To GT4 or not GT4

I got a 308 GT4 last September, upgrading to the prancing horse from a '74 Alfa Spider and still remember my first drive in the red GT4, specifically the grin on my face which lasted for about a month.
She is a splendid driving car, with plenty of power, excellent manners, including lots of torque and a stupendous growl (I have a 75 with 4 Webers, and nothing sounds better).
I have driven a 308 GTB and a GTS and they also are excellent cars – I think for me the major difference is the longer legroom/headroom offered by the GT4, since I am 6’3”.
Have fun,
Gianni

 

Hi Mark,

I bought mine two yeras ago with 77000km, change the spark plugs and brake pads, check all levels and drive one go from Nice to North of Copenhagen. Only one fuse died on its way. The GT4 is the best way to start your dream. This is a fantastic car with a lot of personnality. I will never sale mine. I agreed 100% with Mark.
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Mark,

I actually did the opposite. I went from a '82 GTSi to a '83 Mondial. If you're dreaming of a 308/328, I'd follow your dream. The 308/328 serieis cars are wonderful and I miss mine. I especially miss the targa top, but having a sunroof comes very close for me.

The 308 GT4 is coming up in value. I suspect that if you buy a good example, you'd probably be very satisfied. You'd still have to maintain it, of course, and that costs money. But at least the GT4 values appear to be increasing. If you're tall or need room to carry things, the GT4 would work better for you. I'm 5'10" and when I had the top stored behind the seats, I didn't have any adjustment left for reclining or pushing the seat back.

Probably the best thing to do is to find a 308/328 and a GT4 and sit in them to see which you fit in the best. That may play a factor in your decision.

Bob

 

Legroom was the capper for me too, and I'm 6'1".

Also the ability to stow a decent amount of luggage for a trip.

Also the fact that I could get a 1975, which here in Calif. is exempt from potentially expensive smog checks.

It's also faster than the GTB/GTS, and because of the longer wheelbase, it handles better too.

I still like the look of the other cars though. For my generation theres nothing else that quite says Ferrari, the same way' except the 246... Dino.

Oh! Did I just say, "Dino" ???

LOL!!!

The GT4 Dino is a great car. That it is currently a great entry level car now too, is the stuff dreams are made of.

And sometimes even fulfilled too!!!

 

The 308 GTS-B/328 GTS-B are becoming the next classic Ferraris. Nearly everyone loves how they look; they are TV/movie icons; they don't have the expensive mechanical issues the 348/355 do; they're two-seaters; and they offer targa tops -- secure convertible motoring.

The GT4 is probably the better value right now, because it is less famous and not as widely admired. Long term, 4-seater Ferraris do poorly in terms of appreciation. You will probably not make money by buying an old Ferrari like a GT4, getting it into shape, servicing it and then selling it. You won't get rich on a 308, either, but you'll find a lot of interested buyers if you ever sell. Most people won't put up with Ferrari service/parts costs for a car that doesn't scream 'Ferrari'. 308 GTS/B, 328 GTS/B scream it louder than any other car Ferrari made.

If you like the GT4, go for it. But if what you really want is a 308/328, go that way and don't get sidetracked. I would never buy a great Ferrari that was a model I wasn't interested in, just for the sake of spending my money faster. Wait. I "settled" for a Porsche 993 a few years back, because a really nice one came along and I was getting frustrated looking for a great 308 at the time. Well, I sold the Porsche less than a year later - bored with it. If you factor in sales tax, transportation and servicing, I lost a few grand.

FWIW, I don't think you'll ever again see prices for nice 308/328s like we've had the past few years. Ask the guys who dreamed of a 246 and have been putting it off...

 

<sigh>
Had one on the line last spring for $94.5k.

 

Coulda had a 246 in 2000-2003 for under $50K. Look where they are now!

I agree, don't "settle" for a GT4 if you want a GTB/GTS. I love the GT4 and I would love to own one, but I would not sacrifice my GTB for one!

Birdman

 

Don't settle if you really want a GTS/GTB. I bought a GT4 back in April and its the best car decision I've ever made! I've put 2,000 mile on it already and I absolutely love it. I would find a GT4 and drive it first, preferablly back to back with a 308 gts/gtb. That way you'll know the differences straight up.
They are great cars, but don't sell yourself short if your heart is set on a GTS/GTB... OTOH, you may fall hard for the GT4 like a few of us on this list have.

JIM
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Its a crapshoot! Buy a nice car that passes a PPI, take care of it, drive it and when its time to move on you'll likely come out ok.

FWIW, YMMV

JIM

 

Me too. Have 5, but usually have one on the way out and another on the way in. Fun isn't it?

