Drove My First 328 Today

Hi gang,

Well... I test-drove my first 328 today and here are some of my thoughts: First of all, it is REALLY difficult to get the feel of a car in one approx 10 minute test-drive; I did it through a dealer in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Secondly, though it's been ten years-or-so since I drove a QV, it almost seemed that the QV had more "kick" to it, though I know this couldn't/shouldn't be the case. Granted, I was not putting the hammer down on the 328 like I did with the QV. But, as I recall, the QV seemed equal it other areas, as well--breaks, handling,etc. Overall, as you fellas have pointed out, these cars are slow by today's standards, and I have been a bit spoiled within the last couple of years, having spent rather extensive time behind the wheel of a Dinan-modified M-Roadster, a 2002 M-3, and, most importantly, A Maserati Cambio Corsa. Obviously, ALL of those a far better performers than the 328, especially the Maserati.

Performance aside, the car is obviously damn beautiful, sounds great, though, again, not as cool as I remember the QV sounding (could be after market exhaust on the QV? or simply poor recollection), and DAMN! It's a FERRARI! The car has 42K miles on it (verified by service records) and is what I would call a VERY nice driver. I likely could've gotten out the door with it for 40K plus tax, etc. BUT it would need a major; I may have been able to haggle the price a bit on this account. Also, the dealership obvioulsy does not deal extensively with Ferraris because I knew WAY more than any of the sales staff did (Thanks in large part to you fine gents on this site). So... I have some heavy thinking to do. I've now driven an 85 QV (as mentioned, many moons ago), a 2-valve FI car, and now a 328. The only thing left for me is a carb car, which I'd really like to do becuase I have a very strong suspicion that the more raucous and raw a Ferrari is, the more I'm going to like it.

Well...thanks for reading, and I'll look forward to any insights/opinions from you boys

My best to all,

Scott

 

Hey Scott,

As a 328 owner I'm obviously biased. Given that, I think that $40K even with a major due, if the rest of the car is good, is a great price. Not taking anything away from 308's (super cars), but Ferrari applied its lessons learned to the 328 so it has a lot of those upgrades and corrections which translate into reliability. It may not be as raw sounding as a carbed 308 but you can toss an aftermarket exhaust on it and improve the acoustics. And if numbers translate into retained value, there are far more 308s than 328s. I went through your decisionmaking thread myself a few years ago and do not regret the 328 decision one bit. Good luck.

 

I have a carbed 308 and nothing that I have driven sounds the same.

 

Quattros of any model sound incredible and a non-QV - at least to me - sounds almost sickly in comparison. An aftermarket exhaust will make a big difference - in the words of Valentino Rossi - fordsure. Was it the black 88 or red 87? (or is there another on the lot now?)

 

What's the color, year, S/N, etc.? Where was the car serviced, when was the last major service?

 

Hi there Scott. Glad to hear you're still looking for a Ferrari. Sounds like you have found a winner, and at a good price, too. As someone else stated, the 328 has lots of good upgrades that the factory learned along the way. I'm biased, too, but I did go for a 328 for good reason. Has the car always been in California so there is no rust? And, yes, the car isn't as fast as several other cars I have owned, but none has made me smile as much as the 328. It's the ultimate civilized go-cart. I'm never selling it. Let's see some photos when you get it. -Steve

 

I would go from my 328 to my daily 01 M3 and if i was not paying attetion I would initially hit the brake or gas peddle much too hard and look like someone who cant drive a manual. The M3 is in a different league and a "perfect" car. I solved the problem and kept the 328 and sold the M3 for a SUV. I really cant explain it but the 328 is a unique experience of sounds,smells and feel that are just not part of any modern car including new Ferrari's.

 

If you get in a 308/328 looking for overall acceleration and performance it won't be the car for you.

If something about the car just keeps calling to you and you can't get it out of your head then you "get it" and you should get one.

Opened my garage door today after a six week trip and my heart skipped a beat as i set eyes on my 308.

 

What he said.

