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Hi, I'm considering a Mondial QV again. I was doing this last year between it & a 911 which I took & regretted because it didn't offer enough space for adults in the back & is a lemon car even though I did a PPI.

Anyway, I'm offered this '84 Mondial QV Coupe in orig. silver with red interior. The body is perfect without dents & only a corrosion mark near the corner of the boot cover. Interior is a little dry with the driver's seat tired & carpets dusty. I figure a good detailing & wax will bring it back to life. It has 46000km on it & 5 owners. Problem is this car is a garage queen & hardly used for the past few years. It has been diligently maintained with new fluids, battery & is in workshop again for new belts since 2yrs (althought it wasn't really used since the last belts). It has 16" wheels & updated fusebox using blade style fuses. Suspension bushes were renewed 2yrs ago.

I plan to use it as my daily ride in city & occasional long trips. I'll be putting a child seat & ferry some adults once a while in 30mins trips around town. Even bring it to the supermarket for groceries so you guys can imagine it being a daily workshorse. I'm worried mech/elect components & rubber hoses will start to fail once I push it a little. I would like to know if anyone can share their experiences with this model as a daily car. Maintenance is #1 issue as the bills for my 348 was horrendous. What are the common system/faults on this model or should I just get a brand new trusty make with warranty?

I already have a 348TB for my weekends & it's in red/tan. I would like to paint the Mondial in Titanium/red (Like the F430 launch model), yellow/tan (but ugly bumpers), Black/red (hides all the bumpers but is a little boring & discreet), White/red?! I'll even throw in my 17" 348 rims to update it a little. Do you guys have pictures of yellow Mondials? They seem to be quite rare.

 

In the summertime I drive our Mondial every day as my normal car. I take my daughter to school, go to the grocery store, etc. It makes me look forward to doing mundane tasks. I do not drive it in the rain because I can't stand the thought of getting it wet. Call me a wuss, but I don't trust it not to rust out from under me! I'm not sure there is really enough space in back for adults. My daughter's car seat fits back there fine, but the passenger seat has to be pushed all the way forward to make room for her legs. Makes it a little tight when someone is actually sitting in the passenger seat.

The car is super reliable. I don't expect you will have a lot of problems with it. If you have an issue, they are not hard to work on. I did the major (with the engine in the car) in a weekend.

Birdman

 

I have a sports exhaust from Eurospares (here in Uk & Not Fitted Yet)
Coupe so no top down, cab has never appealed to me
Least thing is Acceleration
Best thing, Definitely the Noise & Handling

These are a very underestimated car, I love mine more than my 355

 

Peter, that is a very interesting statement that'll delight many Mondial owners!

 

I like my Mondial more than my 308 and plan on using it as the daily driver in a few weeks.

Now, the 365 is another story all together...

 

I'm in the market for a Mondial coupe, probably in red. I like the photos of the aftermarket wheels/tires and I agree modern technology in this department is crucial to bring out the best handling and braking. I usually replace the wheels/tires on any car I buy the day I buy it, even if the car is new.
I have experimented quite a bit with different makes and sizes of tires on sports cars over the years and definitely know what I like: Yokohamas and, more recently, Falken Ziex tires seem to work very well.
What advice can you give me about what year Mondial coupe to buy? I am familiar with Ferraris in general and I have read all of this thread. Where should I look for a car?
Thanks you guys.

Mike
ex 246 GTS owner

 

This would do nicely:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=4615938434&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT#lg

 

I do though, to me its a true Ferrari which was built and approved in Enzos lifetime, it was my first Ferrari and I would never sell it, I can still picture the smile I had for a week when I first drove it home!!

 

No wonder, the first Ferrari is always memorable. Mine threw a lot of temper but I still love her I can still remember how fast my heart was pumping when I first drove mine out & grabbed the wheel so tight till I felt numb.

EN, understand you met Lung in Shanghai?

Anybody got pictures of yellow Mondials?

 

A bit like this:
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This would be the 308GT4 you saw:
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24511 miles and not a single word mentioned about service nor any reference to ANY service/books/records - power seats??

Carol

rockdad - you might consider filling out some of your profile info

 

Mmm, how did I miss this thread? I agree with most of the comments here. The biggest "con" to the Mondial is that some other Ferrari fans look down on it. So if you care a great deal about what others think, consider that.

Birdman, can you tell me how you did that? I like a higher seating position.

Here are some pics of mine with the later version wheels.
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Not the most common color...
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Sam,
I love your license plate!

