My two cents and maybe you want change: I remember roughly one year ago when I bought my 328. The idea of owning a Ferrari was a little intimidating and I don't know why, so I learned to get all the personal stuff out of my head and pull the trigger. You can be anxious about service and repairs but just expect to cover somewhere around 7-15k above whatever the purchase price is and bring the car up to speed. Even if you pay top dollar (because you can verify what was done during your tenure but who knows about the rest). Every other emotion or feeling only mucks up the waters. I had emailed the previous owner until he got frustrated with me (sorry , and when he finally said that it was about me I knew I was just being a baby. Truth be told, I think you can get a vibe from a car and when you feel it you will know. Its not like picking a mistress, she wont get jealous if you sleep somewhere else (the chairs don't even go all they back). I have talked to boat owners and I have noticed that we share the same sense of achievement but with a huge difference in experience based on our mutual purchases. Most boat owners have told me that the two happiest days of ownership are the day they bought the boat and the day they sold the boat. I have spoken to at least a dozen former ferrari owners, they have said the worst decision they made was not keeping the car. Lastly, while I have never met Bullfighter his post are probably the smartest in town.
Well today the sale was consumated with a deposit and the car is on its way for a complete major service. I am so excited I cant stand it. Thank you all for your advice and encouragement. A good omen, buying a 328 on 3/28. Doug
Congratulations! These are phenomenal cars. Very evolved design, and unlike any experience you could get from a modern car. My 328--as is the case for many folks here--is a keeper for life!
I have never heard anyone say they were happy getting rid of a 328. Perfect choice for someone who truely appreciates everything an F car should be.
Well at last the car was ready and was picked up on Wednesday I have no experience here so I am asking for comments. On each driving day from a cold start the car would start up perfectly and idle O.K. After what I was told was too short a period warming up, the car would hesitate, run rough, miss and struggle until rpm's were brought up. After a couple of miles the car would run better and better. Still somewhat rough on take off but a marked improvement and eventually was fine as everything warmed up. Is this typical of a 328 or any Ferrari ? Doug
That hasn't been my experience in nearly 7 years of ownership. It always starts right up, but never runs rough when cold. There is a big difference in how it drives when it's warm, but that has more to do with the driveline than the engine. Mine does not hesitate, run rough, or miss.
I have an 86, and I think I know what you are talking about, the check valve will "cut" accleration some time when the engine is cold, and its very noticable when its warm out... 70+ F... I think the FI is just compensating, and it evens out in 4-5 min...sometimes faster when you are driving above 3K RPM... this I would consider normal. once the temp guage starts to move it shoudl ldle smooth, and no hesitation or clicking of relays... My old 308 used to do that all the time till it was warm... 5-10 min... I normally start the car and let it cycle off fast idle before driving away... its much smoother that way. I dont know the technical reasons I think it has something to do with the thermo time strip and cold start injectors... I would not be worried. I find the warm up idle goes in loops when its hot out... in Atlanta 80+F... for the first couple min after being started, then settle into smooth idle... I would sumise its a Bosch thing. when its cold out the cold idle will stay on for much longer ... seems to run better then as well.
I forgot to finish the story. A thorough cleaning of the fuel distributor and a sensor. 328 runs perfect. Doug