Check out a 328 for me?

They are only a mile or so from my house, so if nobody else can help, I should be able to stop by and take a look at the car for you, possibly late this afternoon after work. I'll watch this space to see if anyone else has looked it over for you before then. Have you spoken with them about the car? Any particular issues you want looked at? I've never owned a 328, but I've had lots of other cars and currently have a glass euro 308 and a Boxer, among other things. If you need a PPI I've heard only good things about Scuderia Rampante in Boulder.

 

Hi Wade,
I stopped by and checked out the car (briefly). Vin is ZFFXA20AXG0060671, Carfax is clean and shows ownership in CA, Louisiana, then Colorado. The interior is dirty and needs cleaning, but I did not notice any rips or broken seams. To be useable, the seats need cleaning, to be really nice, they need respraying, perhaps even recovering. There is some wear on the driver side bolster, typical for the miles. The exterior is presentable, shows only normal paint scratches, swirls etc. Obviously cleaned by the previous owner with the same mitt he used on his jeep, if you know what I mean. Not bad, just not a show car. The front spoiler needs repair, as on most Ferraris of that vintage. There are several minor nicks that could be easily touched up and one star crack (from the inside) less than 1/2" in diameter on the passenger side fender. Jack, tools and manuals are present and look correct to me, but I am not an expert on 328s by any means. Spare is present and good, other tires are useable but that's all. I did not see any sun damage on the dash. The engine compartment is a bit dirty but looks pretty correct to me- not screwed with. I doubt the car has had any major service recently based on dirt, etc. Nothing wrong, just a decent used car. The sales manager indicated that the car was to be detailed and if the detail is done right the car will look loads better. I did not drive or even start the car so you're on your own for mechanical assessment. Gauges look fine and the controls feel right. I did not see any rust and the undercarriage looks straight. I do not even know what they are asking, but I would say the car is a great buy at 35k, a fair deal at 40k and too expensive at 45k, all contingent on the car being cleaned up and checked out ok mechanically. If you have any other questions let me know and I'll try to answer them. By the way, just to clarify, no promises from me on the accuracy of my assessment, strictly a quick look over to help you out.

 

I'll remember Wade! And to be honest, I think based on similar comparisons that the car is "excellent" on the normal scale of hyperbole used by owners and dealers. It is a good car; I would not hesitate to purchase it if I were in the market, but all cars need some level of attention. In fact, cars that are truly perfect lose some degree of attraction; we all like to buy things to make them better. Fortunately, this philosophy only applies to cars (at least for men). hence the irrational lust for the "barn find" which is essentially a total piece of sh** that will cost more to restore than the purchase of a perfect car! We just can't help ourselves, can we? Sorry for the philosophy, too many glasses of wine with dinner. Good luck with the car, I think the guys at Van Bibber are honest and will probably make you a fair deal if you really want the car. Ferraris in black are the best, no doubt.

 

Thanks JMN for the kind words. A few of the things you mentioned are really minor, we had just gotten the car and haven't had a chance to do much with it. Scuderia Rampante has already seen the car. Good to see people watching out for each other and helping other Ferrari buyers out.

 

I still see it on their website, so did you not get it Wade?