Thoughts on this 328 GTB?

I too was looking at this same car. I bought a Carrera S in April of 2011 and this car was advertised then for 45K (on the market at least 4 month before that.) The description at that time also mentioned an engine rebuild by Norbert Hoffer (I still have the ad printed out.) That info has since been removed and should definitely be asked about. Two years on the market and a 5K price drop with no sale. I love this car and think it would be great as long as it checks out. PPI would be a must, and not by the mechanic that knows the car! If he comes down a little because the recent major?? is at least 2 years old, this should be a great buy. It has obviously been well taken care of and if I remember correctly only two owners from the carfax/autocheck.

 

http://www.ferraripage.com/index.php?content=detail&title=ZFFXA19A3G0065045&item_id=293

 

I love this car and would love to have it to match my 328 gts. But no way am
I paying 40k with a rebuild and 60k miles. I talked to the seller back when it was 45k and he said no way to coming off his price.

 

I spoke to the owner (luis?) a few months ago. He was a little vague and not too helpful. I also called the car's mechanic and actually had a real conversation with him. Basically it seems like a solid car. A bit higher on the miles, but no glaring issues. The biggest concern from the mechanic was some old, leftover wiring from some prior stereo mods. I over all liked the car, but for a few $$$$ I am getting a 355GTB with 1/2 the miles. It is a preference thing...

 

I over all liked the car, but for a few $$$$ I am getting a 355GTB with 1/2 the miles. It is a preference thing...[/QUOTE]

Interesting...same dilemna here in France: prices are almost merging now for the 355 and the 328; I would'nt be surprised if those of the 360 would near the bracket in about 18 months' time...(not wanting to derail the thread...)
By the way, I do like that black GTB...

Best

 

This car is very nice, but it has been for sale for a long time.

 

you find a 355 GTB with half the mile for $40K and watch me beat you to the cash register. I hate to say that it is a recurring wet dream.

 

Barring unforseen mishaps or mistreatment, I belive this car to be worth $40-45K.

I see your point from a collector's point-of-view. However, 60k miles is rarely the end of any well-kept car.

A 355 can harbor more unseen issues than the 328...watch out before buying an affordable 355. A 355 better have flawless records or it's a project contender.

 

I would get a PPI - compression check is a must... couple of things I saw (I have an 86 S in same color combo ) is the european spare tire? not sure if its a b thing, but mine has a full size tire, AC switches seem to be re oriented the wrong way? or maybe mine are? not sure how it can be a Platinum concours if its got the aftermarket shift knob? I would want the original along with all the documentation for the shows it's won.

with 60K miles I think its priced a bit above market - maybe $3-5K but if its got a fresh rebuild, and belts, water pump, valves, clutch etc... then well worth it.

The engine bay does look great - very clean.

when you drive the car - shifting from cold should be good, even in 2nd, torque should be strong and pull from a crawl to speed in 5th gear with no hesitation and stumbling....brakes are ok, not great. water temp no more than 95 on the hottest days, oil press. 78ish... oil temp warm around 200- 210 ish... cooler when moving. AC should be able to keep up when moving in warm humid conditions... not great in traffic or stop & go.

Lights should all work, windows smooth - slowish... if all that checks out - write the check. the 328 i beleive will be the next "dino" from the Enzo / Fiat era.

 

The car is gorgeous and if the compression check came back OK it should be worth $40k.

Maybe that it hasn't sold is more a comment on the high-mileage Ferrari market than anything specific to this car.

At least if the engine was recently rebuilt you assume the time before another rebuild is required has been lengthened from an original car with 60k miles.

 

Remember...depending on your state, you're going to have tax, licensing, insurance and shipping (unless you drive it home!) in addition to the price; i.e. a very possible 45-47K car, and don't forget about things you WILL have to attend to (hopefully, nothing major, though).

 

Great choice on models.

The reason that 328 GTBs have passed the 355 in price is twofold. One part is because they are so rare and the second is because they are much lower maintenance and reliable. It is commonly said that many consider the 328 to be the best V8 Ferrari has ever made. It is an evolution of a time tested and exemplary design while still being a car that is relatively low tech. It looks like a Ferrari should and well known, well maintained examples fetch high prices in short order.

That said, Bolex just picked up the best GTB on the market for a somewhat below market price, IMHO. The good cars are rare and get snapped up relatively quickly.

