So, I went to see the 4RE of my dreams yesterday

James in Denver · May 14, 2007

drjohngober said: ↑

I have felt horrible all day longabout my clueless wannabe comment . I sincerely apologize and would be pissed off if someone had called me that.
Click to expand...

We know you are a good guy John .

I hope your apology is taken by bzubi as sincere, as its meant to be....

BOY!!! We have a bunch of great guys on FChat .

Good luck with your search bzubi.

James in Denver

drjohngober · May 14, 2007

Thanks James- I don't know what came over me. The Stars and Mavs are done,no more Schumi, and Lord knows the Rangers and and Cowboys don't look very promising. I am really going to be intolerable by December. Maybe I need to become a Jeff Gordon fan... put a number 24 on my 328.. with a rainbow Dupont sticker. I guess I will just go to the Range Rover forum and blow off some steam.

bzubi · May 14, 2007

drjohngober said: ↑

I have felt horrible all day longabout my clueless wannabe comment . I sincerely apologize and would be pissed off if someone had called me that. I just had such a great time yesterday driving my oil leaking, repainted (but now "perfect in my eyes" ) 328 that I took the comments personally .

That being said, I do have a few suggestions that might help you find a great car. I think you are in the Virginia area. I would post in the Virginia section something like " Does anyone know this 328 in .....". I think you will be amazed at how many responses you will get. If the car has been on the market any time at all, there will be some local F Chatters that will know the background on the car. I also promise you that several knowledgeable F Chatters will offer to go by and check on the car for you and give you an honest report. If the car has some major issues, they will be able to tell. Again, I think the 3 ring binder is awesome and impressive. A thorough history on these cars is very rare and desirable. If you can get the car at a reasonable price with minor issues ( discounted), it might not be that big of a deal to get the leaks fixed and paint touched up. Then you will have a great car with all the history.Sweet! Don't overlook what might be a great car with something that might easily be fixed.
This brings up another point. One does not have to be a computer wizard with a laptop to diagnose a problems as do modern vehicles. There are many independent mechanics ( not at the Ferrari dealership) that are a wealth of knowledge and can handle any problem at a reasonable price.
In the Dallas area, we have an independent mechanic ( James at Norwoods) that is hands down the best in Dallas. In my opinion, he smokes the local dealership on all levels-gosh I hope I did not put my foot in my mouth again. Notheing against Boardwalk Ferrari but I think the world of James as do most Dallas/Fort Worth owners. I am sure there are equally talented independent mechanics in Virginia.
If it turns out that this is not the car for you, enjoy the " hunt". We have all gone through it and I actually love looking for diamonds in the rough hiding in obscure places. Last year I purchased a 308, sight unseen, from Durant Oklahoma. I did not expect much but was pleasantly surprised when the car arrived. Even the air conditioner worked...rare.
If you do not want to travel , then post a heading in the Virginia section along the lines of " Looking for a nice 328 ". Again, you will be amazed at the people that will resond to help you find a car that fits your criteria.
Good luck, enjoy the hunt and post pictures when you find your car.
John
Click to expand...

and I am proud to be on this board sharing my buying experience with you.

Dr. John, I understand your frustration as I too have to sit on the BMW boards reading about how the S2000 guys can kick my you know what with their Hondas; or how my S54 engine is going to blow because of the bearing on the 3rd cylinder not getting enough lubrication, due to an ill-speced oil pump, and throws it's rod through the engine block, despite the fact that BMW replaced the engine free of charge, fixed the oil pump problem and extended the power train warranty 6 years or 100,000 miles, which ever comes first, on all S54 powered BMWs.

These are things that I have to live with and I'll never trade my M Roadster for anything. We went through a lot together and she is still a joy to drive.

My friend, your apology is accepted and your advice is very much appreciated and so is the advice of the kind members that responded to this thread. I am going to try to apply all the recommendations I have received to the best I know how as I am determined to put myself into a Ferrari 308.

Thanks everyone for your advice and I'll keep you posted,
B

drjohngober · May 14, 2007

Once a week I get onto E Bay motors and enter my zip code on the far left and search for Ferraris within 200 miles. Autotrader.com is also good and has a search engine that allows you to limit the search to cars located near you. Great place to start at least. If you are near DC there are always several cars for sale there. At the very least, you get have have fun looking. As one of my buddies says, shopping for a Ferrari is a lot like dating. It is a lot of fun, but after you purchase, or marriage, the real work begins.

barcheta · May 14, 2007

Bzubi,

Not sure what your budget is but go into this eyes wide open.... the ability to afford a Ferrari is quite a different notion from maintaining one. Oil leaks, scrapes and repaints ARE part of the ownership experience. I would prefer to have a car with mileage and a ton of receipts over a museum piece with little documentation any day. Documentation is key with these cars. A PPI is crucial. Let a mechanic tell you if the oil leak is serious or not. Truth be told many start leaking some sort of fluid as short as a year after a major service. Dino oil versus synthetic can make a difference also in how and where it leaks.

Having said that the lack of power steering is also an acquired taste. I love the feedback that I feel through the steering. You feel less like you're driving it and more like your putting the car on like a suit. Sounds like the car you were looking at had some issues but nothing that would completely rule out ownership.

Again it depends on what you want out of it. Even find a "well sorted" vehicle offers no guarantee to not having any issues.

I would continue to ask questions here and of some of the consultants that post here as well as a few mechanics that actually work on the cars to gain more knowledge.

I would even suggest that you try attending a few events and seek out some owners for more relevant information. we're always doing something in the DC area....

Conversations

Alerts

So, I went to see the 4RE of my dreams yesterday

James in Denver Formula 3

drjohngober Formula 3

bzubi Karting

drjohngober Formula 3

barcheta F1 Rookie

Share This Page