Good Deal? 1982 308 GTBi

Have you actually seen it? Driven iT? Shifts OK? How many owners? Too many questions still........The expert will chime in soon, Im sure...

 

If you really want the right car you've got to look at it and drive it in person.

No substitute for that.

If what your saying is true ('82 with only 14,000 miles) than 30k sounds a little high but not out of the ballpark.

 

Some of the early injected cars had the oil consumption issue you mention, but check the service history -- some of these cars had their engines replaced early because of that. In any event, there should be decent set of service records with the car showing what was done/by whom/when.

$3K-$4K for a major service sounds right.

$30K? Get a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) and make sure the engine is making good compression. Check all the electricals. Check the door bottoms (well, the whole car, because these weren't rustproofed) for corrosion. As posted above, does it shift properly (2nd gear shouldn't grind)? Do the windows work (they're often slow, but they should work, and are a good clue as to whether the car has been maintained fastidiously or just when things broke)? If it's a really good, clean car, and mechanically good where it counts, the price is OK. If the bumper is cracked, the doors have rust rubbles, the leaks badly and shifts poorly, the price isn't OK.

In any event, you will spend thousands of dollars over the next few years on an old used Ferrari, so pay more attention to quality of the car than to the price.

Also, someone will post this anyway, but old Ferrari odometers aren't the gold standard for reliability. Many have been disconnected or tampered with. If you know the owners, you could be OK with this one (and Carfax can help a bit). But don't buy the car based on the odometer.

Finally, you probably already know this but the 1980-82 cars are probably the least sought after of the 308s. Plenty of guys own them and love them, but prices are soft. The early carb'ed cars were quicker, and the later Quattrovalvole cars were also faster and a bit more reliable, which left the early injected cars as sort of the 'in-betweeners' without the raw sound of the carb'ed cars or the refined performance of the later QVs. The GTBi is also generally less sought after than the GTSi (targa top) car, although by '82 the GTB was scarcer than the GTS as everyone bought convertibles. This all plays into resale, but ultimately it shouldn't be about the money.

 

At least check for the service history

 

"buy the newest model" doesn't apply to 308's. The ones to have are the 77 carbed cars then performance dropped in 78 and 79. The injected 2 valve cars 80-82 don't have any problems with "engine failure" at all. The performance is par with the 79 carbed cars but SOME - NOT ALL did burn a qt or two more than normal - normal being about 1 per 700-900 miles. In 83 the 4 valve came out and it did not have the oil issue anymore. Performance was closer to the early carbed cars but try to find a 84-85 model instead of the 83 for a couply of picky reasons only. There is no difference between the 84 or 85 cars so just buy the best you find.

 

i always thought it's better to buy the best you can afford rather than the newest. if this is a really good 308, there's no need to go newer, unless you want to, of course.

 

Remember, newer or newest you can afford doesn't mean better

 

EXACTLY

 

ONE of my three 1977's had an engine failure under Warranty, the other two are fine...


Even the blown one is doing well now, thank you........

 

In terms of newer, 328 GTS/GTB are the sweet spot with regard to price, performance, cost/ease of maintenance, and reliability. 348 and 355 have tons of little electronic/computer sensors that can go bad. (355s also are prone to cracked exhaust manifolds and other issues.)

Much of choosing a Ferrari is going for what you like. They look very different, perform differently, and are very different to drive as the models roll on. The most significant change is between the 328 and 348, plus the 348 to 355. (The 355 is car that ergonomically you could drive every day.)

 

Any information or documents about what the failure was?

 

I currently considering the purchase of an '81 GTBi, same color, more miles (56,000). I know that the car has been serviced, but we're having trouble finding out exactly what was done the last few times. Car is currently (as in as I type this) having a PPI done. Other than T-belts, tensioners, cam seals, fuel lines, and valve adjustments, what else should be done in a major service. If a few of the items I mentioned need attention, I'm pretty confident I can attend to them myself. I'm wanting to know if there are any areas I won't feel good about trying myself.

Darren

 

Besides fluids, that should cover it.

 

Here's a good list:

-Replace Spark Plugs
-Replace Timing Belts and Tensioner Bearings
-Replace Cam Seals and Housing O-Rings
-Replace Valve Cover Gaskets
-Replace Distributor Seals and Housing Gaskets
-Replace Distributor Cap Gaskets
-Replace Cam End Cover Gaskets
-Inspect Ignition Wires / Caps / Rotors
-Replace Air Filter
-Replace Fuel Filter(s)
-Replace A/C Belt
-Replace Alternator / Water Pump Belt
-Adjust Valves (where applicable)
-Torque Cam Journals
-Torque Heads (check only)
-Set Timing
-Bleed Brake Lines
-Change Oil and New Filter
-Change Transaxle Gear Fluid
-Replace Coolant
-Inspection/Service of Air Conditioning System
-Inspect all Lines (fuel, oil, water)
-Pressurize Coolant System, check for leaks
-Inspect CV Boots
-Inspect Fuse Panel
-Inspect Tires / Adj. Tire pressure
-Inspect Water Pump
-Inspect all Seals (shift shaft, main, timing gear assy)
-Inspect all Bulbs, Lights, Electrical Motors
-Inspect Clutch Pedal play (adjustment setting if necessary)
-Inspect all Suspension Bushings / Connections
-Inspect all Exhaust Joints / Connections for leaks
-Inspect Brake Pads and Discs
-Inspect Wheel Bearings

 

$ 10,722.00 usa dollars

 

I think the technical term is "the motor blew the f*** up!".......LOL!

It was very soon it the cars life, at around 6K miles.........the coupon book was up to date at the time so they made good on it.....it was the original owner, I am the third, behind our own Vern Cornell....

 

I bought a 1982 308 GTBi on eBay (!) six years ago. It had almost 80,000 miles on it and cost me $20,000. I did have to spring almost immediately for new belts, and have been fixing it up little by little since that time.

I have added Hyper-Flow exhaust, which brings its performance back up there with the carbureted models. I've had the seats reupholstered to spec. The driver's side has been smoothed and repainted.

I love the car, which now has over 100,000 miles on it. Dave Helms of Scuderia Rampante recently ran a compression check and Dyno, and he said he's "beyond ecstatic" at how well the car runs.

Oil consumption has not been an issue for me, just some minor leakage that is typical of most Ferraris.

Personally, I think it's a myth that Ferraris have to be low mile. Some things start to decay if they are NOT driven.

My advice: Have a reputable FERRARI mechanic check it out. Here's hoping it's as good as mine, and that it provides you all the joy that I have gotten from mine.

~Bradley