Owning a 308/328 but not a true DIY guy

Sure. I'm a logical guy an staight shooter. It sounds like your 50/50 on the decision of modern vs. vintage. You'll have to work that out on your own but, if you want to dip your toe in the ferrari world just to see what all they hype is about a 328 is a good idea. But be sure to buy a freshly serviced mid to low milage car. Drive it for 3-5 five years with typical services like fluids, belts and brakes and sell it off for a profit in the end if the market holds up.

I prefer vintage. The feel is wonderful and it's all involving. Modern cars are are to disconnected for me. I do love them because they are tools for getting from point A to point B as safely and as comfortably as possible. But that's about it.

 

First, the 328 is a very reliable car and this is a very well known fact. These cars are also quite easy to work on. I own a 308 and owned a Mondial 3.2 which is the same engine as the 328. I love both cars. I do all the work myself but I'm a mechanic.

If you're looking for a classic nostalgic Ferrari go with the 328. Buy a good car and you should drive it for many years without trouble.

 

I am not a mechanic, have a 328 and do my own work. Like you it is enjoyable and if I ever get stuck with something this community is always here to lend a hand or provide advice.

I have also assisted another local f-chatter with his major service. You could always make a run up to Folsom and use my lift if necessary.

 

Because the 3x8 is easy to work on they are less expensive to get serviced by a reputable Ferrari mechanic. To be sure you will have to sell your Cayman, the Cayman couldn't be your DD and 328 your weekend car?

 

I just wash the car by myself and clean the interiors: everything else is done my mechanics and so on. It's a very reliable car, so it doesn't require much money, but i live in Modena, i do not know in USA. I think it's a bit more complicated and expensive for an USA citizen, but not much more than having a Porsche. Do not waste money changing belts every three years, have it done every seven years or something like that, but do a major service while changing it (waterpump, spark cables, distributors check, hoses, oil radiator check, fuel lines check and so on). Change all oils every one (or two, no more) years and change coolant every four years (or five, no more).
I have to say that this forum is very helpful and sometimes gives you the way to solve many problems (by yourself or by your mechanic) without wasting money in useless things.
328 is (in my opinion) a better choice than the 360.

Good luck

ciao

 

Wait a few months and buy an Alfa 4c.the money will be similar and the Alfa is better in every way.

 

I don't think you are right.

Nor close.

ciao

 

A few thoughts...

1. A new Boxster/Cayman S is absolutely an everyday car if you want to drive it every day, and probably would outperform a 360 (although you're comparing the latest Porsche to a decade-old Ferrari...) I don't see the point of only driving it only on the weekend.

2. A 328 actually isn't a vintage car -- it's a helluva lot faster and safer than anything from the '50s or '60s. If you already have a daily driver, a 328 is perfect for weekend drives.

3. I'm not a DIY guy by any stretch. I never found my 328 to be all that needy, but I did take it to a reputable independent Ferrari tech for regular servicing. Given the cars aren't depreciating (unless you pile on the miles, and even then the market seems to be going up a bit), I don't view a couple of thousand dollars a year, on average, all that much. I'm fortunate that my income usually makes it more productive for me to stick to the day job and pay someone who knows these cars to turn the wrenches.

4. Something about meeting your heroes. The best line I ever read in a 308 buyers guide was something like this: "Don't expect too much." It also applies to 328s, and moreso because a 2014 Boxster/Cayman S is probably the best all around sports car in the world. A 328 will charm you, and you should have one - especially if you've never owned a Ferrari. But be realistic about what you want out of a 1980s car that wasn't all that advanced 30 years ago.

 

Mcomet, the 328's a great joice, just do a little homework, most caring owners keep proper service and maintenance history and will often drive them, 328's wants to be driven, parking for to long is not a good idea,

If the Porsche is your weekend car, when will you ever drive the 328 ?

I've have learned and studied these cars the last 6 years and I do lots of the work myself, not a mechanic though but I do fluids / filters changes and small project on the car myself. I've replaced spark plugs, brake pads, CV boot rubbers, wheel bearing grease, pipe/hoses, rubbers etc, all very easy on these cars but can require a hand from someone else - like I've struggled to loosen Allen bolts once when I removed the CV boot hubs, but its like that on most cars.

I only trust a reputable mechanic with experience on Ferrari's for larger project like replacing the clutch or perform Cam belts service etc.

with the right approach and knowledge of a 328 - service / maintenance cost are low on these cars compared to other Ferrari's.

Annual engine oil change are important but some folks here driving on Full Synthetics oils will exceed to 18 months, even 2 years,,,most recommend replacing coolant every year to two years(longevity of the radiator and water pump)

Brake fluid (bleed brakes) every two years, gear oil every two to three years.

Further more, well looked after 328's are very reliable, fast for car's from the 80's, not vintage but a vintage feel...

in almost 5 years of ownership I had no reliability issues and I drive hard from time to time.

Go for it and good luck with the chase...

Rgds
Johnny

 

Ferrari 308/328's are cheap and easy cars to maintain.....in reality, no more labour intensive then a good alfa but the only 2 really expensive maintenance issues that they have is the shims/valve clearances every 30,000 miles and doing the suspension bushes......cam belt changes really shouldn't cost more then $1,200. Its when you do belts, water pump and valve clearances that you get $4,000 services in Australia. Basically, $4,000 will cover everything that need to done on a 308/328. No more work for the next 5-7 years except for routine fluid changes (oil, brake fluid, transaxle fluid and coolant).
It blows my mind that in the USA, everything is so much cheaper then just about anywhere else in the western world and yet servicing a 308/328 is so expensive. In Australia, EVERYTHING is so much more expensive....except servicing Ferrari 308/328s.....I can't talk about post 308 Ferraris as i don't have any experience with them.

