Ferrari Mondial - Why so unloved?
Discussion
Bit of dreaming coupled with a 'well that seems quite affordable' outlook has me looking at Mondial's and i was just wondering why they are so cheap, and why they seem to be the Ferrari outcast?
In addition if you paid say 18k for one (given the average in the PH classifieds that seems to buy a decent one) what would you need to set aside to run one each year?
In addition if you paid say 18k for one (given the average in the PH classifieds that seems to buy a decent one) what would you need to set aside to run one each year?
I think the reason they are so unloved is because they're, let's be honest, not the best looking car in the world.
As for running cost I'm afraid I can't help you there but I would be setting aside at least £1k a year. You may not need it, but on the other hand you might. I'm sure someone who knows what they're talking about will be along shortly.
As for running cost I'm afraid I can't help you there but I would be setting aside at least £1k a year. You may not need it, but on the other hand you might. I'm sure someone who knows what they're talking about will be along shortly.
Mondials are cheaper than the equivalent as the design in most people’s eyes is less exciting than the two doors, yet to drive very similar with slightly more forgiving and therefore useable handling.
By modern standards, the 8/qv/3.2’s are nippy but not that quick, I was using a 3.2 earlier in the week and found it slower than my Golf GTI runaround
Values aren’t helped by various “experts” slating them, for example when they’ve been mentioned on TG it’s never been complimentary.
Running costs are almost identical to the 308/328&348’s that they share major components with
A well looked after Mondial is a practical and fairly reliable car, with the same faults / negatives as most of Maranello’s output of the time i.e. fragile electrics, early cars can rust badly (from late 84 on they were galvanized, but not to the quality of say a 911) the milimetric tyres are a tad expensive (cheaper to replace all 4 wheels and tyres with standard 16/17 inch wheels)
If you’ve got kids, can swing a spanner and are on a budget, they make a lot of sense as a useable Ferrari.
And as always, given the cost of some parts, it’s a good idea to get them inspected by somebody who knows Mondials, kicking the tyres and listening for noise from the engine is one thing, but you need to know what you’re looking for when it comes to the electrics
Plenty of in depth knowledge on the 308/Mondial section of http://www.ferrarichat.com
By modern standards, the 8/qv/3.2’s are nippy but not that quick, I was using a 3.2 earlier in the week and found it slower than my Golf GTI runaround
Values aren’t helped by various “experts” slating them, for example when they’ve been mentioned on TG it’s never been complimentary.
Running costs are almost identical to the 308/328&348’s that they share major components with
A well looked after Mondial is a practical and fairly reliable car, with the same faults / negatives as most of Maranello’s output of the time i.e. fragile electrics, early cars can rust badly (from late 84 on they were galvanized, but not to the quality of say a 911) the milimetric tyres are a tad expensive (cheaper to replace all 4 wheels and tyres with standard 16/17 inch wheels)
If you’ve got kids, can swing a spanner and are on a budget, they make a lot of sense as a useable Ferrari.
And as always, given the cost of some parts, it’s a good idea to get them inspected by somebody who knows Mondials, kicking the tyres and listening for noise from the engine is one thing, but you need to know what you’re looking for when it comes to the electrics
Plenty of in depth knowledge on the 308/Mondial section of http://www.ferrarichat.com
AndrewW-G said:
Values aren’t helped by various “experts” slating them, for example when they’ve been mentioned on TG it’s never been complimentary.
That's true. To quote Jeremy Clarkson "Ferrari don't always get it right. The old Testarossa was a dog and the Mondial looked like it's dinner"lambo_xx said:
AndrewW-G said:
Values aren’t helped by various “experts” slating them, for example when they’ve been mentioned on TG it’s never been complimentary.
That's true. To quote Jeremy Clarkson "Ferrari don't always get it right. The old Testarossa was a dog and the Mondial looked like it's dinner"Pommygranite said:
Bit of dreaming coupled with a 'well that seems quite affordable' outlook has me looking at Mondial's and i was just wondering why they are so cheap, and why they seem to be the Ferrari outcast?
In addition if you paid say 18k for one (given the average in the PH classifieds that seems to buy a decent one) what would you need to set aside to run one each year?
Interesting questions. My answers would be:In addition if you paid say 18k for one (given the average in the PH classifieds that seems to buy a decent one) what would you need to set aside to run one each year?
Not as good looking as their contemporary Ferrari 2 seater V8s
and
Same as their contemporary 2 seater V8s since their engines are all similar? (say £2-3k per year on average?). I'm yet to buy my first Ferrari so I may be a bit off
Having looked at them, I'd like to think of it this way: you have £18k to spend on practical car that can seat more then 2 people/take luggage, that you'll do 6k miles a year in for 3 years then sell. You could buy a new Golf Bluemotion, a Leon Ecomotive, 92.3% of a Prius or a mint Mondial. I know which one I'd go for and I'd wager its costs over 3 years would be less than the others too
And it may just be me, but I think they're quite pretty cars actually! Especially compared to a Golf.....
