Considering 328 as first Ferrari | FerrariChat

Considering 328 as first Ferrari

Discussion in '308/328' started by balke_macho, Feb 21, 2008.

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  1. balke_macho

    balke_macho Rookie

    Feb 20, 2008
    15
    San Diego, CA
    Full Name:
    Blake M
    I recently turned 24 and am clearly having a quarter life crisis =). I made some money in the stock market (sadly wasn't millions by the time I could sell it), and I find myself wanting to fulfill a desire I've had since I can remember -- owning a Ferrari (for no other reason than that Ferrari music). It all started with me actually researching older cars from the 60s and 70s (thinking perhaps an MG, Alfa, etc) planning on doing some collecting and refreshing, but nothing was really singing to me. I came to the decision that if I was going to get something I better get something that I truly loved -- and that's when I came across the 328.

    A Ferrari that is classically styled, cheap to maintain (by Ferrari standards), and reasonably priced? Wow. So here I am with a few questions. First, I'm slightly worried I'll be somewhat disappointed with the performance. My daily driver is a BMW 335i that, at 0-60 in under 5 secs, is faster than anything need be on the street but it's nice to have that power available. I completely understand that we don't buy these cars for pure performance - I just think the worst feeling in the world would be dissatisfaction toward with this car. So, I wanted to hear some opinions on supercharging a 328. I realize it's probably considered sacrilege by some (most), but as a young guy I see little harm in enhancing a classic car with modern technology while trying to stay true to the original. What would something like that do a 328's resale value? I assume it would destroy it.

    Part of my allure (rather, "reasoning") to the 328 is in-fact how little it depreciates (seems it may even be appreciating or matching inflation). I personally like the styling of the 348 more (I remember them as a kid) but they are slightly more expensive to maintain and just don't seem to have a market like the 328 does. Is that assessment correct? I plan to drive both in the next week or so and see if I have a strong preference for one or the other.

    Most of the 328s I am finding are between $48k and $60k here in CA, with the 348s being slightly less given equal condition. Question regarding mileage. How does mileage factor into the price of a well maintained Ferrari? I am seeing some 328s that have a better documented service history with 50k miles going for more than those with a more poorly documented service history and only 20k miles. A 50k mile Ferrari seems high to me and scares me slightly even if it has been properly maintained. Is that fear rational? All feedback appreciated. Cheers.


    -Blake
     
  2. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

    Dec 8, 2004
    12,282
    South East
    Full Name:
    Jimmie
    No
     
  3. Neroqv

    Neroqv Rookie

    May 8, 2004
    2
    Yorba Linda, CA
    Full Name:
    Craig Griffin
    After lusting after 308/328 ferraris since they first started making them, my wife suprised me with a red 86 328 almost three years ago for my birthday. Given the deferred maintenence on many of these cars, I was pleasantly surprised when she bought me a good one. The car was being sold by the mechanic who had serviced it for the past ten or so years, and had about $30k worth of receipts to show for it. The car had 65k miles on it at the time, and cost her $36,500. It now has about 72k on it and is going strong. The car has caused me no major problems, and so far I have replaced a squeaky belt pulley and a worn emergency brake cable. I drive it pretty hard, and pull the engine to redline VERY often. My mechanic told me the engines are really pretty bulletproof so long as you warm them up properly and, of course, change the timing belts and associated bearings on time.

    The car does 0-60 in around six seconds, but it is not intended to be a drag car. My wife bought me a stainless steel exhaust system for it on my next birthday, and it really sounds fantastic. I LOVE to accellerate the car to redline in tunnels and overpasses, where it really sounds like a formula one racer. With a near flawless red paint job and tan interior, it draws lots of attention. The Ferrari is a visceral experience which transcends the usual benchmarks of performance. As you recognize, 328's are no longer depreciating, and are the best built and most reliable Ferraris. If you are a Ferrari nut, go for it. I doubt you will be disappointed.

    As for resale after supercharging, my advice is to enjoy your damn car the way you want without giving a thought to resale. I see so many threads about whether to buy a particular color to enhance resale, or whether to drive it less to keep the mileage down to keep resale value. Bleeeech! I will sell my car when I can no longer drive, so resale is NEVER in the back of my mind. If you want to supercharge it, by all means do it and tell me how it goes.
    Hope this helps.
     
