What would you recommend....a Honda or a 308 sold and serviced by you???
I am glad you asked that question, I don't typically tell a client what they should buy, but I do advise as to what would be their best choice for their spending budget. That being said <<<NOMEX ON>>> Ferraris are not daily drivers, for obvious reasons, (maintenance, depreciations from mileage, drivability there are many reasons not to use a Ferrari as a daily driver), many people may think they are, and if you do you need to have deep pockets or can fix them yourself. Back to the discussion at hand. Since you did own a 308 and it was serviced by me, and since it was also sold by me, I think I can safely evaluate your ownership of it. When we met and discussed you buying a Ferrari we sat down and went over what you wanted, how much you wanted to spend, and a pretty specific criteria that I needed to stay within,(this is the personal attention I offer to customers, you won't find that in most dealerships) you wanted a car you could use as a daily driver. So I sought out a car, got you the exact color combo you wanted, included a major service, included shipping not just to you but to me also to do the service, and I also included your sales tax, all coming in at your budget. The car came out of an estate sale it had sat for a few years and after the service there were still some issues that needed to be sorted out. It was a 20 year old car with 31800 miles on it that was driven on average 1590 miles a year. From the time you took delivery of it to the time you sold it you put 7680 miles on it all in 18 months on average you drove it 5120 miles a year multiplying the usage by 3.25 times. That is great I love to see guys drive their cars. However, with the increased usage comes the increased probability of mechanical failures. Since the issues you had with the car are common with 308's things such as over heating, cold start valves, minor electrical gremlins, oil leaks... From the time you purchased the car you spent in service with me and one other shop, I have those records, approximately $3000.00 you cannot include the stereo you installed or the tires you put on (normal wear item) or the minor body repair you incurred. Only real maintenance. So when you sold the car I paid you 4.5% more than you purchased the car for. My evaluation your cost of ownership was $0.21 per mile. That is incredible to be able to drive a Ferrari for 21 cents a mile. I know you had maintenance issues with the car, they are old and things break, sometimes also doing a major service does not always iron out all the quirks of a 20 year old car but hey, you were lucky enough to have someone just around the corner that would come to your house to work on your car for free. So when it comes to the question a Honda or a 308 sold and serviced by me. If you would had bought an NSX you would probably never had any maintenance issues , it would have probably started every time you got in it, and would probably have been headache free. That is why I said you should have bought a Honda, because you did have a lot of reoccurring maintenance issues. I really was just being facetious. It is not a Ferrari though and the reason we buy such cars is for the heritage, the looks, and most of all they are symbols of our success. Would you have been happy with the NSX probably but you would not have had that Ferrari experience. Cause at the end of the day that NSX is still just a Honda. While I would never steer anyone away from owning their dream cars you need to take into account that they are in fact old cars with old technology that are poorly engineered, unreliable, maintenance intensive, and very expensive to maintain. But, God are they gorgeous, and just a blast to drive. Unfortunately the 308 I have is laid up with a bad digiplex that is a $1500 repair. ouch! and it is still sitting and will remain sitting for a while. Wade
Wade, speaking of NSX cars, what kind of prices are you seeing in today's market for them, and are there any red flags to look out for in the NSX? Just curious.
The prices I am seeing for early cars are upper $20k's to low $30's I really do not know the cars that well. But I have a friend that has one as a daily driver, his other car is a Testarossa, his NSX has 110000 miles on it. It is a 93 and has spent a little over $2000 in maintanence. Wade
those cars seem to have been in the $35k area for years...a nice car for 35k is probably still a bargain and would seem the obvious choice for anyone that wants the looks and performance of a mid engine car w/o the maint. costs of the ferrari. funny thing about ferrari ownership is that you can go for years owning ferraris, buying, selling, enjoying...cheating high repair costs!! you almost get lulled into feeling safe and "these cars are not that expensive to own" then you get hit!!! 10k, 20k...or more!!! trust me, it's not if but when.\] pcb
Thats funny Brian, did you guys know there is another Boxer coming to the area. Will be in this area very soon. A buddy of mine in New Orleans had a 91 TR that in his year and a half of ownership put over $30k in repair bill into that car. He thought he was doing good by getting rid of it and buying a brand new 360, 6 months later the 360 broke a timing belt. Under warranty but still , I have a piston and vavle from that car I keep on my desk to show people what a broken belt can do. Wade
That's right, Davidson/Cornelius, soon, patience we'll have matching bookends. He is not very active in the club, but that will soon change. I am planning a membership drive that will entice every owner in the area to get there cars out. Wade
You may need to get some fuzzy dice to hang on your mirror, hahaha . I must say though, you have one of the cleanest boxers I have ever seen. Wade
