308/328 Values

[Fiammetta]

Here you are ......

Rare
Fully gone through up to date , but crucially there’s no corrosion.


https://www.linkmotors.it/dettaglio.asp?id_auto=89...

[priley]

996Type said:

Thanks for that video, some interesting information. But one point regarding the video that the car runs and is roadworthy (so falls into rolling restoration territory?) If you can use it and enjoy it while you prepare for the works, I think that’s a different story. I’m also prepared to live with a car that’s imperfect body wise (but that’s not disintegrating) provided it’s safe and getting no worse. Is there a balance to this or am i kidding myself, as with the figures you state you could be into a concours resin car with your budget (lucky fella!) you can literally buy 2X cars for that kind of budget (or are resto costs beyond myself as a mere mortal)!

Yes, my car is completely useable; it runs well and everything works (apart from air con) and I intend to use it up until the point when it’s restored as it’s really just cosmetic.
As for value I figure it’s a relatively low mileage original car so assuming any work is done sympathetically it should come out near the top of the steel GTB’s, whatever that might translate to in ££’s.

Edited by 996Type on Thursday 12th December 15:24

[4rephill]

browngt3 said:

......There's a number of cars advertised in the high 60's. Based on what you're saying these are the cars to go for.....

In general, a car in the high 60's should be a safer bet than a car in the low to mid 40's - BUT!...... It's no guarantee! (It's all to easy for someone to have bought a £40K car at auction, give it a quick paint job, and then sell it, looking all shiny and "restored" for £60K+, making a tidy profit for little effort)

In addition, some sellers are chancing their arm with their pricing, asking more for their cars than the market would suggest they're really worth, hoping a buyer will assume that a higher price will mean a better car.

Basically, when it comes to 308/328's (or any older Ferrari for that matter), it's all too easy to become blinded to the reality of the car. A low purchase price, shiny paintwork, talk of: "easy repair", or: "needs a bit of tidying", even a higher purchase price - They can all play a part in buying a car that ends up costing the buyer more money than they initially thought.

browngt3 said:

......For peace of mind would you recommend one of the established dealers such as KHP Cars or Rardley Motors? I would hope there wouldn't be any nasty surprises hidden in their offerings......

Buying from KHP, Rardley Motor's or any of the well known, long established Ferrari specialists can give you a bit more peace of mind, because they deal with Ferrari's day in, day out, and cannot afford to deal in poor quality cars, or to misrepresent them - A good reputation can be lost very easily.

Whilst buying from an established Ferrari specialist should help avoid any serious nasty surprises ( they should have carried out a full inspection before putting the car up for sale, and they should know exactly what to look for on each model), it's no guarantee of buying a car without any issues at all (these are very old cars at the end of the day), and any warranty with the car tends to be quite limited, both in time, and in what it covers, so if the car does develop a fault, you're highly unlikely to get it fixed for free.

In general, you'll also pay a little bit more when buying from a recognised specialist, than you would with a private sale, because you're paying for the specialist's association with the car, for some work that may have been carried out on the car to help sell it, and, if it's a sale for a customer (sale or return), then you're also paying their commission.

Don't rule out looking at cars for sale at non-Ferrari specialist garages and private sales, just be aware that they don't necessarily know exactly what goes wrong with these cars, and may try to play certain issues down, in order to make a sale.

browngt3 said:

......I'm undecided on the precise model but ideally it would be a GTB QV but choice is more limited as they are quite rare. My plan is to test drive a carb 308, a QV, and a 328 and then buy on condition at hopefully the best deal possible.

To be honest, I'd try and test drive as many examples of each model as you can, to get a good idea of what each one is really like. Drive a bad example of any one of them (such as one with worn out suspension or steering), and it could leave you thinking that they're all like that.


The best advice is to read up on all you can about these cars, in order to help being caught out.

I'd go with this for a start of:

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/what-to-...

And then do some Google/Youtube searches on the subject too.

Also, if you go and look at a car with a view to buying it, spend a good bit of time going through the service history/parts records for the car, and note the cambelt changes, what's been replaced and when. This will give you an idea if the car has wanted for nothing all it's life, or if it has been neglected for periods of time.

The 308/328 series Ferrari's are fantastic cars, but it's very easy to get all caught up in the beauty of the cars, and end up paying more than you really should - It really is worth doing some homework on the cars to avoid getting caught out.

