I'm afraid I've been seeing someone else.

[mnewport]

I never meant for things to go this far, but...

In February I met someone new.

She's a hot rod 1988 Ferrari Mondial. Engine completely rebuilt by Norwood Performance with high compression pistons. Weber carbs. Tubi Style headers and custom Magnaflow exhaust. Adjustable Perch Koni's from Carobu. OEM Speedline wheels made especially for Ferrari and available only in Europe (yes, I know they look a little like Mistrals but they aren't).

It's the sort of car the R-Gruppe guys would build if they drove Mondials.

I don't mean to make this harder than it is, but pictures are posted below. She was even featured in Forza Magazine in November 2010. Sorry Porsche 911. I guess the heart wants what the heart wants.

Plus my wife prefers the Ferrari and my 2 year old son can ride in the back seat...

[Racerbvd]

Nice....

[rusnak]

Oh you'll be back.

They alllllways come back.

[dewolf]

Great car. I have been looking at those of late, but still not sure if I'd go the Mondial over a 996. Apparently they are a very reliable car. Good luck with it. Looks very nice.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Oh you'll be back.

They alllllways come back.

after the first repair or service bill; some even stick it out for a full year...

[motion]

Love all the recent Ferrari activity. Enjoy!

[Racerbvd]

These links will be helpful to you

Replacing Ferrari 308 Mondial timing belts
Ferrari 308 Mondial parts and service

1975-'85 Ferrari 308 GTB/GTS | Hemmings Motor News
Auto Classifieds - Hemmings Auto Classifieds feature cars for sale nation wide. | Hemmings Motor News
You say you dream of owning a Ferrari for used-car money? You've got to be kidding. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you that the cars that wear the prancing horse are hand-assembled, fragile, high-strung exotics, with sophisticated mechanicals that deman: The time is ripe for the dependable,
This one is still for sale..
1984 Ferrari Mondial Quattrovale

Buyer's Guide from Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car
October, 2006 - David LaChance

You say you dream of owning a Ferrari for used-car money? You've got to be kidding. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you that the cars that wear the prancing horse are hand-assembled, fragile, high-strung exotics, with sophisticated mechanicals that demand constant--and painfully expensive--attention. Everyone knows they'll bleed you dry. Did you hear the one about the owner who took his Ferrari in for a slipping clutch, and ended up spending $14,000?
Have we shredded your fantasies yet? No? Good. Because the 308 series is one Maranello product that combines beauty, performance, and a surprisingly checkbook-friendly price tag, and can be maintained without taking out a third mortgage. One turn behind the wheel of a cared-for 308 will be enough to convince you that this is one of the absolute bargains of the exotic car world. What makes such classic beauty attainable for the price of a one-year-old Toyota Avalon? The law of supply and demand. Ferrari built more than 12,000 of the 308s in two body styles: GTB (B for berlinetta, or coupe) and GTS (S for spyder, or open) between 1975 and 1985. Not many by Fiat standards, but busted floodgates for Ferrari.

[mnewport]

after the first repair or service bill; some even stick it out for a full year...

The 3.2 is actually a pretty reliable car, and very easy to DIY. It's a big reason I was attracted to it in the first place. It's a lot like the 911SC in that regard, and seemed a little more "down to earth" than something like a Testarossa or V12 car. Many of the parts are easily crossed with off the shelf Bosch, BMW, Buick, or even Kia parts. Makes it much easier to avoid the "Ferrari Tax." Case in point--I needed a new mirror adjustment switch. Ferrari wants $195 for one. It's a BMW part, though, so I was able to find on on Ebay for $15 and free shipping.

Oh you'll be back.

They alllllways come back.

I'm sure I will. First my wife wants a new house, so in the interest of fairness I've agreed to sell the 911 and hold off on purchasing another until the housing thing gets settled.

[Heel n Toe]

Sweet... enjoy. And grab a copy of the present (June) issue of Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car and check out the happy owner's story on pp. 64 and 65... '87 Mondial Cabriolet... in black.

[Oh Haha]

Sweet!

Enjoy it as much as possible.

[pegasus9]

I have always been a fan of the Mondials.
Its one great looking car.
Congratulations!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Nice! I recently had to resist a clean Mondial nearby that was selling for $8k. Cosmetics looked good but it had been put away in storage for 20 years and wasn't currently running. Ferrari project = shred and burn your money, but boy it sure looked pretty.

[mnewport]

Thanks for the good wishes guys. I imagine I'll be selling my little SC for now although I plan to return to the fold as soon as possible. I may dump my Audi S8 and pick up an AWD 964 or 996. Or I may just wait a bit and buy a well sorted SC with a 3.6 transplant. I think my wife's biggest objection is the cost of owning so many cars in the city. I have limited space, so I have to rent a couple garage spaces to store them.

This one is still for sale..
1984 Ferrari Mondial Quattrovale

$15k isn't a bad price provided the service history is there. I'm surprised no one could be found to change belts. It's really not that hard of a job.

Figure that the electrical will have some gremlins (I'm convinced that Europeans don't quite have as good of a grasp on electrical theory as Americans do).

Figure you'll need to replace all the hoses (not as expensive as you'd think since there are a host of off-the-shelf silicone replacements available that will work just fine).

Nice! I recently had to resist a clean Mondial nearby that was selling for $8k. Cosmetics looked good but it had been put away in storage for 20 years and wasn't currently running. Ferrari project = shred and burn your money, but boy it sure looked pretty.

Yeah, I'd probably pass on that one too. 20 years in storage for any car is rough, but especially a high performance car like a Porsche or Ferrari. These cars really need to be driven.

Did I mention my Mondial was dyno'ed at 300+ HP?

Sweet... enjoy. And grab a copy of the present (June) issue of Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car and check out the happy owner's story on pp. 64 and 65... '87 Mondial Cabriolet... in black.

Yes--that guy hangs out on Ferrari Chat in the Mondial section. Sadly his car is in storage in San Diego so he doesn't even drive it.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I've always thought it would be fun to just drive one of those things daily. Not just nice days, but every damn day regardless of weather. If nothing else, it would be fun to just see the looks when you drive by in the snow. I'm not sure if it's necessarily true, but I've always heard that the key to making an Italian car reliable is to drive it as often as possible.

[tabs]

It is one thing to date and another to live with.

[myamoto1]

My FIL joined the dark side as well. Not a huge fan of the Ferrari styling post mid-70's, but the sound and drive is very addicting. From the cockpit, I love everything about those cars....

[Baz]

Congrats - she's beautiful! I go way back with the marque......

[McLovin]

I remember the Forza article, very nice!

Russ did a great job with that car. Very nice to have, in a non-smog state, those Webers are cool and that car seems to have lots of power and must sound awesome. Wheels and the lowering look great, too.

I'd drive the heck out of that!

[mikeesik]

Nice-nice.
Modial-the most mundane Ferrari perhaps competing against the Dino is a car that for some reason always grabbed me by the boo-boo.

[Gogar]

That Mondial needs a few slutty BLA tweaks bro.