how much?

As they say, the purchase price is merely the down payment. The less money you spend initially could almost guarantee more out-of-pocket money later on. Unless you're buying an absolutely pristine Dino 308 GT4 or 308 QV, you're not going to get a stellar example of anything else with $60K.

 

Welcome to fchat. I would strongly suggest you learn the search function and do some research before posting a question that may have been asked and answered in great detail. Only trying to save you some grief.

 

This would be a great place to start since a $60K budget pretty well limits you to 308/328 series.http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=175886

You might find a 348 or possibly even a beater 355 for that money but you'd most likely wind up paying much more to keep it going or make it right.

More importantly, what cars do you like? If you don't like the 3x8 looks or performance you probably don't want to buy one.

Oh, and welcome to Fchat. Like was mentioned above the search button on the upper left side of the page will bring you a wealth of info on just about anything related to these cars.

 

Depends on the model. You probably won't find a new one for $60K.

If you want a two-seater, the 308 Quattrovalvole ('84-'85 especially) would be my first choice for <$60K. If you find a well-sorted car ($50K should get you a decent driver), you might get by with a $4K service every 3-5 years, and would want to have $10k left in the bank for things that happen.

Here's a good site to start perusing prices: http://emelbon.tripod.com/eugeniosferrariservice.html

You're wise to investigate this before plunging in.

 

Nice low mileage 348 for $46K at Bobileffs. He sold his two 328s in the mid $50K range.

http://www.bobileff.com/ferrari_frame.html

355 is buyable at $60K, but that's not a car you want to just squeeze into financially.

 

Welcome to FChat. For $60K IMO, I would look at a 328 GTS. It's a great Ferrari for that price range and the maintenance is reasonable $4K every 5 years. Have the car inspected every year with an oil change and you should be fine.

When you decide to purchase a new Ferrari, have it inspected by a Ferrari mechanic. Good luck.

 

My dealer has a 1995 348 spider for $57,900 that is in absolute TOP-NOTCH condition.


http://www.huntingridgemotors.com/cars.php?cat=ferrari&carid=1956&subcat=


It truly is a remarkable car in person. They've had the car for a while so you should be able to get a discount off that price.



Everything from the soft-top to the leather to the engine to the exhaust note is beautiful.


Also, since it's a '95, it has the slightly uprated engine (in terms of power)



EDIT: Just wanna say that I have no vested interest in their sale other than the fact I respect them.

 

IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU FILLED OUT YOUR PROFLE IT WOULD BE THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IF YOU ASK FOR HELP.

The 348 is an excellent choice(bias opinion)and the one suggested from Bavarian looks great.

 

$60K? Hmmmmm. Will you have half again that much available after you buy it? You, or someone reading may think thats a joke, but its not. Even if you do all your own mechanical work, the parts can add up over $10K so fast you wont be laughing. Have a shop work on it, and depending on how qualified that shop is, labor costs could spiral beyond all reason. And thats on a good car. I cant count how many people I have read of who have spent well in excess of half the cars original purchase price to get it the way they wanted.

Caveat Emptor.

 

I purchased my 328 for about 40K and had Dave Helms bring it up to speed for another 12K. I still am going to put on a Tubi and hyperflow cats and tires for another 5K. Don't get caught up without spare $ to make the car right or you will grumble about it.

 

WOW! That's a LOT of car for 57k! My money would buy this one.

BTW- Just performance wise, (looks are more subjective, obviously), there is no comparison for the $$ in a Ferrari. Big fun!
Go for it!

 

Try to buy a car that has not been sitting durng the past 12 to 24 months. It can be quite expensive to get a garage queen back into regular service. IMHO, the best cars are the ones that have been driven 2000 - 3000 miles per year for the past few years.

The best way to verify the mileage during the past 2 or 3 years, is to look at the sevice receipts. They almost always document the car's odometer at the time of service. Ferraris will typically be serviced at least once per year and, more typically, will have at least an oil change done twice per year. If the car you are buying has no service history paperwork with it, that would be a red flag to me and I would either factor that into the price or value an alternative car with service history more favorably.

Also, make sure you get all the extras that originally came with the car. Over the years, this stuff tends to disappear and it is either very expensive to buy later or impossible to find. Extra things can include: the specific tools that should be in the toolbag, the jack, the owners manual, warranty booklet, other manuals (like for the radio), all sets of keys and key fobs (3 of them on a 360 for instance), security codes for the car and radio, radio face cover, car cover, etc. If something is missing, find out what it typically costs (try searching on eBay), and use that as part of your price negotiation.

Another thing to do, is find a pristine example of the car model you are looking for. Take detailed pictures of the exterior, engine bay, interior, trunk, wheels, etc. Compare the cars you are thinking of buying with those pictures. You might discover some missing pieces, non-stock parts, or incorrect repair jobs.

So, try to get a car that has had a recent major service done, been driven some recently, and do yourself a favor and actually get a PPI. Too many people get too excited about buying the car they've found and skip the PPI. That is almost always a mistake. Even if everything works on a used Ferrari and it test drives well, there can be a lot of small things uncovered in the inspection by a qualified Ferrari mechanic. If nothing else, you'll know how much clutch life is left and have valuable documentation on each cylinder's compression at the time of your purchase. And anything the PPI turns up can be used to negotiate the final price - it is not unusual to split the difference with the seller on things the PPI says the car needs.

Good luck.