[Jex]

I bought my 328 privately, but had a Ferrari specialist local to the car look it over for me. Although I had test driven another one, I felt that I wouldn't know if it was a good car or not, never having owned anything like it before. They told me it was driveable and generally ok and told me what they thought needed to be done to it. I can't remember how much they charged me for that, but it wasn't a great deal and was worth it. I collected it and took it straight to my local Ferrari specialist and they carried out the recommended work and a few other things (which cost about 10% of what I had paid for it). That was in 2012 and it has cost little and been very reliable to date, although it did need a new clutch after the second Goodwood track day. That probably says more about my driving than the car though.

[POORCARDEALER]

Common for big time gaps in the history of these cars, especially very low mileage cars which have been stored for years on end

[browngt3]

4rephill said:

To be honest, I'd try and test drive as many examples of each model as you can, to get a good idea of what each one is really like. Drive a bad example of any one of them (such as one with worn out suspension or steering), and it could leave you thinking that they're all like that.


The best advice is to read up on all you can about these cars, in order to help being caught out.

I'd go with this for a start of:

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/what-to-...

And then do some Google/Youtube searches on the subject too.

Also, if you go and look at a car with a view to buying it, spend a good bit of time going through the service history/parts records for the car, and note the cambelt changes, what's been replaced and when. This will give you an idea if the car has wanted for nothing all it's life, or if it has been neglected for periods of time.

The 308/328 series Ferrari's are fantastic cars, but it's very easy to get all caught up in the beauty of the cars, and end up paying more than you really should - It really is worth doing some homework on the cars to avoid getting caught out.

Some wise words of advice, thank you very much.

I went through a similar process when I bought my '85 Carrera. I had it professionally inspected but still ended up paying for a substantial recommisioning. I am constantly being told what a great example it is, however it' s not cheap to run which bears out what you say. These are ageing supercars afterall.

I would definitely arrange a PPI, even from a reputable dealer as they don't necessarily see everything.

Any thoughts on who to use for this when buying in Europe?

[browngt3]

Fiammetta said:

Here you are ......

Rare
Fully gone through up to date , but crucially there’s no corrosion.


https://www.linkmotors.it/dettaglio.asp?id_auto=89...

It's a turbo unfortunately, which doesn't appeal. Thanks for posting anyway

[browngt3]

Jex said:

I bought my 328 privately, but had a Ferrari specialist local to the car look it over for me. Although I had test driven another one, I felt that I wouldn't know if it was a good car or not, never having owned anything like it before. They told me it was driveable and generally ok and told me what they thought needed to be done to it. I can't remember how much they charged me for that, but it wasn't a great deal and was worth it. I collected it and took it straight to my local Ferrari specialist and they carried out the recommended work and a few other things (which cost about 10% of what I had paid for it). That was in 2012 and it has cost little and been very reliable to date, although it did need a new clutch after the second Goodwood track day. That probably says more about my driving than the car though.

That's interesting, thanks.

Great that you track it and still manage to keep the bills low. What kind of mileage do you do?

How do you rate the driving experience compared to its contemporaries or even more modern machinery?

[Jex]

browngt3 said:

Jex said:

I bought my 328 privately, but had a Ferrari specialist local to the car look it over for me. Although I had test driven another one, I felt that I wouldn't know if it was a good car or not, never having owned anything like it before. They told me it was driveable and generally ok and told me what they thought needed to be done to it. I can't remember how much they charged me for that, but it wasn't a great deal and was worth it. I collected it and took it straight to my local Ferrari specialist and they carried out the recommended work and a few other things (which cost about 10% of what I had paid for it). That was in 2012 and it has cost little and been very reliable to date, although it did need a new clutch after the second Goodwood track day. That probably says more about my driving than the car though.

That's interesting, thanks.

Great that you track it and still manage to keep the bills low. What kind of mileage do you do?

How do you rate the driving experience compared to its contemporaries or even more modern machinery?

I've done about 6,000 miles in 7 years.

It's my favourite car to drive of any I have driven. It doesn't have power steering and the feel is great. The only ''driver aid" is ABS, so it is real driving. At Goodwood I was catching a 458 in the corners (although the driver was new to his car). I prefer driving it on a windy B-road to my F355. I have driven a 911, DB9, DB11, R8, Huracan, Nissan GTR and a McLaren MP4 12C. The 911 (a 997) is the only one that comes close, provided you can put up with the relative lack of power in the 328, but 275 bhp is ok for B-roads.

[Caruso]

Here's what I found on my 'corrosion free' 308 some years back!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNqQ6lQMF3w

I did get it sorted.

[cgt2]

Everything in perspective, the combined purchase price at the time of the '79 Carb 308 GTS and 1987 328 GTS was £40k!

