Help please! The agony of decision: 330 GTC vs. 365 GTC

Decision made.

If it's the one in your profile pic, then yes, that is an awesome colour.

Good luck - I'll be intrigued to find out what you decide.


Onno

 

I suspect the issue was the width of the 4 cam engine. The Daytona has a more modern front suspension design with a wider engine cradle and the engine bay is noticably wider. I very much doubt if a Daytona engine would physically fit in a GT or GTC.

 

+1, Oscar. w/ smiles Jimmy

 

Julio,

About a year and a half ago I was trying to make the decision on whether to "upgrade" from my 330 GTC to a 365 GTC. If I made the switch I would have sold my 330 [market was hot at the time] and begin the search for the right 365. I spoke with a couple of vintage experts about the concept. The general consensus was that it was not worth the effort nor investment [about a $100k more]. Tom Shaughnessy graciously spent a fair amount of time on the phone explaining why he thought it was not a worthwhile transaction. Especially if I liked the 330 that I had in my possession.

I still sometimes wonder if I went the correct route by not seeking a 365. But I am so far down the road with making my 330 a better car there is no turning back.

 

Roger, I agree. I think your 365 must have been the very last one made. Have you posted pictures of it? I'd love to see them.

Great color, that blue. My 365 is blu sera, which is not metallic and much darker. I like the 365GTC, although I do think the 330 is more aesthetic. The 365 definitely has more power. Based on my experiences with old cars (not as extensive as yours), I would keep the one you have though - unless you have a lot of free/spare time, a fully-sorted Ferrari is worth a lot more in terms of ownership experience compared with one that is less sorted. And let's face, I'm sure your friend kept the car nicely, but his quirks are probably different than your quirks, so you'll spend some time getting the car the way you want it.

Best,
Alex

 

I love that car. It's such a beautiful design.

 

I agree with an earlier poster. If you are looking to expand your collection, I suggest getting into something different than what you currently have. We could argue the pros and cons of the 330 and 365 all day when perhaps you might be better served in looking into something completely different. Right now we are just splitting hairs and unless you have always desired a 365 in your collection, I would pass.

 

I'm surprised to say that I don't think those wheels look right on that car.

 

Beautiful car and color! The wheels look fine IMO. The only thing really wrong is the ugly huge side marker lights on the car.
Pinin Farina would not be pleased. Remove them forthwith!

 

Go for the 365 GTC. I had one in 1970, and kept it for about 4-5 years, used as a weekends and long trips car, and I believe that it is one of the most underestimated Ferraris around.

From the UK, I drove to the Frankfurt and Geneva motor shows every year, and the car would settle in to a nice 130 mph cruise with no problems in good comfort. The performance at the time was as quick as anything you would normally find on the road.

I thought so much of the car, that on occasion, I would go to meetings in London in my 250 GTO, as I didn't want the GTC to get scratched while parked in the street.

I guess times have changed somewhat !

 

By pure ridiculous circumstance I was watching the DUKE 50 years of Ferrari video yesterday, which features that very car, parked in that very spot. Owned by Leopoldo Pirelli, it was used for testing Pirelli tires and it was also the very first Ferrari to sport the 5-pointed star rims that became so typical for Ferrari. So although few people will know, they do belong on that car.

Yesterday morning, I would not have known that... funny.


Onno

 

Onno,

Now that I see this in text in front of me, I recall someone telling me that story. I think though that this may hold true for a Ferrari road-car, but weren't the 5-spoked wheels first used on the P-series cars?

Julio:

Did you ever miss any grunt in your 330? Driving it back to back with a younger sibbling is always going to favour the further developed example. Drive the 365 for a month and that extra grunt means nothing anymore, you 'absorbed' the experience and got used to it.
Rather take the 100k difference and buy a Boxer for a good kick in the b*tt. *your wife will hate it though if she thinks a 246 is loud)

 

It's round about the same time, it's quite possible you're right. But my understanding of the comment in the video was for a production car.


Onno

 

"Rather take the 100k difference and buy a Boxer for a good kick in the b*tt. *your wife will hate it though if she thinks a 246 is loud"

I had a carbed Boxer s/n 21171 for 9 yrs. Now I have a Euro Dino. Even though the Boxer has 2x the engine and power the Dino exhaust is pretty loud in comparison.

The Dino is a good car for these days of big law enforcement......You work hard at running it fast, it makes all the right sounds and all the while you are still under the speed limit.

but I digress......the GTC is the topic here.....and the 365 is probably the one of the best of the FCars made IMHO.

 

Great thread!

From what I understand (usually not much;-)) 365GTCs tend to be bought by people who have owned numerous other Ferraris, have satisfied their thirst for owning the poster cars such as 275GTB's Daytonas and eventually as their knowledge and first hand experience grows they get more and more tempted and interested and wanting to buy one, realizing the amazing package it constitutes and yes as Onno pointed out they are quite diminutive and that I believe is actually a major plus: great grunt in something not too large -but in no way too small- that you can have fun with on track or back roads where Testarossa or Diable drivers will hold their breath if a truck comes the other way with an inch to spare: small(er) is beautful and having driven several 330GTC's was enjoyable but mainly made me hungry to discover a 365!

best regards,

Marc

 

Julio........now I understand......you do have troubles in that decision. Very nice 365......

 

No doubt. This 365 GTC.
É bellissima.

 

Am I wrong, or are those 15" wheels? I ask because all the 330/365 GTCs I've seen wore 14s, and these look kinda oversized for this model.

 

Isn't it true that the later 15 inch wheels will fit on the 330/365 without offset correction? Just bolt on directly...
I like the standard mags over the Borranis, but that is personal taste.

I imagine there are lots of Dino owners that would aspire to owning a 365GTC
(raises hands twice).

Weren't there only about 150 examples of the 365GTC that were produced? If you have the opportunity for such exclusivity, it would be sad to pass it up. I believe I've heard that valve adjustments are far simpler than on the Dino - screw type rather than bucket & shims.

 

Julio,

Buy ..... that ..... beautiful .... car.

Roger

 

fantastic color. really nice with those lines.