Which Would You Buy - ebay

Hi Gregory - from my personal experience I would buy from ebay through a reputable dealer or private individual, I bought my 328 through ebay, and the seller even offered a money back guarantee if i did like the car once it arrived in my driveway, so suffice to say its been a happy four years. The car had 15900 miles when I bought it and it now has 26900 miles. AS many have said here have a PPI done on the car and if you can go see the car for yourself as well.

 

they both look good and have papers thats good the first one I have to ask why is the badge white and not yellow? does he have the oem rims? the 2nd one is not a qv so there for not as much power but for your first ferrari it will not kill you to own,they both seem to have maintance done thats good,its a toss up!but I own a qv and thats what I would go for

 

Do some more homework : there are many threads here about 308's with over 100 000 miles without significant issue and also that many mileages are not what they seem

 

84 have 16 inch wheels (i think) instead of TRX metric, rustproofing, & more power. If u can get it for around 35k & if its as good as it looks I'd call it a bargain. I couldn't spend that kind of money without inspecting the car myself.

 

They both look like good cars, subject to PPI, of course...

All other things being equal, I would go for the QV. Just a more developed, more 'solid' engine.

 

The QV has better power; I know this car...somewhat. I believe some guy had it advertised on Craigslist in the L.A. area awhile back for around 26-28K, so the dealer is marking it up big time. In this market, you should be able to get a better price than 35K. If both cars check out, the QV is a better driving experience, me's think. Good luck!

Scott

 

An '84 QV is a way better car than an '82. Both of these examples probably have a hundred things wrong in need of repair. Personally, I don't like the wheels on the QV. The plenum is painted incorrectly in the wrong shade. Looks like a Fram oil filter on there. Those are danger signals to me that this car has been worked on by somebody who didn't know what he was doing. The '82 looks equally clean, but has the TR wheels, so you are stuck paying top dollar for inferior tires unless you invest in a new set of wheels. Looks like somebody's baby with all of the extra pics. I could easily be wrong, but there are danger signals coming from both cars. I would invest in a PPI. You will at least know what repairs will be needed either immediately or down the road and then be able to budget accordingly. Neither would be priced that low if they didn't need things, IMO.

 

Dont settle for anything BUT a euro QV,there were some nice ones on ebay recently and they are $38-42.The european buyers want euro models only and they are tough to get but hang in there. And,you got to consider TRs cause they are cheap and even with a piece of 2x4 under the gas pedal TRs are stronger.

 

+1 with original rims preferably

 

I would pick the 2V car. Its cheaper to own, cheaper to maintain, and looks in better overall condition.

 

I think your better off in the long term with a carbureted 308. They are more desirable then the 308 fuel injected and the values are climbing.

 

270 259 391 492 BIN $40 rosso corsa/black 16s MAGS cant go wrong on this one notice owned for 15yrs! FORZA no cats, no barbell bumpers, liteweight street fighter

 

Do more homework - it feels like you might be opening yourself up unnecessarily

pre 1980 GTS/GTB = carb

1981-1983 308GTSi/GTBi = 2 valve injected

1984-1986 308GTs/GTB-QV = four valve injected

All dates approx

One more point which could affect comments is how you feel about doing your own maintenance ?

 

1. Don't buy an old Ferrari over eBay. If a reputable seller posts there, wait till the auction is over and then get the car inspected and make arrangements to see it. eBay is great for Beanie Babies and baseball cards -- neither of which can suck $10,000+ from your wallet for repairs and servicing. Too many people get in over their heads with these cars, and the only easy way to dump a needy Ferrari is over eBay where buyers are often inexperienced.

2. Buy an '86-'88 328 if you can swing it and value reliability over dramatic engine sounds, or a '76-'77 (early carb'ed) 308 if you want more drama and can tolerate a bit more wrench-turning. Yes, there are other cars in between that are nice, but if it was my money right now that's where I see the value in the current market.

Just make sure you buy a great car, or you will spend thousands of dollars fixing up the "bargain" you thought you got on eBay. It's easy to spend $5000+ on a major service, so look at the purchase price as part of the equation -- an old Ferrari can be a money pit of the first order, and frankly even a relatively trouble free one co$t$ to keep on the road.

Make friends with your local independent Ferrari tech or dealer service manager and get their input. Sometimes they know where the better cars are. Also check with places like Sport Auto in NC, Marshall Goldman in Cleveland, Motorcars Int'l in Springfield MO and also Ferrari of Denver (seems to handle '80s Ferraris more than most dealers). You may pay a bit more, but these places seem to avoid buying/selling bad cars.