Driving them back to back they were quite different in some ways, the 308 was much more raw but the 328 had its own charm.

[Fiammetta]

Caruso said:

Here's what I found on my 'corrosion free' 308 some years back!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNqQ6lQMF3w

I did get it sorted.

Not sure I,am getting my msg across about importing a southern Italian modal ?
Not the best pics but same front under panel when removed reviled zero corrosion, I clean it all up and applied waxoil ......
Basically they dissolve in salt , which is what’s happened in the vid above ....that’s normal for any 70 ,s UK car .



















Other thing don’t use them over a U.K. winter and store them inside a dehumidified garage .

[Jex]

Fiammetta said:

Not sure I,am getting my msg across about importing a southern Italian modal ?
Not the best pics but same front under panel when removed reviled zero corrosion, I clean it all up and applied waxoil ......
Basically they dissolve in salt , which is what’s happened in the vid above ....that’s normal for any 70 ,s UK car .

Other thing don’t use them over a U.K. winter and store them inside a dehumidified garage .

The steel parts of the 328 were galvanised, so it is better corrosion-wise.

[Fiammetta]

Jex said:

Fiammetta said:

Not sure I,am getting my msg across about importing a southern Italian modal ?
Not the best pics but same front under panel when removed reviled zero corrosion, I clean it all up and applied waxoil ......
Basically they dissolve in salt , which is what’s happened in the vid above ....that’s normal for any 70 ,s UK car .

Other thing don’t use them over a U.K. winter and store them inside a dehumidified garage .

The steel parts of the 328 were galvanised, so it is better corrosion-wise.

Nothing ever was “galvanised “ from around mid 87/88 Ferrari stated to zinc paint some body panels and generally upped there game paint finish wise .Theses cars are 30 / 35 years old and harsh U.K. winters will have by know taken there toll .Unless as said they never saw winter roads and where kept dry .
Not sure wether the zinc coating was only for the body panels .....ie did it inc the chassis members hidden away ?
I know certainly the suspension A arms and other bits are plain steel on 328,s .
Here’s a pic of UK GT 4 the suspension arms are the same material as layer 328 s .

upload image without registration
(Not my car btw )

So it’s a combination of cared for ownership, classic car husbandry , sensible storage but and a big but the original province ie where it’s from.Arizona / California cars have ugly bumpers and air smog equipment etc etc so we are back @ southern Italy imho .

Not knocking UK stock but the best that passes a corrosion test will be enthusiastic owned and I suspect at the top of the price range .As will recent documented restorations .

Good news is it’s easy to tell which are which .Theses cars are knocking on for 40 yrs old .They are not really performance cars by 21 st standards so buy on condition not Hp .Ideally a carburettor modal so that means before 1981 .

Edited by Fiammetta on Monday 16th December 15:11

Edited by Fiammetta on Monday 16th December 15:15

[browngt3]

Fiammetta, that's very informative. Thank you.

How easy is it to spot this rust with a PPI without actually removing body panels? The car will need to be on a ramp for sure.

More and more thinking about an Italian car. I don't mind LHD either. Just more excuse for European road trips!

[browngt3]

Jex said:

I've done about 6,000 miles in 7 years.

It's my favourite car to drive of any I have driven. It doesn't have power steering and the feel is great. The only ''driver aid" is ABS, so it is real driving. At Goodwood I was catching a 458 in the corners (although the driver was new to his car). I prefer driving it on a windy B-road to my F355. I have driven a 911, DB9, DB11, R8, Huracan, Nissan GTR and a McLaren MP4 12C. The 911 (a 997) is the only one that comes close, provided you can put up with the relative lack of power in the 328, but 275 bhp is ok for B-roads.

Yes, I think modern supercars are way too fast for public roads. That's why I enjoy my air-cooled 911s so much. You can really push without reaching licence losing speeds. They are also raw and involving in a way the moderns can never match. Steering feel, pedal feel and a tactile gearbox are a large part of the attraction. I believe a well sorted 308 or 328 will be the same. The only negative, perhaps, is their good looks might attract too much attention!

[Jex]

browngt3 said:

Jex said:

I've done about 6,000 miles in 7 years.

It's my favourite car to drive of any I have driven. It doesn't have power steering and the feel is great. The only ''driver aid" is ABS, so it is real driving. At Goodwood I was catching a 458 in the corners (although the driver was new to his car). I prefer driving it on a windy B-road to my F355. I have driven a 911, DB9, DB11, R8, Huracan, Nissan GTR and a McLaren MP4 12C. The 911 (a 997) is the only one that comes close, provided you can put up with the relative lack of power in the 328, but 275 bhp is ok for B-roads.

