Park a 308 Outside?

1. yes
2. no.
3. good
4. 30-35k
5. been there. done that. did that too. I made owning a ferrari the most frustrating car ownership experience I have ever had. It's better now with a better, newer car and a daily driver.

 

You may want to consider a Mondial coupe for additional water sealing. You can get a 3.2 coupe for nearly the same price as a 308

I use a 328 as a mostly-daily driver. The AC is marginal (maybe not an issue where you live) and in heavy rains there's a lot of spray on freeways. Make sure to use RainX on the windshield. Mechanically the car's been pretty solid, although it needs a water pump right now. I put about 10,000 miles on it yearly.

 

Don't do it. Even with the rust protection on the 84 85 years It will rust.

 

If I can use a 330 regularly, a 308 should be cake. As long as you start with a mechanically excellent example, and keep it up (assume $2.5K per year for regular maintenance for 10K of driving) don't buy one with too high mileage if it has not been freshened, a rebuild will cost more than what you save by buying a high mileage car.

Regarding rust: there was a 308QV used locally (in NJ) on a daily basis, including winter, and it did not develop rust over a several year period. Remember, the Pacific NW may have a lot or rain but it doesn't have much ice - salt will cause much more damage than rain.

Go for it.

Art S.

 

Actually, I thought of another example.

A guy in my neighborhood (in central NJ) had a 365 California (one of the 14) it was his daily driver from 1972 until the late '80s. He put 75K miles on it including a trip across the country. He put snow tires on the Borrani's in winter and drove it in all weather conditions. It did rust, but it was worth it: after all of that fun it cost him $10K to make it look good as new again. Ferraris are meant to be driven!

Art S.

 

What's a little moss and mold among friends...

When the king of Belgum complained that one of his custom Ferraris leaked when it rained, Scaglietti handed him a rag and told him to use it for wiping up after the leaks *.

308s were made using stamped panels which means that they should be rather consistent and possible to seal. The one that was used daily near me was dry according to the owner. My guess is that you may have to replace some of the rubber due to it hardening with age and lack of use.

If you want something really watertight buy new German, Japanese or American, if you don't mind hunting down and fixing a few leaks buy old Italian.

Art S.

*(story is from memory so some facts may have changed)

 

i say go for it as well. my 308 has been running great, i use it "almost" daily now. the smiles you will be wearing and creating will be worth it!

 

Slomo,
I lived in Seattle for all 80s & some 70's, and my relative & in-laws are still there in NW. AND I wouldn't do what you are thinking.

Rust is a major concern.
Engine bay is constantly exposed to moisture in NW weather.
A battery could go out in 1-2 cold nights.
308 is not a good car to drive on black-ice or similar situation.
Remember 308 is more than 20 years old car, so reliability would be an issue as a daily in winter time (although it'll make a great daily for May to Sept.!)

If you have another car to back up 308, you'll definitely have less problem.

 

Would you be crazy...? Absolutely not... You only live once; enjoy yourself...

One of the neat things about Ferraris is that the more you drive them, the better they work... Expect to NOT have to be so mechanical if you drive it every day...

What do YOU want...?

Under 100k...? How much under...? If we're talking about an 80k roof, you can go for a 355 which is a LOT newer and you can drive THAT everyday, too... It's not lame that it has to be red as long as YOU WANT IT to be red; don't buy red for the resale value, that's just silly...

Not me, i don't own a Ferrari, but as you can see, plenty of testimonials to daily driving seem very positive... Even The Breadvan was driven in the snow - during a blizzard...!

 

It's 20+ year old FIAT.............don't sweat it.

Would you park your $30K "whatever" outside.......of course........

 

LOL, ok, thanks for clearing that up - i thought you were talking about money...

 

I have an 84 308 GTB QV that I drive every day from March until the first snow flies! It's a hoot and mine runs like a Swiss watch. I do ALL my own maintainance and just completed a thorough 30K. I'm going to do brakes and suspension over the winter down time this year. If you're handy with tools, you can drive these cars for much less than the $2500 stated above IMO.
My 30K cost about $700 in parts.
Would I have my 308 as my only car? NO
Would I let it sit out every night? NO
Should you? That's up to you. Remember you can always make more money, but you can never have too much fun. Besides, I never saw a Brink's truck in a funeral procession. You can't take it with you!
I must warn you, Ferraris leak water into the interior and as stated above the engine is exposed to the elements via the grill/venting on the rear hatch. A lot of owners complain of water leaking onto their feet through the pedal box and mine suffers from this as well although not horribly. Also my rear 1/4 windows have developed small leaks that have now stained the fabric on the rear "hatshelf". I'll address this over the winter and soldier on with the "hassle" of driving a Ferrari. I would have it no other way!

By the way, an 84-85 QV is an excellent choice as is a 328.

Go for it,
John

 

After getting a flat and fighting with a stuck knock-off for over an hour (didn't have a lead hammer) I am almost inclined to take back what I said before. Anyway, hopefully I will feel better after a little drive with four fully inflated tires.

Good night all,

Art S.

 

I do not have a garage. I have parked my 308 outside with a Noah cover for 7 years.

 

I don't have a garage, my QV has been outside for 4 years now....but hopefully the garage will finally come in the spring.....

 

Nyet!

 

1. Would I be crazy to park a 308 outside year-round, even if I used a car cover? I would try to find a neighbor with an unused garage/carport, but
that is not a sure thing.

Try car cover at least.



2. I would put 10K per year or so on the car, will it hold up? (I do have mechanical skills and would expect to use them).

Holds up well for me



3. What year? Right now I am thinking 83-85 QV, but what do you think?

Euro spec 1985 QV


4. How much? I would not mind a high mile car (under 100K, though). So what is a reasonable price to pay? I would like a car with records, no major needed now, good overall condition but some restoration needed (leather, minor mechanicals, other interior etc.) would be fine. Lame I know, but it has to be red.

$30k to $35k seems about right with ALL papers, records, tools, fresh major service, etc


5. Anybody doing this now? How bad is it? Also, anybody driving their car year-round as a daily? How is that working out?

Working out well for me Heck, just turned a mere 61k miles and plan to do about 500 miles this weekend. For it is far better to drive it than admire it from afar

 

my old 911 sat outside for six years; never any the worse for it.

 

My '88 Mondial Coupe has a garage but sat outside during the work day at the office 12 months of the year in New Jersey. It now has just about 88,000 miles on it and is still my daily driver. It really is true. The more I drive it, the better it runs.

 

I called all the car cover companies for a cover for my 328. All fabics are available from California Car Cover, which is my choice & has been for 10 years.