You'll never have a wide variety of GT4's to pick from. The total pool of cars in the US is really small, maybe 200, 300 at best.
Nice cars get snapped up quick. Average drivers stay around a bit longer. Beaters and parts cars also seem to get picked up fast.

If you go for the GT4 chat a bit with some of the members of the GT4 Mafia here. A lot of these are sold "behind closed doors". There are 3 new GT4 owners here that picked up really nice cars this year. But if I recall correctly only 1 of those cars was ever advertised.

 

I'm a GT4 owner, and I think it's a great car.

I agree 100%. The price difference between the two isn't really that much. A GT4 that is draining your wallet will prevent you from ever saving up more for a GTS/B. The GTS/B will drain your wallet equally in parts/service, but at least it's the car you've always wanted and not a car you were hoping to own just temporarily. Spending $5k to fix the car of your dreams is nothing. Spending $5k to fix a car you don't really want is a lot of money.

 

I believe time is running out on the 308 GTB/S being a dime a dozen. It was always worth as much or more than any "Dino" until a few years ago, yet when you consider the 206/246 prices today, you have to assume the 308 GTB/S is simularly going to take off at some point. No one could know if it will ever surpass the Dino, but I imagine it will, as its a much larger icon and the signature of what a Ferrari is, or represents. Its sad, because they will all eventually be owned by more wealthy people, but thats the way it goes. Who would ever have thought a 383 Roadrunner would be an $80K car? Imagine for one moment, that a 250 Lusso, the very car in my Avatar, sold on eBay less than two years ago for $38K, and I was too stupid to bid. I would caution anyone thinking of wanting a GTB/S, especially the earlier carb cars, not to wait to long. Had I thought for one moment that a Lusso would be a half million today, my decision would have been very different. If you could just afford a 308 now, I would grab one. Tomorrow may be to late. Then again, what does anyone really ever know. Well, I think we could all agree they wont get any cheaper?

 

I think we're seeing some of what you mention already. The supply of great 308/328 GTS/B for sale is already limited. Shelton has a beauty; Sport Auto has a black/black that needs interior work but has very low miles (17K I think). There are a couple of weird color 328s for sale (taupe and metallic rose). And the 308s are even slimmer pickings...

The lasting style of the car will far outweigh the fact that they were once common.

 

I've bought 'the wrong car' on a couple of occassions, where I get it home and realise it isn't really doing it for me...It's a bad feeling! However, those cars have gone on to grow on me and become some of my favourites.

I bought my first GT4 because I wanted a Ferrari, and they were the cheapest available. I'm now on my second GT4 and I love the relative anonymity of having one over a GTB or GTS, especially in blue!

Another thing I would say is that you can get a much better GT4 for your money than a GTS. Buying a money pit GTS might put you off Ferrari ownership for life.

However, I find myself having to agree with the other posters that you should hold out for your dream car. A GT4 can turn into just as much a money pit as a GTS, and it's a lot easier to justify the expense of repairs when it's your dream car.

 

I have to add here that we all need to be realistic of expectations. The early 308's are now over 30 years old. Those that have not been fully overhauled are going to start needing complete and total overhauls and full nut and bolt restorations. While a few have recieved that kind of work, the majority of the fleet havnt, and up til now no one has been willing to pay anyone the cost for a restored car. Most of these cars are running around on borrowed time, with original engines that have never been apart. Most of it up to this point has been maintenence and repair. The page is turning. No car will run forever, and the costs to overhaul the engine and gearbox of a 308 is now more than you can generally buy a driver for, the cost of a decent paint job almost as much, and the cost of an interior almost half of that. That puts the cost of a full nut and bolt restoration of one of these cars at close to $50K, if not more if you paid the labor, not counting the original aquisition cost of the car. When people get tired of giving them away and start asking for thier labor, and when people realise you cant buy a decent one for under $30K anymore, the horizon will shift.

 

Lots of great posts here as allways, I would like to add that if you buy a car that is appealing to you and runs good , go for it ! I was looking for a Ferrari, I wanted one forever, I am a big fan, a motor head and worse, .Italian,So i had to have one,I was looking at any Ferrari in my price range,20k to maybe 25k, there was a few 308 ( i will call them magnum cars ) and a couple of GT4s, Well the Gt4 i found was in georgia and no time or extra money to see it , I bought it from pics, everybody at my job made fun of me and said my money is in china or worse and i am really stupid, well, my GT4 Dino came on the trailer and this thing blew my mind, I changed the plugs to NGK irridium and have been driving the hell out of it and it loves it! A v8 with 4 carbs that revs easily to redline, with a body that i think looks like a countach, whats not to love and for me having a car that NO BODY has ever asked me if its a kit or real is just great.FERRARis are really cool!!! GOOD LUCK