Maybe this is why 911 prices are dropping?

[89911]

http://autos.msn.com/advice/standardart.aspx?contentid=4019917&src=msn

Pulled this off my homepage. Lots of contradictions after reading this article. You can get them relatively cheap...but...they must have an impecable service record or they could cost you thousands. 308's never did it for me. The Berlinetta Boxer maybe.

[marc weintraub]

I would be very careful about an article that is generically written about any marque, especially Ferrari. The 308's were very nice car, dependant upon the year regarding their reliability. The 1976 fiberglass 308GTB was a great car with a wonderful engine. This car will cost a bit more than the stell bodied car because of it's rarity, but it's worth the difference. All of the early carbed cars were very nice and when the fuel injection was introduced, there were problems. In fact, the 1980-1982 cars had known valve train and gasket problems that could cost a small fortune if it goes unwatched. The other issues with all of these cars is they have a timing belt that must be changed out regularly. Remember, nothing on a Ferrari is cheap to do and you most likely won't be doing this yourself. Not that you couldn't, but an error could result in an engine rebuild. There were other issues with these cars based on their respective years, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

As far as the Boxer.... great car, but prone to early clutch failure whether it was a 365 or 512 Boxer (BB). These could go within the first 5000 miles and cost a small fortune, so don't expect to be driving this car all that much and certainly not on long trips. The early carbed versions (365BB) notoriously flamed up in the engine compartment because the Webers would fill up with fuel and they would ignite. You will see plenty of those upgraded with extinguisher systems because of it.

If I were to go back to the Ferrari world, I would buy either one of the newer models or a 330GTC, 275GTB, or a 250 Buono Coupe. I would suggest going for an early Maserati (Sebring, Mistral, Bora, Ghibli, etc.) or an early Lamborghini (400GT, Islero, Miura, etc.). The Bora can be had for about the same money as a good 308 and it is an amazing car. The hydrolics can be a bear (They are all Citroen), but the engine is bullitproof and this car really can fly.

The earlier cars are much easier to work on, but at the end of the day Porsches are the most reliable out of the bunch.

Marc

[marc weintraub]

I would be very careful about an article that is generically written about any marque, especially Ferrari. The 308's were very nice car, dependant upon the year regarding their reliability. The 1976 fiberglass 308GTB was a great car with a wonderful engine. This car will cost a bit more than the stell bodied car because of it's rarity, but it's worth the difference. All of the early carbed cars were very nice and when the fuel injection was introduced, there were problems. In fact, the 1980-1982 cars had known valve train and gasket problems that could cost a small fortune if it goes unwatched. The other issues with all of these cars is they have a timing belt that must be changed out regularly. Remember, nothing on a Ferrari is cheap to do and you most likely won't be doing this yourself. Not that you couldn't, but an error could result in an engine rebuild. There were other issues with these cars based on their respective years, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

As far as the Boxer.... great car, but prone to early clutch failure whether it was a 365 or 512 Boxer (BB). These could go within the first 5000 miles and cost a small fortune, so don't expect to be driving this car all that much and certainly not on long trips. The early carbed versions (365BB) notoriously flamed up in the engine compartment because the Webers would fill up with fuel and they would ignite. You will see plenty of those upgraded with extinguisher systems because of it.

If I were to go back to the Ferrari world, I would buy either one of the newer models or a 330GTC, 275GTB, or a 250 Buono Coupe. I would suggest going for an early Maserati (Sebring, Mistral, Bora, Ghibli, etc.) or an early Lamborghini (400GT, Islero, Miura, etc.). The Bora can be had for about the same money as a good 308 and it is an amazing car. The hydrolics can be a bear (They are all Citroen), but the engine is bullitproof and this car really can fly.

The earlier cars are much easier to work on, but at the end of the day Porsches are the most reliable out of the bunch. Don't ask me how I know!

Marc

[k9handler]

not my bag babby...911's rule!

