Long-Long Time 308 Owners

i have a lot of respect for owners like you. 30 years with the same car !! i have my 308 gt qv since 3 years and it's the record for me with the same car

 

5.5 years ownership of '83 GTS, no plans to sell. At approaching my 64th birthday it may well see me out of this world.

 

Almost 17 years. 56,000+ miles for me.

Something that I am extremely proud of.

 

Thinking back, the only thing that ever really gave me any problems was the stupid single wp/alt belt design. I swapped to a two belt system and cured that issue for good. I have beat the **** out of it on the track for over a decade too and it just keeps on going and going...

 

Being a new owner, I love hearing things like this.

 

Recently celebrated my 10 year anniversary with my 308 GT4. It's been a wonderful experience. Met lot of cool people through stuff like Fchat get togethers, cars and coffee, etc.

The only downside has been paying for 3 major services during that time period, but looking back, I have to say, it's been worth the cost.

 

I bought mine in 1984 - do the math. I love working on my cars, and tend to keep them a long time. I had a 1977 BMW 530i that I put 250K miles on, then gave to my son who kept it running for a few more years. Right now, besides my '75 308/GT4 I have a '91 BMW 850i 6 speed with 150K miles on it and a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 150K miles on it.

Every once and a while I get the urge to get a different car and think why? Which one would you replace? What's the cost/benefit analysis?

 

23 years; 30,000 miles and counting. The grins, that is. Get to know every nut and bolt; take no short-cuts. (Like the song says, take the long way home!)

 

I have owned my 328 for 14 years. I thought about selling due to the high cost of maintenance. Then my engineer, MBA wife pointed out that when you consider depreciation into the picture (it is still worth close to what I paid for it), total cost of ownership is not that high relative to a newer Sportscars (may have one or two if those). Mind you that this is the same woman who convinced me to buy the car with the following logic - If we got divorced, I know you would go and immediately buy a Ferrari, and I would like to date a guy with a Ferrari, so lets just skip the divorce. Wife and car are keepers.

 

Last summer my wp/alt belt broke - in the particular circumstances a very troublesome yet minor disaster, only glad that it happened but a half mile from my house.

I've talked to shop owner about converting to a 2-belt system - what did it cost to do yours, Tommy?

 

Don't forget to calculate inflation too. No injected 308 or any 328 probably has kept up with that at all. Those of us that paid in the low 30's 15 years ago could probably still sell for that now - but to be worth what they paid then, they would have to get closer to $50,000. That isn't going to happen except in very very rare cases.

 

15+ years for me.

I've never had enough money to get the car exactly as I want it - but that is a good thing as I've still got ambitions & plans for it.

The guy who buys a car & immediately has a nut & bolt restoration by a specialist will end up with a perfect car, that has no faults. But where does he go from there?

 

12+ years & 55K+ miles.
She's been good to me and I to her.

 

straight to the garage and under a car cover - forever

 

Ordered mine June 1980 took delivery Febuary 1981. Longest relationship I ever had, 32 years! Out lasted several girlfriends and wives! (Hope she doesn't read this, it could be my last post!)

 

Exactly.

My father (now over 80) has a couple of mid 1920's Sunbeam Twin Cams. Both cars he rebuilt himself over many, many years and he knows every inch of them and how they work. I have always joked that he would hate it if they never broke down - but it is absolutely true. He was a top Engineer in his day and fixing, improving, understanding the workings of the car is what builds the relationship. Driving the car simply validates the work you have done on it.

 

308 GTB Carb model .. Registered February 1980 and the last registered carb engine 308 in the UK . Have owned it since it was two year old so it 31 years for that ! Have had my GT4 since 1989 , a 348 ts since 1992 and my 550M since 2000 and to be honest I can't see myself parting with any of them . They all represent what I consider milestones in my life and it would be like losing a member of my family .....

 

I don't know if he saw your question, but if I remember correctly, Tommy got THE VERY LAST of the factory conversion kits.

 

My father bought the car when I was 3, now 27 years later is in my garage. I have memories of my older brother and I sneaking it out of the garage when he was 17 and cruising around. People would flip. So different then seeing a Ferrari today. The reaction was more of a look of shock back then. Good stuff.

 

28 years for my 308 GTB QV. Owned it since new. 30k miles and running strong. It's not going anywhere soon even though I have 12 days on the 355 parked next to it. I love the 355 but frankly if I had to sell one the 355 would go. To much emotional attachment to the 308. It represented a milestone, a goal, which I achieved in life. I bought the 355 just cause... Plus, I don't think the 355 will ever carry the Ferrari heritage the way the 308 does.

 

I honestly do not remember off hand, but as Mike mentioned, you are going to have to pull parts from a salvage yard to change over now. I caught a line of luck like no ones business locating mine. That was around a decade ago.

 

Thanks. Same thing I was told. Shop owner said he'd start to search for the parts but no promises on finding them or how much $. Also said since access is easy not so much a big deal on labor.

Nevertheless it'll end up being expensive and I'll have to make a judgment call based on where I am about keeping the car long term.

 

I picked up my car Aug 8, 2001 with 38k miles on it. It now has 62k miles. I'd be happy to sell it, but there's nothing else I want.

 

Have my '89 328 13.5 for years, I have been on this forum for quite a while seeing forum members came and went, most didn't keep their 3x8s for long.

Still felt like like yesterday when I drove it home...