Input on a 1982 308 gts

Hi everyone

Just looking for some feedback. I have recently found a flawless mint all original 1982 308 gts with 20 thousand miles. The car is 2 owners. The current owner bought the car in 1986 and has put 1000 miles on it since. The car has been sitting and covered in a dry garage for 10 years since being started. My questions are (I have checked some of the main topics) what kind of service would be needed on the car? Also can I be reasonable to expect I could get this car sorted and it become a good daily use car ? And what would price of this car be?

The owner is a real nice guy who babied all his car and rarely drive them. I’m trying to find out if this is a worthwhile car to go for. Any tips advice would be greatly appreciated.

Would this car be none stop problems since it’s been sitting for so long even after getting sorted out ? Also what would be the best steps to getting it all sorted ? Like drain gas and full oil change before starting it ?

 

You will drop at least $ 10 ,000 if not more , to get it road worthy. its that simple.

Thank you

 

Ok quick searching here I got that vibe but in what way ? A belt change. Full fluid change. New tires. Anything else that will be needed ? What is the forsure items aside from a belt service that will need to be replaced ?

 

Major service (including belts/tensioners), replace fuel lines, rubber components, and tires. Then the fun starts, with "while we're in there..."

 

That's a very very conservative estimate.

 

Are you a D.I.Y. guy who will be doing all of your own work?

Or are you going to send the car to a shop and pay them to resurrect it for you?

 

IMO and to piggy back on the other excellent responses, I break your post into two sections: 1) What is needed to get it road worthy and 2) once it is road worthy what would the ongoing run costs be? Sound about right? If so, the way I see it is they are directly related. Essentially the more you spend getting it "back on the road" the lower your operating costs will be - and vice-versa - if you do the bare minimum to get it drivable I can pretty much guarantee you that you will encounter iterative issues that not only will be expensive but can ruin the enjoyment of the car from a cost standpoint and "trust" of the car.

1) If the car has not even been started for 10 years you will essentially need to have the engine taken apart and rebuilt - not necessary down to pistons, cylinders, cams etc. but definitely all seals, belts, and pretty much anything non-metallic in the engine and transmission. Gino's estimate of $10K is probably a good start but to Thomas's point what I do is take any estimate for an older Ferrari and double it for "while you are in there" items - So I would budget for either side of $15K and have the slack to address the issues up front and proactively versus reactively. You will also need all new non-metallic suspension items like bushings, CV boots etc. and obviously tires. Lastly and as mentioned, fuel lines, oil lines, all connectors etc. would need to at least be checked if not replaced.

2) Ok - So let's say you drop $13K-ish into the car up front - The actual operating and ongoing maintenance costs of a 308 are relatively low by Ferrari standards. They are relatively simple mechanically - things are easy to get to (versus say a 355 like I have where the engine has to come out for major service etc.) - there are not a lot of complex electronics - they made enough of them that most parts are accessible through the Ricambi's of the world if not the factory - lots of techs at Dealerships are still certified to work on them and a wealth of independents out there - not to mention DIY options and a wealth of knowledge on here. So as stated earlier, if you spend the money up front I think you can end up with a car you can drive frequently/daily as long as you realize that EVERYTHING is more expensive on a Ferrari so keep a "fund" for unexpected items so you are not sweating every little noise of malfunction - If you address the major stuff up front the little niggles are just part of Ferrari ownership.

As far as price - The market as you probably know is crazy right now. Pretty much any manual gated Ferrari is bringing crazy money. 308s and 328 has a renaissance/resurgence even before the recent craziness so any guess I would offer is probably off and by no means am I a "market expert" - For the sake of guessing and argument (LOTS more knowledgeable people on here than me) I would take a stab like this:

Two-owner excellent condition 308GTS that has sat for 10 years but stored properly (i.e. not in a barn somewhere) and assuming the color/interior spec is not something bizarre I would offer somewhere in the $50K range to acquire the car as-is. Then as discussed plan on $10-20K to properly get the car not only running but fully sorted - Now you have a decent-mileage 308GTS that is sorted and you are in it for $60-80K which is about right for nice but driven and to-be driven 308GTSs. Then I would budget around $2-3K a year for planned run/maintenance costs and an "unexpected" buffer and let it ride - in other words put that away and if you don't spend it let it build up so if/when something more significant pops up you are prepared for it and can have it addressed properly.

IMHO having a $60-80K 308GTS that you can drive and enjoy for a few grand a year with good peace of mind is a pretty great Ferrari scenario.

Hope this helped a bit - AGAIN - I am by no means an expert but have had and currently have my share of Ferrari's and listened and learned as I was ramping up to my first one and as I have had the pleasure of owning various models through the years.

Cheers and good luck!

 

Well I’m not a D.I.Y guy but a got a great friend who owns his own high quality service shop and he said he could do the work? So he doesn’t work on Ferrari but all other makes but being this is older one he felt fine as long as we bought the oem Ferrari parts. Does this sound reasonable ?

 

wow thanks for the amazing reply. I really appreciate it. I’m not new to the Ferrari world. I’m coming from a 16m. The idea allure of a nice 308 stick sounds fun. With that said in the above you stated an engine rebuild will be needed because it has sat for long ? That really needed ? Oil change etc wouldn’t be enough. That part scares me a bit

 

Why dont you just buy one that has already been restored, I would never ever consider buying a Ferrari that has been sitting for 10 years, its a bad move, and what the other guy said, 10k is much to conservative. Your going to trust a mechanic that is not familiar with Ferraris, another bad move, sounds like a recipe for DISASTER . Wait until the insanely inflated used car bubble busts, and then start your search for the right 3x8 . If I were you , I would also consider the 328 as well.

Thank you

 

Will let the other guys chime in - But FWIW from my lens you might be ok with your friend performing the ongoing maintenance but the upfront work I would have either a dealership or well-known, reputable independent perform the work. WADR to your friend, the amount and level of work necessary to get this car properly in running and dependable condition would be better suited to someone who is intimately familiar with the nuances of Ferrari - not only knowledge and experience but specific tools, techniques, etc. that only comes from experience. There is a reason most independent shops are owned/operated by and staffed with ex-dealership techs or experienced techs from other independent shops. Just my .02.

Granted, a Ferrari is still just a "car" and a good mechanic can work on them - heck a LOT of DIY guys on here do amazing things to their cars and even the newer cars. I am just saying that your first foray into working on a Ferrari should not be a project to bring a 10-year old un-started 40-year old Ferrari back to not only roadworthiness but daily usage.

I would advise the "bring back to life" effort be done by someone with experience - if an independent then perhaps your friend should shadow him through the process so he is better suited to carry on the maintenance of the car for you going forward - Some independents might be ok with this - others might not.

Again - These are just suggestions/thoughts - take the with grain of salt - Cheers

 

No worries - Glad the response was helpful a bit - wow! 16M is on my "bucket list" - Still remember the first one I saw on the turnstile at Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale - Must have been a blast!

IMO you have to figure that for 10 years NOTHING have moved in the 308 engine - Meaning all the lubricants and fluids have sat static - meaning anything non-metallic has dried up, shrunk, cracked, become brittle, etc. Simply changing oil does not address the dry, cracked, brittle seals, belts, gaskets etc. Even with fresh oil the moment you start stressing any non-metallic component that has sat for 10 years it will most likely fail. Case in point - my SO wanted an older Porsche cabriolet very badly - we found a beautiful 964-series 911 Cab at the dealership I had bought a newer 911 from - The car has been sitting for two years undriving/unstarted - the dealership went through everything obvious and changed the fluids etc. but did not crack open the engine - I test drove it and said go for it - She bought it and on the way home she smelled oii and oil pressure light/gauge were faltering - by the time she got it home there was oil everywhere - several seals had blown. Dealership offered to do the rebuild at labor cost only or just nix the deal which we did. That was on a Porsche (more tolerant than a Ferrari) and only after sitting for TWO years.

