Newbie Intro and questions -- Considering buying first Ferrari

Im a redcar owner since the 70s, Iv had my euro qv 84 german since 1990. Lotus elise? Back in the early 90s it was the NSX, and I whipped em like Cream by using pro drag launches, 8000 and let er lock up and holding to 9 or 10000 rpm in 1,2 3 and I never lost that I can remember. My car is stripped of every essential part, no floor mats, no passengers,and 4 gallons of gas.Have nevered been towed and been on a 5000 mi road trip. CIS is 100% goofproof. The stuff is all BMW available and my new accumulator cost $106.Go for Euro ONLY as The Commendatore said "If they want stupid {US DOT} give them STUPID. USA cars have bumpers that are just unacceptably heavy and thats just a start. I think there are 180+ differences inthe cars. When a customer brings in his USA heavyweight I just feel sorry for the guy cause the car is so messed up to begin with I cant really get it to go like mine without taking the poor thing completely apart which I have done. You can fit 225 50 F 255 50 R on the stock 16s and Modena and 355 wheels are stupid on 308s, that is not an opinion its Fact. Euros are cheaper.

 

no big deal, it was the early CIS that i hated. the Motronic on my current 911 is bullet proof.

i guess its a matter of cost versus what you want.

i dropped the price of the 308 and put it back on ebay. i have bigger fish to fry.

 

I've said this before on here:

I've yet to drive a carbed 308 but I've heard they have the advantage when it comes to throttle response and engine sound. 83 is also the last year of true dual exhaust.

My opinion is this: When I was looking for a 308 I contacted Bill Pollard of Sport Auto to see which QV he recommended. He said 83, hands down. He said he had seen the emissions equipment on the 84's and 85's cause too many issues (something to do with additional complexity and frequency valves?). He also said it was sometimes difficult to get a stable idle with a lamda sensor, and that 'hunting' could be common. Bill is well represented on this list and I trusted his judgement and have not had issues. I highly recommend his shop for anyone in the northeast.

I know this is an issue of opinion, and people will disagree. I figure you can't go wrong with any 308 that has been well kept up

My new question is this, I have been told that the 83s have SOME rustproofing but that the factory did not start using galvanized steel until 84. I'd like to hear for some sources on this info. The things I have seen say that they started rustproofing measures in 83. Considering how Ferrari operates (changes in mid-year production), I find it hard to believe they would be so structured as to wait until January of 84 to use rustproofing. More likely they would have just started using them when the other panels ran out. After all, wouldn't SOME 84 models have been built in late 83? I have a late 83 and have ZERO problems with rust (bubbling paint or whatever). I have seen some 84 and 85s with what appears to be 'bubbling'. I still stand by Bill Pollard's recommendation. I have had NO mechanical issues with my 83 QV.

Dom

 

+1 and they are reliable not to mention the compliments and looks that you get.

 

That’s interesting, Dom. When I got my ’83 QV two years ago Joe, the Ferrari mechanic at Exoticars, said that’s how he feels. The older the car the more important simplicity becomes. Trying to make old high-technology work can be a bear. As you said, it’s “an issue of opinion, and people will disagree.”

In Original Ferrari V8 Keith Bluemel says “An important development took place in January 1984, as all models produced from that date were manufactured from Zincrox-coated steel panels on internal surfaces most exposed to corrosive action.” Bluemel’s book is not totally error-free but based on posts to FerrariChat I believe this is probably correct.

 

John, Have you been there recently? Some major changes, not sure how I feel about them. Did you get a Red/Tan 83? I may have know your previous owner. PM me with your VIN, mine might be the next one in sequence.

As far as the rust-proofing, I still contend it started to a lesser extent on the 83s, I will research this over the weekend and update.

Dom

 

When you find your dream car, and just before you fall into the 'I Gotta Have This One" syndrome we all fall into, MAKE SURE it has all the accessories!

Mine came without one of the tool kits, spare tire and owners manual and the worst part is, I should have known, but I was in the Gotta Have This One and was blinded!

Try to find one with all the extras! Owners manual, $500+, Spare tire and wheel $550+, Small Tool kit $350+ Large tool kit $300+ Then the little things like ash trays $50, Spare Tire Hold Down $100. I am sure I missed a few.

Doug

 

Dom: Mine is a black/tan GTSi, #46461, p.o. is Craig Schwartz. I bought it just as they were moving the business from West Liberty Avenue to Rt. 51.

My 308 is there now for annual service and stuff. Yes, they have changed – Fuzzy moved on, Howard retired a couple of weeks ago, and there are a few new faces I don’t really know well. Guess I was comfortable with the way things were, but change seems to be the rule in the auto business. Joe and Jim (and Peter) are still there and they are a pleasure to deal with.

You could very well be right about the rust proofing. Let us know what you find.

