328 with 23,000 Miles... what do I need to look for?

The search button.

 

Look at the service history - its not that much different from any other car in its servicing requirements. Look for regular fluid changes etc. Look for when the cambelts were last changed. If the are due then negotiate to get it done. Get the tensioner bearings checked when its being done.

The mileage is good provided its been used steadily in recent month's/years but look at the history for how its built up. Cars with very low mileage/too little use can often cause as many problems as high mileage & abused cars.

Budget 10%-20% of the cost of the car to bring it up to the standard you'd really like it to be at within the first 1-2 years. This may include service items that you get done simply because you have no record of when they were last done.

I.

 

I think you should look at my 328 that's for sale. It was my first Ferrari 3 years ago, and I have really enjoyed it. The 30k major service was just completed recently, and I'm negotiable on my price. PM me if you are interested. I'd be happy to tell you all about my ownership experience with my first Ferrari. (link is below)

http://www.ferrarichat.com/pp-classifieds/showproduct.php?product=192&sort=1&cat=2&page=4

 

I would try to find a trusted, independent Ferrari mechanic near you to look at the car (PPI=pre=purchase inspection, with compression/leakdown report) before you buy it, if possible, and also to set your expectations about costs. Based on what I've seen/read, some Ferrari 3x8's drive on for years with only routine maintenance ($4K or so every 3-5 years depending on who you ask), others need a lot more. You want to know if anything has been deferred -- i.e., time bombs that will go off during your term of ownership.

For an idea of costs, here's a link to an L.A.-based Ferrari mechanic's site:
http://emelbon.tripod.com/eugeniosferrariservice.html. Eugenio posts prices for common repairs and services to the V-8 cars - this can be a guide, anyway. I haven't had a car serviced by him -- still looking for my first Ferrari -- but I thought the site was informative.

I have seen several 328's, and all the ones that had over 20,000 miles had had a new clutch. You might see when that was done. Not saying there aren't any properly driven 328's out there with original clutches, but ... it doesn't seem common.

You might check the receipt for the last major service ($4K one) to see what exactly was done and compare it to the list on the site I just mentioned - sometimes people just replace the timing belt and don't do the other items that are part of a major (tensioner bearings, valve adjustment - see the list in the link above.) "Fresh belts" in an ad can mean anything.

I would check age-related stuff - rubber hoses, suspension bushings, radiator/coolant hoses, leaky hydraulics - no matter what the mileage. In fact I would worry less about the mileage than how well the mechanicals have been maintained.

 

I may well get some flack for this one, but here goes. I tend to be a little wary of major services done with the intent of putting the vehicle going up for sale (BrianC - no disrespect intended here). Very often it won't be a full major. For all recent majors inspect the repair receipts carefully to ensure everything was done that should have been. When looking for a car I personally prefer a vehicle that has been driven and services are up to date, but that is getting near its next major. This gives you significant negotiating power wrt price, and allows you to ensure the major is done properly through a reputable mechanic of your choice.

Take these comments for what they're worth. They're just my opinion on a car that I would be interested in purchasing, but they also wouldn't keep me from buying the right car that has already been serviced.

Troy

 

The single most important service item is the timing belts. That is the thing that can do the most damage to your car the most easily. If a water pump goes, you rebuild it. If a timing belt goes, you have an engine rebuild on your hands. (You don't want to pay for that!) So, the most important service to care about is the most recent one. Everyone likes to see service records going back to the factory, but honestly, only the most recent one makes any difference. Our Mondial has thousands of dollars in recepts for maintenance done in the 1990s. Big deal...what does that do for me now?

If the car hasn't had fresh timing belts in a couple years, it needs them. Most Ferraris end up needing timing belts due to age, not mileage. A car with 23,000 miles has not been driven enough in my opinion! If the car has been sitting and not driven enough for a few years, all kinds of stuff will end up breaking as soon as you start driving it, so have a budget for that stuff. Remember that buying a Ferrari is only half the issue. Maintaining it can be expensive. A lot of people buy the car then can't afford to have it serviced and can't do it themselves, so they put stuff off. You can put off fixing the A/C or something, but not the timing belts. It is so easy to change the timing belts on a 328 (without doing a major service with the engine out) that I would just change them, no matter what the service records say, unless they were done within a year.

Just remember, cars that sit run like ****! The more you drive them, the better they run.

Birdman

 

My 30k service was done 1.5 years ago, and I had no plans to sell the car at the time. I just decided to sell it a couple months ago.