Looking at 88 mondi. Words of wisdom please

I guess my thought would be, why a Mondial Coupe? Especially for that kind of money. What kind of driving experience are you looking for?

 

Pay attention to how Brandon starts the car up, and how you shift it when cold, how much play the clutch has. I think "mechanical respect" is what someone complimented me on after my first drive.

He probably will do this anyway, but go someplace away from traffic where you can concentrate more on the car.

If you're looking to buy, check the usual car stuff even though it has a prancing horse on the hood: can you get a proper driving position, do you understand what all the controls do, etc. The controls in these cars aren't real intuitive, so on my first drive I asked my co-pilot (dealer) to show me the a/c, fans and other cryptically labeled switches.

Try not to drive as fast as Rifledriver's grandmother probably does in her TR, and...

Have fun! You only lose your Ferrari virginity once.

 

I am not a big fan of Mondials but would prefer a coupe. They are pretty scarce in the US. From what I have read, many people familiar with the model have written that an 88 coupe would be the best all around choice of all the Mondials. The mileage would not scare me as long as the car has been well cared for. The price does seem a little rich though.

Dave

 

Mondials are great cars. They handle great. If the car has been well cared for, you should be good to go. Check all the regular 'car stuff'....order a PPI from a dealer or independent. Check the fuse box to see if it has any 'melt downs'. Check that all the little electrical bits work. Oh....and don't forget to have fun!

 

If you're going to get a coupe (personally, I much prefer the lines of the cab) you definitely want to get a 3.2QV ('86 onwards) as these are much more desirable (and rare) cars and do command a meaningful premium in the marketplace. So, net, for a nice '88 couple, $28-30,000 is completely reasonable. If the asking is $32,000 then you can likely bargain it down to $28-30K. As stated elsewhere check for the usual problems (body corrosion, smoke on start up, low oil pressure, stiff or marginal clutch, noisey valvetrain, etc.). One plus for the coupe over the cab is that it is a much stiffer car and consequently goes through the twisties a lot better. Good luck!

 

I just had to jump into this thread
It is an awesome car. You can have so much fun just going straight down the interstate with it, the sound of the car is fantastic, just move the throttle very little either way and the noise takes on a different persona. The steering was fairly heavy on my car. Other than that it is a jem and I think $32,000 is in line with a late model 3.2. The car will look better and better to you each time you look at it. Oh and 2nd gear might be REALLY hard to get into for the first 3-5 minutes or so so jump to third when it's cold, once it's warm the gearbox is so much fun to use on that car it's unreal. Hope that helps a bit.

 

Arrive before you are supposed to. Make sure the car is cold when it is started if you can, and go on the drive right away (maybe let it idle for about a minute). Get away from noisy areas and don't put any music on. Listen for unusual noises accellerating, decellerating, and turning at various speeds. If you are just testing to see if you like it pay more attention to the wind, noise level, any unusual odors, and odd driving feels (pulling while driving, braking, etc...). I think the price of that particular model is very attractive. You get basically the same mechanicals as the very popular 328 series plus two extra seats for a fraction of the price. Plus they look pretty nice in my opinion.
BT

 

No! Keep your checkbook locked away somewhere on your first Ferrari drive!

 

All this noise about second gear deserves a comment. Before I had my tranny refreshed, 2nd gear was hard when cold. However, after I had the seals replaced and the shifter properly aligned, it shifts like butter even when ice cold. Problems with 2nd gear are not inherent. They are because of deferred maintenance. Sorry guys. Think about it. Ferrari didn't/doesn't build cars that can't be shifted into second gear.

Regarding a 1988 Mondial, it's the last year of the 3.2, so as is the case with any model run, it's the best. The price seems fair to me, depending on what the car needs. I would get a list of the parts that were replaced during the "major." When I had my "major," they adjusted the valves, changed the cam belts, accessory belts, ignition wires, spark plugs, all filters and fluids, ALL hoses and charged the A/C. This car is 18 years old and "stuff" starts to break. I bought my '85 five years ago and during that time I have repaired/replaced COUNTLESS parts. The little things can nickel and dime you to death. I'll bet the car has the original distributor caps, for example. The reason is that they cost $250 each!

I would concentrate on all things electrical. In heavy traffic (radiator fan on)with the car warmed up, play the radio, turn on the headlights and try to roll two windows down at the same time. If the electrical system can handle all of that, it's probably in good shape.

 

Have rifledriver give it a PPI and if everything checks out, go for it. In the grand scheme of things $2-3,000 either way won't matter that much for a really solid and rare car. You'll spend that much paying for all the dinners for your "new found friends" over this next year. You've worked hard for it like the rest of us, enjoy it. We all know folks who denied themselves for so long that they never lived long enough to enjoy it. Memories, that's all we have when we're done. You haven't lived unless you've had some Ferrari in it!

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