$40K is a great price, assuming compression numbers are in the right range. They all need majors every 3-5 years anyway, so you can pay on the way in, pay on the way out, or just keep the car and enjoy it.

The 328's lighter and packs more punch than the 308s, but in either case a 10-minute drive and low revs isn't going to tell you much.

 

Kinda like a puppy!? Stewart is right though, 30/3288 cars can and will be (easily) passed by a "soccer mom school bus" or a "yuppie" beemer sedan but they can never be equalled in the looks dept.! This is the one of those rare instances when one should listen to his/her heart and not with his/her brain!

 

If everything checks out go for it for $40k.

 

You owe it to yourself to at least drive a carbed 308. Of course I'd recommend a GT4 if you can find one, or a GTB. If you like the raw Ferrari feeling, either of these will do it for you. Especially the GT4, you'll be pleasantly suprised!

Cheers!

 

When I drove a 328 in a test drive, I got out and told the salesman that other than getting in and out of it, it seemed extremely familiar to my Mondial 3.2. I however, did not push the car. That said, I enjoyed the outward visibility of the Mondial.

 

I went from a 328 to a Euro 308 QV. For me, the choice boiled down to styling. I listened to folks and bought a 328 because it was supposedly more reliable. However, I believe that the reliability is fairly close between the two models. As many has pointed out, the performance is not the high priority in picking these cars. Having said this, the 328 and Euro 308 QV are very close in performance from my experience, although my Euro QV seems to rev quicker and thrives more in higher revs. This may be because of the different Euro cams and smaller cylinders. Going back to the styling, the Euro 308 to me is a better- and purer-looking car. In the end, 308 styling i.e. emotional aspect won out over the 328 reliability, etc.

 

Hi fellas (and a special hello to Steve in AZ!),

Thanks for all the great replies. Yes...this is the red car; the black one has already sold. I'm actually going drive a carb car tomorrow. My...what a busy boy! I really do think part of the issue today was, perhaps, not getting high enough into the rev range, though I did do a number of downshifts to get the revs up into a more "happy place." Again, a 10 minute drive and the semi-crowded I-5 freeway is probably not the best way to judge one of Enzo's children. If I do decide to go for the car, I will definitely PPI it and that will hopefully give me an idea of not only what needs to be done, but also some potential negotiating leverage with the seller -- it's a consignment car. It's also possible, I guess, that the car is not running perfectly but, of course, a PPI would point that out. I will write more tomorrow after the carb car test drive Thanks again for all the insights and advice.

My best,

Scott

 

Scott, can you post some pictures of your 328?

 

Euro 308s are cool cars, but worthless in California (where the OP lives) unless modified to meet our smog laws. An FChat'er recently bought and immediately turned around and sold one he tried to bring into the state.

Same goes for Euro 328s, which would probably be the ultimate 3x8 -- if they were legal.

I ended up going 328 for the styling, reliability and performance. If Euro 308s were legal here, I might have considered it -- the aluminum grille and deep spoiler make it a pretty close match to the 328, and the smaller black rubber bumpers are less objectionable.

 

Hi fellas,

Gettin' late here in Kalifornia. Mike...and others...here is the link to the car I drove: http://www.jstarmotorssjc.com/detail-1987-ferrari-328-gts-2494125.html

Cordially,

Scott

 

Thanks Scott, I like it alot, looks really clean. Yes you got a winner there, congrats and enjoy

 

As I understand it, the later QVs did have many of the "reliability" upgrades of the early 328s in the engine, and improved cooling. So it might be a matter of personal taste. For me, I preferred the 328s interior, so I went the extra for an early 88 (I specifically *didn't* want an early ABS). I've never regretted getting a 328.

Everyone talks about how the ricers will pass it -- But not in a turn. Corners are where the 328 shows off.
(Yes, I know the test track numbers, but I have a 328 and an EVO, and even with the fatter tires on the EVO, I prefer the 328 in corners. (But I'm an old RWD guy from way back))

But as for buying one that needs a major: I prefer that approach. Someone selling a car is likely to skimp on the major. Have it done by your own mechanic, and you know it's been done right. Never skimp on a major on an Italian car.

