Devils Advocate

Here's one south of Denver...
1986 Ferrari 328 GTS Euro

 

This!

Just buy one, if it needs fixing then fix it...

FC is a great resource & these cars are simple and rewarding to work on. Dont be afraid to tackle the maintance & repair work yourself if needed...

You love it.

-Dave.

 

Last of the breed, the newest available now...

Lots of positive indicators, on the 1988.

Unless anyone here can post some "bad juju" about that particular VIN number.

 

This!

Just buy one, if it needs fixing then fix it...

FC is a great resource & these cars are simple and rewarding to work on. Dont be afraid to tackle the maintance & repair work yourself if needed...

You love it.

-Dave.

 

Having owned both a 308 and now a 328 - the 328 is Head and shoulders better car, better built and the ownership experience has been a comparative joy. my only issues so far have been a couple of electrical shorts, in the connectors under the dash, and a poor connecting protection relay and then then usual scrapes and dings you get.

For a Classic Ferrari... they are pretty reliable - you do have to drive them often and get them up to temp, and warm it through and through. But it will never be as reliable or easy to use as a modern car. - never.

you need to focus on preventative mtns, this forum is a great place, and find a mechanic who knows the cars well.

Depending on your Ferrari dealer, they may have the skills ( old timer mechanics on staff) who know the cars. In Atlanta we are fortunate to have FOA who has very competent mechanics and Ron Reineke who also knows the cars in and out.

as for things to watch:
1. belt change - when was it last done,
2. does it overheat? it should not as they really fixed these cars to stay cool in the hottest temps
3. Ger a compression test - all cyl should be with in 10% of each other. if that is the case you have a good car.

also check that its had all the recalls done = there was one for the gas hoses that should be paid attention to ... you don't want a 328 flambe - but most have been taken care of.

you will have to do suspension and fuel filters etc... but that is the norm. they take more regular care then a regular car of that same vintage. but they also give back some of the most rewarding driving ever.

best of luck.

 

Gee, those are all good questions being asked. All of us fools that own one of these things should have probably asked the same questions. But, that leads to more questions and who needs that.

 

And those who own two? Are they "double fools"? No case of "double trouble" here.
Agree with Brian: experience show that they are very reliable, provided you don't cheat on maintenance, BUT they remain two 27 year old cars...
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You might to want to change the fuel hoses, nothing last forever.

 

Tres Beau!!! je veux un GTB aussi!

 

Just sharing my experience. I have a '79 GTS, it had no service history and had been sitting mostly for twelve years. When I received it, it had a think layer of dust, the kind that makes a mud like compound when wet. It ran terribly but it was complete.

I replaced all the hoses, I do mean all. There is no way 30+ year older rubber hoses are going to be reliable or safe. The belts were replaced of course and I had an electronic ignition installed. Of course, I did a lot of cleaning too. I have also had the shocks rebuilt and I still need to replace the suspension bushings.

Today, I have a very reliable driver. It is a carb'd car and I have not had a single problem with it. It could use a repaint but I am not sure I will be the one to do that as I drive it as often as possible.

I do some work myself but also rely on one of the many competent independent Ferrari shops. They have been working on 308s since they first came on the market and know more than any dealer will ever know about these cars. The costs are lower too.

If you want a show car, then there are two options: buy the best you can find or buy a complete car and have it restored. They both will get you what you want. I would go the latter as you know the work completed and can feel confident in the car. At the same time, if you have all the service records etc or know the shop where the car has been worked on in the past you are in good shape.

 

Except restoring will cost double and he said he values originality. No reason in the world to restore a bad car when so many pristine original examples exist.

 

Always buy the best car you can possibly afford. It will always be cheaper than restoring a beater.

 

So you looking for a tailer queen but how can you enjoy the Car by polishing and parking ot at a concourse lot, i think you looking for an investment that way, these Cars if you dont drive them the are more problems than you think,I got 70K miles on mine and it runs and drives perfect,and look,s pristine you might get $20-30K more when you sell your car down the road but i had a lot more fun driving it over the years,DRIVE THE CAR the where made for driving.

 

To start with I think that is his business, not yours. Next, we bought a TR as he described over 15 years ago, we drive it as often as we can. We paid top dollar for a car with nearly no miles and it looks the same today as it did then and is worth considerably more.

Next, who said he isn't going to drive it? You make a lot of assumptions and your advice is totally without merit, logic or thought.

Even if he chooses to let it sit in the garage what right do you have to tell him otherwise or to assume he cannot enjoy it? Quit shoving your BS on everyone else.

 

Some people enjoy their car just by looking at it. Heck, every time I come home and open my garage door and see my 308 in there nice and park I always smile. My point is you don't have to drive a car to enjoy it.

 

Very true. I like restoration but it is certainly not for everyone.

 

What he said, no way I'd pay that for a 328.

 

I did the same thing with a 65 XKE and an 83 308 QV. I drove the XKE and the 308 as much as I wanted and could with 3 sports cars to choose from, the other car is my 69 TVR Vixen. The XKE looked like the day I bought it and definitly ran better when I sold it in 2013, 14 years later and was worth considerably more - way more now. 308 still looks like the day I bought it, maybe better if possible and worth way more, with 71K on it. I never worry about values like many here, but I also would not buy a 328 to show or any car for that matter. I like going to shows now and then, but I always have way more fun driving there and back, then at the show.

My cars usually look better than most. It's really about taking care of something, is it not. To me, not driving a car is a waste. Love sports cars and have loved Ferraris, but not driving them is so foreign a concept to me.

My advice is buy the best condition car you can, at a price you can afford. There are plenty of extremely nice 328s out there, some with high miles some low miles. Don't marry or worship an odometer. Anyway, enjoy the search and drive as many as you can, who knows maybe the shows will become secondary ;-)

Lastly, I work on my cars and although Ferrari parts can be crazy, overall I have to say the 308QV has been great. Just mait stuff and repaced rubber items, but it starts always, pulls to redline when I ask, and has driven like a new car because I did a complete refurb of the suspension when I bought it 13 years ago. Time will kill many things and rubber is one of those things.

 

Just a quick question, do you still have the 458. If so, then owning a 328 could be the best of both worlds. Older manual trans vs modern paddle shift.