The $20,000 308....

Just wanted to see if others here have had positive buying experiences with 308s in the "lower tier" of pricing... Not too long ago I bought a $20,000 ebay 308 - she's a 1982gtsi, black/black, 34,000 miles, in excellent condition. Very good and consistent compression/leak down, no oil leaks, tons of oil pressure, just had a $14,000 service before I bought here at a good shop including all the things you'd expect with a proper engine out full major service (all seals and gaskets, WP, belts, valve adjust, caps/rotors/wires/extenders, all fluids, etc.). The paint is beautiful, no corrosion anywhere, drives beautifully (straight, tight, no clunks or rattles). Interior is good with excellent carpets and very nice leather and all electrics working exactly as they should. The windows even go up and down at a good pace.

She was missing the tools and jack but other than that she's been a treat. My dad and I drove her 1,500 miles back home and she never missed a beat.

I realize the '81 and '82 gtsi is regarded as the slowest of the bunch and therefore less desirable so, please, no "well, your car is the dog of the bunch so it's gonna be cheap" comments....

Did I just get lucky? Have other's had good ebay buying experiences with 308s??
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Congrats Cliff, shes a beauty and yes you are one lucky dude.
Enjoy in good health

 

I bought a 86' 328 for 27,800. on Ebay...had the PPI done in Atlanta before I paid him, Everything was real good with the car....Looks like a new car!! It has 54K miles, but all service records and had been well taken care of......The PO had just gotten tired of it after 10 years, and just wanted it sold at what ever it brought on ebay.

I've been driving it almost everyday that it doesn't rain...I LOVE It!!.
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Yes, you got lucky to find a stupid owner who spends $14k on service and sells for only $20k.

Rhetorical question >> how does one spend $14k on service?

 

Cliff and Mark, you are both very lucky boys! They are both beautiful 308's!!

I wish I could score either of them her in Australia for those prices!

Congrats and enjoy friends.

 

This is a positive thread! Great buy sfor great prices for good cars! Way to go. I also feel that I got lucky in my own way - although I did not purchase via e-bay.

 

It doesn't really add up.

It wouldn't be the first time a seller exaggerated.

 

Nicely done Cliff, that looks like a great car!

 

I paid $18.9k for my '83 GTS several years ago. It needed servicing and has cosmetic issues, but for a driver, I have no regrets. There are cheap cars out there, no reason to spend too much money, just make sure that you are getting a solid car.

 

Both are great deals! What else was done for 14k though? If it was just an engine out 30k service with nothing more than you mentioned then the P.O got ripped off.

 

Cliff, is that you and your dad in the car? man, you are pretty knowledgable for a 5 year old!

I have a story about paying too much for a car that needed alot of work

 

Man, now that is the way to buy a car. I'd love to get one just like this, but all I see are at least $10k more. How did you pull this deal off? Right place at the right time? Everything on ebay right now that is decent is waaay more.

 

I bought my 85 308GTSi for $19,000. It needed a clutch and leaked oil like a seive due to bad shift and cam seals. New timing belts and tensioners were added while the cams were out. It also had some front end damage but repairable with a new valance. I'll probably put another $2000 in it by the time I'm done but I think it will be money well spent. Engine runs well. The interior is being redyed with Leatherique.

I would not have tackled this project if it wern"t for this web site. Thanks to all who contribute. I have learned plenty just reading past posts.

Jim
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@ FVMC? - I got an e-mail from a sales associate i'd been dealing with and before i could even drive in to see it, the car was sold.


Joe

 

That's the one.

 

Almost all 308s i have seen over the yrs for 20K, 25K were project cars at best...thats not to say you couldnt drive them, but your not comparing an original car with a car that has the cheapest carpet redone, or alot of paint work..but it is what it is....i think if you found something your happy with for 20K , 30K and you drive it, and your proud of it....than thats all that should matter.

 

Very interesting. Thanks for the well wishes - much appreciated. Sounds like others have secured a good deal or two via ebay or other avenues.

