Best Year Mondial Cab to buy???

Buy the newest one you can afford.

 

The same concern has been voiced about purchasing a 348. The 348 is mechanically identical (for all practical purposes) to the Mondial T. I suppose you wouldn't want an '85-'88 Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet for your wife because unlike the Mondial T, the Mondial 3.2 does not have power steering. But I could be wrong because the 3.2 is also a very nice car and your wife might be a real enthusiast!

There is lots of disagreement over whether a later year Mondial T/348 is necessarily better than an earlier year. Do a search on this and you'll find plenty of information and opinion. There are owners of older Mondial Ts and 348s who swear by their cars and maintain that their cars have caused them none of the "nightmares" that you hear of in the rumors that float around about older 348s and older Mondial Ts. And then again, there are owners of early (and later) cars who have had some problems.

Facts:

-2.5 Motronic Injection system upgraded to 2.7 at some point during the 1990 model year
-Various other changes were made during the production cycle of the 348 and Mondial T. Many of these were retro-fitted with Ferrari Service Campaigns. Here is my list of 348 production changes; unless I've otherwise specified, I would assume the change was also applied to the Mondial T--again, because it's virtually identical to the 348 mechanically.

1. 05/30/91 differential side seal—production improvement
2. 05/30/91 Bosch starter motor changed to Nippon—production improvement
3. 10/10/91 cam seal housing modification—reduced oil leakage
4. 10/10/91 double plate-clutch changed in favor of single-plate clutch—production improvement
5. 10/10/91 new alignment specs—improved handling (348 only)
6. 10/10/91 improved mounting of front bonnet grill to address warpage
7. 10/10/91 front suspension shocks and springs—production improvement
8. 06/01/92 rear A-arm fix point height reduction—production improvement (348 only?)
9. 06/01/92 Delco Alternator changed to Nippon—production improvement
10. 08/18/92 door grills—improved strength (348 only)
11. 08/24/92 oil sump tank ground strap—improved gauge operation
12. 11/03/92 front timing bearing—reduced noise
13. 08/18/93 harmonic balancer replacement—reduced weight
14. 08/20/93 clutch thrust bearing/slave—production improvement



FOLLOW-UP:
-It is debatable whether change to the 2.7 Bosch Motronic Injection system was, in fact, an "upgrade," although most would agree that it was. This issue is for the most part responsible for the debate over whether an ealier car is necessarily inferior to a later car.
-If the 4th digit of the VIN is an F, then the 1990 car has the 2.5; if the fourth digit of the VIN is an R, then the 1990 car has the 2.7. See http://www.ferrari.org.nz/Articles/Vins.htm .
-There may have been changes made during the production cycle of the Mondial T that were specific to the Mondial T--like changes in the convertible top or other things--but I wouldn't know about those.

 

Since its for your wife, you may want her to look at the difference in the bumpers. Ferrari made a major change in the front and rear bumpers in 1986.
Most of the gals prefer the newer look of the 86 and newer.

I have had 2 1985 Mondial Cabs and loved them both. However if you have money and dont work on your own cars, I too would recomend the latest model. This last one just bought has alot of discontinued parts ( unobtainium)and is harder to get insured as a daily driver for that reason. I have had to repair many parts instead of replacing them.

 

Correct

 

Andy--

So I take it that the lack of power steering on the Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet is not an issue for you?

The Mondial 3.2 ('85-'88) is a vastly different car than the Mondial T ('89-'93). Are you aware of the differences? I'm not recommending one over the other, as they are both wonderful cars in my opinion.

There are many differences, and you can read about them at the link below. I will indicate some very relevant information that you might not find in (or accurately find) in literature.

First, anti-lock brakes existed on Mondials only 1988 and afterward, although I think some 1987 cars had ABS as an option.

Second, the 3.2 will cost you much less to maintain, principally because the engine on the 3.2 does not need to come out for the major service. The 3.2 also has a less complicated injection system and less electronic gadgetry, so you will spend less money there fixing little problems. On the other hand, the performance of the T is far superior to that of the 3.2.

You can read up on the Mondials here:
http://www.ferrariusa.com/Mondial/index.asp

 

Ok, so check out that link. It's very interesting and informative... and hopefully some more people will chime in tomorrow.

