Why isn't this white/black 308 gt4 selling on ebay?

I am not going to buy this car, I am looking at others (v12) , but I am honestly curious why no one has bought this yet. It sems as nice as any, and far better than most. It has been relisted at least 3 times.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4554240099&category=6212

 

Not a popular color combo, plus 20K is at the very top of the market for a GT4. Tack on $3-5K or more for windshield repairs == buy another car instead. They should really be playing up the "No California Emissions" aspect of it being a 75.

 

bizarre rust forming on right headlight, never saw that before on any GT4. Rust forming on inside rear trunk lid, never saw that before either. Especially since that part usually has grease on them. Stained rear trunk lid carpet usually signifies rust problems underneath. Center console antenna switch is in the back position, don't understand why, that can only mean that switch is broken. Original paint---will need a complete bare metal paint job, once that occurs, rust problems will be impossible to hide. Off color interior color with off color exterior paint will knock $$$ off also. 17K tops assuming the rust is not that bad.

 

Too much of a risk to buy via Ebay, if it was close to me I would have had a physical look at it as the price seems OK.

 

great post. i agree. i really like that front spoiler the car has. anybody know if they are available?

 

Why does everyone here insist that repaints can only be "bare metal respray"...WTF would you put that kind of money into a car with little value? Fix the rust, sand the old paint down, SEAL IT (it's this amazing stuff that lots of paint shops use) and repaint it the color of your choice for 1/3rd of a bare metal. Just because Mike Sheehan says it should be does not make it so. He deals in 80K-1M dollar autos. Of course you do a bare metal with something like that. But not a 308 and surely not a GT4.

 

I'm guessing proximity to the "boiling" battery they mention might have something to do with it. There is probably a bunch more rust below the battery.

Santa Monica is right on the ocean, maybe exposed or scuffed metal exposed to salt air?

I actually like the color combo on the outside but would have to replace the carpets to black. If it was a good car mechanically I wouldn't have a problem buying it for 17k.

 

Great post !

 

totally agree. you have to consider the fact that most ferrari guys pay to have everything done on thier cars and have never had a sander in thier hand nor have they ever painted a panel. not to say folks here are like that, but those who pay to play and dont work on thier cars are relying on what they hear and read. most are protecting thier investment by spending $$$$ on the cars by having an "expert" work on it. thats cool if you rich and time is a critical asset for you. me i would rather take the car apart and figure out how it works. its just a car and a GT4 is cheap fun to chop on or fix.

i learn more for fixing a few beaters and then get a real nice example to own/keep, than i would if i paid someone to do it all.

 

In all fairness, for a lot of the guys it makes a lot more economic sense for them to keep doing what they do and pay the $100/hr or whatever to the mechanic/body guy. This is especially true of the consultant/lawyer/CEO/etc who's hourly rate far exceeds that cost.

 

To bare metal or leave the paint alone and save your money for another car.
Outdated primer/sealer used during those prehistoric times are incompatible with todays outstanding primers/acrylic enamel paints. Especially if cracking/crazing are occuring and I can just about guarantee that ANY original GT4 is suffering from that, garage queen or not, lacquer paint stinks. The cracking goes down to the primer level, so a bare metal strip is mandatory. Like it or not. The justification/explanation for the existance of rust is a nonissue, I have owned mine since 1982 and live no more than 5 miles from the beach during the entire time I have owned this. PO also lived in Huntington Harbor for the 5 years he owned it, bought it new from Newport Imports may of 1977. Again, I have never ever seen such strange rusting patterns on a GT4, something was wrong in the way the PO maintained this car. It shows poor maintenance. Any monkey can wash and wax the car, my heavens, get out and wax the thing at least once every 10 years for petes sake.
If you are tight on money, you can save at least $3K by chemical stripping all of the paint, primer and sealer off yourself in 2-3 8hr days including doing all of the gutters inside the 3 lids(engine, front lid, rear lid). A very very good bare metal respray with rosso corsa will cost you around $8500, I know, because I just had mine done last year. Any other color other than rosso corsa, you save at least $600 on the total cost.

