayO

    JayO Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 4, 2003
    1,048
    Boston, MA
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    Jay
    When I had my 328, I used it as a daily driver for 8 months. I never had any problems. In fact, like most people here would say, the car ran much better after using it every day than it did when I bought it.
    I also don't agree with someone saying it won't be as special if you drive it all the time. It was just as special every time I started it. How does it get more special than being able to drive your dream car every day?!?
     
  23. BwanaJoe

    BwanaJoe Formula 3

    Oct 23, 2006
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    Joe Burlein
    Don't you mean the ONLY good looking color on a QV! ;)
     
  24. BwanaJoe

    BwanaJoe Formula 3

    Oct 23, 2006
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    Joe Burlein
    Not me dude, I'm a computer type. The wife is a contracting officer. I have electrical engineer friends to normally work on stuff like that. Oh and the latest on the 5er (other than them telling me to get a priest or a witch doctor) is a possible HIDDEN fuse or connector buried under the freakin' floor boards! I didn't know they had fuses not shown in the flipping manual. Sounds like those stupid 355 problems.
     
  25. Ken

    Ken F1 World Champ

    Oct 19, 2001
    16,078
    Arlington Heights IL
    Full Name:
    Kenneth
    I had to use my Lotus as a DD for a week once; my Honda was in the shop after hitting a deer. It was only a few miles each way to the train station but it was really fun! I wasn't thrilled about parking it in the lot all day but nothing happened.

    Ken
     

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