The thoroughness of the service determines the reliability of an Italian car. I drove Alfas as daily drivers for ten years, and drove my 328 as a daily for a couple of years, with no more issues than I had from a Toyota or Mitsu. The trick is to get all the little things fixed at the major, rather than waiting for them to strand you at the side of the road.

The first service is likely to be higher, when your mechanic isn't familiar with the car. He has to go looking for the things that haven't been serviced lately.

You *do* have your service lined up first, right?

There's no point shopping for an Italian car unless you know you can get it serviced. And the local wrench may know of a car he's already familiar with that's going to go onto the market. (Maybe because the owner just had a "just serviced" type of service. )

 

Ok Scott, I'll jump in and make some comments.

I went thru the same thing about 12 to 18 months ago and ended up with a QV because it was the right car for me at the time. I love my little car.

HOWEVER, I'm a bit concerned with your test driven 328. I drove a 75 GT4 (carb'd car), 1983 QV, 1986 328 and finally the 1984 QV I owned. The 328 was the most dissappointing car during my test drives. The carb'd car flat out RAN, they have the "true" rated 230 (?) horse power. The QV was nice, and my 1984 QV was ok but performed MUCH BETTER after I changed the plugs and wires, it now runs out good.

The 328 I drove is now owned by an FChatter, and he enjoys the car, but it didnt seem to have the umph that the other cars did. I do believe he got a PPI and compression test, didnt seem that bad, but it wasnt top of the scale if I remember.

I have since driven Sherpa's 328. FREAKING HOLY COW!!! Now, the QV has a rated 230 hp, and the 328 270hp. You can FEEL the difference even at altitude between Sherpa's 328 and my 308. THATS how a Ferrari should drive. Now I love my QV, but that 328 is just WOW! FYI, I posted my compression numbers here on FChat (remembering that compression #s can be affected by alot of things including altitude) so my car has good compression.

The reason I'm saying all this is because I suspect you need to get a compression check done on the one you're looking at. The difference between a true "good" 328, in my experience, and a 308 can be felt during a test drive.

I agree with Jon on the compression numbers, but please dont get "wow'd" by the low price and "Ferrari Red" color. Test drive as many as you can and buy the best car you can.

James in Denver

EDIT: Here are threads about my experiences test driving a GT4, 328, and QV:

Test drive report of GT4 (begin post 45): http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115132&highlight=test+drive&page=3

Test drive report 328: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123235&highlight=test+drive

Questions about the 83 QV I drove: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151497&highlight=test+drive

Compression test of my 84 QV: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=157009&highlight=compression

Compression results of the 328 I drove: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=125395&highlight=compression

 

I'm impressed by the engine bay. The interior looks 'honest' for the mileage.

Per JamesInDenver's comment, a 328 should feel 'perkier' than a 308 given the lighter weight and additional horsies, so I agree you may want to drive other 328s to get a better benchmark.

 

The car looks nice from the pictures, no real obvious problems, but you can't tell very much from pictures. Looks like the paint has the typical swirl marks as seen in the picture of the Ferrari script. also the car had recently been driven for at least 10 -15 minutes or at least sat idling for at least that amount of time as evident buy the high water temp and oil temp guage readings. If a PPI checks out then it sounds like a good deal. Remember that most of the power comes in the upper RPM range. Anything below 3,000 -3,500 rpm's is just idling around, get it north of 4,000 and watch the fun begin. My car put me back in my seat and the rear end squats down on fast acceleration above 4,000 rpms.

 

I aggree. I've put about 50 miles on my 328 since I had new rings and cylinder heads installed. I suspect my compression numbers must have been down before. It runs much better now , and I was satisfied with the performance before. I guess I didn't know what I was missing.

 

Lots of variables in old cars... we all tend to cite old magazine test numbers, bhp stats, etc. The truth is determined by what's sitting in your engine bay now.