Hey guys, just wanted to see if anyone had any advice/warnings about a couple Ferraris I found for sale locally. I have never owned a Ferrari or any "exotic" car. I just thought it would be fun to purchase one of these as a second car, a toy just to enjoy for fun as they fall within an affordable price range for me.

1. 1983 Ferrari 308 GTSI with 36,000 miles. Asking $32k.
2. 1989 Ferrari 348 TS with 23,000 miles, asking $37k.

Anyone here who has owned either similar model that can tell me if it is worth the purchase? I haven't found any specific details yet (service records, etc). Just saw them today and started thinking it might be fun. Any thoughts/comments are appreciated.

 

I just come to the conclusion that you can get ALOT more car in the $40k range.

Sure the 308 is a Ferrari, but from a performance standpoint most people would agree they are pretty underwhelming. If your whole point is to be able to say, "Look I own a Ferrari", then this will get the job done. Otherwise, I wouldn't expect too much.

I like the 348's. The design is nice and they have 300hp. But, this is not a 37k purchase and you are done. It will need maintenance, obviously.

 

Thanks for the reply. You didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. I think I just got turned on by the thought of the purchase and needed someone to tell me it wasn't a good idea. I pretty much had already decided against it. To me, a purchase like this should be something you can throw money at without really thinking about it. If I purchased one, it would be the 348 as I really like the way it looks. But, I think I am going to save the money I would spend on these and put it towards something much better down the road. Like, a new M3, or if I decide to buy my first Ferrari...maybe a 355?

 

What about a Maserati?
Similar a Ferrari, but you can buy a newer model Maserati for quite a bit less.

2006 Grandsport with 13k miles for around 40k...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2006-...ht_23697wt_939

 

I've pretty much decided I'm going to wait a while and see what my options are next spring. It's about to get cold here so a purchase like this won't do me any good until spring anyway.

 

While the 308 is the only actual Ferrari of the two, a 40K Ferrari is not a 40K Ferrari. It's a 200K Ferrari with a 40K down payment. Unless you love it enough to be prepared to shell out the right amount (read: massive amounts!) on maintenance and upkeep, it's gonna drive you crazy.

Please tell me you are joking ....

 

FWIW, the 355 is much more car than the 308/348. Prices are getting very reasonable for excellent cars. As stated (and you apparently know), budget for the original MSRP when it comes to maintenance.

 

Yeah I have zero interest in the maserati. And I didn't realize that 355 prices had come down that much so that would definitely be my choice. Appreciate the info on the maintenance cost. I knew there would definitely be some cost involved, but didn't realize it was that much. Maybe I will do something next year once it warms up again. Thanks guys!

 

Some kick-ass ones I found on AutoTrader were around $50K.

 

I have owned a couple of 308s, and put a LOT of miles on them. Particularly my first one, which was a 1977. In my experience, they did not require much maintenance or expense at all. The drivetrains are fairly bullet proof, but there will always be a window or radio or rear defroster that isn't working. But they are fairly simple cars that I have found to be trouble free. The key is driving them regularly, as they do not like to sit for weeks or months at a time. Of course, in both cases I lost my mind on mods, with custom wheels, suspensions, brakes, seats, exhausts, ignitions, tuning, mirrors, mats, stereos, etc. etc.

I also disagree with the idea that you can buy a lot more car in this price range. Put a Tubi exhaust on a 308, leave it otherwise fairly stock, and you should have years of great driving pleasure. Incredible sound, decent performance, and a car that is still beautiful today. I have owned 6 Ferraris, and numerous other sports cars and exotics. But I would buy another 308 in a heartbeat.

As a side note, I only have had one of the two have an engine fire and burn to the ground, which I think is probably about the right average.

Personally not a 348 fan, styling or performance-wise, and they are known for electrical gremlins.