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New Member and Searching for my First

Discussion in '308/328' started by ArcticOne, May 29, 2011.

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  1. ArcticOne

    ArcticOne Rookie

    May 28, 2011
    12
    Alberta, Canada
    Full Name:
    John
    #1 ArcticOne, May 29, 2011
    Not an owner - yet, but have started the search for a 308 or 328. Wanted to introduce myself as I will following the forum and making some comments from time to time. For me iit will likely be a couple years of searching to find the right one for me - it took me 3 1/2 years to find the right Porsche 911 so I don't think the Ferrari search will be any different.

    Preference is for a 328 simply cause I like the look of the front end better (body colored bumpers). But will be looking at all that catch my eye as the 911 I purchased was not anywhere on my initial preference list. It was however, the one that was (and is) right for me.

    Am in southern Alberta so if cars do come up in Alberta or BC or even the Pacific Northwest I would be interested in hearing.

    Thanks and looking forward to a thoroughly enjoyable hunt.

    jb

    Alberta, Canada
     
  2. miketuason

    miketuason F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2006
    15,811
    Cerritos, CA.
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    Mike
    #2 miketuason, May 29, 2011
    Welcome to FChat John, right now is the best time to buy because of the economy, check the ads every now and then.
    Have you check Ferrari of Vancouver?
     
  3. Tifosi2011

    Tifosi2011 Formula Junior

    Apr 3, 2011
    307
    Burnaby, BC Canada
    Full Name:
    John
    #3 Tifosi2011, May 29, 2011
    In terms of a 308, what year(s),engine, colour are you looking for? I have a couple of contacts including myself, that may want to hear your preference. Let me or everyone on this forum know. I, including my contacts live in the lower mainland of B.C. Thanks for your time.
     
  4. thecarreaper

    thecarreaper F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 30, 2003
    18,071
    Savannah
    #4 thecarreaper, May 29, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  5. ArcticOne

    ArcticOne Rookie

    May 28, 2011
    12
    Alberta, Canada
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    John
    #5 ArcticOne, May 29, 2011
    Thanks for the welcomes

    At this point I am not too fussy in terms of year for either the 308 or the 328 - still wetting my feet and expanding my knowledge. I lean more towards the QV, but that's simply from preliminary research that seems to say they are somewhat less finicky than earlier versions.

    Probably the only thing I know for sure is that I don't want black as an exterior color.

    Not keen on red as it is the popular color and I am a tad quirky in my personality and although a Ferrari does stand out in a crowd I do like to stand out and also off to one side.

    Will be through Vancouver in a couple of weeks so may be a good time to see what is out on the coast.

    Cheers

    jb
     
  6. f1nxlife

    f1nxlife Formula Junior
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    May 11, 2010
    258
    harbor city ., calif
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    brett falcigno
    #6 f1nxlife, May 29, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    hello sir,,welcome ,,,my name is Brett,,,i just thought i would share with you ,,that i have a 1989 328 GTS...i have owned it for 12 years,,and my machine has 88k miles,,,on this site., i have learned that the 89 models have all the latest and last updates that Ferrari built into the series,,,my car has been very reliable,,and i have had no surprises,,,just routine maintanence..and very minor repairs along the way ..at 88k miles,,the car performs as good as it did when i bought it with 20k miles back in 99,,,,the motor seems bullit proof,,and the brakes are incredible,,and the suspension,,believe it or not...feels as tight as it did the day i drove it off the lot,,the 328 is a fantastic Ferrari,,,i wish you good luck in your search,,and look forward to seeing photos of your new ride,,,
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  7. miketuason

    miketuason F1 World Champ
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    Feb 24, 2006
    15,811
    Cerritos, CA.
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    Mike
    #7 miketuason, May 29, 2011
  8. ArcticOne

    ArcticOne Rookie

    May 28, 2011
    12
    Alberta, Canada
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    John
    #8 ArcticOne, May 30, 2011
    Brett

    I do find that these colors look very classy in white. That color is likely near the top of my color preference list.
     
