Should my first Ferrari be a 308?

308 is a fine first Ferrari - go QV for simplicity & newness (relative) or carb for tradition & rortiness - its worth visiting some of the people like Hollingsworth (Worcester) or the greater Manchester non-franchise chaps to get an idea of whats involved & whats around - get a PPI on the car by someone sensible & go enjoy the summer

 

As Jimmie has already said, a QV is the least painless 308 to own , buy the latest car you can as the later cars have better rust proofing, and look at as many cars as you can just to get a feel for the quality of the various cars.
and a PPI is pretty much mandatory (with a leakdown test as well as a compression test), and needs to be from a Ferrari specialist (the AA RAC etc are next to useless with these cars)

If your ever near Chester pop in for a look round at a few cars, weve got a 308 in bits at the moment so its real easy to show you the rust traps and what to look for (although it should be in paint by the end of next week)

 

Obvious - but sit in / drive one before you set your heart on it, the driving/steering wheel position is not for everyone and it'll feel slower than a VX220. Also, although you dont loose on dereciation (if buy sensibly) the servicing/maintainence costs are where the pennies vanish too.

 

I'd have thought you'd struggle to get a good QV for 20K & the last thing you want to do is buy a mediocre/fixer-upper Ferrari - that could get very expensive very quickly.

If you can stretch it up to £25-£27 then you might be in business. OTOH you'll get a blinding 308GT4 or maybe a reasonable 3.2 Mondial for 20K & the Mondial would be as safe a bet as there is (basically a 328 drivetrain). LHD cars are another option - they tend to be a lot less money.

Bear in mind it'll pretty much cost just as much to service/maintain a 308GT4 you can buy for £15K as it will to service a mint 328 that might cost you over double that.

I.

 

The 308 seems to be best for your budget..... BUT, the 308, even a QV is an older car, may be for your standard with the Vx220 and the Elise you're looking for. The best way is to go and have a test drive the 308, go for the QV. Have a feel of the car yourself. It should be consider as classic now, performance is nothing compare to the VX or the Elise. But, it doesn't seem you want a classic, you expect to have a fun car and expect the 308 to be fun and enjoyable as the Elise.... they are not. But, the 308 is great in their own way............. go for one or two or more test drive before making decision.

 

its amazing that you can be in the exclusive prancing horse club for so little money these days.

i got a modial 8 (82) and was blown away by the fact that i was in that club i dreamed of for so long. unless you can afford 355 360 upwards etc (which i cant either) then pure performance i think doesnt come into it. the older cars have character and a great sound (as do the newer ones) but like it says earlier in the thread dont expect too much in the way of mod cons and comort etc etc.

the position doenst suit every one, the steering is heavy, etc

make sure you check out all things electrical that should work.

ifyou keep an eye out on flea bay there are 348's going for 21-23K ish which is a bonus for us guys! the 348 is a leap away from 308 and into more modern territory.

keep us informed on your thoughts and findings any way

 

aaaahhhhh i work down the road from you in the was ferrari dealers by the littleton pub,ive got a nice 348 in the workshop for sale-mine

 

The 308 is great fun but it will not provide carefree motoring like a modern car such as your VX220. Maybe I am getting old but long trips in the 308 are more tiring than in a modern car. In 8+ years my 308 has never let me down but it is always there in the back of your mind. There is a feeling of fragility.

I have always read that the QV is the least troublesome of the 308's but my carburetted car has never missed a beat. The guys at Fullbridge Restorations every few years take a look at the carbs (they think it is their duty to so) but have never had to do anything that was billable or that made any difference as far as I was concerned. I think the problems start when people with insufficient knowledge lift the engine lid and decide that they know how to tune an engine.

 

Congrats on your venturing into a Ferrari!

Yes, IMO, a 308 is a fantastic First Ferrari. And, you do Not need to get a QV car, either. I don't know why everybody says that. I own a 1981 308GTSi. It is a 2V car. I have owned it for over 5 years and have never had one single problem with it at all. Not a one. It is an absolutely wonderful car. Though, I did find a very nice, lower mileage, well maintained car to start out with. I bought the car from one of our local Authorized Ferrari Dealers, and it had just been Serviced and inspected by them. And, I do have some Automotive experience, and keep the car very well maintained myself. (frequent Oil and Filter changes, Etc....) But when it is ready for the next big Service, will let Ferrari do it. (What price can you put on peace of mind?.... )

As far as the QV cars go. I have driven both the 2V and the 4V cars, and cannot feel much, if any difference. The QV has, I believe, 20 or so more Horsepower. Not really a noticable amount. And, IMO, with twice as many Valves,Related Parts, ETC..., Twice the chance for one of them to potentially go bad on you. And I have owned many other Performance cars in my life. American Muscle cars. (My very first car was a 1966 Pontiac GTO... ) 7 various Corvettes in different stages of modification. (one had a 383 Cu.In. "Stroker" Motor putting out 550 Horsepower through a 2400 stall speed automatic trans. with a 4:88 Rear end gear ratio. THAT was a fun car!... ) I am no stranger to performance levels of Automobiles. Don't let anyone suck you into that "gotta get a QV"... Bullocks!...

So, do yourself a favor and don't pass on a nice '80,'81 or '82 308 if you come across one. They are super nice cars, (provided you find a nice one to start out with-just like any other model Ferrari.) and a bit cheaper than a QV car. They handle great. And, they can be modified just like any other Ferrari, too, if desired.

Good luck with your search!

Here is a photo of my 1981 model that I took last week in front of the Legendary Gangster, "Al Capone's" Grave site. Which happens to be about 2 miles East of where I live.

And a few other ones. (One along a part of the legendary "Route 66")

Doesn't look like a bad car, does she? And she goes as fast as I want to go....
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I got a 308gt4 about 3 years ago and have never had any problems - servicing can be a bit pricy from a specialist, but the car shouldn't depreciate much.

I had to have a 4 seats as have 2 kids, suppose could have got a Mondial but I think the gt4 looks better and those carbs sound fantastic. The gt4 isn't as quick as a VX220, but not much is is it? Boy (dad) racers are no problem as they usually they let you pull away so they can hear the exhaust note!

I hapened to get a low milage car, 19K but there is no reason to be scared by higher mileage cars as long as they have been maintained properly - the higher mileage will also be reflected in the price.

Any 308 will be a good laugh to own and most will admire it rather than envy it. In fact thinking about it, to Joe Public, the admire/envy ratio will probably increase with age of Ferrari. The psycology of Ferrari ownership - that's got to be worth a thread of it's own!

 

I have good pal who lets me drive his Vx220R (limted edition version with 50BH upgrade) and although my Mondial is slower, not by much, its a far more pleasurable drive. The VX220 is a pain in the 4rse, you have to make constant steering adjustments and EVERY little bump throws you off-line.
Also, getting IN/OUT of the blessed thing is an experience to behold.

Back to Ferrari. What about the 328 rather than 308 very good value for money.

 

To a 355. My first was a 355. It really stretched me. Every time I go into that garage I just cant believe I have had it for nearly 2 years. They rule.

 

I used to have a VXR220 (until it had a small accident) + I have a 328 GTS.
Although the VXR was a lot quicker, better handling and modern, there is nothing quite like my 328! I just love it despite the pretty awful driving position but its go a good sized boot, the hard top stows in a matter of seconds and it looks fab and won't devalue too much.

I'd say go for it!

 

Its worth keeping an eye on this page :

http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/sales/sales.asp

 

You will easily be able to sell the VX220 over at www.vx220.org.uk Great little cars but very different to the 3*8 Ferrari