Becoming a new owner - which model/year?

Lance,

I would go for an "unloved" model like the Modial Coupe or a 400. You can get a better car for less money.I started with a 400i 5 speed and loved it. That being said, always buy the best car you can afford. There are so many things that can go wrong.

 

go for a 308, maybe even one that needs the major and you can do it yourself. alternatively, there is a guy on the board selling an 82 mondial for $15k which has to be a good deal.

 

Personally, I would go for the 308 like you mentioned. It has gorgeous stunning curves. Besides, carburretor engines are usually an easier fix. Although it's not 'whoa' fast, it's quick enough and with a tubi exhaust fitted, you're sure to turn some heads.

But finding a good example even at 30k would be tough, I think.

However, if you need to throw in your kids, a 2+2 would probably be a better bet.

At the end of day, IMO, you should go for something that makes your heart beats faster. not something that tries to please everyone. Afterall, you've worked so hard, and it's only right to pamper yourself. my 2 cents.

 

Diffinately a 308, and next to each other they look NOTHING like a vette, and drive even more differantly !!

Find a couple different ferraris in your price range to drive them and you will answer your own questions, drive a mondial and a 308.

It great that you can do alot of the work yourself, that can save you ALOT of $$$$$

Do some searches here, you can find a ton of info on these cars here at Fchat, I'm sure it wouldn't be to hard to find some owners to take you for rides either
TAKE YOUR TIME, don't buy the first one you see. Make sure it has records, there are a lot of dogs out there at first look don't look that different from NICE cars, but the more the learn the more you'll be able to tell the differeces.
And lastly keep all of us posted on how the search goes !!

John

 

Oh yeah, btw 308's have three different models,
pre-1980 are carbed cars, sound is #1, a little tricky to get the webers set right but once you do they are great cars. #2 in terms of price.
next from 1980-1982 the cars had fuel injection (hence the "i" as in GTSi)
lowest priced of the 308's becuase they only had 2 valves per cylinder, (known as, 2 valve cars) can sometimes be had for around 20,000-25 for a "driver" car. But they are the lowest on HP.

Next in 83 comes the 4 valve cars, or quattrovalves (know as QV's)
about thirty more horses from the 2v's, then the last change was the 84-85 qv's that had some minor changes but also had rust proofing (a big +)
but also are the highest priced of the three (35,000-42,000)
Hope this helps.

 

Hi,

If you are interested, I'm selling a well sorted 1979 308 GTB in great shape and has lots of service records. You'll be hard pressed to find a nicer one at my price... See my add at:

http://www.ferrariads.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=2369&query=retrieval

Feel free to email me/call me with questions. The car is great!

Thanks,
Bernardo

 

Buy a 308!

The later QV models are probably the best and most reliable. Any bugs have been engineered out.

And buy the best car that you can afford. 'Cheap' Ferraris are never really cheap!! You can buy a cheap car that has no records, accident damage/repair, needs service, etc....and easily spend more money that buying a great car at a fair price. And when you are finished with the 'fixer upper' you still have a car with little documentation, no history, records, damage repair, etc...which will affect you ability to sell down the road.

 

I second you buying Bernardo's car. Unless you get an early carb'd 308, you're not going to find one with as much power as his and it's in nice shape and serviced so you don't have to worry about that for a while.

 

While we are throwing in 308's don't forget about the 308GT4. Sold between 1975-1979 in the US, carburated, 2+2. Cheap (you should be able to get one under $20,000). More accessable engine compartment than the other 308 series cars. Handles better than the other 308 cars due to its longer wheelbase. Lighter as well.

Pic in my profile.

Dom

 

Thanks Sean...your car in the picture looks nice too

308 GT4's are great cars and the first Ferrari I ever drove, back when I was 17. I still remember the sound and how much fun I had. The biggest disadvantage they have against a 308 GTB/S, IMHO is that the 308 GTB's are much prettier...but that's a whole different argument!!

 

Whatever you get, be sure it has 12 cylinders !

 

308 GTB. Very tossable. Lot's of fun. I drove mine 85K miles without too many problems. Best value for your budget is a 308GT4.

