Looking to by my 1st

Welcome to FerrariChat, Mr. Bin. I think that you should start two separate threads in the model-specific forums: one in the 360section, and another in the 308 section. Those sections are crawling with knowledgeable, informative owners who can answer your questions with experience, and help you with additional questions that you may not think to ask. Good luck and let us know how things progress.

 

"Dog" you say......well, I might phrase that a little different.

Honestly, there is not enough information here. A beater 308 can easily cost you more than a good 360 in maintenance. A great 308 would certainly be cheaper than a clapped out 360. If you want some advice, you might want to be a bit more specific. Like, is the 360 a coupe or spider? Has it had recent maintanence? You ask if the price is right but don't even give us the mileage, color, options, history. Have you had an independent inspection of each? Are you buying them from a private party or an authorized dealer? How many miles are you going to drive them a year?

The short answer is 308's are cheaper to maintain than 360's but without knowing much else, it's all a guess.

 

Welcome to FerrariChat mate.

 

360 is a great car (I'm selling mine actually if you are interested) and very well built. You can do much of your own work and maintenance on it if you invest the time to learn about the car and read the manuals, etc. There are plenty of threads about buying a 360 and the up keep costs, etc.

I think the 360 is far and away the best choice.

Ray

 

I went from a 308 to a 360 and love it. Drive both and then decide. I think you will love the 360.

 

OUCH!

 

Some of us want to add a car from earlier in the line . I own a 348SS and I am looking to add either a 308QV or a 328 should the right one come along...

If you are buying a car to go fast, then perhaps a 360 will fit your needs, but if you want a beautiful car that is 1/3 the price to purchase then perhaps the 308 is your choice. Both are cool cars in different ways.

It is interesting to me that you are choosing two models that are so VERY different in everything from price to ownership experience. Get some rides in both and it will be easy for you to decide one way or the other.

Welcome to Fchat!
MB

 

308QV or 328 would be my call

 

I would go with a 328.

 

I've owned about all the 2 seater V8's from a 77 308 to a 2005 F430. My favorite is my 89 328 GTB. I still have the 430 though.

Dave

 

+1 328 GTB or GTS

 

Hardtop,

After owning so many cars, i'm curious why you favor the 328?

I own a 308.

 

Frank,
Sometimes it's like comparing fine wines where there are no wrong opinions but we all must make our own choice. I enjoyed all the 308's and 328's I owned. The carb cars are definitely the coolest. They are raucous beasts that require a lot of effort at the controls. The motor is lively but not as flexible as the later cars and needs to worked to get the most out of it. I like that aspect, some people would not. I had 2 QV's, an S and a B. The B was a much nicer driving car and I actually prefer the seats over 328 seats but mine were "needy" cars compared to the 3 328's I've owned. The 328 motor is significantly more flexible even though the power is not much greater. It feels more repsonsive. I like that. All these cars have what I call graceful handling even though body roll lets them down in any handling contest with newer cars of any make. I prefer the feel of the suspension upgrade during 1988. These cars have sharper steering and a more modern feel while retaining the charm of all the years prior. If I were to add a 3X8, it would be a glass Euro car. I had a '94 348 TB challenge which I believe to be the best and rarest of the 348's. I had it 3 years and put 16K on it, but never really liked it as much. It lacks the grace in the handling that the earlier cars have and I found the interior to be made of inferior materials and craftsmanship. Then there is the matter of expensive maintenance and lots of electronic issues. No doubt that's why 348's are so cheap now. So, all things considered: looks, driving manners and reliability, my 89 328 GTB wins. I have not owned a 355 but have driven them and I do like the way they drive but all the issues and high maintenance is reason enough for me to steer clear. No doubt that's why these have gotten really cheap also. I have not owned or driven a 360. I've had my 430 since new and it's a great car and so far pretty reasonable to maintain. However, no modern car has the same charm and grace as those old 3X8's. If I were to sell the 430, I'm sure I could buy many other modern cars that would be great to have even if they don't have the same panache as the 430 but no one will ever again make a car like my 328, so it stays.

Dave

 

Welcome to Ferrari chat

 

Welcome to the board.....!

Mike in Kuwait

 

If you are expecting 2009 performance and astonishing acceleration, a 308 might be a bit of a disappointment. (Remember, at the time they were made, c.250 hp was huge!)

That said, assuming that the 360 and 308 are both well cared-for examples, the 308 will be far cheaper both in initial costs and in maintenance. $40k or a little bit more should get you a very decent QV driver. While the carbed cars are more "raw" and demanding of the driver, the QV offers similar performance with better reliability.

Of course, make sure that any 308 you buy has had recent belt service, and don't forget to budget $5000 - 6000 for full service every 3-5 years. With either car, be sure to get an independent inspection done.

BTW, do you have a Ferrari mechanic in mind? Remember that dealer service is far from cheap, and (in my experience) they are less than enthusiastic about working on "old" cars like the 308.

 

+1

 

Such totally different cars.


For me, I suspect my next one will be a very clean late-QV like irondogmike's (see above), or a 612 (gasp!). I confess, I really need the back seat these days.

 

Daniel,thank you,I've put alot of money and so did the last owners to get it this way,it also took care and attention

 

When I joined "Chat," I had already made my mind up to buy a 355, but through this Chat place, I heard way too many bad things about defects and high maintenance costs on 355 cars, so I have CANCELLED any plans for a 355!! I've now decided to get a 550 Maranello, based on what I think is a beautiful, desirable car AND from the excellent advice I've received here!
---Dr. K

 

Very different cars, as others have posted.

I ended up going with the 328 GTS: IMO, it edges the 360 in terms of value for money, durability and looks, but loses in terms of performance, luxury and safety features. But, everyone will make his/her own decision.

Make sure you fit in the 308/328 cockpit before buying -- it helps to be lean, not too tall, and limber, and with a smaller shoe size. Also make sure you're OK with no power steering, no airbags, manually adjusted seats, mediocre climate control, etc. Personally, I like the 328 cockpit because it's snug and all business, but ingress/egress is easier in the 360. It's either charming or dated, depending on your priorities and tastes.

Some 308/328 trim parts are elusive (e.g., window surrounds and mouldings). 360 parts are available but more expensive, in general. Long term, 360s are more complicated and have more computers that will be obsolete and possibly (?) hard to replace. Short term, 360s are newer so you have some time before everything craps out. (Every 308/328 should be on a new set of fuel lines, brake lines, etc., by now. Or it's a smouldering heap somewhere.)

Overall, you have to decide if you're willing step back in time (the 328 is very old school) or want all the electronics and high performance bits that come with the 360, and you can't do that without a drive. The 328 and 360 would be my first two used Ferrari choices, and I don't think you can go too far wrong if you buy a very good example to start with. As others have said, a neglected Ferrari will be unkind to your wallet.

FWIW, I think the 328 is a better buy now. The really top condition ones for sale now (excepting museum pieces) seem to have asking prices around $60K, before negotiations, and I have a hunch prices will advance slowly as the economy recovers. I think 360s will take a price hit when Ferrari launches the F500 (or whatever the F430 replacement is) later this year, and they probably have another 10 years of normal depreciation in any event. Good cars, but the window of opportunity seems smaller on the 308/328. I saw a very pretty yellow/black 1981 308 GTBi this week, 7K miles, getting a PPI here in San Diego. Probably the bottom of the heap in terms of 308/328s, but if/when the economy gets pumping again guys will be trampling each other for the remnants of the 308/328 generation.