That said, if I were looking at a 328 GTB to send to someone like Paul Newman for complete redo (think $80k worth of work and mods), that '86 is what I would be looking at. For an original car, I would keep looking at wait for a great car at the market price - $60's - which would be much cheaper in the long term and sell for much higher when the time came.

The problem with the '86 car is that it is going to need some work according to all that have seen it and at the end of all of those bills, you will still have a car worth around $40k.

 

Yes, this is a funny thing. Several people here, me included, predicted this would happen (328/355 price overlap) at some point over the next several years. Frankly, part of what is driving the price down on 355 is the high cost of maintenance, which isn't found on the 360 so there may be more price support for that model.

This car has been on the market for a while (over a year AFAIK) which tells me it's priced a little too high.

-F

 

At least in Minnesota, it was $99 to register my car forever because it was old enough to be classified as a "collector" car (more than 20 years). No tax, no annual registration fee. Check to see if your state offers something similar.

 

Here in CA, as you might imagine, we get bent over the table...

 

That's a very nice looking car. If PPI shows it is mechanically sound, ignore the miles imo. Only a fool would pay more than a token amount more for a car with low miles that's in the same condition. Fortunately for you, as a buyer, there are plenty of fools out there.

My order of priority when looking at a car:

Price
Condition
Options
.
.
.
.
Miles

Any of the first 3 can outweigh some of the others (to a point), but miles just don't matter. If you have a showroom condition car with the options you want at a good price, put some electrical tape over the odometer, it doesn't influence how well the car drives or how good it looks in any way.

 

I would reverse 1 and 2...

 

Bob,

The market is what it is and denying reality is the foolish thing to do. Miles may not really matter to the experience of owning the car but the market puts a premium on a car with lower miles and a discount on a car with higher miles. That's jut the reality of the situation and to try to fight that reality is a constant swim upstream.

And with GTB's, there's not a lot to choose from. It's not typically possible to comparison shop because only one or two are on the market at any given time. If a GTB comes on the market and it fits your criteria, you will most likely have to buy that car or have to wait 6-10 months for another one to come on the market.

-F

 

+1 on the PPI on this one. With an engine rebuild (I would want to see the invoice on that one), definitely need an independent evaluation with both compression and leak down tests performed. Otherwise, the car looks pretty clean.

I wouldn't be that upset about the miles. 58K is not outrageous, just a little over 2,000/yr. I just turned 50K on my 86 GTS, and it just keeps running better the more I drive it. Plus, getting the car storage bubble, extra set of wheels (get pictures of them), car cover, etc., is worth a couple of bucks.

My suggestion -- if you are seriously interested in the car and can afford to spend in the $40K range for it, get on a plane and go see it. That's what I did when I bought mine from an F-Chatter in Arkansas. I flew down, checked the car out myself, and bought it and had it shipped back to NJ. It's worth a trip to see it with your own two eyes, even if you are having the PPI done. In fact, if you can arrange to have the PPI done while you are there, so much the better. Nothing like having the mechanic point things out to you while you are standing there.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. Hopefully, welcome to the club.

 

If you want a black B, better check it out. If all is well, write the man a check and drive away happy. We aren't talking about a lot of money here.

Dave

 

Then again, do the right thing and get an early carb GTB ;-) The following is an email excerpt from the former owner of my car (1977 308 GTB, crappy, suffocating U.S. air box removed, and accordingly, re-jetted two sizes up due to FAR more air) who now owns a 328 GTB:


Hey Scott, good to hear from you.

Yep, been laying low--not posting much these days on F-Chat--simply no time. My teaching role at the school has doubled, so all of a sudden I have no free time.
I haven't driven the 328 50 miles in the past month! I know, a terrible sin!

I did indeed have a notion to stiffin the 328's suspension, but it is fairly nicely damped as is, and the Houston roads suck so much, I may just leave it alone.

Glad to hear you've got the old girl breathing better. I do miss that awesome throttle response and intake growl.. The FI is nice and modern, but carbs still rule as far as feel as sound go!

How much fuel economy did you lose by the mods?

 

wow, what a beauty.......hope it works/worked out.....

newbie here......working on getting myself into one a 308 also

 

P.s. Here ya go ;-)

http://sanfranciscosportscars.com/1977-ferrari-308-gtb/

 

Not fighting the market, embracing it. Buy the high mileage car every time and let the suckers pay more for the odometer.