hi, i bought a 1994 348 Spyder and got the itch for another F-car (possibly). my budget unfortunately isn't a huge amount so i started looking at the 308/328 series versus the newer models. i came across this car on eBay motors, since i honestly don't know what is good or bad about this car i figured i'd ask you gents (and ladies) to see what you guys thought about this deal: Ferrari : 308 GTSi in Ferrari | eBay Motors per the ad it has 18k miles, their buy-now price is 37k which they say will include what they call a "30k major service," which they told me via email they value at 4k. now i have no idea if 4k is the going rate for a 30k major service or if it is just a line of b.s., or who is performing the service for that matter. i told them that i would offer 30k for the car (w/o the 30k service). the sales guy said they were offered 31.5k for the car and turned it down, and would take 32k for the car. that would put the car + service at 36k (using their 4k figure), which is 900 below their buy-now price (option being that you can opt out of paying the 4k for the service). that indicates a few things to me - that the car needs a 30k major service, and there does not appear that they have any prior service records. does this look like a good/bad deal? your input is appreciated. also i woud have to pay for shipping from Chicago to Austin.
So they offered it at 37, you offered 30, and they countered at 32. Sounds like a garden variety car negotiation to me. Do you really think they turned down 31.5 but another $500 turns them from no to yes? It is possible of course, but I would rather bet that it has been sitting in their inventory for a while and they are not going to quibble over a few hundred dollars. I say stand your ground and do get it checked out.
Looks nice. If it is in good shape (get a solid PPI), then $32k doesn't seem too unreasonable to me. Budget $5k for the major. Run away or negotiate down if the PPI turns anything up beyond the scope of the 30k service. That car looks nice and has low miles, but if you were looking to spend $40k, you could get a more desirable qv or carb car. (I say that as a gtsi owner who loves his car but is realistic about their market value.)
Looks nice but.....for negotiating purposes.... 1. signs of possible repaint....hood cut in, rockers, around VIN tag 2. door panels with holes for tweeters and speakers 3. dash cut for DIN stereo 4. tool kit not pictured 5. manual and portfolio not pictured 6. spare tire hold down not pictured 7. emergency light not pictured 8. wrong lighter 9. on TRX wheels...though original 10. airbox has been repainted 11. expansion tank shows signs of welded repairs and probably will be needing replaced The missing manual, portfolio, and tools are serious money to replace....$2k or so. Shame the door panels are cut up for speakers. I dont see deal killers. Just good points to negotiate and the need for a service.
Replaced door interiors lately? EXPENSIVE. Cannot see the pic but I would even go LOWER. I paid less than $28K (and still "got took") for '81 in 2006 and it HAD almost all the items you mention and needing NONE of the repairs other than recovering the door pannels and seats.
The early injection cars are the least powerfull, but that shouldn't be a problem. It's not like these car are fast, they are just fun to drive! This car looks really nice, can't see much wrong with it...
So really not a great deal, maybe a fair one at best on that one. I saw this one this morning but no indication of any service records: Ferrari : 308 GTSI in Ferrari | eBay Motors 3 days 13 hours left on the auction and currently at $25k (reserve not met). Not sure if I'd go past 28-29 on it? Due to no service history available and possibly having to put $5k+ immediately into it? At that rate it looks in line with a silver 1986 testarossa I see a guy relisting on eBay for $42k buy-now but he also has no service history and owned it for 5 years, drove 500 miles, and evidently didn't take it anywhere either. It's a single mirror one, I heard those are difficult to drive.....
In today's market, a 2V injected model should never really be over 30K. If the counter offer is 32K which includes 4K worth of service (something we can discuss page after page) I suppose you can do worse. That model has 3 problems that some people just can't get past. It also happens to be my favorite but for purely sentimental reasons.
None of these cars will be perfect. This one looks like it's in good shape, possibly repainted but so what. Get an inspection, know what you are in for. Get new tires that don't have vaseline on them.
If they actually did purchase five new TRXs (and it looks like someone did), that's about $2,250 in parts right there. Not money I would've spent, but at least it's done...
If they actually did purchase five new TRXs (and it looks like someone did), that's about $2,250 in parts right there. Not money I would've spent, but at least it's done...
