1986 Testarossa?

Hi All,
Since the 308 is now gone and sold, I was starting to look at more cars that I thought were out of reach. Then I came across a 1986 Testarossa in Portland with 45k miles. http://www.nwicars.com/08087a.htm
Anything I should look for in a TR? Would I be able to use it as a DD? Are there specific issues I should look out for in particular years?
Thanks.

 

I was looking at a 308, and someone else snatched it up...

 

Can work you a great Deal on this car...or give me your wish list and I can find something for you...

http://www.catsexotics.com/web/1317/vehicle/221864/1983-Ferrari-308-QV
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I wouldn't recommend nwi cars. PM me.

 

Be wary of nwic. That is a way mile car and TR's need big service. Have cats Roy and kevin find you one. You will not be disappointed

 

That is right! RUN LIKE HE$% from NWIC! VERY VERY VERY BAD local rep!

 

PM RSKDSK. He traded that TR for a 348 Spider from them last fall. If you search his name, he actually has a number of posts about that car.

Good luck.

 

Kevin,

Are you seeking a well sorted TR or just getting your foot in the door of any model?

 

Well, there's a laundry list...
1. A car I loved as a kid, in order of preference TR/328/308, although 348 would do just as well. Like this one: http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/ctd/1130278759.html
2. Usable as a daily driver in Seattle. It will be my only car, is this an insane idea? If I had a TR, why wouldn't I want to drive it everyday?
3. Somewhat reliable.
4. Somewhere around $15k to $20k more than I can sell a 1999 996C4 for. So we're looking at low to mid $40k? Of course I'd want to pay more for a TR or 328 than a 308.

I don't know if there are Ferraris out there that meets this list. That's why I'm on the forum, right?

 

I suppose this is the most critical one! Think ground clearance and reliability!!! With you putting higher than normal miles you may also want to weigh out which models have the lower mantenance costs. (i.e. engine out service)

Yes this forum is a great place to get started and hopefully you'll become well versed in the search tools. I now have a collection of books on specific models just for researching pros and cons of model years, or half a model year! Still have yet to buy, now we have a little one on the way. I'd rather give my attention to my little boy now.

Brian

 

keep the Porsche

 

Agreed.

Make sure you have coverage for routine as well as non-routine maintenance. The cars you are mentioning......especially the TR have astronomical service costs. We're talking 10s of thousands of dollars if they are not maintained properly.........and sometimes even if they are. All moot points if you plan to do some work by yourself. The last thing you want is to be a disgruntled first time Ferrari owner.

Good luck on your search.

 

I am aware of the fact that the Ferrari will be less reliable, and more expensive to repair. I just don't know how much, a couple of grand a year would be okay. Tens of thousand would be not. Would newer 328/348/355 be the better options in this case?
I can't imagine Ferraris having lower ground clearance than a Lotus Elise?

 

Have you noticed how short the overhang is on the Lotus beyond the front tire? It also slopes is nose up from the underside. The biggest clearance issue is the underside of the front lip. I think you'll notice the 308 and 328 slope a bit better than the TS, 348 and 355. 360's pick up again on the upslope nose. This pic does a good job capturing the idea.
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So it sounds like a 328 is the way to go?

 

I would say a 328 is probably the most reliable and least expensive to maintain, out of the three choices you listed.

BUT- I would never use a 22+ year old Ferrari as a daily driver. Get yourself a basic car
for transportation/work and save the Ferrari for weekends.

The insurance premium on the Ferrari will also be much lower
through a collector car insurance company, as a pleasure vehicle; than a daily driver.

 

Price-wise, it seems that a 348 is almost around the same price as a 328 now. Would the newer cars (from early 90's) be more reliable?

http://www.landmarkmotors.com/inventoryDisplay.aspx?s=used_detail&year=1993&make=Ferrari&model=348%20TS%20Series%20Speciale&inv=75&vin=ZFFRG36A1P0095569&total=1&pos=1&current=1&size=20 Anyone here's previous car?

http://www.parkplaceltd.com/inventoryDisplay.aspx?s=used_detail&year=1992&make=Ferrari&model=348%20TS&inv=282&vin=ZFFRG36A2N0092550&total=3&pos=2&current=1&size=50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7nhxbQHtGg From when I was in grade school...