[sithot]

You have not had your wallet cleaned out until you own a Ferrari. Tempermental, Italian electrics, and timing belts that need changing regularly or else. They are beautiful cars but require a certain amount of patience not unlike those who own British cars have acquired.
It will be a cold day in He$$ before I pay a tune-up/service on one of these money pits.
The Porsche on the other hand pales in comparison when it comes to maintainence and reliability vs. the Ferrari.
I've also owned numerous vintage and modern Italian bikes and they are the same story. Beautiful, fun to ride and wonderful to look at but when it comes to service hold on to your wallet. Fortunately, I do most of my own work and I'm down to just one very reliable (oxymoron?) "Italian" now. Guess what the other other 7 bikes are?

German, of course. The oldest is a '55 model and the youngest a '69 model. Dead reliable and a breeze to maintain.

[Schrup]

I was talking to a former coworker a couple days back. He said he just sold a 308 after dropping buckets-O-cash into it. $2500 for a tune up I'll pass.

[tiorio]

This about sums it up from the article:

A Ferrari is typically not a car to drive on a daily basis, but it certainly can be driven often, giving the owner a sense of pride and a taste of the Ferrari mystique.

Whilst I take my turbo to work every day with nary a worry...

'Taste' of the mystique my @ss!

[nostatic]

strikes me as a puff piece written by someone with a financial stake in a Ferrari shop. And it seems like some of their numbers are rather low. $5K to paint one? If you buy the wrong car it will cost you $5-10K? With $4K just for a major service, seems like serious problems would be 5 figures minimum.

[Tspringer]

I currently own a '77 308GTB and a '69 Daytona. The 308 really is a good car. Its a pretty simple car actually and not terribly hard to work on. Anyone who can work on a 911 can tackle the 308. Changing cam belts is time consuming to do correctly because you should also change the cam seals and the tensioner bearings. However, the parts are not expensive and any decent home mechanic can do a good job if they just take their time and follow the procedures. The internet has TONS of resources on these cars. Ferrarichat.com is fantastic.

The 308 is a fantastic looking car and the engines really are VERY tough. I have friend with a GT4 that has over 150K miles on it and it runs great. The carbs are not that hard to tune and the bottom ends are bullitproof. While the cars are fairly straightforward, they can be a pain to work on due to packaging issues. The V8 is fairly well crammed in there. Also do not expect Porsche quality engineering on all the details. A Ferrari in many ways is very much a fancy Fiat with a great engine!

If you like Ferraris, are not afraid to get your hands dirty on some maintenance stuff and are prepared for parts costing more than a Porsche, a 308 is a great way to go.

Of coarse an even better way to go is the 365GTB/4.....





Terry
'69 911S hotrod
'77 308GTB
'69 365GTB/4

[HarryD]

I don't know, when I see quotes like this: "Because repairs can be very expensive, it is important to check the condition of the interior when shopping for a Ferrari. ". You can tell alot about the mechanicals by looking at the interior ?

I love the look and sound of Ferrari but COO seems extreme.

[epbrown]

Talking to Ferrari owners, the 8-cylinder cars are feasible as ar as COO, while the 12-cylinders are simply expensive to own, no matter what; getting one is simply a matter of deciding to pay the cost. Lots of Porsche owners are former Ferrari owners - the experience leaves you craving performance and reliability, and that spells Porsche.

But, Porschephile that I am, I don't think there's any 911 as beautiful as some of the 60s Ferraris - my favorites are the 330, early 365 (no offense Terry), and the Dino. From the 70s through the 80s, I didn't like any of them.

Had a great day today, though - here in Chicago the FOC had their "Ferraris on Oak St." display, with some Maseratis and Lamborghinis thrown in, with one lonely Fiat Spider. Didn't even know they would be there; I was going to see "The Italian Job" at the Esquire and the street was blocked off and full of Ferraris! There was a gorgeous 365 2+2 there, and hearing the non-car people comments was hilarious. A woman looking at a '77 308 couldn't believe it wasn't worth $200,000 Another guy thought a Testarossa was brand new, until I pointed out it was the same car Selleck drove in Magnum PI.

By the way - the Ferrari crowd dresses a bit better than the Porsche folks; must be that Italian flair

Emanuel