Yes, I think modern supercars are way too fast for public roads. That's why I enjoy my air-cooled 911s so much. You can really push without reaching licence losing speeds. They are also raw and involving in a way the moderns can never match. Steering feel, pedal feel and a tactile gearbox are a large part of the attraction. I believe a well sorted 308 or 328 will be the same. The only negative, perhaps, is their good looks might attract too much attention!

Yes, it does attract attention, so I usually keep away from towns and cities.

[4rephill]

I think one good thing about the classic look of the 308 GTB/GTS cars (and 328 series to a degree), is that they look like old cars.

"Obvious! - Duh!" you might be thinking, but what I mean is, other drivers (for other drivers read : "boy racer knob heads in Honda Civic Type R's, ST Fiesta's and Focus', and other such like cars"), don't see them as worthy of their attention, and don't feel a need to outrun them at all costs, because although it's a Ferrari, it's old.

One of the things that used to annoy me whilst out driving in my 348 TS ("which is no spring chicken these days!"), was the number of tw4ts in their hot hatches, and modified pieces of cr4p, who felt a weird need to out run a Ferrari, as though it was some sort of "badge of honour" thing - Bragging rights when they meet up with their mates: "Oi bro!, guess wot?, I smoked a Ferrari the other day! Completely blew his doors off with a mega overtake! He tried to get me back but couldn't stay with it"

I'm talking about people committing dangerous overtakes on blind bends, with double solid white lines on the road, Doing Grand Prix starts at traffic lights/junctions etc., as fast as they could, as they could, and in some cases, overtaking, and then slowing down immediately, to try to tempt you into overtaking them back, so they could pull away from you.

I lost count of the number of times I ended up pulling into a lay-by a pub car park, and just sat there for a few minutes, or ended up taking a different route, just to get the knob heads out of my life ASAP (as far as I was concerned, my car had nothing to prove, and neither did I!)

With the 308's (and 328's), I get the impression that, because they look more like classic cars, rather than modern cars, that is less likely to happen (no guarantee though - Knob heads are knob heads for a reason!)

[Andy 308GTB]

4rephill said:

I think one good thing about the classic look of the 308 GTB/GTS cars (and 328 series to a degree), is that they look like old cars.

"Obvious! - Duh!" you might be thinking, but what I mean is, other drivers (for other drivers read : "boy racer knob heads in Honda Civic Type R's, ST Fiesta's and Focus', and other such like cars"), don't see them as worthy of their attention, and don't feel a need to outrun them at all costs, because although it's a Ferrari, it's old.

One of the things that used to annoy me whilst out driving in my 348 TS ("which is no spring chicken these days!"), was the number of tw4ts in their hot hatches, and modified pieces of cr4p, who felt a weird need to out run a Ferrari, as though it was some sort of "badge of honour" thing - Bragging rights when they meet up with their mates: "Oi bro!, guess wot?, I smoked a Ferrari the other day! Completely blew his doors off with a mega overtake! He tried to get me back but couldn't stay with it"

I'm talking about people committing dangerous overtakes on blind bends, with double solid white lines on the road, Doing Grand Prix starts at traffic lights/junctions etc., as fast as they could, as they could, and in some cases, overtaking, and then slowing down immediately, to try to tempt you into overtaking them back, so they could pull away from you.

I lost count of the number of times I ended up pulling into a lay-by a pub car park, and just sat there for a few minutes, or ended up taking a different route, just to get the knob heads out of my life ASAP (as far as I was concerned, my car had nothing to prove, and neither did I!)

With the 308's (and 328's), I get the impression that, because they look more like classic cars, rather than modern cars, that is less likely to happen (no guarantee though - Knob heads are knob heads for a reason!)

I am inclined to agree. Although I still get tail-gated occasionally - despite avoiding the obvious boy racer haunts.
Overall, I don't think beating a 40 year old car carries much weight when it comes to bragging rights!

[Fiammetta]

Andy 308GTB said:

I am inclined to agree. Although I still get tail-gated occasionally - despite avoiding the obvious boy racer haunts.
Overall, I don't think beating a 40 year old car carries much weight when it comes to bragging rights!

Agree .
Instead you get a lot of admiration where ever you go .People give a thumbs up and take pics .

Sometimes they just want to look and it feels like you are just a custodian of a piece of art .

More than happy to share .