Hello all Well, I am seeking here for some help regarding my first Ferrari. I was starting to think about a 550, 360, 456 or a 355. All good cars, good looking and so.....But, also with lots of anti these and anti that aid..Taking away some of the driving feeling. Or am I all wrong? So, that got me thinking of a older BB...But they are more expensive to keep/run and also hard to drive....well, how about a 308/328? I like the styling of the GTB more than the GTS, also makes it more stiff I guess. But, I am not going to take it out on a track. But, what to look for? What to stay away from? Is a late 308 better than a early 328? How about comfort on a longer trip? Service expense and so? I am not seeking the fastest car on the block, but I do seek the best looking. Yes, a moder made Japanese GT can out run me, but it is niot the point, I have a car with racing heritage, with soul and passion, made and designed with driving and its passion in mind. And that is why I want one. All help and tip is good Thanks all
I got a 308 because I like the 308. First, you need to decide what you want, and then go after the best example you can. 328 is a little faster and had some improvements in cooling, but for me, the 308 looks better inside and out. I really think it's all about what makes your heart pound faster when you see it...at least that's what it's about for me.
The 308 & 328 battle will go on forever. It's just a matter of what puts a smile on your face. Don't get caught up in how few miles are on the car because a lot of that is BS. Go by what it looks like and how it runs. By all means have it checked out if you plan on spending a small fortune for one. I happen to think that the Euro GTB QV is the best of all of them. Can you guess which one I own?
Reseach research research. Read as much as you can. They are all old now so buy the best you can afford. Don't worry about miles. Check the maintenance records. All are expensive to fix and maintain. 308 is a little more pure older Ferrari than 328. 328 is more refined and looks newer. Buy what you like.
You should do a search since this has been discussed many times. I have had three of each. Bottom line is 328s are significantly better designed and built. There are legitimate reasons to buy 308s such as personal taste, wanting carbs, etc. but 328s are better overall cars. Dave
my ten cents: Carb 308 gtb sounds the best GTB qv looks the best 328 GTS nicest to drive and most reliable. buy the best you can afford and then plan on getting your hands dirty... but they are all fun to drive, they are the epitomy of Classic sports cars.
I have a 79 308GTS for 10 years and just got a 89 328 GTB for a month. They are different cars. You really have to test drive them and your heart will tell you which one to get. Here is a picture to share. Image Unavailable, Please Login
+1, and be sure to drive both. I did the worst thing you could ever do with a Ferrari: buy the first one you drive. A 1985 308GTS. It's been great
Me too Me too Me too Yep! Yep! Yep! I like the black buttons atop silver stalks. I'm not keen on the 328's round knobs and rocker switches. I like black bumpers over the body-colored bumpers. But of course, just like someone who owns a non-red Ferrari, it is completely up to the individual taste of the owner. There really is no right or wrong choice here.
Except for the 288 GTO, I happen to think that the 308 is the best looking car ever made - not just best looking Ferrari, but across all brands, across all time, ever. The 308 looks faster than anything else when it's simply just standing still. When it's moving, yeah, it's a 25-35 year old car so a new car will beat it, but everyone will be looking at/admiring the 308. I love my car best when I'm driving alone, away from other drivers, on a twisty road just enjoying the car. Or when I'm driving in moderate traffic, where I tend to drive only 25-30mph and just love the sound when I take my foot off the throttle and hear that throaty growl. A new V6 Ricer may be faster, but they just sound anemic. And their looks are forgetful once they turn the corner. Often when I'm out for a drive, I go with my buddy who has a Pantera. That car is scary fast, and feels like an earthquake when it drives by. When we both pull up to a light, or to gas up or park and hang out, people tend to just get out of the way. I find the 308 comfortable, but the cabin (temperature wise) is warm to hot. You were considering spending 550 money....if it were me I'd think about the TR or 512TR as well as the 308. Drive both and see what you like better. Take your time and find the best specimen you can afford. Good luck and enjoy the hunt, Phil
It really is going to come down to what YOU like, so you're going to want to drive a few varieties -- carb cars, QVs, 328s. That being said, do NOT necessarily get caught up in which car is built better; that has little value if the car does not float your boat in other more important categories. Case in point, I have a 1987 328 GTS and a 1977 Euro dry sump GTB. The 308 looks better, sounds WAY better, and, quite simply, shows off its racing pedigree in spades. The 328 feels "old modern" (where as the 308 simply feels "classic"); it has ghastly amounts of body roll, has a somewhat mushy throttle response (compared to the carbed GTB), and, in general, feels too refined for my taste. But it is "better built", I suppose. I will also add that my 328 is in top condition, so it's not like I have a bad example. I will also add that I am not a big fan of U.S. 308s and 328s, all due respect to U.S. variant owners; they are choked by smog crap, and fattened up with all kinds of weighty garbage that really drags down both their performance and, if you will, "vibe". I.e. I HIGHLY recommend a Euro car if you can find one, and, accordingly, smog laws are more lenient in your state. Also, GTBs drive markedly better than GTSs. Hope this helps.
