Is '89 still the mondial to own

Only the T needs the engine out for belt service.

Advantages of the T are lower center of gravity, more powerful engine, power steering.

Unassisted steering in a 3,000 lb+ car is not for the faint hearted.

 

The 89 t [Coupe] is the only one to have.


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I can’t believe I got an 89T coupe for what I paid. Having owned it for 5-6 months this has to be one of the greatest bargains on the planet right now.

 

If you're going to do a "full service" on a 3.2 (valve adjustments, cam timing, water pump, while-you're-in-there-stuff, etc.) then it's easier to just pull the motor. Especially if you bought a car that really needs it (i.e. deferred maintenance).

 

I’d be more worried about the roller bearing than seatbelt mice.
I’d say the best year is the one with a complete service history.


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For the US market the '89's are the only T's without the mouse belts. But, outside of the US none of the T's ever got them.

But FWIW the '89's have Motronic 2.5 and the 90's and up have Motronic 2.7. That's dual meters and supposedly a better fuel/air mixture map. But what do I know, that's what I read here.

http://my348.com has a section on factory enhancements over the life of the 348 model. I am sure many of the improvements apply to the Mondial T too.

From there, sub-link is broken.
=======
Here are the improvements that were made during Ferrari 348 production:
http://webpages.charter.net/aircover/348/1994Ferrari348Spider.html


1. 05/30/91 differential side seal—production improvement
2. 05/30/91 Bosch starter motor changed to Nippon—production improvement
3. 10/10/91 cam seal housing modification—reduced oil leakage
4. 10/10/91 double plate-clutch changed in favor of single-plate clutch—production improvement
5. 10/10/91 new alignment specs—improved handling
6. 10/10/91 improved mounting of front bonnet grill to address warpage
7. 10/10/91 front suspension shocks and springs—production improvement
8. 06/01/92 rear A-arm fix point height reduction—production improvement
9. 06/01/92 Delco Alternator changed to Nippon—production improvement
10. 08/18/92 door grills—improved strength
11. 08/24/92 oil sump tank ground strap—improved gauge operation
12. 11/03/92 front timing bearing—reduced noise
13. 08/18/93 harmonic balancer replacement—reduced weight - added 2hp
14. 08/20/93 clutch thrust bearing/slave—production improvement

 

Admittedly I'm very biased. However, the very best Mondial to own is the 85 QV Coupe!! In Blu Sera!!!

Even better if you are in North America, where only 19 Coupes were imported in 1985. (only 69 total QV coupes were imported through all QV years of production).

Sid

 

Hi Leeber, great question. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to throw 2 coppers your way as well!

As others have pointed out, the first question you have to ask is Coupe or Cab?
That will cut in half the choices obviously.

Then ask yourself which style do you prefer best?
1) Black bumpers, flared fenders, trapezoid inlets (8, qv)
2) Body-colored bumpers, flared fenders, trapezoid inlets (3.2)
3) Body-colored bumpers, rectangle inlets (t)

While true each successive generation offered better performance, you don't buy a Mondial in 2019 with objective performance in mind. Many Econo-hot hatches will 'smoke' the Mondial, you get it for everything those hot-hatches are not.

As far as maintenance, they are all expensive - the t most of all. But assume ALL variants will require 10x the cost of maintenance of a brand new Civic, and you'll never be disappointed or jaded. Not being hyperbolic about the 10x part, take a look at the cabriolet screw thread. One 10 cent screw is costing about $5 when all is said an done.

Hope this helps.

 

Unless money is really tight buy the one you like get out and look at different iterations and drive them and remember you always want to make sure you have a nice nest egg left over earmarked because sooner or later no matter which you buy it’s gonna cost you a few bucks.

 

I was thinking QV Cab - EU version. For all the stuff it doesn't have. No ABS, no power steering, no adjustable shocks, no cat, no O2 sensor, no frequency valve, no injection ECU. The only thing the car really needs is a turbo.

 

I bought an '86 3.2 Cabriolet. Let me tell you why.

First, looks: I like body colored bumpers with flush fog lights, flared fenders, and trapezoidal intakes. I also love the look of a Cabriolet.

Second, performance; The 3.2 is 70 HP stronger than the 8, and 35 HP stronger than the QV. It is only about 30 HP short of the T, and to me, at that level the shortfall in comparison to the T is not that important. I enjoy spirited driving in my Ferraris, but I have no desire to race them. And, I know the T has a lower center of gravity, resulting in better handling, but I am quite happy with the handling of the 3.2, and I suspect that unless I take some advanced driving courses, I would not be able to push any Mondial to its handling limits anyway.

Third, drive-ability: I live in NorCal, where the weather is generally nice. I love open air driving. I simply love it. For me, nothing beats a leisurely drive to the coast on a weekend morning or around town on a hot summer night, with the top off.

Fourth, maintenance; The 3.2's maintenance expenses is not substantially different from the 8 and the QV. But it is substantially less than the T.

Fifth, nostalgia: The 3.2 was made when Enzo Ferrari was still alive. For some reason, I like that. I can't exactly explain why, but I do.