  4. eulk328

    eulk328 F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2005
    2,800
    Full Name:
    F683
     
  5. Red 328 GTS

    Red 328 GTS Formula Junior

    Aug 27, 2007
    888
    Sydney, Australia
    Uhhhhh..... does she have a sister?

    I bought my 328 about 6 months ago. My wife has sat in it once and we went for a drive. Lasted 8 minutes until she whinged that it was uncomfortable, noisy and harsh. We turned around and went home. **** happens eh!
    Cheers,

    Bob.
     
  6. Kaivball

    Kaivball Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Jan 11, 2007
    35,997
    Kalifornia
    Ha ha, your and my wife must have gone to the same "school". I've had my 348 for one year now and she has ridden in it once and complained about it being uncomfortable and too loud.

    Now I take my 6 year old son all the time...
     
  7. Red 328 GTS

    Red 328 GTS Formula Junior

    Aug 27, 2007
    888
    Sydney, Australia
    I take my 15 year old daughter. I do get some funny looks............Bob.
     
  8. gt4me

    gt4me F1 Veteran

    Sep 10, 2005
    5,637
    UK
    Full Name:
    Lewis Mitchell
    I bought my 328 about 6 months ago. My wife has sat in it once and we went for a drive. Lasted 8 minutes until she whinged that it was uncomfortable, noisy and harsh. We turned around and went home. **** happens eh!
    Cheers,

    Bob.[/QUOTE]




    Ha,I have one of those too.Been in it once !
     
  9. spirot

    spirot F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2005
    14,500
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Tom Spiro
    As a first Ferrari I think the 328 is a perfect car. The look is timeless, and unless you go for a 355, I think its the best car for the money in the Ferrari market.

    Maintenance is hi on all cars, but 348's are a bit steep... as well as 355... but the 355 looks better so you can "justify" the cost.... but to me you dont have to do any of that if you have a 328... my car has been super reliable for the past 2 years, my 308 before that was terrible... so if you do buy, make sure you buy a well documented car, that has been serviced. no matter the miles that are on it... better to have high milage car that has been serviced right than low miles and no service.

    as for comparison to modern cars... it aint! so dont go there, still when you want to go fast it will go fast... its a true 150mph car, it may not do it in 6 seconds... but that is not the point. its tight, loud and the A/C does not work well... but it is fun to drive, looks like a million, and has the "true" Ferrari feel.... the newer cars just dont have that same feel... they are too easy to drive.

    My opinon.

    best of luck
    Tom
     
  10. Argento839

    Argento839 F1 Veteran

    Oct 21, 2005
    9,103
    Go for it!
     
  11. DMaury

    DMaury Formula 3

    Mar 27, 2007
    1,993
    Ponchatoula, LA

    I too have that same wife. ;)
     
  12. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jan 26, 2005
    22,350
    Indian Wells, California
    Full Name:
    Jon
    Well, I'm late to the thread. Maybe she's one of triplets.

    With regard to choosing the 328, in my biased opinion: yes, it's the sweet spot in the modern Ferrari line up. It looks right -- only the 355 rivals it among modern Ferraris, and compared to the swoops and curves of the 328 the 355 is a bit conservative. The 348 doesn't turn me off, because I was having my teen crisis when it was launched, but not everyone thinks all the grilles and slats were a styling coup. I would say that if you sit in an early 328 ('86-mid '88) and then a 348 you will discover that the 348 interior is a step down (plastic instead of leather on the console), and some rather gimmicky stuff going on on the doors. Then, I'd say the 328 wheels are Ferrari's best -- ever -- for a modern road car. Period. 348 wheels tend to get dumped even by hardcore 348 enthusiasts.

    Truth is, I was out last weekend in San Diego and stopped by Symbolic Motors (Lambo, Lotus, Bentley, etc.) There was a decent but well-used red 308, with the big U.S. bumpers, parked out front, and of all the cars I saw that day it was still that 308 that looked right.

    As far as performance, you can probably supercharge the engine, but I wouldn't.

    First, the rest of the car (gearbox, suspension, brakes, steering) was designed around a 270 bhp normally aspirated V8. There's a sense of balance to the whole package, and I think you'll be creating a bit of a monster if you don't revamp those '80s brakes at the very least. I hate to toss out the "driver's car" cliche, but it does apply to the 328. If you want to mash the acclerator at stoplights and impress people, a Corvette or Mustang is going to hold up better and suffer the abuse more cheaply.

