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Coupes & Convertibles Ferrari Ferrari-the Ultimate classic (Ferrari Lovefest Topic)
729 messages, Last post on Nov 01, 2008 at 8:45 AM
You are in the Ferrari Forum. Your Host is claires
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Replying to: tsaupe1 (Feb 26, 2005 6:17 am) I'm definitely planning to see the MFA exhibit. |
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Here's the story: I've been searching for a nice weekend sports car for a while, and got a serious crush on a 328 that got away. Before I drove that, I thought a pristine used 911 cabrio would be The Car. But then I drove this '86 328GTS in blu chiaro. Wow. It made the Porsche seem very plasticky and ordinary. But, it wasn't as nice as advertised, needed some paintwork due to scrapes, had enough minor trim things wrong that the asking price turned out to be a little, uh, optimistic. But, smitten by my new automotive lust object, I dropped the 911 search and have spent the last couple of months looking for a great pre-88 1/2 328. Easier said than done, even though I'm in SoCal and you'd think everyone and his mom has a Ferrari. Frustration. Today I get a call from a broker in Missouri, who deals in high-end cars and specializes in 993's. I had dropped him a note back in January, and he hadn't had much luck finding a low mileage 993 cabrio with my color criteria (hate grey interiors for some reason). As luck would have it, he has The Perfect car coming in, a '96 993 black/black/black with 11,000 miles. The car's never seen rain, no dings, no scrapes, yada yada yada. It really is primo, and the 993 is a few notches more attractive (in my eyes) than the portly 996. In the meantime, a couple of non-car people have told me I'd be an idiot to buy a Ferrari because (cue script here) they're unreliable, maintenance costs a ton, etc. Some of this is true, some of it's bull, but common wisdom isn't always wise. Yes, a 911's going to be less fussy, but the exotic factor just isn't there. I can deal with $4K every 3-4 years for a major belt service, and 328's have a good reputation for being tough cars (by Ferrari standards). So: I need this group to tell me whether I should grab the 911 and wait for the right 328 to come along, or whether I'd be an idiot not to take a pristine 911 cabriolet. I already have a daily driver - Jeep Liberty - so practical is not a requirement here. I can afford either, but I'm not sickeningly rich -- if I get the Porsche, that's my car purchase for '05. Sooooo... help. Jon aka Billymay
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| that the 328 offers a much better driving experience than a 911, you should look for the right 328 (and it pays to be fussy). They aren't common but you should be able to find what you want. | |
| than many Ferraris but it all comes down to getting the right one. It's better to pay a bit more up front for a really well sorted car than try to save and end up paying on the other end. You can't get much more different driving experiences between a 328 and a 911. Best to drive a couple of both models before deciding. | |
| For all northeast Tifosi, Tutto Italiano, Italian car day at the Lars Anderson Museum of Transportation is Sunday, May 22nd this year. Always a good time and lots of interesting Italian cars to see. Hope to see some of you there! | |
| First Drive: 2005 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti | |
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Replying to: billymay (Apr 13, 2005 5:50 pm) Both great cars. The 328 will cost you a lot more to drive....figure as a rule of thumb $1 per mile. Are you prepared to pay that? If not, then don't buy it. Yep, that's right---10,000 miles could cost you $10,000. Not EVERY year perhaps, but averaged out that's what it'll be. The 993 is, IMO a much better car than the 996 engine-wise. I have little confidence in the durability of the 996 engine, having finally seen a couple of them taken apart. The 993 will run forever, you can use it every day, it is not fussy in the least and won't cost you $1 per mile. The Ferrari will give you a unique driving experience---you will have some wonderful happy days in a 328 and you will have a few very unhappy days in a 328. If you go for the Ferrari, buy the very best car you can afford, with all services performed. Many sellers dump them right at 30K when the big service is due, ka-ching, that's at least $3K. Also, before you buy the 328, line up a good Ferrari shop and listen to what they have to say. They should perform a pre-sale check and you can use that checkup to bargain your price to some extent. |
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Replying to: billymay (Apr 13, 2005 5:50 pm) There is no denying that the 328 is a unique driving experience. I've probably put about 1,500 miles on my friend's over the years. However, it is like the saying goes "the only thing better than owning a boat is having a friend who owns one". He has it serviced by an independent mechanic that keeps it running at a cost of about $3,000 per year for 3,000 +/- miles (almost exactly what the Host estimated). I think budgeting anything less is a bit of a risk. I am now considering re-entering the sports car market. The 328 is tempting. I am on the list for a 2006 911(997) S convertible . The earliest delivery date is likely to be October+. While my friend would sell me the 328 at a fraction of the cost of the new 911, the 911 can fit my wife and daughters for a weekend getaway and won't require service for the first 2 years or 20,000 miles. I suspect with the 911, I would put 7,000 - 10,000 miles per year on it, since it is a fairly comfortable ride. The 328, on the other hand, would probably do more sitting than driving. Let us know what you decide. |
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The NY Times on affordable Ferraris. |
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