Need help from Non-sellers (which is all of you)

if i were you,,,i would buy the latest model in that series...1989 328,,GTS or GTB,( 328 s have more HP and are 200 cc s bigger in displacement ),,the 89 had the last of every upgrade Ferrari engineered for that series...IE..suspension / ABS brakes standard...etc...before i bought my 328..i read ., in several Ferrari based publications,,that if you had a choice,,the 328 is the better car....i have 87k miles on my 328,,and have done all the scheduled services,and as the fellows say on here,,,make sure you buy a car ., that has all the service records......i really think that the 328 is the very best / most reliable road car., Ferrari has ever produced...and probably the sexiest,,,Brett...PS...i buy my oil / and filters at the local PEP BOYS,,,and jiffy lube drains the oil in their bay,,and lets me replace the filter and oil myself,,for about 20.00 (every 2500 miles period )...30k services run 3000-3500..but you can buy all your parts,,and some Ferrari shops will just charge you for the labor...one more item...my car has done 30k + miles between services with only 1 or 2 intake / exhaust valves needing adjustment...by 1989,,Ferrari had made the 328 ., the very best ......

 

If you were asking about buying one of these cars while they were still produced we could give you a better answer. Some people drive them and have good luck, others have to do mechanical restorations for many $$$.

I've found that Fiat parts are twice or more the cost of Dodge parts. Ferrari parts are 10X to 50X higher than Fiat parts. So 20 to 100X the cost as a rough approximation. Of course I'm in the States and by your KM notation you are not in the US. That may affect the prices of your Dodge parts.

If you buy a 100% restored 3X8 by someone who has done a great job you could probably get some reliability but expect to pay close to $75,000 for that car. Any other car you find could cost you $10K in the first few years for misc repair items, or it may not. I'm close to $10K into general repairs on my 1987. Coolant and fuel lines, fixing minor leaks, etc. Parts are expensive and getting to the leaking part can take a lot of time.

A Ferrari is a much more complex car that will likely cost you much more to operate than a Dodge. The dodge when built was designed for daily transportation, the Ferrari wasn't designed to haul groceries or such daily tasks.

 

I'm going to advise you to keep the Charger, because with any car like that... If you sell it you'll come to regret it.

And with tongue only slightly in cheek, I'm also going to advise you to buy yourself a Fiat X1/9, take it to some autocrosses, drive it on some twisty backroads, spend some time wrenching on it. Your total cost for the X1/9 will be a round-off error compared with what a 3x8 will cost you and what you're used to spending on the Charger, let alone Ferrari costs - I've bought exxies and rebuilt the engine and transmission for less than the cost of a 308 engine gasket set.

If you like the X1/9, you will totally absolutely freaking LOVE the 308. If you can't hack owing and wrenching on the X then you may find the 308 won't work for you either.

 

If you expect a 308 to have parts costs anywhere close to your Charger, or to be as simple and reliable, then you are going to be HUGELY disappointed. Parts costs will be 10X+ v. your Charger and the 308 is much more complex (and, consequently, more prone to breaking) than your Charger.

If you want a 308 then you've got to want it for its style and flair. If you want it because it should be a reliable, and also not overly expensive, car to run, well, all I can say is that your 308 experience is destined to be a bad one....

 

I can't say as a Ferrari owner, but from the months of 'research' I've done, and my first hand knowledge of older American cars, your Dodge is on an order of many magnitudes more reliable than any Ferrari made to the present day. From a parts standpoint, there were literally millions of Chrysler cars and trucks that enjoyed great interchangeability for many many years. They are also very tolerant of abuse and neglect when compared to any Ferrari. And the cost of Ferrari parts really is strange. I can tell the aftermarket does a good job to bring these parts to market at as decent cost as it can, but Ferrari car/parts production was never meant to be an exercise in frugality. Low production numbers + high spec parts = lots of $$$

I come from owning a '70 Chevelle I kind of built up on my own. I never did get the body work done, which is why I say 'kind of'...But once I was done with all the mechanical work it was 100% reliable, 100% of the time. For me, what's the fun in that? I like to tinker with stuff all the time, and I'm pretty sure based on most all of what I've read, Ferraris are all about tinkering, all of the time. And apparently they rust quite well too, so I may finally be drawn into learning a bit of bodywork if/when I finally get one. Ok, so I'd have to think twice about doing the last bit on my own.

I'd say, as someone also learning about these cars, read everything you can here, every day. This BBD is a great resource, and sited as such by many people just learning and having come here after already purchasing their car. But one important suggestion; do NOT ask about timing belts! USE the search function for information on this aspect of maintenance or you'll be tarred and feathered.

 

I bought a 308i. It was a piece of junk and largely neglected.

Have I put $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ into it? YEP. A fair amount. It is the FIRST CAR I have ever wrenched. It is not rocket science (so far). PITA? YES as often as not. So far, everything I have fixed stays that way. From my experience to date, it seems a pretty darn reliable car to me.

Do the parts cost more than other makes. You bet. BUT some shopping around and you can find and get what you need at often reasonable prices. Many of the parts are Bosch, GM, MB, BMW, Fiat and buying those instead of from F-Car saves a large fortune.