 

About 9 years ago I spent a beautiful sunny afternoon with a very nice 81 GTSi a friend let me drive, I drove her over 60 odd miles through very twisty turning hilly roads in western Wisconsin near Modena. Yup, there really is a Modena Wisconsin! There were very few areas to get up into third gear, mostly first and second gear stuff with more than a couple blind downhill off camber turns. Great fun, the whining gears, the purring exhaust, the clinking gear lever in the gate, double clutching it up and down and wheeling it through the countryside. If I wasnt in love with the cars before that day, I was totally infatuated after. For sure lots of cars could have blown us away, but not to many cars ever built could return the joy that lil GTSi put out. Its not always about speed and power, its more about finess, character, breeding.

I'm gonna stick with my carbs for now though.

 

Hmmm, that was a really nice low mile car IIRC, no? What ya gonna buy next?

 

i dunno, want a v12.... still.

so far i have a few folks looking. i guess i will know something soon.

i know a carb BB365/512 is a more usable car in normal in town driving, however i am trying to justify all the stuff i will have to do to get a carb Countach.

then again, my GT4 was good cheap fun.

sucks to have these commitment issues i have !

4 Ferraris, 2 Lamborghinis, and a 2 911's..... in 24? months.


i am scared of the testarossas diff failures, and i dont care for the QV's or 328's too much.

dollar for dollar, i would rather have something weird. ( odd Lambo ?)

 

Yeah, you got me. Those Air Pumps ate up a whole 5 HP. Most owners, myself included, have cars with the air pumps disconnected because they can be noisy and problematic if they seize (as in snapped timing belts). I drove 84/85s, I didn't want to deal with O2 sensors, frequency valves, and computers making rich/lean adjustments for me, for my money the 83 was a better purchase. I'd rather have the air pump disconnected and go with an expert's opinion (I know, different experts say different things, but Bill is one I trust and know personally and he has been spot on for me).

As far as the rust-proofing, Road & Track (it's a small automotive magazine, you may have heard of it) had this to say, "It wasn't until 1980 that Ferrari offered any kind of warranty against corrosion because until then, the cars carried virtually no rust- proofing. And keep in mind that the fiberglass-bodied cars still have steel rocker panels, yet another common area for rust. " I'm not saying that THEY are making the definitive statement on rust-proofing at Ferrari, but I'm saying that it happened in varying degrees earlier than the 84/85 owners would like us to believe. I found this out in about 15 minutes today, when I have more time I will research more.

 

I will concede that the 84/85s have improved emissions equipment, but as any of the early carbed and Euro spec owners will tell you, improved emissions equipment does not always equate to improved driving experience or reliability. Congratulations, your Ferrari is more environmentally friendly...

 

No argument from me. How important it is depends on whether or not you are running the smog pump and how often your car actually sees water. In my case my 308 is rust-free, is rarely driven in the rain, and when I pull it out of the garage I usually end up driving it instead of washing it.

 

hey, I'm a first time ferrari owner. did research before buying. A few things to consider. (Ferrari Pros please correct me if I'm wrong). The records are a major thing. The first maintenance, about 25-30,000 mi should include the timing belts, clutch and maybe plug wires. Approx, $6,00 total cost. Expect high service costs over time. Some insurance companies won't insure Ferrari's. The older cars origionally sold in the $40's to 50's. Same thing now is $100,000+.,and are available in the low 30's today. A clean Ferrari with service records will always hold its value. The insurance and registration costs are low. The excitement of the ride and the attention at gas stations, malls, and red lights is overwelming. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry has a Beemer or a Porsche Boxter, "respectful exception to the 911 owners". I'm THRILLED with my "new" '88 mondial conv. that came with all records, all maintenance, and 33,000 mi. $29,000 off E bay.
Good luck in your hunt.
Scott

 

I think far to many people worry way too much about rustproofing. If you spend any time in the deep south you always see really old cars that are still solid as they day they made them, cars from the 50's and 60's even. Its salt that really eats them, and it is insidious. I dont care if its a brand new Mercedes, drive them through the winter for 5 or six years and the damage it causes will be a slow creeping virtual death. And I do mean death. By the time you begin to see any visual signs, the damage will be far beyond any hope of stopping it. Blasting down the highway in the winter, its like going through a salt car wash, with light mist fogging the engine compartment, grill and radiator, anywhere it can find a way into, and it seeps into all the seams and weld joints. Thats why the bottoms of doors rust so fast, that lip holds the evil mixture. And its not table salt your driving through, that would be bad enough, but no, its calcium chloride, and its really awful stuff.

Rain and driving in rain, to me has never been a big issue. You wash your car with water, it dries, and in fact in the off chance the car has EVER seen salt, the more water you can douse it with the better, right into every nook and cranny in copious amounts. This could also be why some are afraid of rain, as a previously well salt doused car that shows no rust, could disolve before your eyes. And if you left it out in rain or drove it in rain, one might think rain did all that damage.