 

Andy:

Drive all three if you get a chance, each is a little different. The QV is pretty easy to work on, but the electronics are a little cruder. 3.2 is pretty well sorted and the t brings the power. Since you have the resources (and have owned a 348 in the past), I wouldn't be scared of the t cabriolet. All of them are reasonable to work on, the t might be just slightly more expensive to work on. Once you pick the model, find a nice one and enjoy it. Take a real good look at the top's condition and the upper leather surfaces. Good luck.

Erik

 

Andy:

I haven't priced the later cabriolets, but I am guessing that a solid t cab is in the low 40's. Tremendous bang for the buck, very useable car. I was playing around with Karen's coupe and thinking this would make a good daily driver...

Check out FML for more cars.

Cheers,
Erik

 

FML = Ferrari Market Letter

www.ferrarimarketletter.com

 

I would only amend that to say "The newest 3.2 you can afford".
They were less problematic than the t.

 

Being a 2-time T Cab owner, my views will be viewed as biased but here goes.

The T is a more modern car than the 3.2 etc. Yes, by year this is obvious but it is more than that. The adjustable suspension, power steering, ABS, integrated center console and more comfortable seats. I could live without all of these if I were driving on the weekends in great weather but as I tend to drive daily in all conditions, having these "modern" features causes me to forget that this car is 15 years old. Also, the dry sumped T handles far better than the others and has more power to boot. Originally, I preferred the larger air intakes and probably still do (toss up now) but I like the blistered lines over the wheels as they flow better (again read more modern) as opposed to the previous models cut outs.

Thus, the T's upgraded power, interior and electronics are hard to ignore. You can get ABS on an 88 3.2 but that's it. I see people talking about the 2.7 vs the 2.5 all the time but having owned both, didn't see that is made any difference to me. The problems with slow windows, slow down lights etc are exactly the same so if it was an upgrade, it was mainly for the techs that can use the diag tools for the 2.7 to tell you what we know these idiot lights mean. I specifically looked for an 89 when I was getting the second car because I wanted to avoid the weak (and IMHO worthless mouse belts) as well as the large bolster in the middle of the rear seats. Nothing makes driving the car less fun than having your kids pull on your shoulder strap for fun or just when they are leaning over in the back of the car. The pre-mouse belts are traditional meaning over the left shoulder for US spec driver side. Also, the mouse belt models (90+) also have a knee bolster that takes more space from the interior than I wfelt like giving up...my wife felt like they were right on her knees when she drove mine and she is 5-2. Not sure how tall your wife is but definitely worth thinking about.

What is your wife looking for? A Ferrari? Something that feels close in power to your 355? (Let's be clear...the 355 is going to be faster and handle better but will be noticed less in the T than the previous models.) If you own a 355, I doubt the service costs would scare you on any of these...but do remember, they are older and a generation behind your car so she will be "slumming" compared to your ride.

As for the top, it was not changed for the entire range...

- JMG

 

I owned a 89 T before my 355, I loved the car!...the only thing that bugged me a little was the sporadic warning light issues already noted on this thread.
A good friend has a 88 3.2, so I have had plenty of time to compare etc...

I would go with a nice t that has had the engine out service in the last year or two, I also would look for a car that has been driven....something about use that reduces the warning light problem...at least on mine / the more I drove the less they came on????

I think a really nice car could be had around 40, 000

 

348SStb, I respectfully challenge the data on the VIN 4th digit "F" designates BOSCH Motronic 2.5 (see attached jpg of my car's original window sticker). Admittedly, a small point.

355flyer I paid ~43,500 in June for my 90t cab from a Long Island reseller which, I'm happy to say after six months, was a sweet deal. I drove a 45k mi '85 3.2 and a 18k mi '88 3.2 before buying the t and the biggest differences I noticed was wear and tear associated with miles. Power steering is nice to have but the adjustable suspension is more of a novelty for me (I don't exceed 100mph often or for more than a few seconds). Still some of the buttons on my console are inop due to age/exposure and need to be replaced this Summer. The fresher the interior the more it will appeal to your wife (IMHO). I don't know anything about the Atlanta car but I wouldn't be surprised if your wife preferred a lower mileage 3.2 to a higher mileage t (even though the mechanical advantage might lean opposite her personal preference). Perhaps a perfect Mondial would be a (2000/miles per year) 3.2 or t with a fresh 30k mi service and completely new upholstery package.
-P
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