  9. f1nxlife

    f1nxlife Formula Junior
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    May 11, 2010
    258
    harbor city ., calif
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    brett falcigno
    #9 f1nxlife, May 31, 2011
    hey buddy,.,im pretty cool with white,,,it looks really good at night,,,if i had my choice,,,i would prefer black on tan though..328 s look so good in red as well,,,i didnt want red,,,because most Ferraris at the time.,that i saw ., were always red,,,and i think thats the case today,,,i hope your search is coming along fine,,for me the novelty has pretty much went away,,,but i remember how excited i was to be a Ferrari owner,,and it lasted several years,,,today i have to be in that ..what i call,,,special Ferrari mood,,lol...before going for a drive,,,but as I said,,the excitement did last several years.....
     
  10. Isobel

    Isobel F1 World Champ

    Jun 30, 2007
    10,630
    On a Wave's Chicane
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    Is, Izzy for Australians
    #10 Isobel, May 31, 2011
    Gorgeous, gorgeous car, why the 348s ?
     
  11. Tifosi2011

    Tifosi2011 Formula Junior

    Apr 3, 2011
    307
    Burnaby, BC Canada
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    #11 Tifosi2011, May 31, 2011
    Check your private message inbox. I just sent you a letter. Go Canucks.
     
  12. SteveG75

    SteveG75 Formula Junior

    Nov 23, 2010
    380
    FL
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    Stephen
    #12 SteveG75, May 31, 2011
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  13. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Dec 6, 2002
    79,380
    Houston, Texas
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    Bubba
    #13 BigTex, May 31, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  14. f1nxlife

    f1nxlife Formula Junior
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    May 11, 2010
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    brett falcigno
    #14 f1nxlife, May 31, 2011
    that 308 is in nice shape,,,,whats with the front license plate,,,,??,,,lol....i just told the judge in LA,,that i theres no way to mount one,,,and if there was,,,i still was not going to put one on,,,i paid the fine ,,and that was that....
     
  15. ArcticOne

    ArcticOne Rookie

    May 28, 2011
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    Alberta, Canada
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    John
    #15 ArcticOne, May 31, 2011
    Wow, such a nice bunch of cars. And altho black is not my favourite color, Stephen's does look great.

    Exploring various websites to get a feel for the cars, their quirks, their troubles and their prices. Seeing pricing ranging from the mid 20's to mid 60's which definitely means I need to be inspecting and checking cars as I do know the purchase price is the cheapest part of buying any classic / premium automobile.

    And I still have to see if my body can fit in one. Am not that large (6' + 170 lbs) but some cars I have had definite issues with being able to drive, let alone get inside.

    Fortunately the hunt is the second most fun part to me. I love searching and looking. And I have patience to not buy on impulse, until the right one is in front of me and then my decision is fast.

    So thanks for the leads and will definitely follow up on potential candidates. Like I said in my first post, I am in no hurry as I expect it to be 2 or 3 years before I find the right one (then again sometimes I do surprise myself).

    jb
     
  16. SteveG75

    SteveG75 Formula Junior

    Nov 23, 2010
    380
    FL
    Full Name:
    Stephen
    #16 SteveG75, May 31, 2011
    Got the books and tools (minus two wrenches). PM me for me info and photos if interested. I have an ad on Ferrari Ads as well with more info about the car.

    As for size, I am 6'2", 200 lbs. I actually have the seat forward a little to make the clutch easier to actuate with the seat back reclined. Good 2" of headroom in the GTB. I tried on a GTS and no headroom with the top on due to shape. Since I have the seat back reclined, I installed a 1" spacer on the steering wheel and this makes driving the car just right for me.
     
  17. concours

    concours Karting

    Jan 10, 2008
    120
    Palos Verdes, Ca
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    Richard
    #17 concours, May 31, 2011
    Suggest that you check out the June 2011 issue of The Ferrari Club of America News Bulletin which is showing six 308's and 328's for sale from around the US, some look pretty good and there is a variety of colours.
     
