nOOb needs help with possible 308 purchase

Joe, sounds like a pretty good deal to me,(+ I really like black 308s) and seems like the guy knows his car. Just make sure he can back up what hes selling with reciepts and that its not rusted out.

 

I have been told that the Ferrari engins are very solid and probably don't need a rebuild until 150K miles. However, have a PPI done with compression and a leak-down test. That will tell you how things are with the engine. I would tend to believe the seller as he has been very open as to the condition of the car. WIth a cost of <$30K for it, it may still need a bit of work. Personally, I think it sounds like a fair deal.

 

Joe, My 308 GTB QV has 91k on it, and I can't begin to count how many guys are comming up on 110k on their cars. Don't let mileage scare you, most of us agree that the odometer is irrelevant, its condition and docs. (PPI and leakdown is a very good idea!)

 

Best of luck to you, it is a buyers market now and a good time to pick up a Ferrari!

The miles thing is this: if you want a car to love, enjoy, drive, polish, tinker on, drive, own, drive, enjoy, drive and enjoy, those miles are just fine. If you want to resell to make a quick buck, it needs to be under 30,000 miles. That is a mental value threshold that many buyers won't cross. (Even though most everyone agrees there are more 30k mile cars avail than there was 10 years ago! These odometers are super easy to disconnect)

The only real way to est the miles is to have service records and or registration info that tracks logically the time and distance. At 71k there is a pretty good chance no one has faked it to date. My car has 61k and drives like a dream. Best of luck on your offer, hope it works out for you!

 

For not alot more money, you get a 328, lower miles, and from an FChatter and a car that is a known commodity.

I'd say that this car has upside value. Higher HP, and more modern stuff.

Its not TN, but AR..... close enough.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/showproduct.php?product=2335&cat=2

If you want any help at all talking through this, lots of guys who can help. DON'T RUSH (eg avoid "red" fever even though your 308 is non-red, and always try to buy the best example you can. You won't be sorry).

Best of luck.

John
www.scuderiaautosport.com
(303) 475-7840

 

Whoa, slow down a bit there Hoss, dont forget what we said about docs. (service records) make sure you review ALL the docs before you commit to any deal - or that $22k will be the tip of the ice burg of what this car could cost you. If the owner can't back up any part of the maintenance in writing use it to negotiate a better deal. NO RECORDS means you get to repeat that service.

 

WOW! Joe, this is an absolute SCREAMING deal on a 328! John is right, you would be so much better off with this car its not funny.

 

.... and old adage #2 (behind buy the best example you can find) is "Dont spend your last dime on the purchase....you will need some money to sort out hidden gremlins on ANY F-Car you buy". Remember, regardless, these are 20-30 yr old cars -- they all need something.

John
www.scuderiaautosport.com
(303) 475-7840

 

+1 (x2)

Owning BMWs doesn't really equate to maintaining (and paying the parts bills for) an exotic. A 308 in need of a service and a few incidental can inhale $5000.

It may be a bit late here, but I'm not a fan of buying your first Ferrari off of eBay, unless you're willing to travel to see it and have a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) done.

 

Looks like a nice car for the money. As mentioned by others, leave a few dollars for issues that pop up, as they will in any 29 yr old car. My '85 was in fairly good repair when I got it, but the longer I own it the more I find I want to do, and it aint cheap.

 

Wow. I reconsidered my post and deleted it, guess I wasnt fast enough. I was just commenting that just because someone joins Fchat does not in and of itself signify they are any more forthcomig or honest than anyone else. If he is a well known member that would certainly hold weight, but otherwise you should proceed with all due caution as you would in any transaction with a stranger. And remember too, that an owner may not realise an issue has just developed, and could honestly believe the car is great when in fact it is not. Do your homework.

