Hi! I really love the 308. Magnum, yes, but if that show never went on TV I still think it's the most beautiful car ever. I liked the Testarossa as a kid but that thing looks ridiculous to me now. The 308 is art. The 512BB is also gorgeous (too expensive) and the 288 GTO...I wish! For some reason the 328 bums be out, I don't know why... Here's my questions: - I haven't sat in one as an adult and am now 6'3". I was in a room with Tom Selleck once and he was a little taller than me, but I wonder if this is a bad height for the car? I also love the Pantera but you need to be like 5'8" to drive that thing. - I want to have one that I drive and kind of get nutty with. Since there's a big premium on original paint/condition/low miles do you think it is better to get a more "used" car and fix it up to specs, or is that just such an insane headache it's not worth it? I'm leaning towards a car that's been repainted already just so I don't have to treat it like a museum piece all the time-- but I don't want one that's been in an accident or totally neglected that everything is shot. - GTB/GTS - does anyone have buyer's remorse either way on this? I think of GTS because of my height, but the GTB looks better. I wouldn't turn down either one but just curious about preferences. - I am 35 and really know nothing about fixing cars. In fact, I only owned one car for about a 4 year period. I changed the entire headlight one that, which involved removing the bumper, but it was not exactly super technical. Is there any chance to learn about this stuff in person anywhere? Are there any local clubs of guys who help work on each others cars? People point to Youtube videos for tutorials, but I don't think I'd trust my car, let alone my life, to that kind of instruction. Thanks so much!
There's threads about being 6 ft 3 in and there's threads about buying and maintaining a 308 (such as the stickies at the top) Spend some time looking thro them for starters
Welcome Dave! 6’3” is not tall for the 308 and 308 in general are pretty straight forward it’s just some of the parts are either expensive or hard to find and which I know some are Unobtainable. There are also lots of books and manuals for the 308s and if trouble got in the way, there’s also lots of experts/gurus here that will assist you. If you have a 308 that’s well maintained and sorted out all the gremlins, 308 can be a daily driver.
308 excellent car OP is correct also Ferrari is big learning curve even with 308 / 328 but very interesting Ferrari engineering and history for me Ferrari in blood i have enjoy replacing parts rebuild suspension AC and much more but expensive 308 / 328 most reasonable money for maintenance over life mine i have 20 years 100 k miles even when car you buy is good shape much will need done from age / year 76-85 send picture when you find
+1 regarding reading what has already been written on your topics. The search function is your friend. You'll read that it is specific to individuals. It relates to legs and torso proportions. You need to sit in one to see how it fits. Counterintuitively, you may have to slide the seat forward a bit to allow you to tip the seat back more a bit. You'll discover that it is more about what is available and whether that is acceptable to you or not. The age old adage "buy the best car you can afford" really apply to these cars though. "What you can afford" is always a squishy thing. There are some of us who are passionate top down drivers; there are others who hate convertibles. Its a choice only you can make. It comes to motivation to learn and the level of patience you have. Tinkering with cars is not for everyone.
Welcome! I also wanted a car I could drive without worry (both from mileage and reliability standpoints). I bought an 85 QV GTS with 65K miles a year ago and am loving it. The paint far is from perfect but looks great from 5-10 feet. I echo the sentiment about buying the best car you can afford. It's true that there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Ferrari. As far as the odometer is concerned, I think 50K is a sweet spot for "honest" miles. Below that and there's a decent chance the miles may not be accurate anyway (it's super easy to disconnect the cable). There's somewhat of a consensus that these engines probably need rebuilding at about 100K miles, so give yourself some room to enjoy. Be patient and study the market, but be ready if/when a great car presents itself. A PPI by a knowledgeable Ferrari mechanic is a must. Man, can you get in trouble quickly if you skip that! Buy a car that you can enjoy from day 1. If you've never worked on cars before, it's probably best that you don't start on a Ferrari, but no reason you can't do regular maintenance like oil changes. Have fun!
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/a12138971/ferrari-308-gtb-harrys-garage/ Harry is fairly tall ,looks to be no problem.
I did already read forum posts on this topic, but wanted more data points in addition to the other questions. Someone at one point said that GTS was dangerous for tall drivers. I see some photos of guys sitting above the window line and wondering if that was ever an issue with people (scared of impact or having bad visibility). I'm just going to keep combing through ad listings and when one looks right, I'll circle back with you all and hopefully you can either talk me in or out of it! This is such a useful forum, I can't imagine even attempting this kind of a thing without it. Thanks!!
I don’t know if your response is one of annoyance or sincerity but you would be doing him a favor by just responding to his questions instead of telling him to do a search.....telling him to do a search is a bit condescending to him and annoying for the rest of us
I’ve been driving mt Right Hand Drive GTB all around Northern Arizona and would not trade it for the world. I just love the GTB.
I tend to agree. In a hundred years who is going to care? I have run two cars well over 200K miles in my lifetime with normal maintenance. Why would the Ferrari be any different? If anything it's build characteristics seem much more solid than the Jap or Kraut cars I ran to those mileages. I had the top end on my Harley done at 135K miles, under duress : - ). My 308 is at 50K miles right now.
I took mine apart at 60,000 miles because of a head gasket leak. The valve guides were to the point of "while I'm in there" but could have been left alone. The bottom end doesn't appear to need anything. But there seems to be a trend, or prevalence to overdo things when the motor comes out and I think for a car like this it's pretty normal. Ferrari's are probably, more than any other make, thought of as mechanical art just as much as engineering so fiddling or fussing over them is just as much a part of the ownership thing as driving them. At least for me it is. I don't think Porsche guys really get it but I feel a deep satisfaction when I lay a wrench on my 308. It's one of the main reasons I bought one.
The size thing tends to vary from person to person. I found a gtb q.v. which I fell in love with and drove 6hours to go see and planned to buy but when I got there I found I couldn’t fit in it I had to bend my neck to sit in it no matter how I positioned the seat. It does tend to vary from person to person so don’t assume you wont fit the best thing to do is make sure you try for yourself. There are also some modifications that can be made like steering wheel spacers and most fing seats. I fit alright in the gtsi with the top off but then the concern became me driving it with the top on or stowed behind the seat which limits interior space.