  18. ArcticOne

    ArcticOne Rookie

    May 28, 2011
    12
    Alberta, Canada
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    John
    #18 ArcticOne, Jun 1, 2011
  19. GrayTA

    GrayTA F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 25, 2006
    15,130
    Deep South
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    PDG
    #19 GrayTA, Jun 2, 2011
    A few things you should consider:

    1. Go find the current issue of Forza. There is a 3X8 Buyers Guide that will tell you a lot of the differences between the different models from the GT4 through the 328.

    2. Go and visually inspect a few that belong to other FChatters in your area. That will give you a good idea of what you can expect and what you should be looking for. You can also check sizing although I would imagine that you should be ok in either a GTB or a GTS.

    3. Aim for originality - regardless of which one you choose. There are some mods that are generally acceptable like exhaust upgrades or 16 in wheels. There are some that will detract from the cars resale value like supercharged engines or poor body kits (extra spoilers and the like).

    4. Set your budget and set aside an additional $10k for unexpected repairs until the point where you know your car and feel like you can trust it and not have anything unexpected pop up.

    5. Ensure that your car has an established history. Reciepts are extremely important. A recent major service by an established shop goes a LONG way toward making a car more marketable. Cars without a history leave a lot of questions to be answered. The positive side of that is that it becomes a huge bargaining chip. If the car has no history it gives YOU the option to take it to a shop that YOU know and have them do the work with all that might guarantee.

    6. Dont wait too long to buy. According to the Buyers Guide referenced above these cars are on the appreciation side of the curve and are moving up over the last couple years. 2009 seems to have been the low point with steadily increasing sale prices since then.


    Let me know if you have other questions.


    Good Luck!!!




    PDG
     
  20. ArcticOne

    ArcticOne Rookie

    May 28, 2011
    12
    Alberta, Canada
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    John
    #20 ArcticOne, Jun 3, 2011
    Thanks for the great information.

    Stumbled across a 1980 308 and on the surface it seems good, but there are some red flags that worry me some.

    Although it has a good collection of service records the owner has never reviewed them. It also just had a 'major service' done by the owner and a friend.

    Would these normally be big enough items to simply walk away and not expend any further effort. I ask from the perspective of myself as not extremely mechanically inclined and someone who generally goes to shops to get major service work done.

    Thanks

    jb
     
  21. f1nxlife

    f1nxlife Formula Junior
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    May 11, 2010
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    harbor city ., calif
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    brett falcigno
    #21 f1nxlife, Jun 3, 2011
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2011
    hey thx for the compliment,,,i decided to go with the 348 wheels because of the fact that they were 17 s,,,and therefore i could go with 245 45 s and 235 45 s P ZERO S ,,,and somehow i knew that i would really like the look,,,which i do,,,and also..now...my car will outhandle any other 308 or 328 period....(unless of course its a 328 GTB with the same setup)..my decision was also based on the fact that the GTB,s with 16 inch wheels outhandle the GTS...my set up makes up for some of the chassis stiffness you loose in the GTS models...of course thats with the targa top in...and the P ZERO S with their ultra stiff sidewalls help as well,,,i also have the 1/2 inch billet spacers on the front axles so the front track is widened a bit....the 17 inch wheels also take out some of the space in the fender wells,,,,i know some guys will say 18 inch wheels will handle better,,,i dont think so,,,,and with 18 s...your really going to lose streetability.. 17 s with the 45 series tires ,,the car still rides good,,,but you do feel every imperfection in the road,,,18 s would be worse
     
  22. ArcticOne

    ArcticOne Rookie

    May 28, 2011
    12
    Alberta, Canada
    Full Name:
    John
    #22 ArcticOne, Jun 6, 2011
    As I said earlier, the hunt is too much fun, but also can consume copius quantities of my life's precious days.

    So after two very late nights on the net and view numerous cars, I haven't narrowed down my criteria. In fact, I have expanded my list of potential cars to the following:

    308
    328
    355
    456

    Somewhat leery about the newer cars as I am not a great fan of gadgets and gizmos that are controlled via computers and electrics. My 1997 Mercedes SL320 is bad enough - am assuming that the 456 is likely as complex.

    Will carry on with the search and see how things progress over the coming months. And am slowly learning to not exclude certain vehicles simply because of silly things like color (although I am not a fan of black cars).

    Cheers and Happy Monday

    jb
     

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