Ferrari purchase

What is is annual, bi-annual and major budget for maintenance? What is his budget/reserve for unexpected things that pop up?

 

Get the best car that he can in terms of condition. I presume that's condition 1...



He can thank me later.

 

Stellar advice as usual As an owner of two of the options listed (355 and Testarossa) I can say that I held out (both from patience and financial standpoints) to get "1" condition cars in both cases. Given his budget I would go with a 1-condition 308 which can be had for a lot less than $45K and keep the extra in the bank to truly enjoy the car and not worry every time something goes wrong as well as being able to keep it in "1" condition.

Just .02

 

I'd get the 328 but I think you're budget needs to be stretched a little.

If you throw in your yearly costs of upkeep, the 355 is the most expensive to keep on the road. So, it that's a factor, go for the 328. Also, they're holding value now pretty well.

It's not particularly fast but it is fun and it feels and drives like a Ferrari, which is most important.

Good luck in your search!

 

I'm not sure condition 1 308's can really be had anymore, other than GTi's (B's or S's), which I think unfairly suffer from the perception of being inferior to carb cars or QV's. I'd go for the best 308/328 I could find myself.

 

Agree completely. Good advice.

 

Good points - 328 is by far the best choice - Just always get leary of Ferrari decisions made on price. Agree with TheMayor - If you have $45K now + $5K for PPI you are $5Kish away from being in very nice 328 range and all-in-all I would wait for that.

 

I'd buy a perfect low mile 308GT4 and have a service done.

 

I think its pretty clear what not to buy... 355 or TR. they will simply cost too much to keep on the road. Unless ... you just love them and have to have one... then I think the budget is a bit low.

328 seems to me the right combo... Should be easy on wallet. but no guarantees in Ferrari ownerhship

 

Offense taken!! <kidding> Based on budget and COH for maintenance/unexpecteds you are absolutely correct.

 

FWIW and with all due respect to your friend's mechanic skills I would strongly recommend leaving the major maintenance items to a good independent or dealership who has technicians familiar with the older cars. The optimal scenario is to have your friend shadow the independent and perhaps eventually take on more of the maintenance tasks but obviously this is not conducive to the independent's long-term business plan so may not be feasible.

The 308 and 328 guys can chime in here since I own the two highest-maintenance (and scariest) of the list so perhaps the 308s'328s are more doable for a non-Ferrari-trained DIYer with good skills but my advice stands. It is a lot less expensive just to take the car to an expert the first time than pay them to undo what you attempted to do and then do it right.

Cheers

 

The 355. If he gets a good one it will probably blow his wig back.

 

A nice condition 308 should fit his budget with room for maintenance and other to-do's.

Which car does he really prefer? I would think hard about settling on a model strictly on budget. I would rather wait a bit longer and save till the desired model is within his budget.

My personal bias would be to look for a 328 unless my street car budget increases well into 6 digits.

 

Yes, a nice sorted out 84/85 QV with the classic looks and still have plenty of budget left.

 

I've always told people, when buying a used Italian car, budget a quarter of the purchase price for a "make it right" service.

If you buy a used car and just fix it when it stops, it detracts from the ownership experience.

Italian cars can't be owned the way you own a Toyota.
Japanese cars are often detuned at the factory to improve reliability. (Which is why there's a large "tuner" industry.)
Italian cars are tuned to peak, and mandate regular service to keep them there.

And even a "great condition" car -- that's 25-30 years old -- will have a few lurking issues the PO no longer notices ... but may drive a new owner crazy.

Italian cars *can* be reliable, but regular maintenance is critical.

So my other advice for Italian cars is to find the shop that'll maintain it *before* you go car shopping.
(And the shop may know of a car for sale.)


After a couple of decades of experience with Fiats and Alfas, what I did was to buy a condition 3 328, and then dumped a big tab into an engine-out service to replace all the worn hoses, pipes, fittings, etc.
The result was a 328 with "daily driver" reliability that wasn't so cosmetically pristine that I'd be afraid to park it anywhere.

I drove it to work (literally daily driver), rain or shine for three summers.
(After that, I had the EVO for rainy days.)

 

Based on his budget, I don't think the 355 and Testarossa should be on that list.

 

That is the same budget I had when I bought last year. I chose a 355 with higher miles but excellent service history. I am prepared to set aside money for service, and I do most things myself. Your friend may differ.

I wanted more performance than the 328, and for some reason it mattered to me that the engine bay looks ugly (IMHO) when the engine is transversely mounted (no offense to anyone). These are the kind of trivial (to some) things that factor into a Ferrari-buying decision!

 

TR. For your first Ferrari, go with a V12.

 

TR. For your first Ferrari, go with a V12.

 

With a budget of $50K,... I'm not sure he can afford anything other than a 308/328.

My choice would be between a 308/328... and a Testarossa.

I'd also consider stretching the budget for a 360 coupe... Ownership costs will be cheaper than a testarossa.

But Testarossa's make a big statement...

 

I'm sure I'll be flamed, but I would stay away from 348, 355 and Testarossa as the maintenance will kill you compared to their real values. 1988 1/2 or newer 328 with ABS would be my choice if you can get one for your price range. 1985 308 QV might be good too. I would really wait and build up a few more bucks for a 1999 or 2000 360 6-speed coupe with higher miles.

 

Very true. Those two cars will cost 50% of the purchase price if certain weil known problems show up. The 355 and its valve guides/liners, the TR with its gearbox drive axles.

Spoken by someone who owns 328, 348, and 355, the 328 has the most classic looks and reliability. The 355 has the most mile for mile problems and maintenance issues. And the 348 is somewhere in the middle. All three turn heads and attract attention just the same.

My 328 is now my daily driver and while it is no Toyota, it will run everyday until some maintenance issue comes up, then I park it and drive something else.