At a bare minimum do a proper and correct compression test and give the car a thorough test drive. If the compression test is done correctly (engine hot, all plugs out, good battery, throttle fully open and fuel pump inop), I would honestly pass on any car that cant pump over 150 psi within 5 cranks on all 8 while maintaining 10% (max) or less difference from lowest to highest. Poor compression could = $15K plus repair.

Otherwise it looks like a really nice car, just do go in blind. These cars are not appreciating at all, and in fact have depreciated further in recent months. If you start off upside down with a bad motor or some major problem, well, you wont be very happy. The owners who had full PPI's and bought well maintained cars in good condition, seem as a group to have been the happiest with their purchase. Dont be lulled to sleep by the beauty or follow your heart, you can get burned really really bad on these cars. And keep a nest egg of about $5K or more after purchase. You WILL need it.

There are no cheap Ferrari's

 

i think the 308's are going to disappoint you. i have had 5, and they are all different. they are not like a 911 or BMW, but they have unique charms of their own.

there are differences between the early carb cars and the later carb cars. there are differences between the injected cars, and the 4v injected cars. GTB's drive way different from GTS cars.

so you need to find what sort of car fits you, and then go after a decent one. dont be too scared of the beaters, t belts must be done, along with the tensioners and the checks that go along with those services. i would think a carb car would be a great bit of fun for you, the sound of the 4 webbers is something i miss now that i have a QV. i should add the 308gt4 drives different from the GTB and GTS cars too !

these cars are slow, but i cannot shake the draw they have, and they all are different.


the best thing you can do is read here, and ask questions, many of us would be glad to help.

 

Congrats,you found a local Car on ebay and it looks great,after driving around for a few weeks the bummers will feel like your sittin on a ladder steerin a bus.Take the bumpers off and keep your foot down.

 

Greetings Tifosi. At $22k the car looks like it priced correctly in this type of market and this time of year. Unless you run into a major powertrain problem you shouldn't have too much of a downside.

Nero Black looks very nice and is one of my favorites, but some might say that it runs second in choice to Rosso Corsa red the traditional Ferrari color. This is a factor to consider if and when you eventually sell the car and trade up to another Ferrari. The person who subsequently buys the car from you will likely be a first-time buyer you yourseld and also likely have the RC Red at the top of their list of car choices. Judging by the description of the ebay car, the seller seems to know 308's and that is a definite plus as opposed to a used car lot that doesn't have a handle on the inherent maintenance issues that may crop up on these cars.

Bottom line is to see the car, drive it, feel it and watch it (oil leaks or smokey exhaust is always a sign of potentially expensive repairs.) After the car comes up to operating temperature and then cools down again, take a look underneath and see if there are any oil leaks. This is just common sense on buying any type of used vehicle from my experience. If you like it and the seller seems pretty straightforward, then take the safety switch off your wallet and pull the trigger.

Good luck with the car if you decide to proceed.

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

 

Carefully evaluate the trans. Second gear is acting up. This is the thing that bit me on my '79. I found additional problems with the transmission and it cost me about $8k.

 

Hey Joe,
Anyone who owns a gun store and wants a Ferrari is alright with me!!
The car sounds great and if I were you i would grab it quick. Unless you have the money, you won't be buying a mint car anyway.

I love my 308 and it isn't perfect either.

Ciao

Frank

 

My only regret with my '80 308 is that i didn't follow my heart and go with Nero. For 22k that thing looks like a deal. I believe based on the location of the car in it's pictures that the owner sold a red qv a few years ago.

 

John - when you say it's a known commodity, do you mean 328's in general? Or do you mean this car specifically?

I was (sort of) interested in this car...seeing that it's a decent price. However, this feels like one of those "if it looks too good to be true" cars. Why so cheap?

I realize it's not your car, that was more rhetorical unless you knew something specifically about this one.

 

Meaning there were a couple of guys on the chat who have seen the car, driven with it, and made some comments in the thread started by GT Hill (owner) before it was closed for some reason. So its not some eBay unknown.

Rob Lay posted a reply stating that he can confirm that its a good car.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=225620