A lot of good points here. One for me stands out: test drive both of them. I did (as well as the 308 GT4 Dino) and it really made my choice as clear as glass. The 308 GTB gave me goosebumps, the other two didn't. See what works for you best. They all have pros and cons.
"I am not a big fan of U.S. 308s and 328s, all due respect to U.S. variant owners; they are choked by smog crap, and fattened up with all kinds of weighty garbage that really drags down both their performance " But in doing your research, note that the quickest 328 0-60 and 1/4 mile times in road test magazines were US version cars. In 1986 a european road test had showed a 1/4 mile time in the mid 15s; Car and Driver turned a 14.2 with the US version (you can find these reports on line). So don't even worry about this sort of thing, at least with the 328. There may be substantial differences in the post-carbed euro/US 308s. But by the mid 80's the emissions stuff had been worked out pretty well and they were not performance bashers as the early attempts were. Be very careful with the Euro car re regulations in your state. You wan't to be sure that the car can be registered before you buy it as opposed to the pain involved in buying it first and THEN finding out there's a problem.
Am I the only one in awe of at least two Ferraris parked on a hill? That means the ebrake is working! The question: I own a 308qv GTB & have driven a carbed model (Thanks idoc!) Yep, a problem in my book The 308/328 isn't a daily driver True. But the open top makes for a cooler drive thanks to a poor AC. Unless your tall, then watch for bugs in your hair I'm 6'3 & 185lbs. Made it +1K miles to/from Canada twice in the same month. The cabin noise is a bit much, but with a couple stops, the drive was fine. Somewhere in the archives I've seen $3K/year on average to maintain. That's been my experience. But I drive mine a lot: about 8K miles/year. It's an older car. Almost an antique. So your gonna pay to play. it's instantly recognizable. A gorgeous car.
I have a 1989 328GTB euro spec in perfect condition,looks great standing still and in motion and from all the thumbs up I receive I think this car will definitely be a future classic.
++ There's tons of discussions on this in the archives. But while the 308 and 328 may feel like "significantly different" cars, the whole 308/328 line is an evolution on a single theme. There's the 'glass carb'd 308s, the steel carb'd 308s, the injected 308's, the QV (quad valve) 308s, the 328s, and the 88-1/2,89 328s. Mechanically, each is an evolution on the previous version. Compare any two adjacent iterations of the line, and you won't find all that many differences. There are quite a number of differences over the entire run, but that's more than a decade's worth of development. While a purist will note "significant" styling changes between the 308 and the 328, most non-owners can't really tell the difference. (For that matter, I've had my 328 called a "tester rossah" ) The 328 shifted to the interior designed for the 288GTO, so that's a notable difference. As a daily driver, a later 328 will have the full sum of refinements -- set and forget injection, fairly reliable ignition, improved seals in some places, improved cooling, galvanized steel for rust-proofing, etc. But we're still talking about cars more than 20 years old, so most people don't use them as daily drivers, anyway. And the QVs have many of those refinements, too, with the 308 styling. And the engineering on Ferraris is "elegant", so if you like doing your own work, you may enjoy the car even more, and then the added reliability may not be a big factor to you. So look over the entire 308-328 line, think about what you want from the car, and pick the one you fall in love with. While you're at it, think about how you'll use the car, and that will tell you what kind of Ferrari to shop for. A show car will be the high price, low miles concours machine. A "driver" would be one with a few cosmetic issues that bring the price down, but let you relax when you park it. I looked at an early injected model, a carb'd model, and then the 328 clicked for me. While others find the interior to "look dated", I preferred it to the 308s --- most of the 308s (and boxers) I've seen have had those little "tums" switch paddles missing from at least one switch. The flat rocker