Is there a Ferrari that's not insanely difficult to maintain?

In reply to SlickDizzy:

I would have to say the 308/328 route would be best for you. They are very DIY-able, parts are reasonable and there seems to be a good supply of aftermarket parts that arn't hard to find. A lot of the guys I would sell parts to were 308/328 owners that were doing the work in their garage.

The early Mondial's are also cheapish to purchase and maintain. Not the prettiest car on the block, but still a F-car.

If you got any questions, PM me and I'll answer them alittle more clearly

Fierrari....

novaderrik wrote: there is a guy that was given some old Ferrari that he's looking to race in LeMons.. going by the pics, i think he over paid...

That was me, the 308 GT4. I have the possibility of purchasing it, but haven't yet as I am leaving for Texas tomorrow.

If Bob Stretch is interested in helping me fund the purchase and build of the car, it can be done

Saw a 308 GTSi today (first sunny day this year) rolling on radial t/a's and sporting a regular old dirty Texas plate on the back.

I'm torn between one day getting a 308 GT4 or Maserati Merak.

I dont know anything about them really, but I have seen several 355s in the last few months, more than any other kind of ferarri I have seen (except for a row of enzos sitting at a dealer years ago).

m4ff3w wrote: I'm torn between one day getting a 308 GT4 or Maserati Merak.

I think that in comparable and good condition, the Merak will cost less to own, and you won't have people expecting you to crawl out of it wearing a gold chain and a mustache. OTOH, its not a Ferrari, and I expect the GT4 offers more performance.

In reply to petegossett:

People will be a lot less offended if you stuff a LSX in Merak.

oldtin wrote: Starting at 12k Mondial Coupe - about the least loved ferrari - so naturally I've got a soft spot for them. Not as good looking at a 308 gt/4, but a better car.

I think the Mondial Coupe, like the 308 GT/4 before it, is one of those cars that looks better today than when new. That car is still only at $12.9 with 2 days to go. I wonder what the reserve is.

There was a well cared for mondi coupe on ferrari chat - I think it eventually sold around 16.5 (nicer than this one).

oldtin wrote: There was a well cared for mondi coupe on ferrari chat - I think it eventually sold around 16.5 (nicer than this one).

No E36 M3? Bad ideas of a 4 season DD

GameboyRMH wrote: +1 for JohnRW1621's suggestions. My favorite is the 3.0 V6:

This blows my mind. The NSX is already a classic in it's own right, it's a genuine exotic and for the money this thing cost you must be able to buy a nice 328, 348 or even an early 355.

I wanted a 308/30GT4/Mondial for while until I saw that even a DIY tuneup was like $1000 in parts.

mblommel wrote: I wanted a 308/30GT4/Mondial for while until I saw that even a DIY tuneup was like $1000 in parts.

$1,000 really? I'd like to hear Eastpark or DukeOfUndersteer's take on this. How often do you need to drop one large on these things?

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

mblommel wrote: I wanted a 308/30GT4/Mondial for while until I saw that even a DIY tuneup was like $1000 in parts.

$1,000 really? I'd like to hear Eastpark or DukeOfUndersteer's take on this. How often do you need to drop one large on these things?

Yeah, I'm curious as well. Maybe if timing belts, valve shims, etc are part of the job...

I've often toyed with the idea of Ferrari ownership, and have settled on an early 308 (with carbs), or a 308GT4. Avoid the injected 308 unless you can spring for a Quattrovalve. The earlier cars have a less "Fiat" type interior, with cool toggle switches and a very Italian feel. The 308 struck me as very much like a bigger Fiat X1-9, offset pedals and all.

The Mondial is another appealing choice, but I've never been drawn to them like I am the 308........blame it on Magnum!

I'd avoid the 400i as nearly all of them were automatic (GM 3-speed), and with the V12 and lots of electronics, they can be a nightmare.

mondial build thread

This guy's got a sense of humor - and a GRMers approach - alfa parts, truck hoses, JE pistons instead of F-car bits...basically shows it's possible to diy with an F-car and on a modest (not a challenge) budget.

If I can hold the auto ADD in check, and don't cross paths with another 911. An F-car may be next.

also IIRC, many of the "Ferrari" parts are exactly the same as those used on Fiats. Buying the Fiat branded part can save big $$$.

IMHO I don't know why you would bother with a Mondial. There are a lot better cars that can be bought for less or the same money and don't have Ferrari parts cost.

93EXCivic wrote: IMHO I don't know why you would bother with a Mondial. There are a lot better cars that can be bought for less or the same money and don't have Ferrari parts cost.

There is always a better car for less money, remember the answer is either Miata, E36 M3, Jeep XJ or P71. Once we get past that and accept people don't always want the 'best' car, almost any car makes sense, unless it says Camry on the trunk of course.

Cause a long time ago I met a girl in Paris driving one...

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

93EXCivic wrote: IMHO I don't know why you would bother with a Mondial. There are a lot better cars that can be bought for less or the same money and don't have Ferrari parts cost.

There is always a better car for less money, remember the answer is either Miata, E36 M3, Jeep XJ or P71. Once we get past that and accept people don't always want the 'best' car, almost any car makes sense, unless it says Camry on the trunk of course.

Ok granted. But for the same price you could have a 911, Maserati Merak, Bentley Turbo R. Just cause it has a Prancing Horse doesn't make it worth bothering with.

I've already had a few 911s, corvettes, old jags, healeys, triumphs and about 70 other cars. I've even worked on Meraks. I'm working my way through a list and F-cars are on it. Values are pretty stable if not rising, so they seem like a pretty safe bet that if you pick a decent one, cost of ownership won't be very much. Just saying I think the 308/mondials have a pretty low buy in, running costs don't have to be as expensive as people think and when you are ready to sell, there won't be a problem finding a buyer.

93EXCivic wrote: Ok granted. But for the same price you could have a 911, Maserati Merak, Bentley Turbo R. Just cause it has a Prancing Horse doesn't make it worth bothering with.

To you, that may be so. But to most people, a car with a prancing horse on it is on an entirely different level than pretty much any other make.

One of our friends has a 308 and I got a short ride in it a couple of years ago. At least from the passenger seat, it made my GT6 feel roomy... It also has basically zero storage space. He had to sacrifice the spare tire in order to carry enough luggage for him and his wife for the 4 day visit - and they had to pack very light. He mentioned selling it and looking for maybe a 360. When we left in the morning, he had to let it warm up for a good 10-15 minutes before he could drive it anywhere.

i think anythig pre 1988 is a good investment because Enzo was still a live.. i remember seeing Dino's back late 70's and early 80's for under 10k i even passed on one at 5k that was running now they have fetched over 400k.