The last thing you want is to be driving the car and have seals let go or something internal fail - first it will be expensive and inconvenient and second it potentially could do significant damage to the engine and other components which will more that 3x your cost of addressing it up front.

Just my .02 FWIW - Cheers

 

I saw your comment that you are not a DIY guy. That is too bad. The parts required for getting back up to operating condition are not that expensive, but many of the services that will be need are very labor intensive. Us DIY guys maintain our 308 for low costs (and a lot of sweat equity).

The danger of using a friend who is a professional but who is unfamiliar with 308s is that they may underestimate the amount of their time that will be required to do the service work. This can lead to a spiral of disenchantment on both sides of the deal. Your friend can figure it out if he is meticulous and dedicated to doing his homework. But the project may also stall if he has more urgent, revenue generating projects to pursue.

There are many cars resurrected from storage like the car you are looking at. Some resurrected cars don't need much while others are much more troublesome.

I hope it works out. They are simple, fun little cars.

 

OP - If you go this route (excellent advice BTW) I could not agree more with gino - 328s are IMO the best of the bunch when it comes to mid-engine V8 Ferrari's - I own a 355 and a 458S and STILL am loosely looking for the "right" 328 - Nothing wrong with 308s but 328s are just the "sweet spot" in my opinion and many others - Cheers

 

Hey everyone thanks for the feedback input. I guess a lot to think about. I don’t know why I want the car it’s just cool as F and the idea of a vintage stick rari peaked my interest. Also after owning driving a 16m for 10 years I feel it would be bad ass to have a nice sorted 308 to rip around in, plus I want an excuse to grow a huge moustache I told the wife if this car happens 100 percent I’m growing a huge one. I will keep everyone posted how it goes. I love the fact the car is original and paint body perfect. I get a bit worried all it require. As per my friend this guy is super meticulous mechanic and the only mechanic I trust but as some said Ferrari experience is ideal but with that said if many are DIY with the older 308 couldn’t we find the service manuals online and ordering all the oem parts and be straight forward ?

 

IMHO a lot about Ferrari ownership - especially older Ferrari ownership - is gut feel and emotion. If this car "speaks" to you and gets you psyched up then maybe it is the right one. In addition to the moustache you will need some really campy Hawaiian shirts and a ball cap

I always say buying and owning Ferrari's is an art not a science. I would say if you are not concerned about unexpected costs and are pretty much going into this with an open checkbook - and you are not concerned about time and are willing to deal with some trial and error and potential delays and setbacks then it could be a great project for you and your friend to undertake. The manuals are available and so are pretty much all the parts - tools might take a bit but I don't think there are any hyper-expensive unobtainable tools needed for a 308 so you are probably ok.

Is this a rational choice? No - absolutely not. Would you be much "smarter" to buy an already sorted one - definitely. But is buying ANY Ferrari really a rational decision? No So if the car speaks to you - you have latitude and managed expectations for cost and are not expecting to have this car fully sorted and drivable quickly then go for it! If you do keep the 308/328 Forum posted on progress - it is always interesting, entertaining and informative when someone takes on a project.

Take care - Good chatting with you - Cheers

 

Sounds like you know what you want to do, and the mustache alone is good enough reason. Go for it. Yes, plenty online about resurrecting a 308, and if you trust your DIY skills and/or mechanic, do it. Just stay the course and commit to the process, if you pull the trigger. They're amazing cars when sorted and always great to see another back on the road. Keep us posted and good luck. It's easy to spend other people's money, lol.

 

I had an 82 GTS project for around three years, and I thought it was a terrific car! I’m going to 100% agree there are no cheap Ferraris. Pay now or pay later. If you were even mildly mechanically inclined you can do a large amount of the work needed yourself with the help of people on this board and searching archived threads. Just don’t get in a hurry and knock them out one at a time. Going to say $10,000 sounds extreme. I’m going to put the number around half that if you were able to contribute the labor. If it was me, I would put 4 gallons of fresh gas in it check the fluid levels, squirt some deep creep or PB blaster in the cylinders via spark plug holes and with plugs removed and Image Unavailable, Please Login turn the engine over by hand at the crank pulley. Pull the cam covers and take a visual and feel of the belt/bearings, Drop a fresh battery in it and crank it over a few times then put the plugs back in, give it a shot of starting fluid and see if it runs. Once you’ve done that, shut it down and start a comprehensive list of items to be changed out. Belts/bearings are a must! Once again, this is what I would do and I’m sure many others will disagree. Go for it!