As for how I did the seat spacer, it's very easy. I went to my local hardware store and bought a piece of 1" square-section aluminum "tube". I pulled the driver's seat out, cut the tube to the length of the seat mounts on each side of the seat (about 16" or so. I don't remember now) so I had a piece for each side of the seat. Then I drilled two holes in each piece, at each end, so the bolts for the seat would go through the tube and into the floor of the car. Next I bought longer metric allen bolts that would run through the whole thing. That probably would have been sufficient, but I decided to beef it up by machining some spacers to go inside the tubes to keep them from wanting to crush when I torque the bolts. I got some 3/4" solid aluminum rod and drilled a hole for the bolt through it with my lathe, then cut off sections that were the exact height of the inside of the square section tube. So the bolt went from the seat mount, through the tube, the spacer, the other side of the tube and into the floor of the car. Next I took it all to Verell's house and he powder coated them for me (black) and you can't tell the difference. Looks OEM, and the 1" height difference between the driver's seat and the passenger seat is not enough to be noticable. (You can tell if you know they are different and look for it, but the casual observer would never notice). My wife loved it. It made just enough difference to allow her to feel comfortable driving the car. I'm pretty short too and it was something I liked as well. That Mondial instrument binnacle is pretty high for us altitude challenged individuals.

As I recall, the bolts that hold the seat down are low profile allen bolts, and the ones I bought at the hardware store had a taller head. They interfered with the adjustment of the seat. So I ground the heads down a little on my bench grinder and that solved the problem. This all sounds complicted but it wasn't. Took a couple hours. Next time I have the car out I'll take some shots for ya.

Birdman

 

Nice looking car you have Sam.

Our Mondial t coupe must have a slightly different seating arrangement that the earlier Mondials - I am 5' tall and I have zero problems driving our t coupe. The '82 Alfa GTV6 is a different story as far as height of seat and seeing over the dash - that's more like peering out between the top of the steering wheel and the dash.

Carol

 

More: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=135586509&postcount=1

 

Thanks!!!
Sam

 

Hi Carol. Yes, the t may be different. Also, I like to sit high. The young "playas" sitting almost reclined with one hand on the wheel never looks comfy to me!

 

I saved this since this question comes up often. It may repeat some of what you were already told:

I have a Mondial 8.
Key points for all Ferrari and Mondials in particular:
1) Pre purchase mechanical inspection. DO NOT BUY WITHOUT ONE. If bidding, contact the seller and ask if any bid can be contingent on PPI. If not, walk.
You must realize that ALL Ferraris have their parts dipped in platinum. I paid for my Mondial twice. Once to buy it and that amount again in parts and service. Consider: Clutch job: $3,000. Major Tune up: $4,000 every five years. Get the picture?
2) Do homework on prices
3) Budget at least 5k for repairs and work just for a "good one"(if you don't end up needing it, fine)
4) Depending on your budget, better to get a needs nothing no stories Mondial 8 for 18,000, than a 3.2 for 30,000 that needs 20,000 worth of work.
Better to spend money up front for a good one than to have to fix up. The first way is cheaper. Trust me on that one.

Now, quick summary of the models

1) Mondial 8 1980-82
First run of the car. A 2 valve engine.
Black bumpers, weakest engine..BUT...can get a nearly perfect one for 20k or less (NEVER pay more than around 20 for ANY Mondial 8), and one that needs work for 15.

Yes, slow from 0-60, but once moving has plenty of speed (for me). It has all the right sounds, looks (imho) and feels like what it is..a Ferrari.

Same engine as the 308


2) Mondial QV. 1983-85
All that applies to the 8, applies here, except add 2-5 to price and more horsepower and better console layout.

Same engine as the 308qv


3) Mondial 3.2 1986-1988
In my opinion, if you can afford it, this is THE best value in Ferraris, not to mention Mondials.
Beautiful color coded bumpers, nice 3.2 engine, non-metric tires and wheels after 86. ABS, on later models.

Same engine as the 328 (tied for best Ferrari value)


4) Mondial t 1989-92(?)
All same applies as 3.2, but with a 3.4 engine, different engine configuration.
Adds power steering and really nice and modern interior. Mostly cabs...coupes VERY rare. Most costly in purchase and upkeep....but soooo nice.

Same engine as the 348.

Lastly, note: On these boards, you will find people declaring that certain Ferraris are "slow" "junk" not to be bought, etc etc. Ignore them. A Ferrari is a Ferrari...it is only a question of what YOU want and what you can afford. End of story.
__________________

 

This is probably the best summary I have seen, i couldn't have worded it better, I prefer my Mondial 3.0Qv more than the 355

 

Thanks, Peter! And I have driven a Chevy Corvette c5, that of course is way faster, but I much prefer the mondi.

 

Thanks for the info Sam. I have previously owned a Ferrari with less than 200 HP (246 GTS) so I know what people say about them can be silly. I had a choice between the Dino and a Euro spec Daytona coupe and I never regretted my decision to purchase the Dino. Different strokes! I never felt it necessary to prove my manhood but I WOULD like a 512BBi someday! lol I just don't have the budget fo the extra cylinders.

Mike
54 and enjoying early retirement

 

I know exactly what you mean, the 355 will leave my mere 3.0qv for dust but it isn't the same, I went in a 720hp Mitsubishi 3000Gto, it was fast as heck but it had no style or passion

 

The reserve for the Mondial QV on eBay (posted earlier) is $21,900.
Right now it is bid up to $18.001.
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