Worries about 328 spares availability, or rather lack of...

Having searched for indicator glass etc (by the way, many thanks for many supportive replies), I like to raise a general question: What is your oppinion about the lack of spares for the 328 ? How do you guys manage ? Are there people out there manufactoring "copies" or various items (if yes, pls pm me)
I am actually getting quite worried how to keep a 25 year odl car alive... I am considering selling and getting a newer car, or perhaps even changing to another brand.
There seem to be no aftermarket (or at least very very limited) products. What is you end up with a cracked window, or need a new(er) gearbox, general items for engine, suspension etc etc.???

 

Well, I think as these cars age and fall in to disrepair they are parted out and you get your NLA parts that way. I have no concerns about fndng parts for my 85. If you're creative and persistent you'll find them.

 

Welcome to the exotic car world. It has always been that way. Be happy you have one now. For 3/4 of my career with them we did not have the internet to find parts.

 

Stay cool stay calm.........there are salvage yards across the USA and Europe that are keeping careful stock of the hurt and unfixable examples...

From those, our cars will LIVE!!!!

You picked a bad example, the 328 front lens. That was a bad design to be vertical in the gravel flow of the front spoiler like that....Repros are available now.
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Those front lens are one of the more difficult parts to find, but you know that. The used parts places that have them know this and charge $$$$ for them, but you should be able to source some repoduction one from this site. Thats why I have clear protective film on mine. Have saved the lens more than once from rock hits. Good luck in your hunt.

 

Pickety, Pickety, Pickety...

Anders, I hate to say it, but you need to possess serious commitment to own an older Ferrari. Since you sold your 328 and got the 550, you have probably made the correct decision. Enjoy the new car and leave the frustration to us in the projects.

I am thouroughly enjoying the challenge of owning a 328. Since I wanted to work on the vehicle, I chose one that needed work. I also am not "going for concours," so I can do what I want with it.

Case 1 in point (see pic 1), the fog light assemblies: mine didn't come with them. I assume they were broken (or removed before use) and sold to someone to offset the low price of the car (the car had a lot of use on it and needed a suspension rebuild; the car worked well enough for me to believe that some service was done, but the general condition implied some use on the track...don't need no foglights on the track, right?). I researched the assemblies, found them rediculously expensive, rare, and of minor quality (the foglight lens/body portion was sold as an assembly--glued together, if you will--that seemed to be "a consumable," meant to last only for a few years of good service, then to be replaced as a unit. The signal lenses were removable, IMO, so as to allow a single assembly to be used as a US and a Euro version; otherwise the bulbs come out and can be replaced for all lights as would be necessary in the interim). Thus I relegated myself to doing my own thing: I used signal lights from a 68 Mustang with self-made brackets (a temporary fix to keep me legal). I do not use fogs for now. However, later, I plan to redesign an assembly with similar looks that will accommodate flat lenses, suitable for easy replacement (no "Stone Guards"). This route is obviously not suited for a concours restoration. For concours, you will need new assemblies, each costing about 3-6K each, depending on location and the market.

Case 2 in point (see pic 2): my car had the cloth-covered parcel shelf area and it was in hideous condition, and, I didn't like it in the first place. I decided to re-cover it with black vinyl instead, like the dash. I also freshened my interior with Leatherique and marine carpeting (I ain't spendin' 5K to replace carpets and leather with original; I plan to drive this car).

Case 3 in point (see pic 3): I completely removed the heating and AC portions; although a nifty design of its day, it was by no means "cutting edge." I do plan to redesign with novel methods later. Since almost all the electronics in the console are used for the heating and AC, I removed the coltrols altogether and made a panel with cupholders (to hold the beer). The only electronic device remaining in the area is the hazard switch (accessed by pulling up the cupholder panel; shouldn't be used that often anyway...and, in an emergency, who cares about the beer). The cigarette lighter was also removed since its size was not compatable with today's accessory connectors (couldn't use it for charging a phone, etc.).

So, for me, you can see that I am enjoying the car as a project. Since I have the skills, and most parts are common and available (and cost less if the Prancing Horse is absent), it doesn't cost too much, and, I have lots of fun, and, I own a Ferrari. Woo Hoo!

For someone wanting a concours correct model, either inherit it, or spend $50K+ for it up front, depending on milage and service history, and treat it like an Investment Queen.

Just my $2 (inflation, you know).
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I've heard there's no difference in spares availability between older types like the 328 and the latest Ferraris.

 

None of it is available at the local Pep Boys. Most things can be had if you're persistent and occasionally lucky.

 

I like the cloth replacement with vinyl. Don't like the fog light substitute and the AC controls but that is just me. It is your car, nevertheless, do what you like.

 

The current situation is temporary. I plan to design an insert that will look similar to the original. This is a project to come in a couple of years...stand by and hold your breath.

BTW, I have kept most of the Heating/AC stuff so I can revert if I choose.

