Maintenance history question

Hi guys. This is my first post; please indulge me as I look for an answer to a question. I've decided that I really NEED a Ferrari, so I've been reading through FerrariChat for the past couple of weeks. I've decided upon the 308 and I've read every buyers guide I can find. (Thanks Birdman. Good stuff.)

Everyone agrees that the more complete and comprehensive the service history is, the better you are able to know what you are getting into. What about the cars that have been owner-serviced instead of dealer or shop serviced? I know that several of you perform your own maintenance and do you own repairs. I have always done as much wrenching on my cars as I could also, and look forward to doing it on the 308 I eventually get.

How do you REALLY know that a owner-serviced vehicle is in the condition represented and that the service work was REALLY done? From what I have read, shops are getting relunctant to perform PPIs. Without dealer or shop documentation, what do you do?

BTW, I'm in Alabama, so I'm going to get up with Dr. Cosgrove as soon as I can.

 

Happy Holidays! and welcome!
AAhhh, I did alot of wrenching on all my cars, and remember the first DIY project on my 308 was to replace the warm up regulator, I was actually shaking! LOL! You lose site that its a car and doesn't run on magic! Was an easy task (thanks to the help here) and the feeling that I repaired my Ferrari was better than seeing my name on the title!
IMHO your on the right path, read as much as you can on what to look out for and ask questions. Great idea to go visit Dr. Tommy C. as he races his 308 and can show you exactly what tell tale signs to look for, abnormal wear, oil leaks, engine performance, etc.
Best of luck! .... I miss my QV every time I go to the garage! Kim

 

Well, if the previous owner is an Fchat subscriber, and there's pictures of him working on it and hundreds of posts about it, you can be pretty sure he was actually doing the work described.

That's precisely the car I was waiting for...and found.

Good luck.

 

Welcome DavidMichael to the Ferrari world, which can become a rewarding hobby.

Pay more attention to how close the car is to new and how few items no longer work. You can assess interior and paint so get a ppi for things you can't see paying more attention to high ticket items, compression etc.

Service documents, whether by po or dealer, indicate both broken things fixed and preventative maintenance, but don't guarantee future breakdowns or expensive repairs. Nothing can. And like any used car, you will find something to improve, fix, or replace.

You will hear many owners stories which mean nothing.

I bought my car like one buys a buick. No documents, no ppi, no test drive...and for 12 years it's not let me down nor been a disappointment. But that means nothing to your purchase. Find a car in the best condition you can, pay cash, enjoy it.

 

I agree. I have owned my car for 5 months. My car had no good service records yet ran great until the day it didn't (would not start when I was 80 miles from home. electrical wire/contact to the starter broke and had to kick start in reverse to get it started to drive home). I thoroughly enjoyed the car all summer, but it is currently getting a 30K engine out major to get it back to a better place for an old Ferrari to be. The work is being done by a guy who has worked on Ferraris for decades. That helps even if you think you're mechanically inclined.

Welcome and enjoy the ride!

 

Wow. Quick replies. I must not be the only one on Fchat this Christmas.

I have seen a few cars in the ad section that I intend to check into. I would rest a little easier if I could get a car from someone that has a history here on the forum. I have never met Dr. Cosgrove, but he and I have a mutual friend that runs with the S2000 crowd. I'll definitely look him up.

The suggestion to buy the best I can makes good sense. It has to cost more to bring a "good deal" up to snuff than to go ahead and buy a nice car. I'm looking to spend up to $35k, less if I can. Prices are all over the place; $25k to $50k or more. I'm not worried about mileage, but I do want to be able to enjoy it as soon as I get it home. I do not want to get one that needs "just a little rebuilding work here and there" before it can be driven. It need not be perfect however. It will not be a garage queen. As it accumulates miles, I will not mind working on it. I actually find it relaxing. Until I break something.

 

Welcome Dennis.

If you get a decent 308 you're going to love the car. If you get a bad one, and you don't like working on it (and paying the parts prices) it could be a less thrilling experience.

I guess I'm one of the few here who really don't care much about service records. Why? Because I can do a very thorough and complete ppi myself and have a high level of confidence in the knowledge acquired thereby. Besides, what do I care if the car had a belt change twelve years ago and then also seven years ago? Or pads three years ago or a WP four years ago? I'm going to do a belt/bearings/WP/brake service on the thing anyway if there's not good documentation that this has been done in the last twelve months, maybe eighteen.

And, frankly, I've seen some shops which are supposedly marque experts, do some pretty shoddy work, just the same as some DIY owners can do some shoddy work. There are owners out there who, in fact, do better work than shops will do, partly because they can afford to take all the time in the world to do it, and do it right. Most shops are hired to fix specific faults, and if they run into a whole bunch of other stuff that's wrong along the way then half the time the owner isn't willing to pay for fixing it all, and those faults remain. That's not always the case obvously, but frequently it is. Whereas, a skilled and fatidious owner can, over time, rectify all the known faults of the car. That said, most DIY guys really aren't nearly as skilled and capable as a trained mechanic in a proper shop.

So, that's really just a long winded way of saying don't rely too much on the service records...perhaps instead, focus more on getting a really informed perspective on the car's present condition. For sure look for good compression/leakdown, no oil in the coolant, check for corrosion in the body and frame, and try the synchros in the transaxle from cold.

Good luck!

 

A person came to look at my Porsche 911, and commented to me that he did not trust a valve job done at home. I told him to move on.

 

Good points. Having to do the whole belts, bearings, brakes thing would not be a big deal if it was time to have it done, but I do not want to start chasing down problems right out of the chute. I realize these cars are getting sort of long in the tooth and things can pop up. If someone says that certain things have been done, i.e. suspension bushings, transmission work, valve guides, whatever, then they should at least have receipts for the parts. I'm not looking for a "project" car, but do not mind regular maintenance and repair issues.

Yesterday I found a copy of the Keith Bluemel book Original Ferrari V8 on ebay for $44. Seemed like a good deal and the book comes highly recommended. I need to read through it and start looking at some cars so I know what to expect.

How long did each of you look before you found a 308 that made you pull the trigger?

 

I wasn't particularly looking to buy any car this summer, let alone a 3.2 Mondial. It found me. It was located exactly half way between the beach and my home. Found it on the way back from a vacation. Total search time.....2 days. Saw it online on Monday. Bought it on Wednesday....and I've never been happier.

 

I'll probably take a little longer than 2 days! First, I'm not that lucky, and second, I want to learn more about the cars. I'm looking forward to reading the Ferrari V8 book when it arrives. I want to know what I'm looking at and what to look for.

Can't wait to get out there and see what is available!