Alright, starting a picture thread of my day.........

FANTASTIC! Congratulations, Bill. Yours is a fine example and looks gorgeous.

Now, go upgrade your headlights!

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65424


Now, one thing to keep on the front burner. Don't let it take away from the fun, but something you should follow up on is that slow down light. It doesn't matter what conditions your were in--redlining on a 95 degree day, sitting idling, etc.--the light should have not have come on... There is no normal condition when it comes on, for example, when you're driving the car firmly on track or around town. It comes on when the catalytic converter gets too hot. Never continue to drive if this light is on!

Now if it was just a "blip", like a < 1 second flash, that might indicate some other electrical glitch. Also, this light should come on for a few seconds when you first move the key to the "run" position (or after starting, not 100% sure), as a test for this warning system.

Enjoy, and congrats again! The 328 is very solidly build, well design, and evolved piece of automotive beauty.

 

Congratulations!!! She's a beauty, the car too!!!

The reason the key bends is so when you put it in the ignition and start the car, you then bend the key while it's in the ignition. You'll notice that in that position the horse is upright. It's just a little detail that adds character to the car. If you bend it before you start it the horse will be upside down.

It's just all part of my 328 ritual, always fold the key after it is started and wonder who thought that up?

Tips on daily warm ups, let the car warm up until the water temp comes alive, then it's ok to drive. Shift 1 to 3 until the oil temperature comes alive. No 2nd gear until the oil is warm, on the first mark. And don't forget to fold the key after you start it.

 

Congratulations! She's such a black beauty, simply stunning. Interior looks good as new 2

 

Right-on husker. Congrats!

Taking it on a long drive right after purchase would scare me a little. But that's just me. When they delivered my 308 I was afraid to drive it until I checked and changed ALL the fluids. Of course mine wasn't as nicely kept as yours. It had been neglected.

My wife thought I had gone completely bonkers when I first got my car, and I told her that I felt sorry for my 308, because it had been abused and neglected by the previous owner(s). I told her that NO Ferrari should EVER be treated this way.

But now, 4 years and many many hours later, she's like new, if not better, and my wife now won't even let me drive it. (even though she whined and sniveled about my late nights in the garage).

 

Congrats! The car looks great! And as long as the services are up to date, there should be no worry with taking a 200 mile trip. Every time I take mine out it becomes a long trip because I enjoy driving it so much. I put about 250 miles on mine this weekend.

 

Bill: Congrats on the beautiful car !- you picked one of my favorites (model and colors) and one of the best examples I've seen- post more pics ASAP !
Steve

 

Hey, that kid bothered the hell out of my buddies and I last summer when we were rebuilding a 3000GT VR4. He sure does get around!

 

Congrats on the new FCAR. Did you wake up in the middle of the night and go to the garage to make sure that, yes it not a dream, but I do own a Ferrari?

When I got my 328, I did this for about a week!

Enjoy the car and drive, drive, drive!

Thei

 

Congrats! Great looking car and interior ! Enjoy !

 

First of all congrats.

As for the hinged keys, I have been told they are so that if you hit it with your knee it doesn't break of in the ignition.

 

Maybe you should have invited the kids to sit in the drivers seat, them procede to "educate them" on the differences of a mustang and a real work of art

I always kept matchbox ferraris in the car to give to kids to.

 

I like the idea of keeping "Matchbox" Ferraris in the car for the kids- but work a deal with them, that they ONLY get the matchbox car, if they agree not to touch your car without your permission.
Maybe that will work.
Steve

 

congrats on a fine looking car, the black really shows off the great lines of the 328. Drive it often and enjoy.

 

I believe the hinge is for tall folks whose knees may hit the key in the ignition

 

Very nice, they look so good in black, well done
steve

 

Husker,
Congrats on your new baby! She's a beauty. Go easy on the kid, he doesn't know any better. I mean, he likes Ford's for God's sake! Give him a ride in it and maybe he'll see the light.

Anyway, about the slow down light, they often light up erroneously when there is an issue with the sensor or the ECU that "reads" the sensor. You should have it checked out for two reasons.

1. If it's not a sensor/ECU problem and the cat actually is getting too hot, it's bad. A lot of Ferraris have burned to the ground from cat fires. If one bank, for example, has an intermittant spark, you can be getting the occasional raw fuel in there, causing the temps to rise. Under the right circumstances, this can start a fire. Yours wouldn't be the first 328 lost to an issue like this.

2. If the problem is in fact the sensor/ECU and you ignore it, you will either have no high temp warning system, or you will not believe it if it does come on "for real." Ferrari did not put these things on the car just to add weight. If the cat overheats, this is BAD. You want the warning system to tell you. If you know the system works and the slow down light comes on, you want to get off the road immediately and check it out. Don't just keep driving.

The problem is the ridiculous dual ignition system...which I have no idea WHY on EARTH they continued to use with the 328. (Originally, it was good for point ignitions, but totally unnecessary for electronic ignitions). The car can run on one bank, while the other one fails. You will sense a marked reduction in power, but in VERY short order, you can dump enough fuel into the cat to burn the car up.

OK, enough preaching. Hope you enjoy that beautiful Fcar! (Black is my favorite color!)

Birdman