It's down to two.

I have come down to deciding between two Ferrari 308 GTSi QV's. 1st is an '83 that I mentioned in a previous post. All major work has been done by the owner who is a mechanic. It has 44000miles on it. It's in pretty great condition. The 2nd is an '85 with 50,000 miles on it. It is seriously in show room condition. Inside and out this car is amazing. To say it was very well taken care of is a huge understatement. It's prestine. All major work was done by an authorized Ferrari mechanic. Both of these Ferrari's are very very nice and I would love either of them. Here is the delima, there is a $16,000 spread between the two. Aside from the '85 looking brand new, I'm looking for a fun car to drive in the summer and will probably drive 1500 miles per season if that. Any thoughts on the direction I should go. Thanks in advance for all of your advice.

 

Well, why not do a PPI on the less expensive one of the two. $16K is quite a bit, isn't it? Is there that much difference between the two? You can have lots of fun with an extra $16K....

Cheers,
Rich

 

Buy the best car that you can afford.

308s are beginning to rise in value significantly. If it turns out anything like the Dino, $16K will be negligible.

 

The '83. Then use some of the money you saved to install a supercharger.

 

I've checked out both cars and the '83 is in pretty amazing condition. The '85 will blow anyone away. There is not a blemish on the interior. Everything sparkles. The difference is noticable. The '83 is what I budgeted for. Also the '83 is black with tan interior and the '85 is red with tan. It's the black I really wanted. So I am leaning towards the '83. It was more the longevity I was thinking about. I plan on keeping this car for a long time.

 

If you want a black car, buy the black one. I suppose, if your object is to turn around and sell it soon, then the red one is a better choice FOR THAT PURPOSE. But since you wan't the car to enjoy for yourself, buy the one that you would most enjoy.

 

The difference to me is the zinc coating Ferrari finally started using starting around '84. The '83 does not have the rust protection, the '85 does.

Probably a very minor thing based on the condition of the cars you are looking at, but that detail was a big deal to me when I was looking for a 308...

 

It may not make any difference to some of you but, Couple of major diff. between the two are:
1) The 83 has two catalytics and the 85 has one.
2) The 83 has the air/smog pump and the 85 has none.

 

If you don't buy the '85, send it my way (unless it's Euro).

 

Thanks for your help, It has help me get a little closer to my decision.

 

If you want a black car then buy the black one.

 

The conversations with the current owners are important. The topic should be how the cars have been treated: wet weather driving, maintenance philosophy, damage repair, modifications from stock, etc. It is important to ensure that the car has all its parts (e.g. cats, a/c hardware, tool kits, etc). That is where an expert eye is nice; you might see if one of the other F'Chatters in Calgary might be willing to eye them over with you.

Sounds like you’ve got a win-win choice; you’re now splitting hairs. It may be time to go with the heart. I've been through the hand-wringing about QV years. In the end, the technical differences between the three QV years are really minor.

Also sent you a PM.

 

The 85 is the more reliable car. $16k more????

 

With the near perfect car will you be in any way inhibited in useing it?


If you use it as you intend to it may soon be in a similar state to the cheaper car.

 

A few questions to help differentiate between the two cars:

Euro or North American spec?
WHEN was the significant work done on each?
When were the timing belts changed? (Date)
Have both had ALL coolant hoses fuel lines, heater hoses, brake lines replaced? When?
When was the last valve adjustment (date, miles)?
How old are the tires? (DOT date codes) How much tread left?
OEM fuse boxes or Birdman fuse boxes?
Starter, alternator original?
Brake rubber hoses replaced? When?
Suspension bushings replaced? When?
Shocks replaced or rebuilt? When?
Any oil leaks? (OK, silly question ) Where are the oil leaks?


A new car could have been driven off the showroom floor and stored for 30 years, look pristine inside and out... and need $20K worth of work to make it a reliable driver again. Age kills many soft components, like the rubber hoses and seals.

 

Great things to consider. So both cars in question are american cars and all work was done surprisingly in late 2012 with all paperwork. The cost of the '85 is $16,000 more than the price of the '83. Regardless of which car and this is just a me thing, the car will be babied. I can honestly say the '85 's condition will not change and the '83 will mostly look in better condition than it is now, once I get my hands on it. I'm told everything was done but not the shocks, starter or alternator. (I don't know for sure at this point) The '85 has new tires, the '83 new tires in 2012. I guess listening to myself writing this, I am splitting hairs. The question is if I want the car the looks brand new, it's going to cost me and extra $16000 over all. no leaks, again that I was told......ok, I need a drink. LOL It's a big investment, so I want to make sure I am choosing the best for my needs.

 

In my opinion of course, the 85 QV is the best car. It's the last year and most refined 308. Galvanized body. Not my favorite color but probably the easiest to ever sell in the future. You could easily spend $16k trying to fix up a driver to be a perfect car. If you can afford it now, get the 85. Every time you look at how nice everything is on the car you will be glad it isn't sitting in the shop of your garage more than you enjoying it. That I can say from experience.

 

Problem Solved!

 

So both cars had all the coolant, heater and fuel hoses replaced in 2012? Both cars had the valve clearances checked with the timing belt and tensioners specifically in 2012?

The reason I'm pressing on this point is that you'll pay someone probably $4K to $5K to replace all those hoses, do the valve clearances, and the "while you're in there" items at a minimum, if they haven't been done. If the 83 has those done and the 85 doesn't, then the gap is even bigger. If the 85 has those done but the 83 doesn't, then the difference is effectively under $10K.

Can you inquire specifically about the heater hoses, including the hose from the rear head through the rocker panel; about all the fuel lines, including the filler to tank hose, tank connecting hoses, and breather hoses; and about the valve clearances?

 

Based on the info, I would pick the 85.
Condition, condition, condition.

 

They both sounds like great cars in great condition. Assuming that's true, and assuming you are doing this to enjoy the car not maximize future return, go with your heart. If black is what appeals to you, get black. The problem with a perfect car is that every drive can become stressful worrying that it's perfection will be sullied in some way.

It's a good problem to have, they both sound great.

 

Based on what? Maybe when they were new the '85 had a few minor differences that might make it more reliable, but what are they? No smog pump and one less cat, better water pump belt setup. Anything else? At this point, 30 years on, how they have been driven, treated, maintained and stored will have a MUCH bigger affect on their reliability.

I'd go with the '85 if everything else was the same because of the smog pump deleted. Nothing good comes from that cam driven pump. But I think color preference would easily trump that especially as easily as the belt comes off.

 

Yup.

 

Are you suggesting the '85 because its red? (and 2 years newer but with a little more mileage on it)

 

What swayed me and still does is the interior switches. The 83 (I have) has the cool race car mechanical switches, 85 is square and terrible looking. It was the deciding factor. With all vintage cars I get or build, I love making it mine by improving stuff