Generally speaking, how reliable are the 308's? Do they tend to be the less expensive problem child, have known issues that are easily fixed, or usually run like a champ from the assembly-line to 300k miles?
I have owned my 81' 308 for 10+ years. I live in Oregon and she has taken me to California and Canada and Utah and, of course, all over Oregon and Washington state.. I have NEVER been stranded in the car. It runs like a top and shows nearly 93K miles. Yes - I maintain her and have my mechanic perform preventative maintenance on her - but I consider it to be a VERY reliable car. I would not hesitate to jump in the ole girl today and head to NY - weather permitting, of course. The compression is still at factory specs and, honestly, shows no signs of being tired. I don't baby the car and drive it as much as I can - weather permitting. I have only two cases of flat bedding the car from my driveway to my mechanic - once for a stuck thermostat and once for a split cooling hose - again, both times the car "let loose" the fluids in my driveway. Reliable - YES!! They aren't that fragile. Before I bought the car, I heard from many people that the engine in a 308 is "bullet proof" which it's proving to be!!
fill out your bio,if you want to be on ferrari chat,it would be nice to know what cars you've have where you live that sort of thing
and if you look down more there a post on classifed ad sites that I've put up over 25 sites have fun and good luck
So much depends on how they're used and maintained. A properly maintained one will be reliable, there's not that much to go wrong. The carb cars do need more frequent servicing to keep running properly, but are less likely to strand you with an electrical problem. But bear in mind that even the youngest one is over 20 years old.
Its all hype! Just find the best example you can fit in your budget and get a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) done to it. If the results are favourable, perform all the necessary "maintenance" to it (especially the fuel lines, etc.), get it serviced regularly and enjoy it! Dont over think, it'll totally ruin the whole idea of owning a 308 or any F-Car for that matter. Welcome to F-Chat my friend!
As others have mentioned, the main issue with the 308s is that they are old. Almost every issue I've heard of with these cars has to due with corroded contacts, expired rubber bits, disuse and other aging parts. The gearbox and engine seem to be reliable with regular maintenance. Some of the electrical stuff seems more breakable, and the window lifts are a bad design (and age doesn't help them). I've seen a couple of 100K-mile 328s, and I think at least one FChat'er is near there with his 308 QV. But I would count on a rebuild well before 300K miles. These are high-revving engines, not Merc diesels or lazy Honda Civic engines. I have a 328, which is usually regarded as slightly more reliable than the 308 in most areas (but it's still no Lexus). Apart from an old fuel accumulator ($200 or so) and a nearly-failed coolant hose ($9), I haven't had any significant mechanical issues. I'd say the fear factor of buying a Ferrari 308/328 is a lot worse than the actual ownership -- if you buy a great car to start. I have $10K ready for any unexpected repairs the car needs, and that's pre-allocated money -- i.e., when I bought the car, I accepted that it was a Ferrari and that it could conceivably need a repair in that range. So far I haven't needed to tap that fund, but it's only a matter of time. Doesn't matter - I love the car. There are a lot more issues with the cars that came later, as Ferrari entered the microprocessor age. The 308 and especially the 328 seem reliable, but they are high maintenance. Expect a few oil leaks, and plan to change the timing belts every 3-5 years (opinions vary) for about $4K.
I think the reliability of any Ferrari is directly proportional to the maintenance that its had. My 308qv has been bullet-proof for 3 years now. (fewer problems than my 95' Lexus SC300) but then It took me 6 months to find the right car.
Nope, the reliabily of a 308, any 308 (and they are all 20 plus years old) is as good as the last guy who worked on it, or who hasnt. Period. Original cars that have never been serviced are like driving a time bomb that missing a counter. You dont know when or where, just that it will. Of the cars that remain, only the cars that are assembled correctly will ever be truly reliable.
My reliable 34-year old Ferrari has helped me out several times when my proven unreliable 7 year old BMW got me stranded with electrical problems. The world upside-down??? Hans
No, Hillary4prez would be just as tasteless, as would McCain4prez or Paul4prez. It's a matter of bringing politics into a public forum -- as a total stranger nonetheless -- being in poor taste. Don't worry -- I'm not trying to be creative.
+1 Besides: President of what??? This is a world-wide forum, the USA is just one country.... (boy, talk about opening a can of worms here )
back on topic everyone - Excellent discussion on reliability. I'd agree with what folks are saying - start out with the best. Now I would only add, that tweaking a couple of things vastly improves reliability, with one example being going to a single electronic distributor as offered by FChat sponsor Norwood or found at Superformance in the UK. As far as carbs - if you keep the filters changed and DRIVE THE CAR OFTEN to keep fresh gas through the carb they will be very very reliable. While the K-jetronic fuel injection from 1980 on has also been fairly dependable, they are also getting quite old and are very dependant on clean gas and good fuel pressure from the pump, and also may require some fetteling to get right, much as a carb car but requiring a few more special tools. Just to repeat, a big deal with these cars is to keep fresh gas going through them, as in fairly frequent driving. You'll read a lot here about oil and belt changes, so will leave that for a search. Good luck and have fun
On another note.... don't let anyone tell you that you must fill out your bio if you want to be on FerrariChat. Put in as much or as little as you like. I don't know why people say these things. Granted, if you have questions that might be related to where you live, cars you have etc. it may be easier for people to help/answer questions. Of course it's also nice to know sometimes what other toys people have and their interests but nobody should be giving you directions. Do what YOU want and what is comfortable/appropriate for you.
My 103,000 mile 328 has only left me stranded twice in 50,000 miles/5 years. Both times it was a cable -- the clutch cable once, the throttle cable the second time. It's pretty strong mechanically. Ancillary systems are sometimes questionable, though. The AC ranges from inoperative to useless, some of the electrics are flaky, and I've had a window life break and drop the glass 3". As Russ mentioned the K-jet is getting harder to keep running right. It's not just parts availability, but also there's not a lot of mechanics left that truly grok the K-jet. I'm considering moving to a later (and IMHO inferior) EFI system just for maintenance purposes.
Reliable? As mentioned by others, very reliable provided the car is driven and serviced regularly. My stock 1976 GTB is among the oldest 308s in this forum and can still do this: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nice pic Barry! I especially like the fact that you are ahead of that P997 and F40!! "in order to finish first, you must first finish"??? You need to have a reliable car to win.... My 1974 Dino beats yours in age. And I have seen 7800 rpm in 5th gear in it, and still accelerating. That's about 165 mph... I second the drive-it-regularly observation. Mine was a garage queen when I bought her and she behaved like a pig. However, the more I drove her, the better she started to feel. The ride smoothened, the clutch worked better, I could lay in second gear even with a could engine, the "morning temper" had all but disappeared. This goes beyond fresh gas. It's the spirit of the old lady waking up and starting to feel like playing again I've got a single distributor electronic ignition (superformance) in it so that I don't have to mess around with points two times per year (I'm doing a LOT of mileage in this car). Other than that, just regular maintenance... Hans
Dunno, both just snapped without warning. I would suspect age and probably incorrect lubrication at some point in the history of the car.