 

I vote for 328 as well. Most major work is MUCH less expensive than engine-out cars like TR,
348, and 355.

 

So newer does not necessarily mean less maintenance issues / things that can go wrong? That seems oddly counter-intuitive. So you're saying if something really bad were to happen, a 328 would be cheaper to repair than a 348. At that point, would it be the difference between repair costs of a new Civic vs a new Kia? Or is there even a huge difference in regular scheduled maintenance costs?

Ah ha! Found some descriptions of the scheduled maintenance, since it's in pounds, I assume X2 and I get the American price tag.
Servicing on all 348s is once a year or every 6,250 miles. With most Ferraris covering a low mileage, the standard annual service costs about £800; the 6,250-mile service costs about £1,500. The cam belt service — once every two years on pre-1993 models, once every three years on the later cars — will set you back about £3,000.

 

Either a TR or a 328 would be fine for your purposes, and as a daily driver. If it were me, I'd get a 328 (or a 3.2 Mondial coupe), since I find the TR to be a bit wide for in-town driving-- but awesome on the highway.

As far as it being your only car, I wouldn't recommend it for three reasons. First, expense aside, any Ferrari can spend weeks in the shop waiting on parts. I've almost never taken one of my Ferraris in for any sort of work and left it there for less than a week. Can you live without a car for a week?

Second, when it snows or is icy, no Ferrari is a good choice. They can make it through if you get caught out in a storm, but intentionally going out is not wise.

Third, once in a while it's nice to drive something low profile, depending on where you're going.

If I were you, I'd get a 328, Mondial, or TR, and get a used Audi A4 Quattro, or something like that-- or maybe a Subaru. That way, you're covered both ways.

Is there some reason why you can only have one car?

 

No, I don't think newer is necessarily better. I only mean to say that when timing belts and tensioner
bearings are due, the 3x8 cars it can be done with the engine in - same with the water pump and
most other normal maintenance issues. As opposed to a 'newer' 355, where the entire engine (along
with a big hunk of the frame and the rear suspension with it) must come out to do the same things.
The water pump on a 355 is smack up against the firewall and is completely non-accessible. So just
doing a water pump means thousands at a shop. The other issue, in my opinion anyway, is that the
newer cars have SO MUCH MORE TO GO WRONG Just search the 'new car' threads and you'll see
zillions of issues that simply don't appear in the 3x8 sections.

But either way, as a daily driver, as others have said - you'd probably be fine in ANY of the choices
UNTIL SOMETHING BREAKS. There's not really a 'fast turnaround' in the Ferrari world in my experience.
I think the shortest stay at Alfa of Tacoma (God bless and keep Carlo healthy ) has been 4 days.
I know that I personally could not go without my 'daily' car that long. I've also learned from many visits
to Carlo that Ferraris other than the 3x8 take LOTS and LOTS of work to do things that my car
simply doesn't need. It really is the 'Chevy' of the Ferrari line.

And what about cargo and passengers? Other than the Sultan of Brunai's Ferrari station wagon (one off custom),
they simply can't carry much. Just today, my wife said 'let's take the pretty car to the store' - I had to
remind her that the groceries we needed simply won't fit~!

Lots of things to consider. But this is a great place to hear 'all sides'. Good luck to you in your search - that's
a big part of the journey

[edit] Have you DRIVEN a TR? I would suggest doing that to see how you like it - especially, since you
want it as your daily driver - try parking at the local Safeway during rush hour. I did this in one I test drove
and thought I'd never find a parking space I could wrestle that beast into! On the freeway? Great. In tight
slow situations (like my very difficult driveway)? Really a pain.

Jedi

 

Didn't see this point at first: Ferrari service is not in the same ballpark as Civic OR Kia!! For the price
of a Major in my 328 ($5000 or so) I could almost buy a NEW Kia Rondo ($7995 at Car Pros). Nothing
on a Ferrari comes at a Kia or Civic price in the way of service - whether the Ferrari is new or 30 years old.

Jedi