 

Buy the best car you can for the money, i.e., one that has been well maintained and is in good shape. Spend the extra money up front, as repairs and parts on these cars are VERY expensive. I got an '84 Mondial QV for a good price, but have had to put some money into it. Parts and information on working on the 308 are more readily available, so I'd opt for a 308, if you have a choice. If I had my druthers, I'd have passed on the Mondial and waited to find a 308, or a 328, to suit me, as parts for the Mondial are a bit hard to come by.

My $.02.

 

All the advice above is good - I don't have personal knowledge of the cars mentioned but the early 308GTB/S or a well sorted 308GT4 ought to be in your budget.

You might want to check in some of the geographic-specific forums to see if you can get some rides in some of the cars you're considering. I know when I was shopping I drove some cars and the driving experience of the car I purchased was what sold me on it (certainly not reputation) and at least for me the driving experience is 99% of why I got my car. The other 1%, of course, is that I look great in it.

Enjoy your search and keep us posted!!

Cheers
Kevin

 

sounds like you should go for the 308. now as for no dealers, i live up in the north part, and havent been down to the beach recently. last time was probably memorial day(i dont really care for beachs) anyway, somewhere in rehobeth there is a place that sell used high end cars. last time i went by it(memorial day weekend) they did have a 308/328 there or something very similar. you might wanna check that place out, i dont know its name, but i think its on the main road coming down to the beachs on the north side of rehobeth. hope this helps!

 

Theres a black 308 GTS for sale in Ct, needs a little work but is a nice car and is available for about 20-25k. Not sure about the year though.

 

Napolis rates 308GTB as "buy"...............

*scribbling notes*

 

I always recommend a 308 GTS or GTB to start with. I have a 1978 308 GTS, its a great ride. No one ever confuses it with a Corvette, thats for sure. They are pretty easy to maintain, parts aren't too expensive and it will definately turn heads. You would be amazed at how many people think its brand new, hahahah. I don't really suggest the 2+2 as a first car, I suggest it as a second. The reason I say this, most people who buy a Ferrari are in it for the sportiness. The 2+2 is sporty, but a 4 seater never feels as sport as a 2 seater. I suggest get your self a 308 GTB (hard top) or a GTS (targa top), then if you want a second vehcile get the 2+2 for your daily driver. A nice 308 should be between $30-$40, depending on the year.

 

From your description, I think 308 would be perfect for you and agreat looking car also.

 

My 308 GTS QV will be going up for sale as soon as weather breaks excellent well maintained Ferrari.
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Lance,

Feed your need for speed by taking the car out to a track and running it flat out. Believe me, once you've run it on the track, you won't feel like burning the road up. And remember, cars like the 308 are not dragsters, so you'll end up resisting the temptation to try to dust those kids in turbo-charged rice burners who seem to constantly want to challenge you at every traffic light. But it is fun looking in your rear view mirror and watching the panic in the eyes of the guys in SUV's who try to tailgate you around really tight high speed curves.

Regards,
Steve

 

I agree, most of these newer turbo-cars will probably out run you in a 308. I get allot of people trying mine as well. I don't even try, because I know my car isn't to race street lights. Its a cruiser with some power. Now if they wanted to try me on the highway, I might oblige. As far as maintenance, I suggest getting a service manuel. There are some you can download for free at

http://www.ferrari.stevejenkins.com/books/

If you would like to see what you are getting into. Otherwise, you can shell out for a hard copy when you can find them. I find them rarely on Ebay. Don't bother buying the CD-Rom they adretise. I talked to some buyer and they said its exactly the same info on the link I just gave you. So, don't waste your money on those. Good luck and I hoe this helps.

 

This is very true. I bought an 82 308 gtsi for 20K. You know the ad great condition,needs nothing etc. etc. Well 15K later in repairs I had a great 35K Ferrari, but when I sold it to get my 328 I only got 26K. Take my advice, get records and a PPI. The 2 valve 308 is a bit slower than the carbed models or the 4 valve, but they are cheaper and it was a very dependable car. Just get a good one first.