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More Cheap Italiana anyone?

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Bret

Bret

Yoda
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Hey Folks,

Kind of a follow up to my previous post on the Maserati Biturbo. I’ve noticed a few “cheap” Ferraris of late.

The vehicles in question are some of the 308 variants. The cheapest I’ve found was a 1975 308 GT/4 has been listed for just $4200. Likewise I’ve also seen several GTSI’s & a Mondial priced around $12,000.

Now I’m no expert on exotics but like the Maserati Biturbo it seems to me that these Prancing Stallions are priced a heck of a lot lower than I would expect. The two thoughts that come to mind when something seems like a great deal – it usually isn’t. I suspect that there is either an expensive ($$$$) problem that the seller doesn’t want to deal with or they are tired of the high cost of repairs & required basic maintenance.
 
They won't have had the proper maintenance done over the past several years, and may need a complete rebuild. I saw a Lamborghini Countach once for about $10,000 Engine had blown up, and some parts were missing. I'da loved to own it, cause I'd just yank the engine, and start rebuilding... Buy parts and special tools along the way.

Eventually, It'd go back together.
 
It appears that the two 308 GTSI’s are actually replicars (didn’t know they made such a thing?) so that explains the $12000 price tag.

In the case of the GT/4 the seller who describes the car as:
“VERY GOOD CONDITIONS, NEEDS A TUNE UP AND TLC”

Considing that tune-up & TLC could be translated in many ways – I suspect it be expensive either way with a Ferrari of any flavor. Doing a quick search on line I discovered that a Minor (15000 miles) Service is about $1,200 and a Major (30,000 miles) Service is about $3,000. And that’s assuming that you don’t have a serious problem.

The Mondial says that the engine needs a rebuild. I suspect that ain’t cheap either and will put the price tag for a Major Service to shame.

Oh well, if I guess if I really want Italian I’ll just have to be happy with my wife’s Lasagna. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Also the 308 GT4 is probably the least desireable Ferrari of all time, not the best investment Ferrari to own.

Prices are pretty low on that particular model
 
That'd be unless ya want to go racing in your Ferrari and don't want to prang the Mondial/Testarossa/F40, whatever... you can buy a 308 cheap and set it up for racing. If you wind up in the weeds it can be patched up and campaigned some more. Wouldn't do for a Ferrari owner to race a Pinto, now, would it?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
Some of us are kind of sensitive about Pinto sardonicisms /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Besides, the GT4 & the Mondial aren't much better (all things considered)
 
geez... can't make smartarse references to th' French, <check>, can't demean the Japanese car builders <check>, can't even call *myself* a maggot, <check>... Now I can't lean on guys who push Pintos around racetracks... <CHECK!>...

Oh, th' HUMANITY!!!!
 
When it comes to Italian cars I reckon you'll pay one way or another... if not at first then almost certainly later, and probably more than you'd have imagined possible.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
If I coould afford the "price of admission" I'd have a V-12 Ferrari example here. I could keep it going with no qualms or fears as to "labour expenses"... parts sources are open to me at good (relatively) rates, but to pony up the lolly for the THING itself is a mountain I can't climb in good conscience. I'm content with my "Poor Man's Ferrari's". Cousins....

Besides: aren't they ALL Fiats now? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
If I were seriously thinking of a used Ferrari,I'd be sure to pay an expert to examine it first.
It could save you $1000's of $$$$.

- Doug
 
If you want cheap (reliable) italian... Get an Alfa... If you'd like to earn your meachanical engineering degree, get the ferrari, and learn to work on it.
 
Well, tune up & TLC on a Ferrari woud buy a good MGB driver!
 
I had toyed with the idea of a getting a 308....kinda like an introduction to ferrari ownership.....I find them to be very beautiful cars, and I even went and looked at a few of them....But reality hit when I looked at my storage space, and having a ferrari sitting out in the driveway just wouldn't be right.
I've also threaten my british cars with the idea of selling the entire collection and buying a ferrari.....but once the brits finally decide to behave I tend to forget all about those evil ideas.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you want cheap (reliable) italian... Get an Alfa... If you'd like to earn your meachanical engineering degree, get the ferrari, and learn to work on it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Kenny has a good point. An Alfa has a lot going for it. A Lancia Fulvia HF would be a sweet ride, too.
 
Funny thing about my Alfa... When I drove it to the store a few weeks ago, a young guy was sitting in the car next to mine... He Asked where the engine was in that car and what kind of car was it? He'd never even heard of Alfa Romeo, and seems a bit disappointed that it was front engined, but he still liked the way it looked. Next time, I might say Ferrari and point at the trunk /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif
 
My usual comeback is: "It's Italian. See the RUST?!" Then chime it up and slowly wind it to 6K in first onna way out... I know they're thinkin': "Whoa! Whatth'heck waz that?"
 
[ QUOTE ]
... Now I can't lean on guys who push Pintos around racetracks... <CHECK!>...

Oh, th' HUMANITY!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

It depends on what Pintos you're going on about, the somewhat
badly engineered '70's vehicle, or the "real" one, which
is the designation for the Ford EAO2.0L engine. So what
do you consider "wrong" with them??

SteveL
 
Actually, they make a fairly balanced cheap ride when the exploding fuel tank thing was fixed.... Hard to live it down though. We came the 900 miles from WVa to AL in a pinto wagon. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif I'd imagine the 2 door one's make nice racecars.
 
SteveL: Nothing ~wrong~ with 'em... except they have the wheels inside the body, and DOORS. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

...it's *all* in jest.
 
When I was very young my parents had a Pinto wagon, fake wood paneling on the sides and all. Mom spun it into a guard rail during an ice storm one winter and that was that. Then later when I was in high school one of my aunts bought a new car and gave my parents her old red Pinto 2 door coupe. Dad did a little work to it and threw a set of Keystone Classic wheels on it that we had from a Mustang II many years before. It looked kinda nice and they used it as a beater third car for awhile. One night I was coming home from the Jersey shore with a girl I was seeing at the time, about 3am or some ungodly hour, and the motor started to make some serious noise. We pulled off the highway into Perth Amboy, not a nice area for those not familiar with Jersey. I looked around at the neighborhood we were in and figured there was no way I was gonna stop there at that hour with a girl, dying car or not. I drove that thing the rest of the way home, with the noise getting louder and sicker sounding the whole way. Next morning a quick look at the motor revealed that the oil pump must have started dying and I had basically worn the cam lobes flat. Dad didn't want to spend the money to put in a new motor so we threw it away at that point, but I always thought it was a decent little car to drive. Not bad at all.
 
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