330 GT 2+2 - how reasonable is it?

Drivable, attainable, maintainable, and if looked after, then dependable.
Take the plunge

 

only thing what I would modify is the ignition, or better the points replace to induktiv sensor. a big help for every service. but nevertheless don´t foregt to lube/grease the flyweights

 

LVP488,

1. a 330GT 2+2 is a poor replacement for a 550. The car's characteristics are very different. Unless you have experience with and expectations of the driving characteristics of an older car, you may be disappointed. These cars are great but very different from a 550.

2. The S1 and interim have four headlights - although I love the style, it isn't viewed favorably which reduces price. The interim is mechanically similar to early S2 cars (principally hanging pedals and 5-speed) both of which retain the metal floors and four mount engine blocks of the S1.

3. While the model is reliable in principle, these cars are over 50 years old so their reliability is governed by condition.

4. The biggest driver in price is appearance and mechanical condition. For perspective, the cost to restore a 330GT 2+2 is greater than the cost to restore a 275GTB. This is for two reasons: 1. there is more to restore - 330GT 2+2s cost more than 275GTBs when new; 2. due to differed maintenance/care 330GT 2+2s tend to be in worse condition than 275GTBs. Considering increased value of a full restoration of a 330GT 2+2 isn't covered by the cost of the restoration, be wary of (check carefully) the quality of restoration of any restored car.

To be clear the 330GT 2+2 is a fantastic car but be aware of its vintage and set your expectations accordingly.

For further research go to www.tomyang.net and www.330gt.com

Regards,

Art S.

 

Many years ago, I asked Tom Shaughnessy about the difference between a 330 GTC and a 330 2+2. Specifically, did a transaxle make that big of a difference? His answer was absolutely. A GTC is a sports car. A 2+2 is a GT.

I once owned a GTC and a 550 at the same time. A buddy and I would drive them at the same time. Following the GTC in a 550 was boring. There is that much difference in the cars. Plus, the 550 had great A/C!

Good luck.

 

LVP488: Do you intend to do any of the maintenance work on the car yourself? If not, find a trusted and knowledgeable service facility BEFORE you buy a classic Ferrari.

 

I think a 330GT would work well for you, as long as you understand the driving experience-- it is not a modern car.

 

There is absolutely zero comparison between the two cars... I own a queen which is the next in line after the 330 in terms of gt cars. I have driven 550's and they are one hell of a car and very "modern". They will effortlessly cruise at 130 all day with minimal driver input and substantial driver comfort and safety features. I love my queen and drive it often but would never ever daily it. She has never left me by the side of the road which i cant say for my panamera turbo s. Acceleration is amazing for a 50 year old car but time zones different from a 550. Braking is good, and better than anything produced at the same time, but again no abs and honestly below the cars limits, but this was the absolute zenith at the time. On long trips the car is hot inside, smelly (which i find wonderful but the other gender refers to as chanel 97), loud, and very very analog, and also loud if i didnt mention that. They take forever to warm up and DO NOT go past 3k rpm until warm. Pieces are rare, hard to find, and expensive which hurts the daily driver aspect of them. Hung pedals are a completely different driving experience too. If you accept the responsibility of driving a 50 plus year old exotic, they are absolutely amazing and wonderful cars. But there is a responsibility if you arent an orphan. You have a non collapsable steering column, a wooden steering wheel, 14 inch wheels (on 330s) no traction control abs or driver aids, no crumple zones, i believe a fairly significant suspension mount recall that may not be done, sketchy seat belts, and 50 plus year old metal spinning at truly insane velocities. There needs to be a level of focus when driving these cars that isnt needed but should be used when in a car like the 550. There really is no talking on the phone and texting is out of the question. That said, and i am lucky to have many fun cars, one of the most amazing drivers (for my 365) there is. It is loud but the sound is glorious and makes a radio an unwanted and not needed accessory. I wish my modern cars had that kind of feel.... the steering, the brakes, the car tells you exactly what she is doing and where you are on the limit. The 330 should not be far off from that. Prior to purchase a ppi is essential. A vintage ferrari is expensive, a bad vintage ferrari more so. If you do your homework and wait for a good car and you are willing to accept its limitations and yours it is an amazing purchase and will most likely be cheaper in the long run than going to a therapist. Buying a bad one will make you seek out a therapist.
Specifics: no one likes the early four headlight cars... that is why they are cheap... four speed should also be a deal breaker
Later cars are actually better... over the run technology got better so driving dynamics and enjoyment got better
Reliability: if you get a good one they can be reliable, but they are 50+ years old so things happen. Then need to be driven and need to be maintained. Has my car been as expensive as i thought it would be to maintain.... not at all... i think cheaper than a testarossa, but stuff happens; fuel tanks leak, synchros drop, self leveling suspensions dont self level anymore.
They are amazing cars as long as you are willing to be their caretakers

 

shoreorthopod,

I dailyed mine for a few years. This was both exhilarating and torture as I started with a bad car, but definitely a net positive.