 

A car with only 1000 miles in 36 years and no operation in the last 10 years is not a desirable one to me, unless you purposely want to get into a complex engine refurb -and- you can get the car for a very low price to accommodate the refurb cost. Some people look at a car like this as an amazing desirable find, but in reality you are signing up for a fairly expensive and time consuming refurb. If that is appealing to you, then it might be a wonderful opportunity. If not, you can surely do better by shopping around for a few months and find a car that has not been so neglected.

In addition to cost, you might want to budget the time it would take to refurb the car and get it into proper and safe running condition. You could be looking at many many months of work before you even get to drive it.

The other thing I suggest is to make sure your mechanic friend is truly prepared and comfortable to work on the car. Unless he has worked on one before, it will be a new experience. Even the best mechanic will run into some surprises with these cars in terms of access, parts, and tools (things a seasoned Ferrari mechanic has already learned and accepted, and is prepared for). I love my 328, and I am comfortable fixing anything, plus I'm half Italian, yet I still look at some of the mechanical decisions and design choices in these cars and it makes me recall all the Italian swear words I learned from my grandfather. The cars are built very well with very good mechanical quality, but I would say Ferrari exercised poor engineering judgement in quite a few areas. Perhaps it was an accepted tradeoff, but I expect any new-to-the-car mechanic will look at some of this stuff and scratch their head.

 

Here is the list.

Clutch package
Master Clutch Cylinder
Master brake cylinder
Wheel calipers rebuild
All fuel lines, all coolant lines, all rubber brake lines replaced
All timing belts, roller bearings replaced
All tires replaced
New battery
All oil seals at the cams, and at the distributors
Drain the fuel tank

And that is if you are lucky. If not, add the items below:

Rebuild fuel distributor
If engine does not turn over, rebuild with new liners, rings, and a valve job.

 

Like this: "really? drilling through the engine oil pan is your only way of getting to the gearbox?"

 

"Also can I be reasonable to expect I could get this car sorted and it become a good daily use car ?"

Years ago I bought an E Type Jag that sounds similar to what you are looking at - looked fabulous but hadn't been run for many years. I figured - a couple of months, doing all the work myself in evenings/weekends and it would be back on the road like new! Three years later I sold the unfinished project to another guy who wanted to give it a shot!

For minimum agitation, EITHER buy it/hand it to a pro shop with an open checkbook and a "let me know whenever it's finished" attitude, OR buy one already in the drivable condition you want.

Personally, I'd go with the second option...

 

Arguing as the contrarian, there is a lot of merit to a cosmetically perfect car. Good cars are hard to find. If the motor can be started and runs smoothly, there is a lot that is not worn out; paint, leather, switches, valve guides, cylinders/rings, bearings, etc. This is all good.

You haven't said much about your relationship to the current owner. It is also in his best interests to establish the condition of the engine. These cars are as hard to sell as they are to buy. It is much easier for the seller to sell an operative car. Perhaps you two can work together to figure out what it would cost to rejuvenate the car. This assessment is best done by a professional Ferrari shop since they know what they are looking at and looking for. Beyond the standard Pre Purchase Inspection, it is probably best that they also get it started and running smoothly. Getting the car to this point benefits both you and the seller. Such work should be factored into the conditions of sale. From a risk management perspective, it might even be worthwhile to pay for a limited amount of the work yourself if the current owner is unwilling to contribute even though the results of the assessment means you have to walk away from the sale.

 

The other choice is to buy it as a museum piece and simply push it in your living room as automotive art. There are few other more beautiful art pieces to display.

 

Im full blooded Italian, and have no mechanical aptitude ! lol