I am working on a project that if it works will cost the owner $80 USD that buying from F-Car would cost about $720. And rust in a certain place uglying up our cars will be GONE forever as opposed to F-Cars solution that was poor in the first place. We'll see.

 

Having owned mostly US muscle cars through my life (all Mopars) and having bought many of them in the muscle car era, my advice is to keep the Charger; do NOT sell it to buy a 3x8. If you can work out buying a 3x8 without selling the Charger, that might be a fun thing but you will regret selling the Dodge.

The Charger is better at everything you asked about compared to the Ferrari.

 

I'll weigh in here FWIW. I don't own a 308, but I do own a '66 Jaguar E-Type, a car that is notorious for being a PITA. I also owned a Datsun 240Z for a period of time while I had the Jag, and I mention this because the comparison is relevant to the Charger :: Ferrari.

The Datsun was so easy to work on. I owned 3 Datsuns in my life, and when I was in high school, all of my friends had them, so we knew how to wrench them. Everything was laid out logically, and doing maintenance was a breeze.

The Jaguar is none of this. Parts - like the fuel pump - are hidden away in locations man wasn't meant to access. The design is what I like to call "quirky" - 2 handles to open the long hood come to mind. And if you thought 2 SU's on a Datsun was too much, 3 SU's on the Jag is 33% more of a challenge.

But you know what? It's still just a car. And it's a car that was created over 40 years ago, so compared to today's vehicles - it's primitive. It's still WAY easier to wrench a Jaguar than it is my modern-day Lexus, not even close.

Top all of that off? The legendary difficulties of the Jaguar are, in my opinion, overblown. Probably arose from the days when cars like this were used for daily driving duty. My car is lucky to be out every weekend, more accurately it's out half of that. That means finicky electricals or an oil leak here or there are meaningless. It's like a toy for me - I use it for fun, and it is fun. I've had some of the vaunted issues, but NONE of the frustrations.

So my belief is - you live once. Don't acquire a 308 because it's better quality or anything like that. Buy it because you want it - it's a car. If you have any sort of wrenching ability, YOU WILL be able to maintain it. There are others here that aren't so mechanically inclined that are doing the job, and you can too.

Just my 2 cents - either way, you'll do what's right for you. Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

 

If you get a known well maintained car, you are golden. My 308 is by far the most reliable car I own. It starts everytime and I've had very minimal problems....mainly with the original fuse block. I did a major service at 30k, replaced the oem fuseblocks with Birdman blocks, changed the oil, kept it clean and drove it regularly. If you buy a poor neglected car thats been sitting for years, count on doing a major service with belts immediately. Its the lack of driving that hurts them so much.

 

Owned a 328 GTS for 12 years, never let me down once. The car was driven weekly, won numerous concours trophies, including 3 platinums and was a joy to drive. The car was serviced annually and averaged exactly $1400 per year. In mho the 328 is prettier then the 308 and faster. Good luck with your choice.

 

First thing, everything is for sale as far as I'm concerned.

If you are attached to your car I wouldn't sell it to buy a 308 unless you have a real burning desire for one. Instead keep it and buy a 308 if you can in case you regret it.

I remember my friend and I both sitting on the quarter panels, feet inside the engine bay of my 72 dodge Polara working on the engine. You can't do that in a 308, got to be a bit of an contortionist at times.

 

BTW, take everything you hear with a grain of salt. My view is that most people DON'T drive their Ferraris (even thought they tell you they do or that they tell you to drive yours). If you don't drive it, nothing breaks! Most of the cars I've seen at social events are pretty spotless, none were really driven. Look at their mileages. (Unless there's a glass road somewhere with no rocks or potholes in New York that I don't know about.)

Ace

 

To address the OP's three questions:

1. All depends on which one you buy. Many have passed through multiple owners and suffer from borderline poor maintenance to downright longterm neglect. Take your time looking!

2. Most likely not.

3. Some Ferrari parts are outrageously expensive, others quite reasonable. There are parts that are unobtainable unless you just plain luck into them or someone takes up making them (look up Birdman in the Fchat member list).

The nice things about keeping up a 308 are that lots of them were made (by Ferrari standards), they are popular and in-demand cars for which there are comparitively plenty of parts available, and there are many owners who will gladly share info (like on this board).

They are also among the most affordable Ferraris to purchase, and compared to those produced over the last 20 years, much less complex. A guy of average means and a bit of mechanical aptitude can buy one and do at least routine maintenance himself; a surprising number take on advanced level jobs and complete them successfully.

