Which shop would do a top job at getting a 308 in great shape?

Braden's shop in NY area. I think they are more geared toward slightly newer models but would likely take on a 308 refresh. On the other hand, many owners do a superior job on their 308 maintenance than the majority of shops. I would not just discount those out of hand.

 

Correct. They are sponsor. Daniel is a great guy.

 

I use John Tirrell of Independent Ferrari Service (IFS) for my 308 and 412. They are located in South Easton Massachusetts 508.238-4224

 

I'll mention the folks I've had personal dealings with. No hearsay.
Bradan has done a bit of work on my '83 308GTB : Body, interior, mechanical.
Check to see if he's taking new customers.
Also, Classic Coach in Elizabeth is top-notch I believe still handling all arriving port cars that need attention.
For mechanical, Vinny at AutoElite in Tenafly.

Of course if you want to ship your car for some love, there are a number of folks/sponsors on this board who are very good with proven track records.

You might want to post this in the tri-state section.

 

Another plug for Classic Coach. Outstanding shop

 

Tirrell rebuilt my GT4 many years ago. Look up "modified 1979 308GT4" in BaT. Haven't connected with John yet but hope to soon. Purists gag at his rebuild (it's NOT factory stock) but I'm fine with that and it draws a crowd wherever I go.

 

You are not too far from Paul Newman outside of Toronto. You can be assured that the car will be well taken care of with an honest assessment of the work that needs to be performed. He has restored and provides service on many Ferrari models including the 308.

 

Yep, Paul Newman is probably the person I would trust to touch my car within 400 miles. Classic coach, yes but they are beyond expensive. Vinnie at Auto elite is a good person. I do all my own work on my 308. If I kept my Boxer Newman would have done the next major as I lost access to a shop where I did it in 2016.

No one specializes in 308s. Find a good competent Indy and if they are good be very happy. I have read here for 21 years folks getting absolutely screwed by crappy mechanics. 308s are not hard to work on which was one of the main reasons I enjoyed fchat in the beginning. Lots of sharing of information and procedures to service your car. Luckily they are still in the archives.

 

http://www.hillcountryferrari.com/

Big time

 

I have never used them but Berlinetta motorcars on Long Island is an option

 

I think you're doing the right thing asking around. I lived in Westchester for decades and recently moved. For mechanical work, Domenick's in White Plains does great work at fair prices. One thing I would keep in mind is that Ferrari dealers aren't usually the best places to take our 308s...unless they have a gray haired mechanic who really understands these cars. I sent mine to Wide World Ferrari in Rockland County and had a disappointing experience. The work took forever and was done poorly. At $ 300 / hour!

 

https://www.poconosportscar.com/capabilities

 

My 208 GT4 is currently at Pocono doing a host of work.

 

After much research and an unfortunate (read absurdly expensive) visit to Nashville's new Ferrari dealer, I found Euro Sport Auto Center in Hermitage, TN. One of the 3 owners's father was a master mechanic at Ferrari in Modena and passed all his knowledge to his son Lee. I will soon be taking my 328 GT4/LM (massively rebuilt by John Tirrell, IFS, near Boston to LM specs) for some incidental work. Thru their referral as well as one other enthusiast well known in sports car circles in Nashville, I've also found Mark Stacey, a specialist in classic car restorations who is also known nationally for his expertise (42 years). Now if I could find an Abarth 750GT Zagato expert, life would be good. BTW, my GT4 was owned by a gentleman from AZ who frequented FerrariChat while he searched for his 1st Ferrari. Some of you probably corresponded with him year ago.

 

I think you're going to do this but I'm not sure.

BEFORE you buy the car have it inspected by one of the shops that you find that are recommended.

Otherwise you might be in for a hell of a lot more "deferred maintenance" than you ever bargained for.... I wonder how I know that? Oh wait!

 

John, what are you looking to learn about the 750GT Zagato's?

 

I did a high-end refurbish on my 308GBTi recently. Have you set cost range and distance from your home? If the 308 is the car that still sets your heart racing, and you want to keep it long term then consider Treasured Motorcars located in New Freedom, PA. They refurbished my car. I had to make a choice of staying as pure to the car as possible rather than resto-mod. It took 2.5 yrs due to waiting in line to have a total long-block rebuild (engine went to a machine shop in Napa, CA) so it was a good time to do all other work. Here are photos of my 308 right after completion this past year. To justify my major expense I took the MSRP of a 1980 at $50,000 and ran the figures through an inflation calculator. The result set the limit of I would pay today hypothetically speaking. Accepting that figure as my go-no-go figure, Decided to go ahead. I have tons of data that we can discuss. Look at my photos of the finished 'new' 1980 GTBi I now have for another 50 years.
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It's so nice to see the admiration for these beautiful cars!

I want to give a shout-out to Paul Newman. His deep knowledge and attention to detail are evident. When discussing Ferraris with him, he comfortably covers everything from engine specs to horn motor restoration and everything in-between, always respecting the original engineering.

 

Right after purchase 4 years ago, I took mine to Algar Ferrari (now Ferrari of Philadelphia). The car had only 20K miles but had been sitting for 15 years. So Mike Vermillion, who has been there 30 years and is the shop foreman, spent about 6 weeks with it and the car literally is brand new. I drive it hard and it has never let me down. Everything works - everything. He treated my 308 the same way he treats the F40s he works on…I love the car and I’ve taken it to him every year for annual maintenance. The guy is amazing.


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This is what we need to see more often. The more people who love analog, gated shifters, no power steering etc. need to keep their 308s in as good shape as possible, drive them frequently and they will thrive...Let them sit and...? Your car is a beaut. Better not let Tom Selleck see it or he might consider making it his 'Commissioner's car'!

 

Thank you! It is such an amazing car. I also have an ‘81 Porsche 930 which I love but the 308 is such an easy, smooth drive versus the other one.

Again, I highly recommend Mike for anyone looking for the best work. I know he goes to Italy and trains at the factory, but like I said, he’s been doing this for 30 years and is like a surgeon. He even put in these amazing window mechanics that raise/lower the windows in like 3 seconds versus the originals without me asking.


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