328 vs. 348?

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348 service is ALOT more than 3k. Do some research on it. I was under the impreson an engine out on a 348 was closer to $7 to 8k

348 is faster, more modern.

328 is more classic lines.

 

the 348 suffers from some handling miss engineering and a somewhat dated styling. They are also are common hot potato first cars that are passed among owners of first time Ferrari Buyers. If you want a Ferrari that holds its value. is realiable. and doesnt cost a fortune to maintain then there is only one choice, 328. Get an 89 thats the best year. Get the best looking one and thats a gtb but good luck finding one. THe 328gts and b are the highest Value retaining Ferraris ever built. meaning from there original MSRP they have never really gone down more than 35 to 40 percent of there original purchase price. In fact they have gone up in value last year while 348s stayed the same. Source of values Forza market report August 06.JJ

 

Welcome. Dave's right, do a search - tons on this topic.

The belt service intervals on both cars, per Ferrari, are 3 years. The engine comes out for this service on the 348. On the 328, it doesn't. Still, expect to spend $4K on a 328 full major service and more than that (maybe $6K) on a 348.

The broad generalization is that 328s are more dependable cars, so they sell for the same as the slightly newer 348s. Aesthetics are up to you. Most people love the 328 and don't love the 348, which affects resale - but not necessarily your enjoyment of the car. The 348 has 300bhp versus 260bhp for the 328, but unfortunately neither car is fast by modern performance car standards, so you have to buy them for the driving experience, not the stopwatch stats.

Neither one is a good daily driver: no luggage space, bad visibility (for other drivers), takes a while to get some parts, bad ground clearance (can't get over many ramps without scraping or breaking the front spoiler), requires proper warm-up before engine/gearbox are in optimal form, expensive servicing, few safety features beyond seat belts, expensive parts.

Smack a 328 drivers light assembly and that's $1100. I believe 348 targa top latches sell for $800 each, if you break one. Clutch jobs are $2K and up. Etc. Etc.

Definitely have another daily driver and drive the Ferrari on good roads.

 

+1 for a late model 328.


348s are nice, but do require more servicing and are more expensive to service. The 328 is a timeless design, while 348 is out of favor with several crowds.

I am told that the 328 and the 360 are the most reliable of the Ferrari line to date.

 

Around here, the shops are quoting 5-6K for a 328 service, and 348s are much higher


(one quoted $4800, "plus another $2000 if we have to change the belts." They're definitely not on my short list )


328s can be excellent daily drivers. Be aware that the market does NOT reward daily use. There's a huge price drop @20,000 miles, and another @40,000.

Neither car is a rocket, but the 348 will undoubtedly feel quicker and more modern. Remember, the 328 is just a very-well developed evolution of a platform designed in the late 60s/early 70s.

 

as another newbie, I too looked at the 348 simply because they are newer and at times cheaper to buy than the 328. Esthetically to me, the 348 is not in the same league as the 308/328. The 355 appeals to me both esthetically and from a performance standpoint but prices, lack of knowledge and the fear of ignorance keeps them out of reach for the moment.

I have been spending some time looking and reading and the early 308 carbed cars are starting to tug at my strings... decent prices, reasonable performance, relative simnplicity, and looks that are nothing short of breath taking. Not to mention the going post about ones restoration is inspiring to say the least.

BTW- is a Ferrari owner that performs their own majors a rarity? This isn't the old "the lawyer that represents himself, has a fool for a client" thing... is it?

 

I think you have made your choice which is where most go for their 1st F...
''....tug at my strings...." that makes all the diff IMO good luck

 

When I started looking 3 months ago I was looking at 348s and 355s. My first choice being 355, but the lowest priced 355s were at the high end of my price range. I really did`nt really like the looks of the 348 but I was keeping a open mind. So it ended up being a 328 or a 348. As soon as I found out the 348 was an engine out service it was a easy choice. Besides the 328 is much much better looking IMHO. Being my first Ferrari I`m sure I made the right choice. I just wish winter would go away so I could drive it. Good luck in your search.

 

Buy a top notch 308 and not a ratty 328.

In other words, buy the best example you can afford upfront. You will be glad you did. Just like in realestate " Location, Location, Location "

For ferrari its " Records, Records and Records"

 

And if you need more power you can always add the supercharger setup to a 328 and its going to be mad fast. JJ

 

The 328 is one of the only V-8 cars not to have a major “issue”.