I do feel for the seller in that he paid $14,000 for service right before selling the car - but it was an auction and apparently nobody else decided to bid so the price ($20,000) is what it is. My max bid was considerably more.

The $14,000 service was a very complete service that went beyond just the 30K major stuff - it included brakes and window motors and electrical work, etc. Basically, everything to get the car to be 100%.

Yup, I'm the 5-year old riding around with my Dad in the car. I'm kind of a child prodigy....

Cheers!

 

I almost passed it up, thinking there was something wrong with it, because the bids were only at 26K when I saw it..........Then I started really looking at the pics and reading the description about the car...and man, it seemed like a good car, so I called the guy and asked him a few questions, he told me it was getting real close to the reserve, so I knew it was below 30K......I asked him, If I win it, will you let me get a PPI before I pay......He said, Sure........

So I waited till the Last 3 secs. of the auction to place my bid, so no one could outbid me, they had about 14 people bidding on the car.

I'll tell you a interesting fact he told me.....He has sold about 10 or 12 Exotic cars, mostly Ferrari's on Ebay......He told me that 90% of the time, the winning bidder never pays...its just some kid getting a rush out of bidding or some guy that has no intention of actually following through.

He was surprised that I even called him about the car.....He told me he knew I was serious, because most people don't even ask a question about the car.

I guess what I'm saying is that, if you see a car you like, bid on it and if it goes for more than you want to pay and someone else gets it......send the seller a question and tell him if the purchase falls through, to give you a call.

And Yes, some cars are high on Ebay, I think it just depends if you have someone that WANTS to SELL a car, versus some owners that Want to see HOW Much They THINK their Car is Worth. It's Only Worth what Someone Will PAY for it....thats it.

Just keep looking, I was prepared to look for a year.....I found this one on my first week of searching. I would have paid more than 27,800..but that was the High bid I think I put my maxium bid at 33K at the last 3 seconds of the auction, just in case someone else put 32K during the last 5 seconds

I was leaning toward a 308 at first, but for almost the same amount, maybe a little more, I could get a 328, which may be a tad more dependable or less electrical problems, than a 308....but I love the console on the 308 more.
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Excellent thread! I now believe.....

Ace

 

Got my '79 Euro 308 GTS with roughly 44,000 kilometers (27-28,000 miles) on the odo for $27k from a friends (2nd owners) family. All original with very nice paint, interior, body, chassis, etc, in storage since '97. Cracked the windshield trying to get a stupid broken mirror off, but a new one is already in place. An unexpected cost that was not the cars fault
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I am extremely happy with my sub- $20,000 308GTBi.

Now, we are still on our honeymoon (2 months of ownership.) and I have only driven it 30 miles (Its snowing.).

But I have already had great time:

1.) Making the windows go up and down faster
2.) Fitting a steering wheel spacer so I can actually fit in the car.
3.) Sitting in the driver seat and making VROOM-VROOM noises.

I can hardly wait to put some miles on it. Should I ship it to Miami just to be able to drive it?

 

Cliff, got mine for 21K a few months back...I guess I miss your 20K cutoff slightly. I love it so far. It needs lots of little things, but I've had fun wrenching and driving.
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Was that the high mileage one from TN?

 

You know- I have read about 2 years of folks saying that E-bay is the worst way to buy a Ferrari. I have to say that i have sold about 8 cars via E-bay and have helped many a friend do the same.

The elusive 20K Ferrari exists and I really do think that it is the buyer who really has to understand what they are or aren't getting into. If you can wrench- then the 20K car is a fantastic opportunity to join the club, on the flip side, if your paying to play- Buy the best you can afford.

I have seen many a good deal on cars on the BIG BAY- call the actual seller and chat- look at the pictures- PRIME example is the 3K 308 on there now. The odometer says 3 K but.....every indication in the engine bay and the seat wear say something different. ( being discussed already in the 308 section). Is the car real- maybe, but it ultimately falls on the buyer to do his or her due diligence.

Just making a sweeping generalization that these auctions sites are the devil and no one can actually find a good deal is ridiculous.
Just my 2 cents and not in any way directed at or to any poster on this thread!