I've always quite liked the Mondial. I think if I were buying one I'd approach it with a different psychology to that which I would employ if buying a two-seater Ferrari. While I would go for a sporty colour like red on one of the "sexy" two seaters I would choose a "serious" colour like black or dark blue on the "handsome" Mondial. If you judge the Mondial on its own merits rather than comparing it to other Ferraris you will soon see it as a car which is far more exciting than most of the relatively new dross that's on the roads and costs as much or more.
williamp said:
I have an Autocar from the early 90s where the journo's article is about driving it every day, and he loves it.
I have that too!As fate would have it , I`ve been mulling these over too . It`s a tempting market for the just-short-of-£20k-GT car buyer .
I`ve been in an early 3.0 car and was a bit disappointed by the lack of go and the rather odd "cab forward" driving position , but there seem to be plenty of the 45 or so 3.4T coupe`s on the market for reasonable money .
I need a 4 seater , so lovely though the 308 GTB/ S`s are , I`d never buy one at the moment , which leaves the 3.4T and 4200 Maserati on the silly side of my dilemma and a C55 / CLK55 AMG at the cerebral end .
As I understand it , maintenance costs as a percentage of the total value of the vehicle are pretty high for the 3.4T compared to the early QV engines , so more research is necessary .
I`ve been in an early 3.0 car and was a bit disappointed by the lack of go and the rather odd "cab forward" driving position , but there seem to be plenty of the 45 or so 3.4T coupe`s on the market for reasonable money .
I need a 4 seater , so lovely though the 308 GTB/ S`s are , I`d never buy one at the moment , which leaves the 3.4T and 4200 Maserati on the silly side of my dilemma and a C55 / CLK55 AMG at the cerebral end .
As I understand it , maintenance costs as a percentage of the total value of the vehicle are pretty high for the 3.4T compared to the early QV engines , so more research is necessary .
lambo_xx said:
AndrewW-G said:
Values aren’t helped by various “experts†slating them, for example when they’ve been mentioned on TG it’s never been complimentary.
That's true. To quote Jeremy Clarkson "Ferrari don't always get it right. The old Testarossa was a dog and the Mondial looked like it's dinner""but with the 355 I cant see anyway they could make it better"
Ah, I remember sitting and watching that from a recording on the morning I went to pick up mine!
Got to say though, I've always still liked the later modials with the 328 style front to it. Its on my list of possibilties when the 355 gets sold.
I'd say the figure of £1k per year would be about right. Find a good local indie that will give you some advice. There's plenty of things I can pop in and ask the guys at Millbrooke Cars in Sheffield that they'll help me out with if I do work on the car myself.
From what I can gather the Mondial 8 and 3.4T are the most expensive to run; the "8" because it was at the beginning of the development cycle and has many unresolved issues, and the "3.4T" because it is more mechanically complex. For the best reliability and affordability the ones to go for are the 3.0QV (if you prefer the earlier styling) or the 3.2 if you prefer the later styling. Of course, how any individual vehicle has been looked after and how you look after it will have the greatest bearing on how well it works and what you have to spend on it.
AndrewW-G said:
. . . I was using a 3.2 earlier in the week and found it slower than my Golf GTI runaround.
Having said that: most 70s 80s sportscars will feel slowish compared to a modern 200-plus brake GTi.I was in a Countach 5000S - experience like nothing else: the sound and the ride! - and of course it takes some time to :crack: granny start :cough: because you don't want a new clutch every year. But compared to the effortlessness of new swift cars those old skool rides offer a top experience and adventure everytime you drive 'em.
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-ma...
http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/find/4100_results....
lambo_xx said:
Just been reading up on the Mondial and apparently it was offered with a Semi-automatic system "Valeo". Basically, an old version of Ferrari’s F1 system. Was I the only one who didn't know that system ever existed? Was it offered on other Ferrari's like 328s etc?
Yes you are 
No it wasnt, by the time the Valeo system came out, they were already playing with what would become the F1 system (actuated clutch and change, not just clutch as per the mondy)
It wasnt a massive seller as people assumed that it would be a tad unreliable, yet the people who have them swear by them (Chas "Ferrari spider" comemented on his friends, on the last mondy thread)
apparently it was offered with a Semi-automatic system "Valeo". Basically, an old version of Ferrari’s F1 system. Was I the only one who didn't know that system ever existed? Was it offered on other Ferrari's like 328s etc?
[/quote]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccm2L8krtcU
[/quote]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccm2L8krtcU
Gassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff