What “starter” Ferrari should I purchase?

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This debate has been raged many times and I'm sure you're going to get a ton of different opinions... so here's mine.

Buying a Ferrari is only HALF of it. Maintaining a Ferrari is the other half.

When considering what to purchase on a strick budget, you have to look at both, not just the purchased price.

So, if you're concerned about how much upkeep you will need to spend on it, you should look at a really good 308 or 328. If you want something with more performance and more modern but don't mind spending more to keep it running, then the 348/355 is your car.

 

They are ALL money pits. Generally speaking 308/328s are cheaper to maintain. I think we can all agree upon that.

Buying a good one is always the key. No rust, not abused, well maintained, not in a major crash, good interior, etc.

Always get whatever you choose checked out by someone who knows what to look for before buying.

 

I think you should buy the one that makes your heart skip a beat.

 

Agreed... as long as you can afford it.

 

2 more things.

#1. If you are over 5-10 or so you better sit in a 328. They are not a big car but one of my favorites.

348/355 have more room.


#2. The cheapest Ferrari to have is the best one you can buy. A good one is not too bad on the wallet. A fixer upper will break you.

 

Cant really argue with anything BDelp has said... he is dead on.

A 355 can hit you with an unexpected $15k bill. Trust me on that.

328s seem to have the most solid reputation for reliability however if you get a bad one you can also see a $10k bill.

I would put $10k away for surprise maintenance and another $1500 year for regular maintenance. Whatever you have left is what you can afford.

I would make sure that get a PPI and if you can solid history on the car. The exception to that is if you find a car that is priced low enough to increase your maintenance kitty.

Simply said, you are going to pay $40-45k for a 328/348 either at the time you purchase it or after you get it up to snuff. Its just a matter of when you want to pay it.

 

Tom can't fit in a 328 with the roof in place.

I have been working on them all since they were new cars. The 328 was the best one in terms of reliabilty and ease of maintenance, but don't forget, the newest 328 is 21 years old.

 

Pocher F-40...

always goes where you put it and cheap to fix by comparison...



BTW, I have a 328, am 5'11'' and fit in it with the roof on...woo hoo!


...the wife's even shorter...

 

I faced this question myself a few months ago and ended up with the nicest, lowest milage 308 QV I could find. I spent $7K over and above the purchase price right off the bat before I had it shipped to me, and I STILL had to do a fuel pump / accumulator / fuel lines / and a few other misc. things the first week of ownership. I did all of the repairs myself, as I live in Iowa and most of the general population here wonders why I drive a "Fiero" and not something newer. If you aren't at least slightly mechanically inclined, or know someone that is and will work for beer you may want to consider another marque. As for me, this has been a 37 year old dream in the making, and as crazy as it sounds I actually like the car more now that I have had to work on it than I did originally, and I loved the car when it rolled off the truck. Getting to know your car on a molecular level is a great thing, and I believe no matter what "starter" Ferrari you purchase in the ~$50K range is going to require this kind of relationship.

I have a HEAVILY modified '06 Viper in the garage next to the 308. It blows the doors off of anything I have run it against, is comfortable, starts every time I push the button, and I can get parts and have it serviced 30 miles away.

The 308 is STILL hard starting, has left me stranded twice, and I had to have it flat-bedded back to my shop once.

I haven't driven the Viper since the Ferrari showed up. Watch out, they are addictive!

BTW-6'1" and around 260lbs. I can get in and out of the car no problem, and once in I actually have to scoot the seat up one stop to reach the pedals!

 

My dream car was and still is the 328.... I love it and love the way it drives. I bought one after a PPI said it checked out as one of the best 328's they had seen ( Ferrari dealer in NC). I bought it for @ $43500 in Feb of 08 and every day that I think about it and drive it, it is a pleasure.

That said, the PPI told me it would need some work and after about $7k, the engine had it's belt service and a few other things done... manifold replaced, tires, brakes, etc.

Since then... I've run it around Daytona and most recently Sebring, and it has been a blast !!

I've changed the oil a little more than needed, and I've got the Professor - Tim Stanford - who services it - for periodic check ups.... Prior to buying, he told me the 328 is perhaps the most practical Ferrari - easy to maintain and less expensive than the newer "computer" cars. So, I think even $2500 a year for a 328's maintenance is fair and that includes "surprises"..... (I had the other manifold crack and was replaced last year.)

He also told me that 50K was about right for a very nice driver car... That fit my logic and budget at the time and its even better now that I have time in it.

The 328 is an eye catcher every where I go and I am now looking to ship it to the west coast and do some dream drives. Maybe even visit the Rifledriver !!

I have heard that the Magnum 308 cars had their seats adjusted for Tom. I was also told that the 355 was the first Fcar built for people over 6 feet. At 5-9, the 355 was huge for me.

From what I have learned from listening to many, it is a good idea to find a good mechanic first !! Not only do they know the cars (I talked to Tim in Fla while I was at the PPI in NC) but also mechanics know many of the cars in their area and can find a good car for you and help you avoid many of the potential headaches ahead of time.

Those are some of my thoughts and of course I think

 

Willie,

You seem to be the ideal 328 owner. I, on the other hand, am a 328 hacker...and having fun too. Enjoy it.