switches in the 328 are a bear to keep (electrically) clean, but they don't grab your elbow. I got an "issues" car at a bit of a discount, and put another quarter of the purchase price into making it mechanically pristine. Cosmetically, it's still a beater, but it was my (summer) daily driver for a couple of years, that I could park without worry. These days, with the EVO for poor weather, it's more of a "frequent" driver than a "daily". (But then, with the traffic in the DC area, I've been telecommuting enough, lately, that I can't really say I have a "daily" drive.) If most of your driving is on the freeway, you might want to look at a 12 cyl machine that likes to stretch its legs. But, in the city or the 'burbs, the 308/328 is a shifter kart that is a hoot to fling around corners. Sure, my EVO will blow its doors off on straight line acceleration, and with the fat sticky tires, the EVO will peak at higher Gs in a corner, but while the EVO can brute force its way through a turn, the 328 is a more refined driving experience -- and it gives more rewards to good driving techniques. In addition, even where everyone glares in politically correct rage at the picnic bench on the back of the EVO, people are still psyched when they see a Ferrari.
It's not the fashionable view around here, but the GTS looks better than the GTB, IMHO. The GTB roofline (and especially the straight-line rear quarter windows) looks a little "forced", like it was designed flat to accommodate the targa panel. It's so mundane that I've always thought it watered down the drama of all those curves on the side. Although if you want an early carb'ed car a GTS is (near?) impossible to find, so you may have to go with a GTB. But, either way, they are the best classic exotics, and sit neatly between the big bucks vintage cars and the electronics-laden/built-for-obsolescence newer stuff.
For a different angle on GTB or GTS, I am taller (6'4") the GTB was the only way to go. The seat must be all the way back and the seat back against the bulkhead which leaves no room to store the targa top. I drive the car long distance several times and I would be forced to leave the top behind and only drive on perfect days. Now I drive it whenever I want even if it rains and I do drive it in the rain.
Hello and thanks all. Yes, got it. LOL, need to test them, and I have done so....problem is, I like the two also...ai. As are wonted out, they are old, so not the best daily driver, will not be used as it, but it will be used more than 1-2 times a week. Yes, maybe a V12 is a better high speed car, but I intend to use it on twisty mountain roads, small back roads in the forest and so, relax and enjoy the road and car. That is why I think a 3*8 will be better and easier to handle. Interior space, it is more n the 328, also more space for things. Looks also more modern, but thats not so good...I mean, the 308 looks so classic, just right. It will turn heads in 20 years time, not so with a evo. Sound, yes, the carb 308 is just sweet music.....HMMMMMMMMM. But, all in all, the 328 is better made? How about drive train, engine ad so? Thanks all
Not entirely. The 288's center console still utilized the 308's slide switches. Only the part of the dash above the shifter is similar to the 328. Just sayin'. As much as I love the 288, I never understood the mouse hair dash. But that's just me maybe. Phil Image Unavailable, Please Login
I had an carburettor 308 GTB 1978 and changed it years ago for a 328 GTS although I preferred GTB but price of the 328GTS was perfect. Both are good investment money wise but the 328 is really a lot faster than the 308 and feels much faster as well. Weight of the 328 is by the way lower than the 308!! The 328 does not rust since all steel is galvanized. I guess the 308GV has the same but not sure. I spend serious money on my 308 to remove rust. I have an Italian X-Ost muffler making the sound absolutely great. Since in Europe fuel is very expensive its nice that the 328 fuel consumption thanks to Bosch K-Jetronic is likely the lowest of any super car. My 328 is an 1988 with ABS which is added value as well. Only negative thing for me compared to the 308 is the interior being less good looking (though chairs are better). Price of 328 cars is higher than 308 but only little higher than 308QV, so that is the general opinion of the market.