 

That is the best part of owning a vintage Ferrari. Research and location of parts ,manuals and tools is just the thing my ageing mind needs to bring it back to life. Actually it is the same for the Ferrari, keeping it alive is a symbiotic relationship. All old iron horses are like that." Enjoy The Ride"

 

The back parcel shelf matches the dash in all of my cars, OEM.....the later ones went to fabric.

Mark Lintott made the glass lenses to replace once you cut the unit apart.
"Glass sculptures" imported from his factory in China, real glass!!

 

No, I don't think that is correct...

About 6 years ago, I was having my 328 serviced at a dealer and I got to talking to the parts manager, who I had known for years. He indicated that parts for the 328 were starting to dry up. I'm not talking about trim items, I'm talking about basic things, like brake rotors and shocks. So, I bought up a lot of NOS parts from any dealer I could get on the phone and I had a lot of stuff on the car replaced. I figured I'd keep the car forever, so I didn't mind spending the money. Fast forward to last summer... I decided to sell the car. The new owner got a lot of low mileage consumables...

Used parts are fine, except for things like brake rotors, which have a limited service life. When they are worn out, they are useless. Sooner or later, some of you guys are going to have some problems...

JR

 

Is the issue that parts aren't available or that CHEAP parts aren't available? Brake discs, for example, are listed by Ricambi. Yeah, the price is a bit of a stunner compared to a Chevy brake disc but there they are.

I will readily agree that if someone buys one of these cars with the idea that they are going to find Chevy prices for them, then "parts aren't available." But generally it seems to me that with a few exceptions, it's not hard to find parts; it's just hard to pay for them. But surely nobody buys a Ferrari thinking that the Ferrari-specific parts are going to be cheap.

 

don`t you like our community ?

(don`t worry... getting parts is part of the game...)

 

So many of the parts are shared with other manufacturers. Ford, Mercedes, Jag, Alfa, etc. You just need to be creative and spend time looking on the web. Ferrari is a small company. More often than not they just slapped the prancing horse on other company's parts - especially during our cars period.

 

True, so the question becomes "What do you get?" Is it the same brake disc as originally supplied, or an aftermarket part that might be inferior in quality? If the original manufacturer is making these things and selling them to Ricambi, how is it that Ferrari doesn't sell them? Given that there are more bad/cheap and nasty parts available in the aftermarket than good ones (visit any auto parts store) how fun is it to buy a pair for a grand, or $1,500, and hope you get something that won't warp in the first few thousand miles? I don't know about you but I have had zero good experience with aftermarket rotors on other cars.

JR

 

I didn't make myself clear. I meant to say that the problem of spares availability is just as big with modern Ferraris as it is with older ones. I've heard stories of modern Ferraris that couldn't be fixed because the parts weren't available. In other words: buying a modern Ferrari isn't a guarantee that you will have no problems with parts availability.

 

I do not agree. Being in the repair business I deal with this issue daily. Parts availability problems for late model cars happens and is temporary. Sometimes it takes a little longer than we would like. Many parts for the 328 are NLA.

Try buying a top header rubber for any 308/328 GTS. Not exactly a rare car and those have not been available at any price for some time. Quite a few cars out there that need them too. Try and find door seals for TR. None in existance.

 

Let's just say that parts problems are to be expected with older cars. But I'd never thought that for a modern car the problem of not having the car road ready for several weeks or months is something to consider. My source said that customers a regularly disappointed and not expecting parts problems. So again, buying a modern Ferrari doesn't make it a trouble free experience parts wise. True, NLA is something totally different but waiting for parts can just be as frustrating.

 

I have been in this business most of my adult life and have not experienced the problems you speak of with the late model cars. Sounds like an excuse on the part of a repair shop.

The difference is so profound it is the primary reason I work almost exclusively on late model Ferraris. We just do not have that problem with them. I only allow 1 or 2 of the older cars in the shop at any one time because they do get bogged down for parts.

 

It's a fair question. Merc has the best spares network I've ever experienced -- they can take care of your 1950s 300SL and your 2010 S-Class. Porsche has more recently gotten serious about supplying spares for its classic (pre-'74) cars -- some NLA items are being remade. I don't think Ferrari have quite caught on.

I would consider a 328 as a borderline classic car at this point, not a daily driver. When I had mine, I had no expectation that any part I needed would be available locally. Sometimes the Ferrari tech would get things shipped from overseas. I wouldn't accept that expense or wait for my Jeep or Audi, but for the 328 it was OK.

But I agree with the earlier posts here -- using the Internet I found it easy enough to source anything I needed for my 328. Not cheap, but doable.

 

Another NLA part is the '89 328 engine foam air tube, and someone charges almost $2,000 to rebuild the tube! Even maintenance part kit for timing belt/seal/wp rebuilt service is expensive. But that is the price for owning an exotic.

I enjoy keeping my Ferrari in its pristine state but it's still expensive doing so. For daily driver, I have another sport car which is as fast, almost as fun but far cheaper to keep on the roads regularly.