The 308’s are all rust prone (even the later QVs) but especially the early cars. No AC to speak of.
The 348 had numerous electrical gremlins and the engine out service is $$. Styling is boring to many.
The 355 has valve issues and header issues ($$) and the engine out service is $$. Spyder top fails.
The 360 is still a $100k car so it’s not even in the same league as the others.
Even at $65k, a Testarossa can cost you $20,000 if the transaxle decide to go South (and they all will eventually).

Other than a major service every 5-years, change the oil, change the fluids and take decent care of it, 90% of the 328’s out their will run like a champ day in and day out with no worries to the owner that some item on the car decide to crap on you and your wallet. While the AC is not great, it’s still better than the 308, and they do not have the rust issues the early cars do.

I love my ’77, but I’m seriously considering upgrading the ignition, replacing the leather and swapping it out for a 328 GTB.

 

Having owned both, loved my 328, but it did lack performance. The 348 is much quicker, and the hanlding issues that have been brought up can be taken care of with a few simple wheel spacers. Again I loved my 328, but it does not match up in performance, and handilng to a 348. Lots of 328 guys will argue, but it is the truth. Mind you both these cars will get spanked by some late model 4 door sedan stop light to stop light. But that is not what they were intended for.

 

I've owned an 88.5 328 GTS for about 6 months now and it's a great car.

It's not a "fast" car. But it is a "fast enough" car. It's very entertaining to drive and you can use almost all of it's performance capabilites on the street.

Much of the stuff that breaks can be fixed by a reasonably handy owner. It's not a complicated car. Even the fuel injection system is simple, and the Bosch CIS is close enough to what lots of German cars use to make it easy to find someone to work on it if needed.

I've driven lots of fast cars but none that put an idiot grin on my face like the 328.

 

I've driven lots of fast cars but none that put an idiot grin on my face like the 328.[/QUOTE]

well said. I get the feeling im a secret agent or something and the way people stare at the 328 it stops traffic. Who needs the fastest car when people will stop for you to let you into the intersection..

 

I was debating between these two cars myself. To be honest I never noticed the 348 that much till last year. The smooth classical looks of the 328 and 355 sort of made the 348 as the middle brother - aka the forgotten one.

But when it came to buying my car, I started looking at these two cars a lot more closely as they were both in my budget.

After joining the FCA, I got a ride in the 348 and started the liking the car more and more. The strakes and modern design began to appeal to me.

What swayed me over was the engine sound. The 328 sounds pretty muffled and weak while the 348 emits a full blooded roar. Add a tubi or X-OST and you are in aural heaven.

Also the 348 is very roomy with decent power and handling. Forget about the poor handling reports. All you need is matched tires, a $200 spacer for the rear and you are set. I am pretty sure it will whip a 328 around the track.

The looks are far more modern than the 328 also. I get a lot of "You mean to tell me this car is 16 years old???" from shocked observers who thought the car was 4-5 years old only.

Another nice feature was that it has a good a/c (needed here in sultry Houston).

The fact that a good 348 was the same price or slightly cheaper than a good 328, made it a no brainer purchase to me.

I have owned my 348 for 5 blissful months - I love my car.

I would recommend you join the FCA or FOC and get a ride in both these cars to determine which one appeals to you the most.

 

Went through a 348 phase round about September, spent hours on fchat, read tons of advice which this thread sums up very well and ended up in a 1988,5 328 GTS bought from an Fchat member. It is my first ever experience of a Ferrari and despite its little idiosyncracies I am loving the whole experience to bits, savouring every minute I get in the car and still salivating whenever I look at her.

As far as her being a daily driver... If your commutes are long and involve driving rather than traffic jams that's fine. Be aware however that these cars require some serious foreplay before they get really warmed up and take you to shangri-la. So if your trips are short you either ain't gonna see nirvana or she will complain big time if you try and force her to get there too quick.

OT to 328 owners - Are your 328's male or female? Mine is definitely a she.

 

My 88 328 is a female
My 77 Bora is a male

Intuitively obvious ;-)

 

My 328's a she. My Jeep's a he.

 

My 328 is more than an she, she is my Mystress. The benz is a Male and my Fiat swings both ways. JJ

 

I guess my garage is less romantic than yours.

 

Mines a *****! Lovingly so... Total female.

 

Never thought about it consciously, but mine is a she as well. And they talk so much about machismo...
Ciao
Eugenio

 

Mines a female also. A pretty face, a nice butt, and lots of nice curves in between.