328 Reliable?

New to F-Cars. Love the look of the 308 and 328 and was thinking of picking up either one.

Seems like you can get a great condition car for about $35-40k.

Can someone explain the differences in simple terms and point me in the right direction in terms of horsepower, reliability and expected maintenance.

TIA

 

In terms of power: 328>308 quat>308 carb>308GTS/Bi

Maintaince is around 5k every 30k miles or 5 years.

These where the last of the 'cheap' to run Ferraris, with parts cheaper then later 348/355 etc parts

 

Before I run at the mouth, you must determine where/from whom you feel comfortable buying a car from: Factory-Authorized dealership, independent dealership, consignment, or private seller. Each source has a different risk-level associated with the car they'll sell you, and the risk level is inversely proportional to the price you're going to pay for the car. The Factory-Authorized dealership will have the least risk, but the highest price, from what I've seen. Dealerships must back-up the product they're selling you, whereas a consignment or private sales deal are more of a 'buyer beware' atmosphere. Any car you purchase should have a pre-purchase inspection done by an independent mechanic that YOU trust and pay for. The PPI should be thorough enough to let you know fully what you're getting into when you sign that check...

The last time I saw a 308 at a Factory-Authorized dealership was about a year ago, and they were asking $42,000 for it (red 85 308QV). YMMV...

Reliability is all over the map, depending on how much maintenance the car has had in its lifetime - garage queens with VERY low mileage are to be avoided like the plague, unless you want to spend your time fixing everything that has dry-rotted/leaked/decay-ed in the engine from sitting so long.

 

I have spent a good deal of my adult life working at Ferrari dealers and the 328 in terms or reliability and build quality were the best car they ever made. That having been said the late 308's were very close. Mechanically speaking the 328 has a larger more powerful motor, slightly upgraded transmission, considerably better cooling sys., better brakes, and improvements in the suspension. The cars made very late in production had ABS brakes as well. There were some improvements made in the A/C sys also. They are relatively cheap and easy to maintain and make an exellent first Ferrari.

 

I have had 6 "cheap" Ferraris (3 308's, 2 328's & a 94 348) My current car is an 89 328 GTB. The 328's have been, by far, the cheapest to live with but maintenance is not cheap on any Fcar. 328's still have some weak areas compared to other makes like water pumps that are short lived, clutches can wear out quickly if you are either aggressive or just use them poorly. Fortunately, clutches are not any more expensive than most cars (and cheaper than some) The major mechanical stuff like motor and tranny will last way past 100K. Compared to 308's, they have a little more power and, as pointed out above the electrics, ignition and cooling systems are vastly improved. Nevertheless, they are 15-19 years old so minor stuff may need attention. One of the best things about 328's is they seem to have been generally well cared for so finding a good one is much easier than a 308. However, 35-40K will probably only get you a high mileage and/or maintenance deferred example. 45K should buy a well serviced fairly low miles (like 25K) really nice car in a good color. Do not be afraid to buy a higher mileage car that has been carefully driven and lovingly maintained however. Do not be afraid of low mileage either if it can be well documented. For some reason, 328's don't seem to have the garage queen problems some other models do. My own car had 7K on it when I bought it 3 years ago. I have had no problems. It now has 16K. Our local sales manager who has decades of Fcar experience bought a low mileage 86 as his most recent personal car. Prior to that he had a 355. It is important, however, that a car be driven somewhat regularly rather than sit for years with no movement. Mine also had records for regular fluid changes even though not driven much. Hope this helps.

Dave

 

Would you say the same things about a 3.2 Mondial? Are they as problem free as a 328?

 

Mechanically they are the same car but electrically they were more problematic. Fuse boards were a problem as were a few of the A/C components. The tops (if cab.) were a bit tricky to get up and down until you get the hang of it. I will say this, as for reliability and durability the 3.2's were the best. I personally don't like the looks of the coupes, but performance considerations aside they were the nicest just plain old drive around Ferrari built at the time. I said that once at a lunch or dinner (I don't remember which) attended by a number of people from FNA. It got very quiet after my comment until the highest ranking person from FNA present agreed with me. I prefer the 328, it looks right, drives very well and is about as bullet proof as Ferrari's get. Bottom line, buy the one you love.

 

Newbie question... does that include the 30K service cost? If not, how much does the 30K typically cost?

And how about on newer 8-cyl models (F355, 360)? I understand these are generally a lot higher on maintenance, but does the 30K kill you too?

 

Sorry, I ment to say that the 30k will cost you around that much, and a clutch job will cost you around 2k. Other then that the car requires regular oil changes and fluid flushes, as with any other car.

New cars the 30k is about the same...newier they get more expensive, until you get the cars that dont need engine outs, like the 550 and 360. Clutches got a little more expensive. The big difference is say part xxx breaks, on a 328 it will cost less often times to replace then on a later car.

The 30k mile/5 year service IS the big service.

Also, some early 348s have a different belt tensioner and as such need belts replaced more often, namely 3 years. (A 348er can advise you better then I in this regard)

 

amazing

 

328's are very reliable compared to other Fcars (they say)but it doesn't mean they are cheap to maintain. It also makes a BIG difference when you do your own work (in this case it can be "cheap").

On my first year of ownership, I spent a little under $400
on repair (door lock, etc.). However, since I don't do my own maintenance, depending on where you have it serviced, it can be costly. I had to pay about $700 for its annual fluid change (coolant, brake, oil, and tranny). But I'd rather take it to a shop that I'm comfortable with, ie., has experience w/ Ferrari's -so, no regrets.

This year I had a radiator and a/c leak. I paid a little fortune bec. I brought it to a Maserati dealer (that I know services fcars for a fact). It cost me a little fortune BUT I am extremely pleased with their work and I thought it's well worth it.

I've never been stranded on my car and have been very happy to this day. No regrets. I'll buy a Ferrari again. But you just have to be ready for the unexpected. Remember, too, these cars are at least 15 years old - it will need something soon!.

As other have said, the major service will cost you about 5K at least every 5-6 years

Hope that helped.