Wanted to buy 85-89 3.2 Mondial

GREETINGS !

Where are you located in N Cali ?

 

do not bye. complete waste of money.

 

You'll love a 3.2 cabriolet. Great all round ferrari, especially for a family guy who wants to take the wife/kids for a spin once in a while. The 3.2 has good performance, particularly if you replace the cat with a straight pipe and a performance muffler. Very stable high speed car with the longer wheelbase - more pleasant to drive than a 328gts in my opinion. And, on a sunny day, no better way to enjoy the ferrari experience than with the top down. Finally, pulling up in front of the local restaurant with the wife and kids in the car is a lot of fun too.

Keep an eye out for the usuals - body corrosion, noisy valve train, smoke on start up, uneven compression, worn top seals (these are expen$ive), etc.

Definitely buy one - you'll love it.

 

hello,

the 3.2's were made from 86' to 88'. 1989 they became the mondial t with the 3.4 liter V8 (85 used the 3.0) i've heard the 3.2 is the mondial of choice among most owners. the 3.0 had fewer horses and those rather unattractive black bumpers. the t's had more electronics and therefore, more electronic issues. starting in 1990, they were fitted with the most bizzare, mind-boggling passive restraints ever placed in a modern automobile.

their drivetrains are good but their fuseboxes aren't. their tops are a bit of an adventure to put up at times. but for the $$$ the mondial and the 456gt are one of the best buys in f-world.

just my $0.02

 

While the usual used car tests apply, it is especially important in Mondials to ensurethe electrical system is 100%: Cycle and test EVERY switch (including the clock and radio), and every electric function such as EVERY middle console switch and the steering column stalk switches especially.

See if the fusebox had the spade type fuses - you may want to consider upgrading the box if not
Open the fusebox in the trunk, and disconnect and inspect the vertically oriented electrical connector on the most inside edge of the box and see if the white connector shows any burn marks; the fuel pump circuit is notorious.
Check the wheels to ensure they are non-metric (i.e. Michelin TRX); some consider the 390mm metric wheel a rerason to bring down an offer (although if it came with them originally like the M8 and QV, ensure that the original rims come with the car).

It is a great Ferrari for it's melding of multiple capabilities into a single well engineered (except electrics) package. I have a 3.2 that I used as a daily and have taken 5 hour Grand Touring trips with the family.
Lots of smart help on the board, but get the best example of what you can afford!
Good luck and have fun!

 

I love my '86 3.2 and do not regret buying it at all. Just be patient and start with a good budget and keep looking. I was "so sure" that I found the right car twice before mine came along when I bought it from a guy in California sight unseen except for a Ferrari inspection. Dont forget to see if the car has records. That was a big selling point on my car as it had records from back to '86. All of the "problem" areas had been fixed or replaced by the previous owner. Its also a great car to work on if you like turning wrenches. Fairly easy, simple, and lost of people with knowledge on the board to help.
just my 2 cents and good luck.
-Nate

 

Ferrari had the QV and the 3.2 in '85. I recently bought a QV Mondi Cab.

Great car!

Add 360 Modena wheels and you will get many, many looks and questions.

Good luck,

Mike G

 

Gee I've found 4 or 5 in southern california, but very few on east coast - where are you finding them?

 

Hershey, I'd think twice about buying an east coast Mondi. Take a look at the undersides of most 10+ year old east coast cars and it's typically a lot more corroded and aged looking than a southern CA or Arizona car. If you can get an AZ car w/o sun burned seats/dash/top for a good price then you're dong great.

I see a few west coast Mondis on ebay right now. The red '89 at Cardiff Classics is very nice - just saw it in person a couple weeks back.

Good luck!

 

Hershey, apologies, meant to say black not red.... It's a very nice car and they have had it for quite some months so I suspect the price is getting soft...

 

I believe Cardiff is asking about the same for the '89 they have. Frankly, both are a little overpriced if being sold by a non-Ferrari dealer. The Ferrari dealer deserves a small premium as they can and will put something right post-sale if reasonable and necessary.

There's a big jump in price going to the '89 (the "t" model) over the prior up to '88. Frankly, I don't see the justification for the add'l dollars for the "t" because it seems like a less desirable car to me overall, although the interior is certainly more up-to-date. Good luck!

 

Hershey,

Brian Crall in San Ramon is "the guy" to take care of your car. You're lucky to be so close. I'm in folsom, CA and Salerno Motorsports in Rocklin is "the guy" up here. It took me a year to find a good blue/tan combo. I thought I had a good one when I found a 1991 "t", but after talking with Brian, he said that I'd have a better experience with the '86-88' 3.2 cabrio and he was dead-on correct. My family and I love the car. The 2+2, the simplicy of maintenance. Absolutely no regrets. There's ton's of great advice for this car. The advanced search function will yield lots.

Top tips:
1- more maintenance records the better
2- Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independant Ferrari Shop in the area that the car is in (I bought mine in Ft. Lauderdale, inspected locally, and had it shipped out). They know to look for signs of rust, damage, inconsistent maintenance relative to the records with the car. You can also ask them to inspect other items like the fuse panel and pin connectors as noted in an earlier reply. (As an a side. Mine just developed the burn out at the fuel pump pin. No problem though. The 10-pin clip is $19.95 and the matching pins for the set are $24 from T. Rutlands. You just crimp them on and you're done.)
3- Make sure that you understand the carfax if there are any items that concern you.
4- If you can not be 100% sure (verified by the inspection) that the belts have been changed recently, spend the $1,500 or so to have Brian do them when you get the car. Factor that into the price negotiation.
5- Naples Motorsports (in florida) seems to have a good reputation and has access to a number of 3.2 cabrio's. Factor in $1,500 to have the car shipped to you.

If you want more info: email me at [email protected] and I'll give you my cell number. I have pics of my car posted in the 'showroom" section, under "let's see all our Mondials".

You won't believe the fun you and your family are gonna have with the car!

Al.

 

I would not be so quick as to generalize the condition of an east coast car. A high percentage of the Ferraris located in the Northeast never see the snow & crap. When I had my Mondial, it never even saw rain.

Issues to consider in your Mondial search:
Rag Top-prone to fading/shrinking, not a cheap item to replace
Boot-same as rag top. Also they have decorative retainers that wear
Interior Leather-As with all Ferrari's from that time period, the leather doesn't hold up as well as even a Corvette. A major task to disassemble & redye the interior.
Electrical-although I never had a problem, fuse panel have been know to have a problem. Also the diagnostic panel on center console can be problematic. Check for proper operation of solenoids on bonnets.
General Mechanical: Usual major service items, as well as clutch, brake slave cylinder, water pump.
Body: Condition of side bear claw inlets. Not a cheap item to replace, and one side was difficult to locate.

Great car, and will be fun cruiser. Very under-rated.

 

Try HEMMINGS Motor News available at any books store and/or go to www.fantasyjunction.com call them and ask for CHRIS they have a very good selections of Ferrari. They are located in Emeryville CA. Best of Luck.

Mike