Hello All.... I am a F-car newbie and new to this board ( A friend at work suggested this forum) I am looking at purchasing an 80's Ferrari (I'll admit it, that damn Magnum really hooked me . I really love the body style of them but I am curious as to what model and year is generally considered the best, most reliable? I hear that the 328's are widely considered the most reliable model but I was looking for a little more detail.. Thank you for your help and I apologize for the newbie questions... SC
IMO, the most reliable car, any type, is the one that's been driven and maintained. My suggestion is to the buy the best car you can afford AND maintain. i.e. a mint, well maintained 308GTSi/GTBi instead of a decent QV or 328. Opinions will vary, though. Good luck. The search is part of the fun! Dane
Also depends on which style you like. I much prefer the 308 QV look over the 328. So, I think an '85 QV is the best. But, you need to search the site, as many like the carbed 308s.
Pull up a chair, get a big cup of coffee and start a search. You should be close to half way thru by late Sun evening on this subject. I hope you find a great car. Let us know
I'd echo DTV's comments about the "driven and maintained" criteria. But, I asked this question to a couple of independent Ferrari mechanics. The 308 QV's ('83-'85) and the 328's are considered the least fussy - doesn't mean they're Honda's, but generally reliable if you maintain them properly and use some common sense when it comes to starting, warm-up, shifting and so on. The earlier carb'ed cars look and sound great, but I was advised to leave those for the mechanically inclined. The 2-valve injected cars are somewhere in between in terms of reliability. Performance is weak, but prices reflect this. Make sure you look at and drive both. I thought I wanted a 328, but somehow the 308 was just a sexier car. None of these cars make sense in terms of transportation or gut-wrenching performance, so buy what you like. And yes, the Search function will help you out. I noticed you were new so I figured I'd share my limited wisdom here.
I've had 308's and 328's. The 328 is much better designed and built. Cost more to start, but in my experience, less in the long run. Dave
James Patterson at Norwoods here in Dallas told me once that the cost of 308 and 328 ownership will be about the same if you plan to keep the car for many years as repair and maintenance costs of the 308 will exceed the 328 if you consider two similar quality cars at the initial purchase.
My experience mirrors Dave's thoughts exactly. By the time I moved on to a 328, I had as much in the 308 trying to MAKE it modern/reliable/strong and like a 328 than a 328 cost in the first place. You know, a carb rebuild, electronic ignition, power door locks, new bigger 328-style wheels, new fusebox, new exhaust, etc. And it still wasn't right. In retrospect, the stretch to the 328 would have been tge best thing, to begin with. Unless you "gotta have carbs". For me, they sounded awesome, but were difficult to dial in, starved when cornering, and smelled horrendous. For those who like carbs, there is nothing purer than a carb 308, I will say...
I'm selling my 86 328 because I've moved to a 355. I've owned it for over three years. Great car! Check it out through the link below. All records are complete including 15k and 30k services. I'm in NC. I may have a buyer already, but I have not sold the car yet. I'll know by tomorrow. http://www.ferrarichat.com/pp-classifieds/showproduct.php?product=192&sort=1&cat=2&page=4
Mike, would you say your comments apply more to carb'ed 308's or the late QV's? IIRC, the QV's have a Marelli electronic ignition, 16 inch wheels and power locks.
My experience applies to the carb cars, but the build and design quality on a 328 is better all around than on any 308. --Mike
All in all 328 will be a better choice as I faced the same predicament and decided on 328 and never regret it.
