328 On EBay

I've never seen that car in person, but I've seen those pix and description of that car on Ebay a few times. From the pictures it does not look all that impressive to me. They say the interior is a 7 out of 10, but I'm not sure the interior is better than a 4 or 5 out of 10. The steering wheel looks bad(rusty bolts and not original), the dashboard looks dried out, and the photos look like they are taken to avoid or cut out showing how much wear and tear is on the driver's seat bolsters. Also the carpeting looks terrible...it looks like the carpet was used for wiping grease and oil off of old tools. In addition, it looks like the knob for the drivers side ventilation fan is missing and I have heard ac/ventilation parts can be pricey. I'd keep looking for a better example.

Best regards,
Dino

 

I agree with Dino944's comments. Nice car but probably not as good as represented by the seller. Also, the major is a function of time and miles. The last major was 10,000 miles ago which tells me it wasn't done yesterday. If you are really interested in the car I highly recommend you have a competent Ferrari mechanic do a PPI on the car so you know what you are getting into.

 

It may not be a perfect car, but look at the price, it reflects the condition. Late 328s should be in the 50s or 60s, this one seems to be a good buy for a "driver" car in the 30s.

Granted, there is no such thing as a "cheap" ferrari, always buy the best one you can afford.

However, at a Buy-it-now price of $34,000, that leaves alot of room for a major and other unforeseen gotcha's...... assuming a PPI checks out with decent compression/leakdown.

Just my 2 cents.

James in Denver

 

Uh... look at those front and rear marker lights and tell me if you see anything wrong. Or that high-mounted brake light where they apparently drilled into the decklid -- what was the owner thinking?!

The rear valance is kind of completely missing. The console switches are a mess.

Based on the limited info in the photos, this is a higher mileage 328 with an interior that probably got rained on -- or the car was stored on the beach. The engine bay looks filthy.

I think if you want a sad looking Ferrari to spend a lot of money on and sell for parts at some point, this could be the one.

I wouldn't touch this one at $34K.

 

Sure, they've removed it for a more thorough photo-documentation of condition under the rear end

I think last time (2x) it was up the BIN was $38K. But even at 34 it's way high.

 

That car is close to needing a rotisserie job. The engine, interior and front trunk areas look terrible. Unless you can do it yourself, run away. -Steve

 

Id go take a look at it. It certainly cant hurt. And it might be a good car for the price. He probably would take $32,000.00 for it.

 

You guys are really harsh! Not that that's a bad thing, especially since fixing even minor issues can be expensive. However, to me (and mind you, I don't actually know anything) it looks like a pretty reasonable condition for a 69K mile driver. Yeah, the engine is dirty and there are some stains and wear in the interior. This is made a bit more obvious by the seller's description, which implies that its better than that, but if I were in the market, I wouldn't hesitate to look into it further. To me it just looks a lot like any other car that's been cared for like a "regular car" and not so much like a Ferrari. As long as the service was done regularly and properly, if you're not looking for a show car you might not have to do much of anything to it.

jds

PS: To the original poster...just remember that everyone else on this board saying otherwise knows way more than I do about this stuff...

 

Yes, and for GOOD REASONS. I am personally now at $14,000 put into my
own '86 328 (66.5k when I bought it March - two months ago). I had a good
PPI and the car LOOKS NEW. (granted $4k was new cat and Tubi system)

These cars can cost a small FORTUNE to sort out - when I bought mine I had
a $20,000 'reserve' for what I thought would be years of service. Ha! I'm now
down $14k in TWO MONTHS.

Unless you have a money tree, run away from this car. You are just ASKING
to go broke. Don't fool yourself into buying a car like this at a 'cheap price'.

LISTEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS STUFF!

How's that for harsh?

Jedi

 

I don't think we are harsh, just honest. There are plenty of times people are given advice that a car looks great. I've even seen others request that if someone passes on purchasing a good vehicle to let others know that the car is still available.

