The best year/model for a newbie ?

85 308QV or 328 GTS/GTB seem to fit the bill for what you're looking for. Yes, carbed 308s are mechanically reliable - as are all 308s, IMO - but they do require more tinkering than a FI car. Probably not a 100% fit in the mold you're looking for.

 

I would go for a carbed 308, and serve the car myself. Do you have any experience working with cars? That would save alot of cash as well. But do not imagine that you can drive a Ferrari everyday (if you are not a sheik, or own Microsoft). A Ferrari (especially a old one) is something you pull out of the garage on sundays to enjoy a nice drive, nothing you drive everyday as a Lexus. If you want a sports car to drive everyday I would go for a 911T instead. And one more thing, what will drive you nuts isn´t the mechanical issues, it´s the electrical ones. But im sure that if you find a documented car in great shape and take care of it well, you wont have any major issues.

Good luck!

 

328. The late 308 ('84-'85) Quattrovalvoles are also considered among the more dependable Ferrari's, but the big thing seems to be get a really well maintained car with service records to back it up (most importantly the 30K 'major's service, which can run $3K+ on 308/328's).

2-seater Ferrari's are more desired in the market than the 2+2 cars like Mondials. In some ways this makes the Mondial a better "deal", but a car that may not sell as fast.

Don't go into this looking at it as an investment. You'll be lucky to recoup part of your running costs. On the other hand, most people feel the 308/328 are done depreciating.

If you use the car as a daily driver, your maintenance costs will be excruciating for any of these cars, and the mileage you rack up over 10 years will drive down the value of the car quite a bit. 10,000 miles a year on a Ferrari is considered very high when it comes to resale. It depends on your financial situation... I guess if I had a few hundred $K to burn I might go with a 575 as a daily driver.

When it comes to traffic jams, airport parking, grocery runs, etc., I'm glad to have my Jeep. Some idiot actually scraped it last weekend when it was parked at the airport, and it wasn't the end of the world. I would've felt bad if it had been the 328 there instead.

 

I was not aware it cost $1000/mile to drive a Ferrari.

 

I must have missed that part.

 

348 are not necessarily mechanically problematic. They do have a higher maintenance cost than the 308 / 328 series. I think for the money the 308QV is a pretty good deal right now. Prices on the 328 series have been creeping up in the past few years, and are quite a bit more expensive than a comparable condition 308. Unless you have to have the 328 look (painted bumpers etc...) the 308 QV would be my recommendation. If the initial purchase price is not an issue I think the 328 is a great way to go.
BT

 

A 2006 430 will be the most reliable. No maintenance issues. Just take it to the dealer and they will take care of anything that breaks.

If you want a Ferrari that will increase in price over the next 10 years, pick any model that's more than 25 years old.

Cars that are reliable and don't require much costly maintenance and cars that will appreciate are a mutually exclusive group.

 

Probably true regarding Ferrari's.

Porsche 993's are reliable cars and IMO they're one of the few almost-modern cars that will appreciate. </hijack>

 

Daily driver: the 355 is the first model that could qualify. All others have issues, and unless you're ready to learn to hitchhike, you'd better not drive them on a daily basis. David is right, the best daily driver is the 430, but it's pricey. The 308 and 328 series aren't built well enough to be daily drivers.

I don't think that any of the V8 series cars are going to appreciate, they built too many of them. The Dino may, but time will tell.

Art

 

Of course I was exagerrating. And it is possible to drive a Ferrari as a daily driver, but as with all "performance" machines, they tend to break more often than your average toyota. Would you want to drive a 80´s italian sports vehicle (which have very expensive parts) everyday as a commuter? I know I wouldn´t, unless I didn´t care for the car.

 

I'd suggest an '88-1/2 328 (with the suspension mods, but without the ABS) or the equivalent Mondial 3.2.

These are probably the best "bang for the buck" when considering age, service cost and reliability. Older 328s (like mine!) will have a few more age-related problems, while the ABS cars usually carry a price premium which is probably unwarranted. (I understand that the early-technology ABS isn't all that hot.)

A late-model 308 QV (or equivalent Mondial) would probably also be a good choice, especially if you prefer the styling. I believe the '84s were the first to use galvanized steel, so avoid the '83s; otherwise they should all be about the same. They'll be less than a 328 but also a bit older.

Bottom line: whatever model you buy, try to find a car with good records and documentation. It will be worth paying a bit more to buy such a car.

 

I do precisely that. My 328 is a daily driver and has almost 90,000 miles on it. It's mechanically very reliable, although the electronics/ancillary systems are somewhat tempramental. It doesn't cost anywhere near $1/mile to run one.

 

Let's see.....

Low maintenance
Reliable for everyday
Going to appreciate over 10 years....

Sorry, I come up empty.

You can have 1, maybe 2 of the above, but not 3.

Dave

 

328 is probably the most reliable Ferrari ever, simple maintenance and drive them, I know of one that has over 200,000 miles and the motor has never been apart, a 355 would never reach that many miles before top end work is needed.

 

That's the kind of stuff I like to hear Tillman. I commute 2400 miles each way when I'm working. By air of course. I try hard not to work too often, so my car would only sorta be a daily driver. I figure if I buy a $35K 308QV/Mondial and drive $20K worth of value out of it I'm still ahead of the depreciation curve on my last pickup. And another thing; what's with all the worry about maintenance costs? Yes these cars are expensive to run, I accept that, so have a half dozen or so airplanes I've owned or owned part of. It's about the pride of ownership and the thrill of driving. This ain't about transportation! If you're young and you haven't accumulated a fair amount of dough then maybe you should be thinking about an Alfa series 3 or 4 spider. $10k-$15k and loads of fun. Asking for all three, cheap, cheap, cheap is maybe asking too much.

My .02, Just an opinion, your mileage may vary.....

 

355?!

 

dunno about this appreciation thing, but otherwise my top 3:

1. 328
2. 550
3. 308 QV

 

Gary at Bobileff Motor Cars in San Diego has my old '77 308 GST. He would probably make you a hell of a deal on it and it's a great car. After about $2K with some suspension work, you'll have a wonderful ride!

 

Is it the red Euro car with the BBS wheels? I may have seen it Friday when I was over there.