So, well before I pulled the trigger, I knew the 3.2 Cabriolet was the right call for me.

 

Can't argue with any of that!


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Canadian spec cars are easily imported, and like you said, no mice.

 

Great post! These are essentially the reasons that I pursued a 3.2 Coupe. I preferred the look of the 3.2 to all other variants. While the interior of the t is nicer and the performance increase would be great, the exterior and interior styling of the 3.2 has a bit more of a vintage feel and look that really speaks to me. The ease of service is just icing on the cake.

2cam

 

When I was looking I focussed on the 308 GT4, QV and 3.2’s. My reasoning is in line with 2cam. i.e. Retro look and feel, and significant power bump over the 8.

I always wanted a mid-70’s to late-80’s coupe. Ever since the eighties! That era of cars really got imprinted on me as a youngster.

Power steering and to a lessor extent ABS are still a turn-off for me, I can remember all the motoring journalists in the 80’s (I used to hang out in magazine shops as a kid to read all the road test articles on Ferrari versus Porsche etc), talking about power steering like it was the devil, totally unsuited to a race car and therefore a proper sports car.

All Ferrari’s up to that point were heavy at low speed. Before I could drive I understood a true enthusiast would enjoy feeling the wheel lighten up and become perfectly weighted and communicative above 20 mph. It was a characteristic of Ferraris. Likewise the heavy clutch, odd driving position, offset pedals, tilt of steering wheel, stiff 2nd gear when cold...all positives in my mind.

But that’s just my own set of values. I guess my advice is to go after the thing you have always wanted. If you are really lucky you can go after the thing you have wanted since you were a kid.

 

Everyone has their idiosyncratic reasons for why they love their car. Me included.

Cut to the chase. The 89 T is the most evolved without the mouse belts...unless you shop non-US cars. Coupe/cabrio is all about what fits your lifestyle. Coupes and cabrios sell for similar money, but coupes are much harder to find. Be patient.

Truly though, find one (any vintage) with a good service history where prior owners have made the proper investments. I don't agree with "buy something you like and budget a truckload of money to do all of the repairs that have been neglected".

For 89 Ts, many of the upgrades in the list above have been done by fastidious owners during dealer maintenance (starter, ground strap, etc). I've driven 2.5 vs 2.7 motronic and never understood the reasoning for the upgrade besides maybe emissions. Perhaps 2.7 cats last longer.

I bought a well maintained higher mileage car, and did the engine out service myself. It was actually a great way to get to know the car. In general, I have one issue pop up a year. Last year it was a melted driving light switch. This year it was a clogged emissions canister. Nothing has been crazy expensive in my case, just a bit of an adventure to find replacement parts (it took a little hunting to find a NOS driving light switch ).

Don't worry so much about mileage. I've heard more horror stories about low mileage cars than high mileage cars. I have more than 60k on mine, and these cars are definitely better when they are driven regularly.

I have owned many different cars. I love my T: unparalleled road feel, fantastic sound, a blast to drive, and pretty great value considering it is a Ferrari. I thought I would keep it for a year, and it has been much longer than that now. It can be intoxicating on a long windy road, on a nice day, with the top down.

Best of luck.

 

Every Mondial has it's own character even among the same year. Personally I would not really care if it is an 8, QV, 3.2 or a T as long as I enjoy driving it and not to forget the interior, beside your pods, as this is mostly what you look at during driving.

I have driven all and I took the 3.2, because I love more the interior above all the other versions. I do love more the non flair fenders on the T, but the 3.2 is more spartanic in handling. They are all great rides and IMHO you need to go what is most appealing to you. If that is the T and if it is not a problem to spend more money on maintenance... ...why not if it is most attractive. A hobby is allowed to cost some money.

Go and drive a few before buying looking forward to see what you buy!

 

If you are a DIY type and want a t then I suggest a later one with the Motronic 2.7, identifiable by the dual throttle position sensors on the intake plenum. The 2.7 allows you to read the error codes from the problematic fuel/ignition system by pushing buttons in the trunk and watching the check engine lights flash.

 

While the 89 is technically more advanced than it's predecessor the 3.2, it's not more evolved as it's a first year run.
So as I wanted a coupe I sought out a 3.2.
That's 9 years of evolution!
The T is essentially a new car.
Lastly compare 328 to the 348.
Which car is generally regarded as cheaper to run?

Again all these years later, condition of each individual car is important too.

 

The drivetrain was new, the chassis just a further evolution. Interior is a big upgrade (to my eyes). The drivetrain has turned out to be pretty bullet proof, so not an issue.

The t is only more expensive for a once every 5-7 years engine out. Let's call it $1000. $200 every year. More technical with adjustable shocks, which can cost more to fix (do it right the first time). Power steering solid.

So running costs close, bigger difference if you are DIY. None issue for most.

Regards,
Jerry

 

The one to own is the one that runs well and puts a grin on your face when you drive it.
I do have to say that the cabriolets have a unique advantage in that you can put the top down and go to Home Depot and load up on 4x8s and aluminum extrusions and let it stick out over the windscreen line as you merrily motor home. Always put a tarp across the passenger and back seats first, though, to protect the leather.