Gt4 market question | FerrariChat

Gt4 market question

Discussion in '308/328' started by ScottS, Jun 12, 2022.

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  1. ScottS

    ScottS F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Mar 2, 2004
    2,937
    Winter Park
    Full Name:
    Scott S
    I’ve always loved the 308gt4 since I was a boy. Thinking about getting one and ultimately restoring before it all ends. I missed out on the giallo/ original verde pino and im kicking myself.

    Looking at this one and would welcome y’all’s thoughts on it and the market as well as the cost / possibility of restoring /frame off.

    Silver is great for me but would Love verde pino. Non boxer.

    I was on one database but not sure what the original color was of this one at BHMC.

    http://www.dino-gt4-registry.com

    BaT prices are crazy. The idea of importing is open as well.

    Assembly 10342.


    Thank you


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  2. dyerhaus

    dyerhaus Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Nov 4, 2012
    893
    Santa Rosa, California
    Full Name:
    Christopher Dyer
    I'm assuming you're talking about this car on BHCC:

    https://www.beverlyhillscarclub.com/1975-ferrari-308gt4-dino-c-13895.htm

    I've seen that there a while, and I'm really good at picking apart all the negatives of these cars, as well as all the positives… so here's what I can see just by looking at the photos: :)

    Overall, the body looks to be straight, however there are several paint and body imperfections, and the rear trunk lid doesn't appear to close properly. But, the interior looks really clean and in great condition overall, and red goes well with the silver body. Also, it's still Dino badged, and that's pretty rare to find here in America.

    There's a few peculiarities about this on though, the first being what there's a "FERRARI" script badge over the Dino badge on the nose. I'd take that off right away! The bumpers are odd and don't seem correct, but I also feel like I've seen those on these cars before. My car 10388 (23 cars after the 10342), and my bumpers are correct. The side view mirror is not correct for a US spec car, and the rear seat headrests are missing and there's a weird piece of rubber mounted just above the rear seats (where the headrests should be). Emissions parts are missing from the engine, which generally isn't a big deal as not even the state of California requires emissions on a 1975 model car, but those are hard parts to find if you want to keep it original. My emissions parts are there, but disconnected so I don't lose any performance/power. The took kit appears to be missing, as do the manuals and pouch (and those things are really expensive to replace).

    There's one thing that could be a "pro" or a "con" depending on how you look at it: The car still has its original exhaust. And it's also missing the rear grill that covers the exhaust (aka "diaper").

    The problem with Beverly Hills Car Club is they're not always straight forward via email. To be quite honest, they don't really know everything about the cars they're selling. I've been there once, and in person they're great, but still not real knowledgeable about their cars. This is the kind of place where YOU really have to know what to look for, YOU have to know the car inside and out. Do not rely on anything they tell you about the car.

    It could be a good car. The interior looks good, the body is acceptable, and if it's truly mechanically sound… well, at $72,500 that good be a good price. The last really good 308 GT4 to sell in a public auction (BAT) went for $141,000. The last decent 308 GT4 that (based on photos alone) had more flaws than the silver one sold for $71,000. I think it will be difficult to find a decent example under $100,000 at this point.

    I think you'll ultimately need and want to repaint it as there appears to me multiple uneven spots of paint, some small dings, and a weird outward dent near the left rear side marker. Paint jobs aren't cheap, and if the paint is hiding damage (poor previous repair, rust, etc.), then it gets even more expensive.

    I definitely wouldn't buy this one without physically seeing it and driving it first, then getting an independent mechanic to inspect it. Only after doing all that could you make a reasonable assertion as to the value of this car.
     
  3. ScottS

    ScottS F1 Rookie
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    Mar 2, 2004
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    Winter Park
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    Scott S
    Thank you for the thorough reply.


    I’m torn between buying as an un molested versión and restore or buy a better version and tweak. In theory this would be the keeper for when I’m retired and. It buying cars very year. That and the 16m.