RE wheels: 330GTC = 14" wheels; 330GT 2+2 = 15" wheels.

RE 330GT 2+2 suspension: It's the last (and most refined) of the old school, non-independent rear suspension cars. Same chassis as the 500 Superfast.

RE 330GT 2+2 S1 styling: Personal taste. Although I have an S2, I really like the S1 style and the value 'penalty' means cheaper entry. An interim and an early S2 look and feel the same from the driver's seat.

RE driving at speed: When I went fast, mine was surprisingly composed. That said, no nanny systems or protection made me much more aware of my risk.

Otherwise, spot on.

Regards,

Art S.

 

Weird font on the chassis# plate? Red flag.

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Must be a replacement.
Definitely have to check chassis stamp etc.

 

It does appear to be a replacement vin tag for 7399GT. I suspect it was replaced during the repaint. It also appears that the car was cosmetically revised to mimic the John Lennon car, although the Lennon Car (6781GT) is a RHD S1 and 7399 is a LHD interim.

Besides the color change and the Nardi vs. Momo style steering wheel (dark wood inlay in the rim) the interior appears to be the same as my car.

Regards,

Art S.

 

ooops... sorry about the wheels.. thought they were 14's... suspension was a reference to mine with the self leveling and air suspension which ultimately didnt and resulted in a very crushed driver side exhaust system and beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. Kudos to dailying her... in an age of texting and driving and cars way to powerful for most people not sure i would have that amount of courage. And for driving at speed yes, that is what you really notice about these cars compared to those of the same vintage. A theoretical similar car ie a 69 v8 mustang.... similar power and size feels completely different. The front end of the stang gets very light at 90 where as these cars just kind of settle in and start feeling at home at that speed and well above and stay very composed and predictable.

 

No apologies. I don't know why the the 330GTC had 14" and the 330GT 2+2 had 15" but the suspension actually makes sense to me. Ferrari was a relatively small and dynamic company, before Fiat. Going through Kerry's site, you can get a sense of the progression and evolution unit by unit, beyond the bespoke nature of the cars. However, there was a limit to what could be done with a given design. Hence, the 330GT 2+2 was the last old school, non-IRS chassis made and it was produced when every other model had IRS. I'm curious if Mr. Ferrari wanted something more refined from his 2+2s so he didn't switch until the self leveling system was ready or if he didn't have the design manpower to revise it sooner or if it was a business decision - if it's selling well for this market segment, keep selling it!

The 365GT 2+2 was the first production Ferrari 2+2 model with IRS. Sorry about your exhaust; I guess Ferrari got the self leveling to work well (functionally) but I don't recall it being known for its durability :^)

It's been over a decade since I daily drove my car, so I don't speak from recent experience.

I think your comparison to a Mustang (or most American cars) is a good one - each was designed, very well, for their own very different customer requirements.

Regards,

Art S.

 

and the self tappers

 

Here's a pretty cool comparison of the 330 GT versus something a bit more modern than the 550 (2019 GTC4 Lusso):

 

This is indeed the perfect storm, better AND rarer. I'm sure there are exceptions but probably not many.

 

There's actually a surprisingly large number of changes beyond just the headlights between series 1 and series 2 -- much more than you would guess looking at the cars that have relatively similar shapes. The ones that matter most to me is 5-speed (versus 4-speed + overdrive) (there were "interim" S1's that had 5-speed also), the side inlet vents on the series 2 with chrome surround are far more attractive to my eye than series 1, hanging pedals. Also Campangnolo magnesium alloys were standard on the series 2 (can't remember if alloys were available for the series 1) -- I feel the alloys are much more attractive/appropriate than Boranis given the relatively modern shape of the 330 body -- but the alloys are also much lighter and much easier to maintain than Boranis (which were still an option for Series 2). Of course, some people prefer the look of the Boranis -- looks-wise it is a matter of personal preference. Electric windows were standard on the S2.

Some of the changes are somewhat bizarre, such as moving the gas filler from the passenger side (s1) to the driver's side (s2) -- there must have been a reason to go through all that effort to move it, but isn't intuitively obvious why they would need to do that. Kerry's 330gt.com site has a wealth of knowledge -- this page outlines all of the production changes by date/serial number => http://www.330gt.com/ProductionChanges.htm

 

Probably the most critical item between the series 1 4/speed and interim/series 2 5/speed was the hanging pedals and fiberglass floor. The earlier series 1 had the pedals going through the floor, which was 2 layers with insulation in between. It was almost impossible to have the pedal boots keep the water out and the insulation was a perfect sponge to hold it, this rusting out the floor.

 

Kerry,

Nope, only half right. Check your notes :^)

You are correct about the hanging pedals, which I believe were concurrent with the 5-speed. The the metal floors remained through the interims and the early S2s. I think the floor changeover to fiberglass happened closer to the switch to 2-mount engines.

Regards,

Art S.

 

I am a custodian of both a 1997 550 and a 1965 330 - and regularly drive them both - some V long distances - yes they are different cars , but I love them both
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