Introduction + Looking for a car

I've been reading these forums for the last three months or so, and I guess it's time I introduced myself. I'm originally from Australia but have been living in the Pacific Northwest for the last eight years or so, and I have to say, this part of the world is just beautiful, I'm loving it.

Back in Oz I was right into older Jaguar XJs, the online community was at jag-lovers.org and they were an awesome, supportive bunch of enthusiasts, and it seems like fchat is the same. I was really impressed the other week to see the entire community come together to help track down find the stolen 308 in Seattle, very cool.

Anyway, I'm now on the lookout for a 308 of my own. My ideal car would be a US delivered '84 or '85 GTS QV, Rossa Corsa over tan, with between 25k and 60k miles. I'm looking for a vehicle in superior condition with no big gaps in the maintenance history, no stories, no crashes, and no colour changes.

Damn, reading that last paragraph back I'm worried I might be asking for a very specific vehicle, but my experiences with Jaguars has shown that the cheapest way to own a car like this is to start with the very best car you can find.

I might also be tempted by a 328, but after many months looking at every car for sale here, on eBay, craigslist, FML, and Hemmings, I'm still totally lost as to what the true value of a really good example should be, prices of 328s seem to be all over the place.

Anyway, if you're the proud owner of a lovely 308QV, and you've been toying with the idea of letting it go, but you don't want to deal with craigslist freakers or eBay flakes, I'd love to take a look. I'm a cash buyer and I'm not interested in wasting your time with lowball offers. I'll be at E@RTC tomorrow and I'm keen to meet up with some fellow Northwest Ferrari owners. Hope to see you there.

 

Yep, I talked to PlaysWithItalians a few weeks ago. His car has a 10 year gap in the history, and that worries me a little, but he seems to have done a lot of work to get that vehicle back into shape. I should probably make a trip down to Portland to take a closer look.

 

Hi Gary

Cats actually tracked down that car and brought it in because I told them I was on the hunt. That vehicle needs a bit work on the interior, it has aftermarket wheels, and there's a deep crack in the paint all the way across the base of the passenger side A-pillar, down to the metal. That last point worries me, if enough moisture gets down under the paint it's going to lift a fair chunk of the paint off. Having said that, the car did feel like a really honest, well maintained driver, and it has plenty of service records.

I'm prepared to wait for the right car to come along, I know it will eventually.

And cheers for the warm welcome guys!

 

Has anyone here seen this car in person:

1985 Used Ferrari 308 GTS at CNC Motors Inc. Serving Ontario, CA, IID 10341630

It's going under the hammer at Mecum Monterey next month:

1985 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole for sale by Mecum Auction

At first blush, it ticks all of the right boxes, I wonder if they're let me send it out for a PPI this close to the auction.

 

Cheers Jeff, and thanks for taking the time to chat today. There were a lot of seriously pretty cars there today, a couple of 246s in particular that I'd happily sell my soul to own.

And your 328 is amazing mate, absolutely beautiful.

No, I never found Mike, lovely car though.

 

Cheers Mark, thanks for the extra info. I'll keep all that in mind and I'll stay in touch, assuming you don't find a buyer before I have a chance to see this car in person.

 

Yep. Here's a couple of photos of that car at RTC by the way.

Around 9 years ago -- when I still lived in Australia -- I was working at an IT consulting firm in Brisbane and one of the partners happened to own a yellow 246GTB. I was just a "general" car nut at the time, not really a Ferrari person, but I constantly hassled him to bring his 246 in to work so I could see it, and finally one day he did. He took me for a long drive around the twisty roads of Mt Coot-tha and it was an experience that has stayed with me ever since, this was the first time I'd sat in a Ferrari by the way.

The sound of the air being sucked into the carbs right behind my head, the wail of that little engine, and the way the car tracked through the corners like it was on rails was totally intoxicating. I couldn't believe how quickly this car could take a bend, and how poised it was doing so. Anyway, I was hooked from that day on.

Fast forward to last Saturday and I found my car. As luck would have it, a gentleman in Eugene, Oregon, a fastidious Ferrari-head, decided it was time to let go of his beautiful 328, just as I had become serious in my search, the stars had aligned. I drove down to see it and it checked out, all the servicing was up to date, the PPI came back with an A+, so a deal was struck.

This car was on eBay for a short time, but nowhere else, so those of you who regularly watch the classifieds for Ferraris may have seen it. I'll have photos and some notes when it lands in Woodinville.
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Thanks Mark, I'll do that.

 

Cheers Jon! Sent you a reply to your PM too.

 

Thanks again everyone for your help. I've just posted some more information and a few photos of my car to the 308/328 forum in case anyone's interested in seeing what it is that I bought:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/308-328/418176-new-owner.html