    They’re never going to make small go cart like cars again. And unfortunately I don’t fit well in a 246.


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  4. NoGoSlow

    NoGoSlow Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Jul 29, 2014
    641
    Republic of Texas
    Full Name:
    Mark Jacks
    I have owned two 1975 GT4s (10356 & 10568) and learned an important lesson that you'll see shared throughout the threads on FerrariChat: It costs 10X to take an "okay" car and make it very good over what it costs to wait and buy a "very good" car.

    My first GT4 was an "okay car", and was all I could afford so the decision was easy. I got a lot of pleasure out of correcting the issues and restoring the car to a higher level, plus it was sort of like paying in installments... I didn't need all the money up front. And when I was done I had a nice car - for the next owner. It didn't take long, though, to realize the piece-by-piece method isn't cheap.

    I agree with Christopher's summary above, and have a couple of other thoughts. The lipstick red interior looks like a cheap re-spray of the leather. My first GT4 (10356) was also the original silver-over-red, although the Connolly leather was more of a burgundy color. The other item is the picnic table bumpers... the first wave of cars came with those bumpers and the thermoreactor muffler with turned-down tips. The thermoreactors are very heavy so most people ditched them early on. This one may need to be changed based on the mileage, BUT you might find people willing to take it off your hands for a pretty penny if they are restoring an early car to perfection. You might even get enough for the replacement Ansa exhaust.

    Given the age of these cars and the rarity of ones coming up for sale (maybe 20-40 per year), you might have to wait a long time if you're holding out for one of the pristine examples. This one doesn't scream "run away" like so many of the BHCC cars, and if a pre-purchase inspection is good enough then this might meet your requirements.
     
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  5. desmomini

    desmomini F1 Rookie
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    Nov 18, 2003
    4,110
    Upstate SC
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    Jeff
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  6. dyerhaus

    dyerhaus Formula Junior
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    Nov 4, 2012
    893
    Santa Rosa, California
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    Christopher Dyer
    That one is very interesting, and I'm really curious what it will sell for. Given it's location, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a lot of rust (visible and hidden). It doesn't look like it's been very well cared for either: the engine looks like it has some leaks, and the tires are over 25 years old. It also doesn't seem to sit correctly? Not sure about that, but something just looks "off" about it.
     
  7. kiwiokie

    kiwiokie Formula 3

    Aug 19, 2013
    1,539
    Tulsa, OK
    Full Name:
    John McDermott
    The BGCC car looks pretty decent except for the resprayed interior but that could be corrected with some lacquer thinner, black leather dye and time.


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  8. desmomini

    desmomini F1 Rookie
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    Nov 18, 2003
    4,110
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    Jeff
    Given that the owner is deceased and it's being sold by his son (and last serviced in 2016,) I suspect there's quite a bit of...deferred maintenance involved.
     
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  9. xpensivewino

    xpensivewino Formula Junior

    Jan 26, 2008
    954
    Simi Valley CA
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    Need to know basis
    These cars have bad rust problems even in California, so given the location that would be my MAJOR concern.
     
  10. dyerhaus

    dyerhaus Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Nov 4, 2012
    893
    Santa Rosa, California
    Full Name:
    Christopher Dyer
    Very true, in fact, all Ferraris do that are from the 1970s and older as they pretty much did no rust protection on the cars.

    When I took my 1975 car in to revert the color back to factory original, even though my car was a California car since new (has literally never left the state), I was still nervous at what hidden damage might be found when they started stripping the body. With the body being color changed in 1989, we had no idea what we might find.

    I got really lucky, and even my painters were blown away. Once the car was stripped, they were shocked that they found no rust. There was literally one TINY spot of rust, and that was in the typical spot (right side rear fender - picture below). That was literally the ONLY place they found even a hint of rust on my car. They told me they've worked on a number of these cars and have never seen them without rust, mine was a first for them!

    I think I really did find the best one out there! :D

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