Need Help deciding on which car.

Prices for a 308 20-45k.
328, 35-57k
348 43-70k

Yearly maint can be from anywhere from 500 on up.
The big services in our area are 3600-7k starting from the 308. The 348 would be the most expensive to service due to engine out service.
Jim

 

I'm in the same boat - hopefully will have my first Ferrari this summer - though I've ruled out the 348's.

308's are a broad range of cars, from early carb'ed to injected to quattrovalvole (4V). In general, the later cars are less maintenance intensive. The 1980-82 308 2V range is considered least desireable due to reduced power (emissions), so they're the cheapest.

328's seem to be desireable for all years, although the '89 cars (with ABS) seem a little pricier. GTB's are rarer for 308/328, although most people like open sports cars more than closed ones, so it seems to be a wash price-wise. I've always thought the GTS much better looking, but you'll get a lot of varying opinions here. Buy what you like.

348's and 328's tend to overlap in price a bit. This is in part because 348 major services will push into the $7K-$10K range depending on what needs attention, and possibly because the 308/328 are kind of iconic. 328 and earlier don't require engine removal for maintenance. However, the horsepower gain on the 348 over the other models is significant, and it does look more modern.

There have been a lot of postings on all these, but if you search on 348's you'll find a lot of information about their foibles. Early 348's (1990 especially) seem to be more problematic than later ones. Ditto for 308's, although a lot of people love the carb'ed cars for their power and raw sound.

For all of them, the usual advice here is to find one that has been serviced well and driven somewhat regularly. Also, a caring 348 owner will have already dealt with a lot of the foibles (sticky interior plastic, stress cracks on rear buttresses, etc.). So this history thing really does matter.

Repeatedly here, people have said you're better off getting a good car to start with rather than a "deal" on one that needs a lot of catch-up maintenance. The $$$ will get scary fast.

If you look at pre-1984 cars, they have little or no rustproofing, so I'd look for a car from a dry climate.

Whatever you do, an inspection by an independent Ferrari mechanic is important once you're serious about a prospective purchase.

The price ranges above sound right. Dealers are always going to charge more than private sellers, so $50K for really nice 328 (but not a show car) is about right. Very nice 308GTS QV's seem to be in the mid $40K's if they've been recently serviced.

etc.

 

on two ocassions, i have seen a red 328 griving down garnet in pb...i remember thinking they ferrari has really not made a sexier road going car than that! all these years layer, the 308 and 328 is still a movie star!!

 

355 and 348 are close cousins, in terms of design and maintenance. You won't touch a decent one south of $80K, I believe. Initial year 355's also had some issues - search this forum. So scraping into a first year 355 at a "bargain" price isn't something I would do.

People have advised me to set aside $10K for initial maintenance and sorting on an 8-cylinder Ferrari. It sounds like a lot, but the message is not to drain your bank account with the purchase price.

55K will get you a really nice 328 or a superb 308 QV - if you can even find one to buy (I've had a bear of a time finding a really great 84-85 QV -- 328's seem to be everywhere.) Sounds like financially you could get into either of these pretty comfortably.

BUT - they drive and feel a lot different. Make sure you like the car, not just the price. My first 328 drive was a real experience - you definitely DRIVE instead of sitting in the driver's seat and riding along... it's such a rush ;-)

 

For 55k I'd stay away from a 355. That needs an engine out service as well, and you won't be able to find a running 355 for that money.
As far as the early problems with the 308, it's mainly rust, electrical problems and dried out hoses. These are all relatively inexpensive to fix. Plus carb'd cars run good as soon as they're set right. I've had no running problems with 79 308.

 

Apparently Testarossa's can be really expensive to maintain. For 55k you could probably get a testarossa that needs a major service.
You could get a 348. You just need to have a little extra in reserve in case you run into problems. You could buy a white 348 that's probably in good shape. I guess for color reasons they don't sell to well, and I've seen them for sale in the low 40's that had the 30k done.

 

If you're smitten by the 348, get one. Just budget for the $7K+. Cheaper maintenance isn't a great reason to buy something that won't get you really pumped when you walk out to the garage. My two lira....

Maintenance on a 12-cyl. Ferrari isn't for the faint of heart. Again, search here. Just know you will have five-figure major service bills - the price for all those ponies and that great soundtrack coming from right behind your seat...

 

You might also consider the Euro version which are lighter, faster and look better(IMO) than the US version.

 

My rule of thumb when buying an older Ferrari is...
Always pay cash, never finance.
Have enough reserve cash to fix anything that could go wrong.

If for example you have a total budget of $55k to work with,
that would put you into a nice 328 and give you cash reserve needed just in case.

 

The cars are already here in the US. When you get ready to buy one, the owner will tell you if it is a US or Euro version and you can tell by the different mirrors and recessed bumpers.

 

Absolutely. I cringe everytime I read a post on fchat about someone trying to finance their way into a six-figure car with no money down, etc.