    Second, yes you will hurt resale. The 328 just crossed the 20-year mark, so it's coming up on 'classic' status. A lot of future demand is going to be from guys who want to compete in concours events or want a 'throwback' car to the pre-airbag, pre-computer era. Originality is going to count for more.

    If you can swing a 328 as a first Ferrari, go for it. The 308 and 348 are less expensive, but IMO you get a nicely debugged (over 10 years) car with the 328, and resale is solid. Yes, the 348 is more expensive to maintain, and it has more things to go wrong.

    Definitely drive one before you decide. Mine's a 1987, but when you first settle into the car you can tell its bones are from the previous decade -- as they are, because it's the old tubular frame-style Ferrari, while the 348 is the roomier unit-body design. There is little power till you rev it past 4000rpm and beyond, so you won't be getting slammed against the seat, and Ferraris are very loud, so your car will sound better than anything else you've driven (makes the BMW sound like a Buick) but as posted above you'll get to 60 at 6 seconds, no sooner.

    Ultimately, I think you either embrace the 328 package for its style, balance, and quality relative to other Ferraris, or you buy a modern car because you want modern car performance. I drive an Audi TT every day, with the electronic driver aids, ABS, 18" tires, etc., and on a track it will be faster than my 328. But, when the TT is gone, I'm guessing I'll still have the 328.
     
  13. Dino944

    Dino944 Formula 3

    Aug 11, 2007
    1,598
    Rhode Island
    Full Name:
    Dino
    As others have mentioned these cars are not drag racers. If you are looking for a drag racer look for a used Viper coupe, tons of torque and will blow the doors off most other cars at a stoplight.

    Remember even the newest 328s are nearly 20 years old. Still I think its one of the most exciting vehicles to drive and is a lot of fun. I love the way it sounds and the way it feels. "My mechanic has said drive any other car 100 miles and then drive a Ferrari 100 miles. There is no comparison as no car makes a driver feel the way a Ferrari does." I would have to agree with him whole heartedly. You will notice the car is not as spacious as more modern Ferraris, but to me its like the automobile equivalent of putting on a suit of armour that fits snugly and has a lovely V8 engine.

    If the car does not deliver enough fun without supercharging, then its not the car for you. I would have to say if you went to sell the car in 2-3 years you'll have a difficult time selling it. I would imagine some people, myself included, would be thinking a supercharged 328 owned by someone in their mid 20's was probably drag raced from every stop light and may fall into the catagory of an abused car. So I would immediately look for 328 from someone else. So you would be better off from my perspective of buying a car who's performance makes you happy whether its a different Ferrari or a car from a completely different maker.

    Best regards,
    Dino
     
  14. mwr4440

    mwr4440 Five Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 8, 2007
    55,828
    Bavaria, The 'Other' Germany
    Full Name:
    Mark W.R.
    Blake,

    These guys said it right. I "PLUS 1" them all.

    And I own a 308, an even slower car, and would NEVER do anything (turbo, blower, etc.) to the car to "enhance" its performance.

    It is what it is and its going to stay that way.

    My 2-Cents.
     
  15. eulk328

    eulk328 F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2005
    2,800
    Full Name:
    F683

    That's B.S. Mark and you know it. I'm personally aware of the fact that you bypassed your rheostat to upgrade the instrument panel lighting from weak to almost useful.
     
  16. SMS

    SMS F1 Veteran

    Jan 7, 2004
    6,772
    Indy
    Full Name:
    Bill S.
    Norwood Perf does a lot of turbocharged 328s and says 328 head gaskets need to be replaced first so if you go down that road you might talk to them. It might not be a plug and play bolt on kit like on the 308.

    Welcome and best of luck. 328s are beautiful cars.


    I think NeroQV up there is fooling us. Just because he used his wife's 401K account to buy a car and parts does not really mean she bought it for him!
     
  17. rtking

    rtking Formula Junior

    Mar 5, 2006
    703
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    Bob King
    Blake - if there are no other constraints in your life (like buying a house first, which I recommend in the near future as prices and interest rates fall), then having a 328 is hard beat. The 328 is the best of the 308/328 series, values are increasing and, with a 328, most of the bugs have been worked out. The most important question to ask is how well maintained the vehicle has been.