 

very true, and to those folks i understand. but the rest of us a car for under $30k is very do able and the old ones are easier to work on than all this computer crap thats been out since 1981 or so.

my point is, unless you have had the tools in your hand and done different types of work, you have a different perspective of time versus money.

 

Easy Don! I was just speculating. I personally haven't had experience with a car from the coast but have seen what salt air (and water) can do to metal, especially aluminum.

I HAVE had experience with boiling and leaky batteries. From what the sales pitch says that is one indication of what kind of knowledge and care the PO had for this car.

 

I have zero experience with that Ferrari model but off the cuff I'd say that the cheaper and older an F-car priced under $25K gets....the more important it is to have the correct color on it.....red/tan.

I wouldn't have even looked at it just for that reason if I was in the 308GT4 market.

 

Funny how reasonable minds can differ - I really don't think gt4s look good in red at all - mettalics seem to complement the lines better, and period colors seem more approrpriate some how - remember very few of these cars left the factory red. Here is my gt4 in (period correct) Blu Chiaro, (a differnt color than the color of the same name used in the 80s) with red leather. I would not trade it for a red one, even in the same condidtion.......
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The color it came out of the factory with IS the correct color.

Preference is subjective. I like 'em with Boxer trim, others don't.

Personally I would look for one in any color other than red. Every where I turn I see red. Count the number of red (or off red) cars in a parking lot sometime and do the math. You'll see a pretty high percentage over all. I guess thats why my 308 is yellow. It came out of the factory that way and it too is correct. It just happens to be my preference.

 

I wouldn't if I were you either. That is gorgeous!
(I also like the period colors)

 

Spasso, no offense intended, just got a little bit huffy. I had my GT4 spot painted when it was white(hated the color) particularly around the driver side windshield area where it kept cracking and the driver side air scoop. The paint would always crack within a few months of repainting, used to drive me nuts. Front nose by the emblem was filled with crazing also. Since my repaint from last year, not one single crack. Color changes cost alot more and I had mine done properly, every single piece was taken out except for the windshield as it is unnecessary to have removed for a color change---removal of all windshielf sealer around the edges is more than enough to correctly change color.


Before....

during....

after....
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None taken.

Kudos to the extensive work to do the color change. I did the same to my 240Z, dark red to yellow. What a huge amount work.
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Thanks Spasso! I can get a bit of testosterone in my blood at times, keeps me healthy! Glad mine turned out the way it did, each primer coat was blocked, the body lines of the car are more crisp and the body has zero waves in it. Looks far better than it did when it was in 1982, it isn't even close. Original paint even had some fisheyes in it, I am not impressed with Ferrari paint from the 70's.

Glad you did on the Z, it looks marvelous! You can appreciate the work that goes into these color changes. Lots of hours, lots of beer.

 

aleventhal.....

As a dealer I was just speaking generally from a resale perspective.....your car certainly looks good in blue though.

 

no worries.....my 365BB is currently on its way from red back to its original blue (Blu Dino) as well.......

 

I checked out 1975gt4don's car in person this weekend--lemme tell you, that body and paint work was done to better-than-new standards. Don really did it right. It looks great. With all the places I know rust is hiding on my car, I'm definitely planning a bare metal repaint. Why? Some might say the gt4 just isn't worth it--that's a matter of taste. The Bertone lines say "exotic 70's sport car" like nothing else.

Base on the ebay info, 18-19K seems very fair.

 

Beautiful car - I didn't know they used Blu Chiaro in the 70's that is different than the 80's. I really like it - A bit lighter than the 80's Chiaro.

 

Thank you very much Eric, I know I did it right, otherwise, save the money until one can do so in the future with no regrets, rather than having the regrets lingering forever wishing one could have done it differently. I could care less if others think the GT4 is less think. Bertone rocks and his earlier timeless designs of the Miura and Countach are a testament. I have no regrets. I can't wait to see yours after it gets repainted. Time for us to hook up and do your suspension work when you have the time alotted. I would be very happy to help you out.