There are very few other things you can purchase for a 308 that are a bigger waste of money than buying a set of TRXs (another that immediately comes to mind is R134 conversion). You can certainly spend more on other areas but as far as ROI these two are up on record setting Olympic levels. Save yourself down the road by investing in the 16 inch repros and enjoy a far wider choice of much better, less expensive tires for the life of your car. Stack the metric rims in the garage as a conversation piece.
From your posts, it appears as if you are willing to pay $30K for the first car and up to $29K for the second. If that is true, then Id recommend rethinking this. With the caveat that internet pictures can be misleading, the first car looks to be far superior than the second one. The second one looks VERY tired with a low-rent paint job.
Also, sometimes it pays to just buy the first reasonably good one even if it is a few bucks more that you feel it is worth. You can easily find yourself spending thousands more traveling and in PPI's and still end up with a car that needs a little here and there. Mathematically, it may be better money spent on the first one by the time it is all over. A 308 isn't a BMW. There are simply not eight dozen to choose from in every decent sized city.
+1. I recently purchased a 308. Part of the 'car hobby' for me is wrenching my own cars, so thought I would buy a "fixer-upper" 308 at the bottom of the price band. Instead, after chasing several "fixer-uppers, I bought a more expensive single owner / single Ferrari shop maintained, blah, blah, "no issues" car. Well, it's a fixer upper anyway. They all are fixer-uppers even these fabled $80k ones. I am very happy with my car but want to rebuild the shocks (they're tired after 30 years), my oil cooler seems to be weepng, the fusebox is still stock, the gas tank hoses are original: I got my hands full of (good, fun) issues on a "no issues" car. Everyone says this and now I understand it, "buy the best car you can afford."
My car is very similar to this one. Red/black injected. I think the price is high but I paid 27 for mine 6 years ago simply because the condition of the interior, paint and engine bay looked so good cosmetically. Mechanicals are important but cosmetics are too and their equally expensive. I've driven mine for six years with only a replaced clutch cable and some plugs, extenders and steering rack boots for repairs. What makes me take a second look at this car: Passenger seat seems to be worn in the area beneath where a passengers thigh would rest. Why? Did they switch the passenger seat bottoms for the drivers one to make it look like it had less miles? Maybe not but when buying these explore every suspicion and red flag. TRX tires are hard to find and only going to get harder. Eventually you will want QV, 328 or reproduction wheels. Check the date code on these and if over 3 years or so figure getting an alternate wheel/tire combo. Maybe they are "new" but seven years old. Why the repaint on the airbox?.. and coolant expansion tank looks like its been doctored. The missing tools are nice to have but could give two craps about them..use as a bargaining chip.
I noticed that too. This is an odd phenomenon that I first noticed 30 years ago. Look at these two pictures I took back in 1983. Same seat issue and this was a 308 that was only three years old at the time. I have wondered how it got like it did since I was 15 years old. I mean, who would recover only one seat? Who would switch seats? I would rather sit on the ugly one and look at the nice one when I drive... The only thing I can figure is sun damage and the driver's seat is protected by the driver. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Steve, Looks like a beautiful example to me. No doubt it has had a lot of recent detailing - generally looks well done except for the shiny tires. Too bad about the speakers in the door panels but this can be repaired for not too much cost - buy a correct (8500 black) 1/2 hide from Bill Hirsch for around $200. Repair the holes in the fiberglass - cheap and easy to get right. Drop the door panels off at your upholsterer to have new covers sewn. If TRX tires are truly new this is a big plus for some buyers, certainly not all though. PPI and service are part of the negotiation. Too bad if tool kit and service history are gone. I think 1981 is the first year that CarFax/AutoCheck are available. This is a good place to start. Best of luck! Jim
I completely agree! Mine are stacked in the garage, and a set of Potenzas are on the car... I'm thining of making a side table out of one of those wheels...
Early 'i' cars are the lowest of the performance curve, if you are not aware. And the market doesn't give you much break pricewise... Buying a slightly older 308 gets you historical carbs, a slightly newer one gets you the better QV engine. Depends on what you want from the driving experience, I auppose....welcome! Go talk to Moorespeed, hang out awhile .......