    Don't buy a machine that will put you in the poor house (because it will if you're not careful and haven't hda a PPI done as part of your due diligence.) Buy the best example you can afford and enjoy it.

    Good luck!

    Bob
     
  18. hardtop

    hardtop F1 World Champ

    Jan 31, 2002
    11,285
    Colorado
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Blake,
    I think you are either going to like the way 328's drive as is, or you won't and a super or turbo charger won't really change how much you like it. Some cars just "work". Everything seems in balance and the 328 is one of those. For lack of a better word, they are "graceful" cars to drive and that is the appeal. IMO, a bunch of extra power would destroy the grace. Your 335i will out accelerate, out handle and out brake 328's but feels downright numb in comparison. I had a 99 M3 for a while that blows the doors off 328's but when it was time to go for a joy ride on a twisty road, the 328 ALWAYS got the call. I also have a 430 but in some ways enjoy the 328 more.

    Dave
     
  19. italia16

    italia16 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 28, 2004
    327
    I love driving the 328, some say like a go cart, but it is not a luxury sports car of today's standards, like your BMW may be. It is loud, which I love that engine sound as Enzo intended, and demands your attention to drive. It is harder to drive since there is no power steering and the air conditioning is not very good so you get hot. But, it is like a classic WWII fighter plane, where you strapped in, took it through its paces and had to work hard to stay in front of the machine because everything is not automated like today. You had great fun but worked for it. That is the best satifaction of all -- no auto this and auto that, you controlled it yourself.

    It puts a smile on my face every time. Go for the 328 but don't expect too much, it has technology from 20 years ago. But it is a beautiful car and a great starter Ferrari.
     
  20. balke_macho

    balke_macho Rookie

    Feb 20, 2008
    15
    San Diego, CA
    Full Name:
    Blake M
    Just wanted to say thanks for all feedback! I love the passion!

    Regarding the supercharger (while I would do it right), I don't want to kill the re-sale and I don't want to muck-up an already perfectly balanced machine. So thanks for your thoughts on that. I agree that it's either going to do what I want or it's not the car for me.

    As many of you pointed out if I wanted a drag racer I could get a new X or Y, but clearly that's not what I'm looking for. There is no other car I would rather spend five figures on. I already have my BMW and I have found it lacks a visceral man-and-machine experience that I believe is the defining characteristic of Ferrari. I soon hope to find out. =)

    I'm going to try and make it to the upcoming Sunday CVR event out to check out Lee's 328 (http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/showproduct.php?product=890&cat=2). It's nice to be able to read up on someone's fchat posts in addition to service records to know what's going on =).


    -Blake
     
  21. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    The last of the 328s, with ABS wheels are pretty well developed cars.

    I was chatting with a Houston FCA memeber last night that is thinking of selling his well cared for example in rare "Prugna" (plum purple metallic)....

    Now I wouldn't trade my loud, smokey NON CAT 1976 308GTB for one, but if that color lights your fire it's a perfect car.
    No idea what he wants for it....

    I do need to find that darn oil leak...pretty embarressing to see the smoke when I stop rolling...LOL!
     
  22. balke_macho

    balke_macho Rookie

    Feb 20, 2008
    15
    San Diego, CA
    Full Name:
    Blake M
    It's not. I'd have to say I prefer the car in red (which is great cause most seem to be) and black.

    Quick off-topic question: Which forum subscription gets me into the Business & Investments forum? Either (silver or rossa)? Thanks!


    -Blake
     
  23. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    I agree red/black or the ever popular red/tan is good...

    I have yellow/black
    blue/cream
    red/black
     
  24. KKRace

    KKRace Formula 3

    Aug 6, 2007
    1,052
    Rockville/Olney MD
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    What you are buying is a piece of automobile history and a very nice driver even by todays standards. It will turn many heads and start many conversations. If you want something to dog on buy a Z06 or a Viper. No regrets buying my 328GTS. I have track cars to beat on and risk wrecking.
     
  25. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jan 26, 2005
    22,350
    Indian Wells, California
    Full Name:
    Jon
    #25 Bullfighter, Feb 21, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Silver should do the trick. Rossa is for the filthy rich who have $50 cash on hand.

    Black/tan or black met/tan is faster and better looking. ;)

    But, red/tan will offer you the most choice in cars. (I'm guessing more than 80 percent of 328s are red.)
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