Can't decide

I hate to say it on here but in the last 20+ years I have owned 19 Porsches(I have 5 now, one is parting out a boxster so call it 4 cars) ranging from early cars to the 993 and 5 911 turbo cars. I plan to keep two of my rare ones and sell off my 79 930 and an 81 SC to persue the Ferrari. I first need to drive one and at this point in my education hanging on this site im leaning toward a 328. It sounds like they are a bit more updated than a 308 and will not see more than 5-700 miles per year. I had to stop talking to P guys about my decision to buy a Ferrari because they insist after years of P car ownership I will be spoiled with the reliability and drivability of the 911. With the few miles I put on my exotics, I feel operating / ownership cost should be resonable. I really need to drive one and experience the feel & sound of the car. Im not the guy that wants one for a status symbol, its more about the grin I get when the music starts,the sound & kick in the butt my 930 cars have given me in the past. I also spend a lot of time in my garage alone cleaning and admiring the beauty of them. Being in Pittsburgh, I cant just go out and find a 328 to test drive like you can in say Florida or California. Their just does not seem to be any around here that I can find for the driving experience.I really appreciate the response on this very much.

 

One other point I did not mention is that I enjoy working on my Porsches and do most service aside from a trans rebuild. I will cringe at the fact that I have to not only pay someone to service my Ferrari (for records) but miss out on the pleasure and pride of my own work.

 

Bimota - Can't help you with a test drive; but I would like to find a nice 930. Drop me a line when you are ready to sell. Thanks.

 

Not true at all. Whatever work you've been able to do on the Porsche you should also be able to do on a 308/328. Mechanically they are quite simple with none of the engine management or other complicated electronics of the later Ferraris. With the transverse mounting of the engine/transmission most of the maintenance items are relatively easy to get to. Unlike the 348, you don't have to pull the engine for a timing belt change. Also, the Bosch CIS fuel injection should be familiar.

Many of us do our own maintenance on our cars. Sure some of the parts can be expensive, but the actual work on a 3x8 is not going to be much more difficult than what you are already experienced with on the Porsche.

Keep good records of the parts purchased and photographs of the work you do. The resale value won't suffer if you can show a future buyer that the car has been well taken care of by yourself.

 

I am sure that I will be able to service the car, I was under the impression that they had to be serviced by a dealer or reputible shop. I can have photos and documentation of the work I perform if that is acceptable. I am more anal than any shop, flat rate or hourly. After all, its my car not theirs and every nut,bolt,tin etc.. will be cleaned, replaced or glass beaded and refurbished!

 

On resale, you might get less for the car if you do the work yourself, but the money you save should more than offset it. There is no rocket science to 328's, but there are, of course, tricks of the trade that apply. Fchat is a great resource for do it yourself 'ers.

Dave

 

oh that's a shame. just rent one. because it will turn into a pumpkin and rot away if you don't drive it often...

john

 

I went from a 993 to a 328 and heard the same earful from the Porsche dealers about reliability, build quality, etc. It's all about the charisma of the car, though. We have a lot of comparison threads on this site (911 or Ferrari? NSX or Ferrari? Supra Turbo or Ferrari? ...) and the moral of it is the guy driving the Ferrari doesn't generally lust after whatever the other car is.

You mention 500 miles a year, and I think you'll need and hopefully want to do a bit more than that. The 328s I've driven have always needed a proper warmup -- i.e., keep the revs down till the coolant and engine temp gauges have moved from rest. Especially in Pittsburgh, it's hard to imagine that happening over 2 or 3 miles or conservative driving.

All good, but as Hardtop posted a stack of receipts from a reputable independent or Ferrari dealer is a big plus when you go to sell. OTOH, life's not all about money and if you like some grease on your hands then go for it.

 

*Perfectly* stated!

 

Great thread. I had almost talked myself out of looking for a 308-328 because of the cost compared to other fun cars. That is until this:

"and the moral of it is the guy driving the Ferrari doesn't generally lust after whatever the other car is"

 

And that's my problem: after driving the 328, it's hard to get excited about other cars, despite the need for a daily driver. I just don't want to spend money on unexciting, rapidly depreciating assets. Fortunately, the one that excites me has pretty much "bottomed out."