If a person takes poor care of his/her car cosmetically, chances are that is a reflection of the care or lack thereof that a car has been subjected to over the years. Even if a PPI looks ok and the compression numbers are good thats not a guarantee that the buyer will not be dealing with repair issues even on a really well kept vehicle. I can imagine a car in the condition as shown (in the original post) will have a long laundry list of repairs beyond the cosmetic problems. This is one of the worst looking 328s I've seen. As for drivers, I've seen drivers that look far nicer than this car so why get into a vehicle that looks like its been beaten to death? This is not a low price for a 328! A low price for a 328 would be if it were in good shape mechanically AND COSMETICALLY and its priced below its market value. I'd feel sorry for anyone parting with their hard earned money to buy this car. I guess I am just one of those people that would not enjoy owning the shabbiest 328 on the market.

Best regards,
Dino

 

I'm sure they cut the side marker lights low like that because those are fibreglass sections......

Now that's it's "In Legal" you could remove them and repair pretty easily.

That said make sure the EPA/DOT paperwork is in order, always a concern on Euro cars here....

I'm not a fan of the convex ABS wheels but....

 

Like I said before, and Bullfighter keeps harping on, 89 ABS 328s are in the high 50s or low 60s. Personally, I cant see that premium, but thats the market. This car is $34k, $32k maybe with negotiation. $34k + $14k you put into your car is $48k, not bad for a "driver" ABS car..... again assuming a good PPI/compression/leakdown.

All that said, I wouldnt buy it because I dont think the ABS cars should command that kind of a premium ($34k would be strong for an 86/87 in that condition) ...... but thats another thread .

James in Denver

 

A quick note, in addition to ABS (on 89s), both the 89s and 88.5s have suspension changes/improvements that may also account for some of the price difference between the early and later cars...whether or not thats justified every buyer has to decide that for himself.

Knowing the time and money it takes to try make a bad car into a good car, I'd rather buy a car thats already in good shape and enjoy the driving season. Unless you can do all the repair work yourself, I'm sure you could easily spend as much on if not more than what it costs to buy a good car, by purchasing a rough car and spending for parts and labor. Not to mention, depending on how much work needs to be done, at this point in the year you could probably lose a good chunk of the the driving season waiting while the car is being repaired.

Zombee said his car looks like new...and the $14,000.00 was for mechanical work not cosmetic. A Euro that may or may not have have its DOT/EPA paper work in order, the side markers are too low, that stupid 3rd light tacked on to the rear deck, plus a really rough interior...why bother. There are still a lot of nice cars out there that someone could enjoy and be driving immediately without having to deal with all the repairs.

Just my 2 cents.
Best regards,
Dino

 

I don't know anyone who flogs their 328 on the track to the point where the suspension update is going to be a life-changing thing, and the Teves ABS is obsolete first-generation garbage. I had a similar system on my '92 VW Corrado VR6: it was enough to shake your shoe loose when it kicked in.

There is a market premium for '89s still, but I suspect it will diminish over time. The big premiums I would personally pay are for (a) great condition/service history, (b) great rare color, (c) low mileage and to a lesser extent (d) concave wheels.

</hijack>

 

You're right -- probably better there than through the steel.

 

Very good words, sometimes the truth hurts.

 

You all are undoubtedly right, and its probably a good thing that I don't have my Ferrari fund complete yet. I can see me getting a "good deal" and paying through the nose for the next year. Still...what if he took $28K?

jds

 

Hey congrats! That was post 1000 for you!

By the way, in the spirit of full disclosure, the $14k I quoted in my post does include
what the major will cost in August. $3300 plus all the 'while we're in there' which will
likely run it to a total $4500, and I counted all that in my 'running tab'.

Jedi

 

Then he would be one lucky guy.

Several guys here had a 328, moved on to something newer, then went back. I'd say the 328 is a great choice. But there are enough good red/tan ones around that you have better options. Prices are up a bit, but not too much. I'd say $55K right now puts you in a very nice driver's seat -- there's a red/tan concave wheel '88 328 in FerrariAds right now, for sale by BrianC in North Carolina with low miles. I saw Brian's 355, and if this car is as nice as that one it could a good move.

 

I just can't see the premium for the '89's. The suspension mods are negligible. ABS? Oh please. And those concave wheels? Yuck. Just my two cents. Love my '88.

 

Seriously? Say the PPI/leakdown check out OK...at what price point would you say its worth it?

jds

 

Kinda looks like mine when I bought it. Unless you LIKE rebuilding cars, stay away.

The heater knob does concern me; if they won't fix a $2 part, what other things got neglected?

 

Its already been on Ebay once. The high bid was $31,400.00. So he probably wont take $28K for it.