Advise for buying a 328. Help needed !

I have had an 87 GTS and now have an 89 GTB. The B's are much better driving cars and prettier, too. The suspension update in late 88 makes the later cars feel tighter and more modern in the way it steers and handles though I don't believe it really adds much objectively in terms of performance. All 328's are great cars, well designed and executed.

Dave

 

Not sure about France but good luck finding one in the states. Looked for 6 months and could not find a decent one. Or a dealer wanted 80K for it.

 

Plenty of 88 and 89 GTS cars available for fair price in the US as long as color (i.e. red) is not an issue. Now GTB is a different matter...

 

This is sort of a long shot, but the February 1999 issue of Forza magazine contained a fairly extensive article, "328 Buyer's Guide", surveying the cars and giving pointers to look for and to avoid.

The magazine's website doesn't go back that far with back-issues, but you might write or call its office and see about a photocopy of that article.

Another helpful resource is the book Original Ferrari V8 by Keith Bluemel. Subtitled "Restorer's Guide to all models 1974-94: 308 GT4, 308/328 GTB/GTS series, Mondial, 348 series, 288 GTO and F40". This is not so much a buyer's guide as a detailed look at each model, which may help you to verify whether it is in original condition or not. Not sure if this book is still in print, but you could try Amazon or Motorbooks or even a Google for it.

From what I have seen in a month or two on FerrariChat, this forum is also full of savvy, friendly, and helpful people. Check out in particular the model-specific forum area "Classic" that includes the 328, and if you find an interesting car, tell the forum about it and get some feedback & suggestions.

You might consider subscribing to Ferrari Market Letter, which has an interactive website. It's a bit expensive, but you can see many 328s advertised there, which give you the opportunity for some comparison shopping.

Presumably there is a French Ferrari Club, which may also be helpful to you.

Good luck and good hunting!

 

I bought Bluemel's book on amazon a couple of months ago - it should be available there. It is a dry, factual read but it certainly does help you determine how original a car is.

Along the same lines, you might have a look at some of the 328GTS's of the same vintage so you know what to expect. You don't want to have to make a decision on the basis of seeing one car. Also, if you haven't already, drive a well-kept one so you know how it's supposed to sound, shift, etc.

 

Can someone please explain the discrepancy in price between ABS and non-ABS 328's? I've noticed there's quite a difference (at least in asking prices), by sometimes 10's of thousands of $...

 

I have a 1986 328GTS with about 48000 kms on the clock.
Red with black interior in immaculate condition.

It is a very reliable car and great to drive.

I have read that the 328 is the most reliable model that Ferrari have made.(well that is what i have read)

I have also read that the ABS fitted to later model 328's is not worth the additional cost.
(well that is what I have read)

IMO The wheels on the 1986 model look better than the ABS models.

All in all the 328 GTS is one sweet car and is a classic Ferrari shape,
almost a work of art.

No! it is a work of art.

have fun Tony

 

well, the raw numbers on late model U.S. 328GTBs indicate there'll never be a lot on the market:

1989: 40+- imported to the U.S.
1988: ?? but, probably not more than 40ish, then
consider whether you want 88.5 model

So, there's probably not more than 60-ish GTBs TOTAL for you to consider, and of course, at any point in time, most owners are not interested in selling(i'm NOT ).
You can search this board for more exact numbers on GTB, above numbers are approximate.

However, these are not impossible to find, just be ready to pounce if/when your taste in color/condition/price/etc comes along...

oh, btw, you'll NEVER get everyone to agree on GTB vs. GTS, but for my money, the GTB is nicer styling, and the handling is supposedly better. If i lived in So Cal, i might have a GTS, but i'm not in lala land.

 

It's not just the ABS; it's that in the USA the ABS appeared on the 1989 model year 328s, and that was the last year of the 328 run. You'll always pay a premium for the last year of any run.

Other tweaks on the 1989s were interior door handles built into the armrests, and miniature hood emblems attached to the front of the sideview mirrors.

 

Actually, the interior updates to the armrests were done in 1987--not 1989. These would be door handles built into the armrests, and black-colored armrests regardless of body color. The door lock mechanism itself was also modified at some point, not sure where that was in the production run.

Other small changes that you note (hood emblems on mirrors) were also done in 1989; I think rubber square o-rings in the outisde door opening mechanisms were added.

 

Following 328 prices for a while, I've come up with a little formula to take into account year of production of the car. The base car is a 1986 328 GTS with 30K miles for $36K. For each later year I add $2K to price and I consider 88.5 year model as a full "year" upgrade over standard 88 year model. So a comparable 1989 model with similar mileage is four "years" newer and worth $8K more, or $44K. There are of course many other factors, but this just takes into account the year of production. What do you guys think?

 

You're on the right track, but you need to account for two other variables, then you'll have the whole thing covered:

1. Private seller or Dealer? Dealers are approx $5k more than the same car from your average private seller.

2. Has it had a fresh major 30k mile service, with the belts and all seals done? This will swing the price approx $3k to $5k.

There are other small variables (i.e, fresh vs old tires, and whether or not it includes tools and manuals ($1,000 to replace)), but these can be ignored for a first cut analysis.

So taking these into account, you MIGHT be able to find an unserviced, 30kmi, 1986 GTS from a private seller for $36k, but that would be a good deal (assuming everything else checks out). For an 89, your fresh-service, dealer price would be 53k (base + 8k for year + 5k for dealer + 4k for service), which seems to be in the ballpark. You might need to tweak these numbers a bit.

--Mike

 

I have a 1988.5 328. (ABS handling package and wheels w/o the ABS) The hood emblems are also on the side mirrors and the square gasket is around the door openers on the outside of each door.

 

I agree with those variables. I also estimate mileage in the 20K-50K range by adding or subtracting $1000 to vehicle's value per 5K miles on the odometer deviating from the base 30K miles. I consider 20K-50K miles to be the sweet spot for a proven and regularly driven car. Garage queen will have maintenance issues and the ultra low miles are valued way more than the above formula. Likewise, over 60K miles is widely perceived as a "high mileage" Ferrari that is more difficult to sell, but essentially doesn't take any further depreciation from additional mileage, so again the formula breaks down. Also, some key desirable aftermarket parts should add some value. What do you think of $1000 added value for the Tubi exhaust on a car? Also, I haven't decided the fair market "markup" for a red car, but it will probably be in the $2K-$5K range. So, let's fine tune the formula and publish as the official FChat benchmark for 328 fair market value.