Whats the best 308?

have you searched the archives?

 

best 308 is the one that you can keep running smoothley without dumping much money in... also the overall appearance should be flawless.... also when driving around in it.... you should be attracting big titted women by the droves while wearing a pastel colored suit...




that my friend.... is THE best 308!

 

The one your a** is currently sitting in!

 

Depends on what you mean by "best". I could never consider a Ferrari with fuel injection to be "better" than one with Webers, but if your concerns were emissions, fuel economy, etc, you might.

I'd consider the best 308 a '76 Euro spec 'glass car with Euro spec steel cars through '79 being next in line. For US spec cars, a 'glass '76 is best followed by a steel '77 and followed more distantly by a '78 or '79.

If you don't consdier styling, the 308 GT/4's are arguably "better" than the 308 GTB/GTS. A GTB is a better driver than a GTS, but valued lower because folks value open cars.

The "worst" 308's are the 2 valve injected cars. But if performance isn't important to you, these are a "best buy" Ferrari.

The 308QV cars bring the performance levels back up to early 308 levels (and well above US spec carbed 308 levles) and the 328 improves on the 308QV in just about every way (except possibly styling).

Compared to an early 308, the 328 is a better car in almost every way, yet offers a relatively "sterile" driving experience. (But then owners of later Ferraris talk about the "raw" nature of the 328, so you can tell how the overall Ferrari driving experience "evolved".

Many states exempt cars 25 years old from emissions, so take that into consideration.

I chose a '78 GTB because I considered it a good buy, reasonable performance, and emissions exempt. A GT/4 is an even better buy, but the Pininfarina styling was important to me... and I wasn't willing to pay the premium for a '76 or '77... and very little about the injected car appealed to me.

So "best" can only be determined by your personal preferences...

Bill

 

A search will give you a lot of info on this topic, but I think most would consider the QV's the best from a reliability stand point. With that said it comes down to finding a car that has been properly maintained. A 1979 308 that has a good maintenance history should have less problems than a 1985 308 that has been neglicted.

Matt

 

I would give the nod to (bias here) euro 308s, have power close to, if not equal to 328s.

 

I think the best 308 is the one that makes pasta while you drive.

 

Of course Andreas, what the hell was I thinking? Indeed, THE best 308 EVER was the Pasta Mobile-
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Try to ride in/drive as many as you can... Definitely compare a carbed car to a FI car, and then compare a 2V FI car to a 4V car. THEN!...if you have the option of checking out a Euro car, by all MEANS do so. Don't overlook a 308 GT4 just because of the styling... They're not for everybody, yes, but I would say that they are widely regarded as the best "driving" of the 308-series cars... If you find that you like the driving style of the GT4, but not the styling, perhaps consider expanding your search to a Mondial QV.

When I say "check out" - I don't necessarily mean "test drive at a dealership." Check out the regional section here on FChat, join your local club, and try to meet as many 308 owners as you can.

The only way to make an informed decision is to have as much knowledge backing it up as possible, and that comes from experience with the different cars.

All the best,

Aaron

 

According to a thread on Ferrarichat, an 1985 Euro 308 can do 0-60 in 5.7, while the 328 does it in 6.0.

 

The 328 might be a tad slower, but it is refined in many other ways that I would still choose it over a 308 (and I own a 308).

 

INTERESTING!

 

I like the QV version. Good power and no carbs to fool with. The carb'ed cars sound great when running well, but for lower hassles, go with the injected cars. Plus the QV also have rust protection. If you are handy with the wrench go for a glass carb model 308.

BT

 

...and add a tubi for sound.

 

The best 308 is...the one you just got rid of. Hehe. Just kidding. Kind of.

My 308 experience wasn't all that much fun. The car needed a ton of tinkering. There was always something that needed fixing.

Then I bought (but later sold) a 348. The difference between these two cars, in terms of modernization, was like the difference between a bike and a motorbike.

The 308's styling is great. But every 308 out there is a "project car", whether the owner/seller will admit it or not.

 

Best 308?

European-spec 1979 308 GT4 w/sunroof and black interior. <grin>

 

I have owned all models of the 308s. My favorite are QVs but that doesn't make them more reliable. The reason my favorite is the 85 QV is, I like the interior, fuel injection, extra grill in front, 16 inch wheels, etc. My carb 308 is very reliable but IMO you must be able to work on the car. I have my 78 to the point where I can just get in it and go.
2V inj. cars are fine and the power difference isn't that noticeable. My main issues with the 2V inj. is that some had major oil consumption issues and their ignition rotors are very high $$$. Plus make sure it has the updated digiplexes.

I would recommend the QV. Get the best one you can find and I think you will be happy but still save a little $$$ aside for items that might come up.

 

my advice is get the best one you can afford. performance by today's standards is cheesy no matter which model you choose. i'd rather have a perfect 2v injected car than a troublesome 77 carb car. i have a perfect 308 and lemme tell you, it hasn't seen a repair bill since i've owned it (16 months) and i ain't complainin'. i think a 308 of any vintage can be a solid, reliable car, you just have to find that car. plus for me, the biggest allure of the 308 is the styling, not the performance.

john

 

I would be more partial to a European spec 1974 - Red and cream interior

 

I couldn't handle the cream interior, but otherwise! Good looking Euro GT4.


I've heard that the European GT4 bumpers cannot or are very hard to retrofit onto a US spec GT4.

Is this true?

 

i posted about this a little while ago...

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80825

john

 

Most people seem to think its a fiberglass Gtb or a later model QV. Most people would also rather have a Euro model. I have been in both cars and they were both great. A QV is more refined and handles better while a glass GTB is more "raw" with its four webers. I personally love all the GTBs over a comparable GTS.....its been said before that the lines are beautiful.

 

I would not know about retrofitting bumbers - my car is a Euro model