Bimota, come spring, you should check Exoticars Pittsburgh. They usually have a pretty nice selection of cars, including the occasional 328, and are right in your area.

 

+1

Howard and Giuseppe did the major on my 308 when I bought it out there. They are awesome! Fuzzy is the sales person to go to. Tell them Craig from California sent ya

 

The low miles driven per year is not 2-3 mile jaunts, its more to the tune of 30+ miles when I do take mine out. I know the importance of getting cars up to temperature.

 

I spoke with Howard today, at Exoticars. They have a nice 85 308 that you should check out.
http://exoticars.com/gal_85fr308rd.html

Also, Algar Ferrari of Philadelphia has an 85 308 with only 16k miles. I think it's over $10k over priced. But, if you like it, I'm sure that you could get them to lower the price.
http://www.algarferrari.com/carView.php?id=32

 

I drove my Mondial 3.2 Cab home tonight through the stormy winter weather and I thought of all the BS on F-Chat about these cars would fall apart if they were driven like normal cars. The only difference was that I made the normal 30 minute trip in just over 20 minutes, and ended up at home with a huge smile on my face after a crappy day at work where everyone else had the day off. Imagine that!

 

Mondial - the new GT4 of the Ferrari world. Remeber when u couldn't get anyone to even look at them in the same light as a 308? Be patient, your time will come. Just sit there smug in knowing that u have the best deal in Ferrari ownship out there. The market is slowly learning that good Mondies can be had for little money.

 

Went to Exoticars, the red 308 had paint work done. I have a very good eye for cosmetic issues and the average buyer may not pick up on it. I have plenty of time to find the right car and am still leaning toward a 328. I appreciate the heads up on the lead you posted. Thanks

 

i had nothing but wonderful experiences with the 328. it won't disappoint you. good luck.

 

My first is a 308. Easier to work on and great looking. It's a 79 carb car which I felt I had a better chance of working on. Don't regret it at all.
Read all the threads on this site before you make your decision. You will pick up valueable information. The information on this site is priceless.

Mike

 

+1 with my 308 QV

 

This is my first time to this site and the information is great. This will be my first. 308s have been a dream car for a long time and its all I can afford. Has anyone owned them both that can give me some pros and cons. I have read all the great things about the 328, but a little too much for me. Thanks

 

Welcom, What year 308 would you like to know about?

 

The 308 is a great car, and it has enough power to keep it fun, especially on back roads. On a twisty road you can keep up with anything.

RFKing,
I know what you mean about using them as a daily driver. I'd say the only problems of using them as a daily driver is that it becomes a distraction at work. But it's almost a gaurantee that if you have a bad day at work, by the time you get home you'll have a smile on your face.

 

Bimota,

I know this is an old post, not sure if you've bought one yet, but I'll re-state what I stated before, and give credit where credit is due.

I was looking for my first F-Car about a year ago. While I decided against it, everyone on Fchat said "go drive one", and I could not agree more. (Thanks Bullfighter, wetpet, Mike328 and everyone I cant remember).

I drove a 75 308GT4 Series 1, 86 328 GTS and finally a 83 (?) 308 GTSi QV. Granted, the driving conditions were all different, but for me, I loved the feel of the 308s. I'm short and they fit me well, and the feel was much more tactile than the 328.

While I was and still do lean towards the 328, thats only because of the maintenence. If I either could fix them or afford to put more away for maintenance, I'd get the 308. But I'm not a wrencher type, and I don't feel like excessively spending on maintenance, so I'll go with the 328 when I'm ready.

James in Denver

PS --- For smb1 --- The 308GT4 is an early carb, and the sound was AMAZING. The QV had a tubi, so it had a clean sound as well. Both seemed to have the same power, but that could be driving conditions. I loved the sound of the GT4 with the intakes right by your head.

 

I know I have to drive them but I can't find any in Las Vegas and can't travel just to test drive until I see the one. I have seen a few 78-79 in good shape for about the same price as a 83-84 QV with more miles. I don't want to have to re-tune the carbs alot and like the idea of an easier clutch. Maybe I'm just wrong on how touchy the carbs cars are.