Rob

 

I am partial to the 308s myself. I bought my '85 QV last year and have absolutely LOVED every minute of it. Entry price on a 308 is going to be less than the 328 which does give you some more wiggle room for repairs AND gives you the bonus of experiencing one before "trading up" to a 328.

To my eyes the 308 has better lines than the 328. No disrespect intended at all since they come from VERY similar molds.

Regardless of your height you owe it to yourself to check these cars out. You will find that they are a much different experience than the more modern cars. Find someone on the board in your regional area and ask to check out their car.


PDG

 

Additionally - DO FIND A MECHANIC IN YOUR AREA!!!

I see you are in Atlanta - go down there to your local dealer and get a feel for the place - or find an independent and check them out. Ensure that you are comfortable trusting your car with whoever you choose.


PDG

 

Hey, thanks Rob... maybe it is that it's 4am here in the Suez Canal and I've been up since 7am yesterday and still got a long way to go.... or maybe that I just paid off my 328 two days ago and that zero balance really looks great too !!

hacker / owner - it's all good !!!

I was recently salivating over an '08 / 2500 mile 911S for 'only' $70k... and thought ... I could get another 328 for my GF and be way ahead of the game... and I know I would get more "grin" with the 328.... so I walked away from the Pcar....

and as for GrayTA and the disrespect thing....no worries !! Afterall, here is a group shot of our little Space Coast Scuderia club... and every owner says their car is the best one.... especially Joe and his silver one.... silver ?!?!!!
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I have seen a lot of guys talk about 308 328 and so on. Since this is your first Ferrari buy the one you like the most. I would suggest stepping up to the 360 with a six speed. They will be close in worth to what you pay for it and will be far more reliable. Newer technology and performance will help you justify a big ole bill, if it happens / when it happens resulting in longer ownership and still smiling.

 

what he said.

 

Since it hasn't been said yet, I represent the Mondial guild

Lots of head room on the Cabrio.

 

308gt4

 

Being on a budget as well... I went through the same dilemma. My focus ended up choosing between:

308gt4/gts/gtb/gtsi/gtbi/gv
328 gts/gtb
348 ts/tb/gts/gtb/spyder
355 yada/yada/yada

Oddly enough, I chose the 348, which some describe as one of the LEAST desirable Ferraris ever. The determining factor for me was the "348 Brotherhood." Credit goes to Pap348, Miltonian, No Doubt, etc, etc... (You guys know who you are). The bottom line: the best "aftermarket" support I have ever seen was on this particular model. I hope to add a 308/328 to the stable in 2 or 3 years, but I have not seen the same sharing of info on any of the other cars than the 348. The aficionado's love to break on this model, but once sorted, this is a seriously solid car, and not crazy expensive to maintain.

Buy what you enjoy driving, embrace the learning experience of turning your own wrenches and revel in the satisfaction of Ferrari DIY, don't be shy about tapping this community, and you can't go wrong. Just this noob's opinion...

Get the most from the tinkering... get the most from the driving enjoyment... and you can't go wrong! Just do it!

 

errr... I guess what I am trying to say is that you will not find better aftermarket post-warranty support than the combination of the 348 primer and the associated "brotherhood.

There are at least a dozen models that could be supported under the category of "starter Ferrari," but communication of the 348 community is top notch. One could easily argue that the 308/328/355 are superior cars, but you WILL NOT find the wealth of info available that you have with the 348. Just my opinion.

Ultimately, if you have the passion, you can't go wrong with any of these. If you don't have the passion, you will feel burned within six months. End of story...

 

Some really solid advice here!!

I have done exactly what has been mentioned- Started with a 308, sold it...got the itch again- purchased a 328...sold it...got the BIG itch again and bought a 355.

My advice would be

1) Buy a red car. My first Ferrari was silver with blue interior. Beutiful car, but I had red envy. Your first taste of Ferrari life should be pure smiles- and nothing is cooler than seeing that first glimpse of that red fender in the morning. (Sounds stupid...but it's true)

2) Get real. It's much tougher to "save your way into a Ferrari" than to "earn your way through a Ferrari". if you have a good job but the car is a "Luxury" or a "Toy"- get a a 308. Cheaper to buy, cheaper to fix, never be worth any less. If you're more affluent but have only budgeted $50K then by all means try and find a good 355- more expensive to run but an entirely different planet regarding performance, handling, comfort etc.

3) Get seat time. If you live in a Ferrari-less area grab a ticket to LA or South Florida with the mrs. and drive AS MANY models as you can. Cheapest education you'll ever get. I added three days to a business trip to LA and drove almost 20 different examples when I was looking for a "Cheap" First Ferrari-

4) Listen to the experts- I did not do that- I bought a cheap 308 that had been hit several times with faded, cracking paint, ripped upholstery, dead speedo and tach and three different kinds of wheels. I could have spent THREE times the car's value making it perfect- I did as much of the work to the best level I could afford at the time- but it was a mess. Buy the BEST car with the BEST history fro the BEST source (SUPER important) you can.

Then again.... Buy what you like and screw all of us know-it-alls!