Hi Ferrari lovers, I've always been a huge Ferrari fan (actually a real Tifoso, being Italian-born and having lived for 45 year in Monza, where I followed almost every Italian GP since when I was a teen!). But it's only after I moved to the U.S. a few years ago, that I seriously started looking into buying one of my teen-age dreams: a gorgeous 308 GTS. I've been following this forum for months now, I have read all the sticky threads and the linked guides and tutorials, followed the experiences of many of you with this great car. I'm meeting regularly with some friends at the local C&C meets and every time a 308 GTS shows up (we have 2 GTS and one GTB among our regular visitors) it's a joy for my eyes. I just simply LOVE this car. I'm looking at late carburetor models (1978/79) because I love the sound of the Webers, the looks of the car, but I'm not really interested in the better performance of the early, more expensive series or of the (also expensive) late QV's. All my other cars have more HPs of any 308 ever made and are probably handling better around a track, but I'm not buying a 308 for the performance... I just love the idea to cruise around with an open top, on a winding road, enjoying the spirit of this eternal classic Ferrari, listening to its music. What I find difficult to determine - and that's the reason I'm writing this post - is the current "average" price of a 1978/79 308 GTS in fair condition. I'm looking for a car that has been well cared, but not for a show queen or collector-only piece: I want to DRIVE it above all. I am prepared to pay a fair price that satisfies both me and the seller, but I don't want to overpay one, out of poor experience. I have been following a few eBay auctions to get an idea of the market price, but all auctions seem to end unsuccessfully with a "reserve not met" (so you never know the real sale price), or they are overpriced cars that nobody bids on. Two examples of what I would consider a "fair" condition (of course, to be checked with a PPI) are those two: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=251725069058 http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=331388114772 Both of them ended with a "reserve not met", one reached $30k and the blue one (with less miles) reached $39k What would you pay today, for a 308 GTS like those two? Thank You in advance for your advice! Corrado
apparently more than your two examples. Good luck on finding your car in the near future. Prices are going up, up and away................
benvenuti Paisano, I to was born in Italy and understand the love for a 308. I bought mine a few years ago and can't find any near the price I paid....if you are really looking to buy a 308 get ready to pay $45,000 on up. Good luck
Of course more than them What is puzzling me, though, is that most "reserve" auctions go as high as 35/45k$ and don't meet the reserve, while the "buy it now" auctions are in the 50/70k$ area, and also those don't sell... as no one bids at those prices. Weird, huh? Agreed!
Welcome aboard! All I can tell you is I love my '77 GTB. I spent almost two years reading this forum and showing cars to the experts on here before I decided to go the route I went. Best of luck with your search, it's truly a very special sports car.
Actually, I think that second to actual sale prices, or auction results, the Fleabay failed to meet reserves are a a great thing to watch. Because they are widely viewed and represent what someone might be willing to pay for each car advertised. There's some slop there because most are uninspected and people probably low ball to a point, but still, a good reference. The buy it now prices are utterly meaningless, unless one actually sells. Ciao!
You have a good point, Hannibal. On the other hand, those cars didn't sell, so I might not be able to buy one at those prices, either. I was also looking at the recent prices in the "auction prices" thread, but most of the sales recorded there are from European auctions, where the 3x8 Ferraris sell at a much higher price.
Very true. European, particularly UK sales, just don't translate here. Not at all. The truth here is likely in the middle of asking prices and what people are offering...makes sense I guess. Best of luck to you for sure. I took about two years to find my car at a decent price to value ratio. Keep looking. Ciao!
FWIW, if you want a GTS and carbs, you will always have a later carb'd car as they only made the early, pre-cat cars (76 & 77) in GTB form.
You're correct, as the GTS was announced in 1977 but it didn't come to the market until 1978, when also the stricter emission standards were applied. My mistake in writing about the early carb in association with the GTS.
I have found a good resource for classic car prices to be the database by Hagerty's Insurance available at: Classic Car Value ? Value Your Car | Hagerty Classic Car Value Guide. The two Ebay cars you use as examples look to be in Very Good to Excellent condition (i.e.: Condition 2 or 3 according to Hagerty's scale). So for a late model 308 Spyder, you are looking at $38,500 - $50,000.
Good questions. I'm also doing the same (looking for an early 308). E-bay is one tool to use for market research. But, it's not the whole story. Here's what I'm considering in my approach: 1) Pictures are nice, but cars typically photograph better than they look. Be wary. 2) Mileage can be deceptive. It's pretty easy on most old cars to disable/unhook the speedo, or change it. Low miles may be an indicator of a garage queen, or not. Be skeptical. 3) Service records - always nice, and the more the better. At the same time - who cares that an oil change was made 20 years ago? Recent service matters more than old. Which ties to..... 4) Mechanical condition of the major components (drivetrain) are where you should focus. The nice thing about the 308 is the the major can be done with the engine in the car - but if the drivetrain needs more than that, costs can add up quick. I was quoted 20-30K from a good independent shop for a complete teardown/rebuild. And I believe it. All of that leads to valuation. I think there are well sorted examples of GTS or GTB carb'd cars out there that can be had for 50-60K and up. There are also cheaper cars, but you are going to have to sort them. So - pay 40 and add another 10-15 to get it sorted? Yeah - that could happen fast. Carb'd cars seem to still be the most desirable, followed by the QV cars. The Injected 2 valve cars seem to trail in value by a lot - a lot being about 20% cheaper than the carb'd cars. I've had enough car projects for awhile, so I'm shooting for a sorted car, and I'm expecting that will be a 60K or so car. That's a lot for a 40 year old car, but at the same time - I don't want to be wrenching on it a lot at the start. I want to enjoy it from the start. Personally - I've been burned a few times on internet cars. The next car I buy, I'm going to see it and touch it in person before I purchase it.
I have the car you are looking for. I keep a pretty close eye on the market, even though my car is not currently listed for sale. If you want a #3+ car with recent major service, expect to pay around $45-48K. If it will pass CA smog, add $2,000. if it has cold, working AC, add $2,000.
Thanks to all, very valuable input from all of you! I'm getting a much better idea of the price range now. @Ken: I'm with you on the criteria that you need to consider when buying a 308, although I was planning to hire a qualified Ferrari expert to run the PPI with me. I'm not confident that I can run an inspection on a 308 without an expert advice. Which brings me to the next question: considering that you need to check the car and/or decide if it's worth the paid visit of a qualified expert, would the eBay auctions be completely sorted out because of the time constraints?
I don't think so. I think it depends on the seller. Some of the car dealers on e-bay are a mixed bag - I'm sure there are some that will "polish a turd" and try to sell it at a premium. At the same time, there are some that will fully sort the car and then sell it at a premium. And, I don't think the "seller ratings" necessarily mean that a dealer is honest. Caveat Emptor. For sure, ask around here. That's part of the reason I like boards like this. Utilize the experience of the collective. Good Luck. Ken
Corrarado, Good choice, enjoy your search as are great samples out there. Here is my 1979 308 GTS in the Wine Country. Have her for 15 years and she brings full sensation every time I drive her. Plan to keep her at least for another 15 more years... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Great picture, I hope you can enjoy your 308 for many years to come! That's the first 308 I see in that dual color paint scheme, which I've seen often on the 512BB model. That must be pretty rare!
Thanks! The Boxer trim is an option for 308. This link also show my 1979 308GTS + link to a 1979 Boxer in Carmel red and black Ferrari 308 F430 by Partywave on DeviantArt
