I've owned my 98 GTB QV since new. I've owned my 95 F355 spider for 7 summers now. Since I've had the 355 I've driven the 308 about 1000 miles, the 355 about 9000. I had an ignition problem with the 308, lost a bank. Turned out to be a carbon track in a distributor rotor. I had an ignition problem with the 355. Turned out to be a wire that had broken at the crimp to the connector. Also had to replace an MAF and an O2 sensor. About the same thing I had to do with my BMW Z4 when I owned it. Both cars are old. Both cars will have age related problem. Both car once sorted are reliable. Both cars provide very different driving experiences. The 355 is by far the better car to drive. The 308 GTB the better car to look at. If I had to sell, or wanted to sell one, the 355 would go. But there isn't anything out there I would replace it with. I've always felt that the real Ferrari generation ended with the 308. No offence, but starting with the 328 we entered the modern age with plastic body panels, cheap switches, driver aids and over burdening electronics, and it gets worse with every new model.
Thanks for sharing. Interesting that you would keep the 308 even though you’ve driven the 355 9 times as much!
Well, like I said, I've owned the 308 since it was new. It has 33k miles on it now and I am preserving it. There aren't many 1 owner, GTB QVs around, and except for a repaint of the front clip it's all original and unmolested. The 355 is just a better car for touring around. It's kind of like a BMW, it a lot of fun to drive and doesn't take a lot of effort. I think of the 355 more as just a sports car rather than a Ferrari.
Makes perfect sense. I missed the part about owning it from new. Very cool! I would keep the 308 too FWIW!
Such a diverse question in its core meaning. Because we are strictly working from a visual and drivability point, answering this could be a novel in writing. I own a very low mile 85 QV and it’s simplistic technology and lack of massive power makes it a drivers car. I equate it to beautiful woman in jeans and a baseball cap with a state college degree. The 355 on the other hand is very different. Yes it’s elegant, very well balanced and powerful for its power to weight ratio. Unique for its time? No. Many others that were and are similar of its time. It’s a stunning Stanford grad, three time divorcée..... that is a marriage councilor. In other words, great look at, interesting to know however don’t date it. It WILL argue a lot and leave you on the side of the road. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Can't believe I haven't contributed to this older thread... I have a 99,800 1983 308qv GTB. She's my first Ferrari. She found me. 70% of the mileage is mine as the 2nd owner. The 1st owner was local to me. Given her faults, she is wonderful to drive. We've had some incredible events, she & I. Everyone smiles when they see her. Not one hater. In the heat of summer, it can be uncomfortable to drive her in traffic. My 40,700 1995 355 Spyder manual is my second FCar. Again, she found me. 60% of the mileage is mine as the 4th owner. Originally a Cali car, she came to me from NY Of course her model has faults too. NOTHING puts a bigger smile on my face than running her to +8K while going under an overpass or through a tunnel. Open the bypass valve & let her exhale through the XOST exhaust & she sings. She has more than ample power. And not much beats the open air motoring experience. Folks absolutely smile at her and she's never had any hate. The petite wife can't comfortably reach the 308's pedals, so she doesn't drive it. But she's not adverse to jumping behind the wheel of the 355. And she likes it too. Both are due for their 5yr service. that doesn't make me smile. But it's worth it.
The only interesting thing about these bumped old threads for me is seeing what happened eventually...... OP - Still around, but no Ferraris yet (according to the profile) Another poster on the first page said he wanted a 355 but would never give up his 308......now he has a 355 and sold the 308 A third poster had a nice early Euro GTB, but now sold it and bought is similar vintage US car, wonder why?
Owned a 308 GTB. Drove a 355 Spider. I have to say that the 355 absolutely captured the feel of driving a 308, but updated and modernized it. The 355 did everything easier, faster and better. It sounded magnificent and still ranks as one of the neatest little sports cars I've ever driven. I think the newer modern Ferraris might have lost a little of the magic that the older cars have. The modern Ferrari is more like every other high end sports car, or maybe every other high end sports car has caught up to Ferrari. But there seems less that sets Ferrari apart. They are still lovely cars, but the 308 turned the world upside down when it came out. There was NOTHING else remotely like it and it has aged beautifully. The 355 was a wonderful echo.
So I just bought my first Ferrari back in July...a 328 GTS. My good friend just bought his first Ferrari a couple of weeks ago, an F355 cabriolet. With so many choices of F Cars in that $50,000-$70,000 range, it’s a tough choice. Both of us considered lower-priced 360s, 355s, 348s, 328s, 308s...I even thought about a nice Mondial. I helped him pick his up from service today. Is there a bad choice here? So many cars, so little time... Image Unavailable, Please Login
It was not an easy choice, but at the end an emotional one. I LOVE the 308/328 but really like the 348. I was thinking actually getting one as most Ferrari folks (and many others) dislike the car. Then a really good friend of mine, who shall stay unnamed (hint: he likes old cars including 911SC) sent me an evil message with a Ferrari newsletter attached. Thats how I found my car...took me one 20 minute run in the passenger seat with the Capristo stage III screaming to decide. I could not sleep or think about anything else but to figure out how to get (more importantly store) the car. Spent all my free minutes and hours on F-chat, googled things etc. I know that I cannot make any rational decision about this so I got the 355 spider. All rational people drive Toyotas... In all honesty If i could I would get a 308 or 328, maybe black or yellow as the two models are really so different - as many of you explained above. At the end I ma very happy, very minute in the car is an adventure. Given that it is a 95 I looked for the valve guides to be done, headers at least fixed (they were by Ricambi a few years back) and high mileage so I can drive a much as I feel like it. It will still likely be expensive to maintain, but frankly after several old Porsches (engine rebuild and many more) I am not expecting a Toyota or Honda maintenance experience.
