Every single Ferrari ever made has a MAJOR issue!!!

You're not supposed to keep newer cars beyond the warranty period.

 

I have had a 2008 BMW 550 for last 5 years. Great car to drive (mine is stick which is a little rare). Doesn't break often but it does or needs heavy maintanence, it's stupid expensive.

Examples:

Clutch and flywheel $4500.
Brakes and rotors $4300.
It a $grand+ to fix anything small.

Both at the dealership and trusty indie.

It's very compatible to my 360.
It doesn't need much, but when it does the check book runs for cover.

 

LOL. BMW Engines Are Gigantic Pieces Of ****

 

The problems are even worse then the link you posted. Let's not get into the electronics. Enough to drive a guy like me into real estate like everybody else.

 

Exactly. $60k disposable items. Genius because most people buy into the game and can't get out.

 

Think of car companies as leasing businesses who manufacture thier own products. You are forever renting a car. It's gross. You don't own a car. The car owns you.

 

A carburetor, mechanical fuel bump, battery ignition. There, easy fix and cheap!!! lol.

 

I was in a Toyota Prius taxi that had almost 400,000 miles on it with no re-build. Think of the abuse that thing has seen. The driver told me that it was presently running 24/7 as one driver hops out and another hops in.

 

IMO, the 328, and 3.2 Mondial (pre-ABS) are just about perfect.


Rigid steel tube frame, with Aluminum bonnets.

Transverse engine mount for engine-in belt service.

Simple, reliable, mechanical fuel injection.

Electronic ignition with distributors.

Unassisted rack and pinion steering.

Manual gearbox.

Cable operated throttle.

Twin fan radiator.

Oil cooler with fan.

Simple vacuum assist disc brakes.


NO MAJOR ISSUES !

 

Agree. Perhaps the best cars Ferrari has ever built. Just a solid machine except for the electrics

 

I owned an '87 328 and most of what you state is correct; except for one thing...

If you let this car sit for a while, you will be sorry. All of the rubber bushings (etc) will go bad and replacement / repairs will cost thousands. That is what happened to me, after I bought one that had been sitting for months. However, if you drive them on a consistent basis, they are incredibly reliable. I drove mine a lot and never had a repeat of this issue.

 

That goes towards any car ever built.

 

I've seen the burned fuse box, and this on other models as well. However, mine has been working going on 30 years now.

I do a little PM there. Pull the white plastic block connectors off. Look for the female connectors that have a gap. Bend those connectors back, so they are tight. Then apply contact cleaner to both the male and female connectors. Preferably contact cleaner that leaves a light weight machine oil residue. This helps stop corrosion.

I think what happens is that those female connectors become loose, increasing resistance in that connection. The connection then overheats, damaging the circuit board.

So if you pick up an 80's model Ferrari. That's probably one of the things to check out.

Of course also when cars get 30+ years old, all the rubber parts are going to be worn out. Bushings, belts, hoses, o rings, etc.

And I agree fully, that letting the cars sit unused is one of the worst things to do, and will cause problems.

 

That is why buying a very low mileage Ferrari that has been sitting is not always the best one!

 

My 1983 400i had the fuse box problem and the fix was exactly as you say (although I didn't DIY) and the problem was solved. Actually over 15 years and 15K miles driven by me, that was the only "typical" problem encountered, all the rest was just normal maintenance on wear and tear items. Some of the things that attracted me to the car in the first place were (1.) no computers, (2.) reliable and easy to maintain Bosch fuel injection, and (3.) timing chain instead of belts. The car was rock solid.

So true. We have had many new Mercedes and all of the newer ones convinced me that I never wanted to own them without a warranty.

If you want a car that is economical to maintain and is almost guaranteed to last 200K+ miles, go Japanese. We have had phenomenal experiences with Toyota, Acura and Lexus as daily drivers where we don't need to worry about the surprise $1K+ maintenance item popping up. Not as much soul as my e39 BMW that I still use as a DD or other high performance cars but they get the job done. Even my daughter's Ford Escape has Japanese origins (Mazda).