 

the way i see it,,,Ferrari is either in your blood or not,,,for me ...it was never a decision between having an F CAR or something else.....and ...i bought a car that i knew i could afford to service and maintain..and buy parts for .,,when the need came up,,,,now i also agree with the fellow who said ., that most Ferrari owners dont drive their cars much...there a many on here that do,,,but as a percentage of total Ferrari owners world wide,,,its a small number...most of them out here in California,,,dont even know how to drive them the way they were meant to be driven,,they are to busy trailering their cars to shows,,,i liken them to all the ***goty type LA Porsche drivers...thats right,,,most of the guys i see around LA,,,with Ferraris...own them simply for status...if you asked them anything about Ferraris history..or about the lineage..they wouldnt know,,,i never ..ever see anybody driving., any sportscar out here,,,and getting it sideways...never. let alone a Ferrari....most would end up doing what that jerkoff comedian did when he wadded up that poor guys Enzo ..at Irwindale speedway,,,i know i sound pretty crass...but its the truth...Enzo would be spinning in his grave to see all these rich pricks who are scared to death about getting a stone chip in their 275 GTB four cam...that it will never be driven on any canyon road or for that matter ..any road at all......its a shame...buy the car...make sure its in shape...drive it ....the 3x8 s are not the fastest by any means...but no,,,i mean..no other car can ever give you the driving experience that comes from a Ferrari...period...

 

After 2 years of ownership, I think it's cheap to keep it running. It's expensive to keep everything right. If you want the steering, brakes, suspension, and every accessory to work like they started life, it's tough. If all you want is a car that starts, easy.

 

A classic Ferrari (like the 308) will be as reliable as any other car of its age with the same maintenance. Look at it like a mid 70's to mid 80s 911 Porsche without the head stud problem. There is no basis on which you can compare it to the antiquated cars produced in the US during the last century.

Larry

 

There's a saying that goes "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst", and when things go bad with a Ferrari, they are worse than most any car made. I've observed that paint work will cost double what other cars will because the dies Ferrari used in the production of it's bodywork were less 'refined' than those used by the manufacturers of mass produced cars, imparting much more labor and need for talent in the bodyshop for repair, prep and paint. If the engine in your Charger throws a rod, destroying the block (which is highly unlikely with the engine in stock trim), you could procure a whole new motor for about 1/4-1/3 the cost of a basic rebuild on a 308 engine. If you read enough you'll find frequent references to keeping a "Ferrari Slush Fund" available for such nasty surprises. It's taking me a while to prepare to swallow that pill.

All this gets back to Ferrari being a 'one-off' sort of manufacturer. Most of the expensive stuff in a Ferrari that would break is that way because of low production numbers. Most of the same sorts of items on a Dodge, or Trans Am GTA, cost so much less because they were used in a great many other vehicles, which sold in astronomically higher numbers. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to replace a 308 block that had a rod through it by going down to the local wreckers and pulling one out of an old RV?! But then, that's part of what makes these cars unique...308s owe nothing to pickup trucks, or old station wagons, but rather real race cars

 

In my observation, there are only three types of guys that can afford a Ferrari 308

1. those who can do ALL the work themselves and buy the parts retail $$$.

2. those who can do ALL the work themselves and make their own parts from JC Whitney, Kragens and reworking wrecking yard parts on the lathe and mill (that would be me) $.

3. and those who are wealthy enough to pay someone else to do the work (not me) $$$$$$.

If you don't fall into one of these 3 categories, you will find your 308 experience to be incredibly painful and make you miserable.

 

Here's more:

I agree with the comment about keeping your muscle car.

As for a Ferrari being unreliable? I would point out that Ferrari didn't become the winning-est marque in some of the most grueling races by being un-reliable.

I've found that most issues arise from inactivity. For a very short while I commuted with my 308. It was perfect except I hated the "hollow miles" of stop and go traffic. What a waste of a magical machine. Anyway, it was fine, and upkeep was no worse than a garden variety BMW etc. After sitting for extended periods, I'd spend the next half-dozen drives sorting out bugs.

As for which 3x8. I recommend the one you like. 1974 GT4 to 1989 GTS/B (and EVERYTHING in-between). They all have their own characteristics to appreciate. Happy hunting.

BTW: Any used car can be an undertaking to sort out. This is a whole discussion on its own.

 

For the amt. of commuting that you'll be doing, I think a 360 is a better fit. It's more comfortable with creature features (like a real working AC) and the engine/performance is light years ahead! Maintance won't kill you, either.

Ace

 

First off, don't go to this guy for repairs after hearing what he almost did to the 355. He's also not being totally upfront with the 355, since it's one of the most expensive cars to maintain (headers, valve guides, do a search on the 355). Maybe he wants you to get one so he can rack up some repair bills on you! The 355 is a very good sounding machine but not worth it comparing service cost.

Have you tried a 360? All the goodness of the 355 without the problems.

Ace

 

What he said. The 328 will cause you the least grief among Ferrari road cars, assuming you get one that has been properly kept.

In all fairness, the commonality between road Ferraris and their Formula 1 cars is basically non-existent.

If you're concerned about the cost of maintaining a 308/328, you don't want to go anywhere near a neglected 355. It can take a new mortgage to put one right.

If budget is the issue, go for a 360. They are new, so people who don't know much about cars will assume they have more "status", and it sounds like you might not be all that drawn to the charm of the 308/328 but rather looking at it as an "entry level" Ferrari.

Old cars are a hobby, so maybe you would be better served with a more recent used Ferrari.