308/328 Values

[V8covin]

What's happening with 308 prices ?
I remember back in the late 90's you could pick 1 up from £25k upwards.I would have expected them to have risen massively since then but a mate came to me today saying he'd been offered one for £40k.It's a 1980 model I think with new belts.Looks ok in the pictures.That's all I know.
Is that really all they're fetching ?

[browngt3]

I'm looking at getting one of these. Prices are all over the place but it seems 60 to 70k is about right for a decent useable example.

I'm interested in ownership experiences. Which is better to go for, an early carb 308 or QV? Or maybe a 328? I prefer the look of the Berlinettas but they are much rarer. I also heard the QVs are much better made than earlier cars. Being Italian is rust a major issue? I might even source an Italian car to avoid this.

Also what recommendations regarding servicing and maintenance? I'm Cornwall based so not too many classic Ferrari mechanics here!

Thoughts please

[johnnyreggae]

Buy a carb & have Carrs look after it - no need to spend 60/70 - look at the ads here

Its the original rubbish steel that rusts wherever the car comes from - most will have had at least one body job by now with the worst steel replaced

Edited by johnnyreggae on Saturday 26th October 13:19

[Taffy66]

browngt3 said:

I'm looking at getting one of these. Prices are all over the place but it seems 60 to 70k is about right for a decent useable example.

I'm interested in ownership experiences. Which is better to go for, an early carb 308 or QV? Or maybe a 328? I prefer the look of the Berlinettas but they are much rarer. I also heard the QVs are much better made than earlier cars. Being Italian is rust a major issue? I might even source an Italian car to avoid this.

Also what recommendations regarding servicing and maintenance? I'm Cornwall based so not too many classic Ferrari mechanics here!

Thoughts please

I'm happy that you're coming over to the dark side..Nothing wrong with being married to a German woman and having an Italian mistress for the weekends.
In terms of your question personally i'd seek out a 328 GTb Qv as they were much better resolved than previous gens..Avoid the 308 GTBi with its breathless 16v engine and at the very least get a 308 Qv..
On another note i would say that the 308/328 is the one Ferrari which needs to be in Rosso Corsa..This is coming from someone who avoided buying a 458 in that colour in favour of GS..

[Petrus1983]

The family one went 8 years ago for £38k(ish) - 10% commission. Although the prices are where they are now there’s not really any regret not keeping it - these cars cost money year on year so it’s not worth thinking £38k vs £70k when it’s an easy £16k upkeep in that time.

[Taffy66]

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

This seems to be a particularly well cared for example with impeccable SH albeit top end price wise..I'd avoid cheap cars personally as you end up with a money sucking monster..

[ras62]

328 is a much better built car than the 308. Early 308 carb cars similar in power to the later QV. They're both very simple and strong mechanically and regular maintenance is simple. Belts every few years but again its not a huge cost.

[Desert Dragon]

Taffy66 said:

I'd avoid cheap cars personally as you end up with a money sucking monster..

Amazing how many people instead always go for the cheapest rust bucket with shiny new paint. I've always found it odd.

[browngt3]

Taffy66 said:

I'm happy that you're coming over to the dark side..Nothing wrong with being married to a German woman and having an Italian mistress for the weekends.
In terms of your question personally i'd seek out a 328 GTb Qv as they were much better resolved than previous gens..Avoid the 308 GTBi with its breathless 16v engine and at the very least get a 308 Qv..
On another note i would say that the 308/328 is the one Ferrari which needs to be in Rosso Corsa..This is coming from someone who avoided buying a 458 in that colour in favour of GS..

He he, thanks Taff! An Italian temptress for the weekends, great idea

Rosso Corsa is indeed the best colour for these. However, I saw one in Azzuro years ago and thought it suited the car well.

I drove a QV a few years ago and found it quite slow. Even compared to my 3.2 Carrera. However, speed isn't really what these cars are about. Does the 328 feel much faster given its only got another 200cc?

[browngt3]

Taffy66 said:

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

This seems to be a particularly well cared for example with impeccable SH albeit top end price wise..I'd avoid cheap cars personally as you end up with a money sucking monster..

Agree, looks a nice example. Guessing that was taken as p/ex given they're a Porsche specialist. Good that it's had a recommissioning service too as I spent more than 5k on my 85 Carrera when I got it as it had barely been used in 20 years

Nice GTB at Rardley Motors too.

[Taffy66]

browngt3 said:

Agree, looks a nice example. Guessing that was taken as p/ex given they're a Porsche specialist. Good that it's had a recommissioning service too as I spent more than 5k on my 85 Carrera when I got it as it had barely been used in 20 years

Nice GTB at Rardley Motors too.

328 has only 200cc but the extra 30PS ver the 308's 240PS which is noticeable according to the late great LJK Setright.

[cgt2]

Taffy66 said:

328 has only 200cc but the extra 30PS ver the 308's 240PS which is noticeable according to the late great LJK Setright.

I've had both and they are a bit different in character though the early car is much 'rougher' in character (I had a carb '78 308). The 328 definitely has more torque but by modern standards it's nowhere, the real fun in both cars is in the upper reaches of the rev range.

I miss LJKS. The likes of him and Russell Bulgin will never be seen again

[SFTWend]

Always fancied one of these. Started looking for my first Ferrari when a really nice 308 was £25k but in the end decided my introduction should be with the fastest Ferrari I could afford so bought a F355 Spyder.

Over the winter I'll mull over whether my second Ferrari, some 8 years after selling the first one, will be a 308, 550 or 430. If I was buying a 308 right now I'd want a carb GTB and this one looks spot on to me;

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

Personally I'm not wanting to buy now, simply to tuck away until next Spring, unless a great buy comes along as I think prices have a way to drop yet. I think it's a global declining price trend, not just a Brexit blip.

[jaisharma]

The 328 is definitely better built. The steel was also somewhat more rust resistant than the earlier cars. The 328 is also quite a bit more refined and quicker but doesn't have the carb intake noise.
As has been said, modern cars are faster but these are still fast enough. I still find it hard to think of a prettier car, and that has been my view since I was a kid and they first came out!
Re the black roof, my biased opinion is that a black car is ideal to blend the black roof. But I have seen people put red coatings over them.

[classicaholic]

308 QV didn't make low estimate of 40k today, Prices are really softening unfortunately

https://online.handh.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/cat...

[johnnyreggae]

I think that car was also unsold on a higher estimate last month

They managed to shift a RHD 87 Mondial Cab 3.2 for about £ 28

[browngt3]

classicaholic said:

308 QV didn't make low estimate of 40k today, Prices are really softening unfortunately

https://online.handh.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/cat...

That car is still advertised on the dealers own website for a whopping £80k!

Its also a US import which nobody wants.

Too many cars at grossly inflated asking prices so its not surprising they don't shift.

[browngt3]

Does anyone have an idea of the cost of converting a US car to Euro spec? Can't be that much as just bumpers, cats and exhaust I guess

[johnnyreggae]

By the time you've done all that you might as well buy a RHD car - as noted last month from the ads there seem to be options below £ 50 especially if you bid hard

[996Type]

There’s a £44K LHD to RHD conversion on eBay at the moment done by Maranello. As a car to keep would this be a good proposition? It’s the older narrow spoiler GTB and a my perfect spec. Should the open gear change gate be closer to the driver or the passenger (regarding the conversion).