 

The only 2 driving issues with a 308 is choosing the right brake pads so you get a good balance between retardation and feel and the steering effort. Right now, I'm considering an electric power steering system and deciding on my next pads (even though I've only done 2000 miles on my current pads but they have such poor feel that I need to change them. The retardation is good but the feel is so much worse then the 911 3.2 Carrera I previously owned...and the Porsche has same ATE brakes). The performance is satisfactory once you get above 4000rpm.

 

Btw the way, I own a 308 QV Euro spec
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Personally I would recommend a 308 GTB, because I think it is just a bit prettier (inside and outside), but I think the 328 is probably the best Ferrari ever built, so it is the best option for you I think. A 308 is a bit more vintage compared to a 328.

I am not a mechanic, but do small jobs on my 308 GTB QV myself. Like oil, rotors, distributors, new injectors, removing and painting the intake, drive shafts etc etc

Like others already said, the biggest issue is the valve clearances/shims. it is not very difficult, but only half of the engine is visible. And you need some expensive parts like gaskets etc.

Cam belt change is every 3 years. I would never leave them in there for 7 years like Alberto does, but that is a different discussion.


@FAZZ308 : very nice 308!!

 

5 years is now recommended by most, with belts compound quality of today, back in the 80's is was three years.



I'll never recommend this but I know a 328 owner that waited 9 years without problems but I also know another guy who waited 10 years - haha not a good idea at all,, some of the teeth on this old belt was missing..



cheers
Johnny

 

I don't want to hijack your thread but do you have any pictures of the Countach or know where the car is today?

 

MComet,

Good luck with your decision, I too have crossed over that bridge. Perhaps this will help, and with my sincerest apologies to Thomas Jefferson:

Modern v. Classic: Dialogue between my Head and Heart

Head: Come, sit in the fully adjustable, ventilated, and heat seats of modernity.

Heart: Yes, but the feel, the smell of the thin and unyielding Italian seats is so alluring, so exlusive, simple, yet somehow refined.

Head: An intelligent car is preferred, with on board diagnostics, flashing lights of warning.

Heart: But consider the mystery and intrigue of solving the problems of an ailing car only with clues such as sound, and feel, and smell.

Head: You must get to your destination in comfort and on time.

Heart: And shall I not tarry by the way, take the long way home, praising the dawn of a beautiful day, but cursing the heat of summer?

Head: You were not meant to be a prince, but to “swell a progress or two, open a scene, no more”… You are one of hundreds of thousands, take comfort in anonymity.

Heart: Rosso Corsa is my “scratch on the face of anonymity”, dear sir.

Head: This makes no sense, moving backward, swimming against the tides of mechanical progress. You are, indeed, a fool.

Heart: Am I able to explain the beauty of form and shape to a cold blooded engineer? Can a pencil-sharp accountant calculate the value of the sound of a vintage Ferrari engine as it revs freely up and over a mountain pass?

Head: You will have to hire people. You will pay costs and search for parts that are difficult to find.

Heart: And your freshly window-stickered plastic and computer designed modern contraption comes without cost? Save me from its ferocious and consuming depreciation.

Head: I do not understand you, Heart.

Heart: Nor, I, you, Head.

 

Oh, and I do 100% of my own work. From belts to valve adjustments and I'm not a mechanic. I just have a natural ability and knack for the stuff.

 

I do not do any of my own work but have a good independent. Car usually runs flawlessly. I have had some large maintenance items though. For instance, a couple of years ago I replaced all the bushings. When I had my first major on the car I was surprised by the price (was using a dealer at the time). My wife (wonderful lady), pointed out that when you added up all the bills on my Ferrari, and considered the fact the car had not depreciated (and this is before the recent appreciation), that actually the Ferrari was substantially less expensive to won than my prior Porsche (which I had purchased new). So, from a total cost of ownership standpoint, unless these cars depreciate, even if it needs some major work, will probably less expensive on the Ferrari even if you have it serviced.

It is important to have (or be) a good mechanic. When serviced by someone who knows these cars, they are bulletproof.

 

I bought my "high miles" 328 from a fellow F-Chatter, a totally stand up guy. The car was in great shape and had all records. I do not own a wrench. I have a very reliable and experienced mechanic. I would never sell the 328 (we also have a 430) because there is nothing like it (although a carbed 308 would be fun.) My 328 has well over 60,000 miles and except for one exciting moment when a coolant hose broke while I was doing 85 on an empty interstate a few Thanksgivings ago, it has been totally reliable. When things do break it can be expensive but I think if you budget somewhere around a 1,000 a year for a well sorted example, you will be OK.

 

Great photo - rarely see that dramatic angle on the 308 GTS. Still the best looking exotic, IMHO.

 

I think if you've already put 12,500 miles on a new Cayman you've already incurred the big depreciation hit. At the risk of "rooting against the home team" here, I'd be inclined to keep it.

But as others have posted, you should make sure the classic and sometimes cantankerous 328 is your cup of tea before making the switch. It's a very different beast to the Cayman or 360.