I have really taken a shine to our long-term 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi. Shocking, I know. But the important part is, I'm no longer intimidated by it. Yes, it's a cop magnet...
But it's so easy to drive. It's been taken care of, so it starts right up. The key turns easily so that problem is eliminated. It takes about 2 minutes to remove or reattach the roof. Sure, there's no power steering so it's a bit hard to park. But just give it a little gas and the steering lightens up considerably. And the chassis is so solid that it feels so composed on the road. It's not even that much trouble in traffic (as much as anything can not suck in traffic, that is).
As long as you understand its limitations (driveways, bumps, things like that) and quirks, it's a blast.
It really rewards patience and time spent behind the wheel. Or maybe it just likes me because io parlo Italiano (un po).
Doug Lloyd, Senior Copy Editor @ 51,319 miles
johnnyturbo says:
01:15 PM, 01/14/08
It looks like the left side of the engine cover isn't seated all the way down. "Yo Gino, hop ahta the cah and push that down, willya?"
I'm from Boston and of Italian heritage, so I can say that...
dragonflight says:
04:15 PM, 01/14/08
@johnnyturbo:
"I'm Irish, wanna fight about it?"
Getting back on topic, I would thoroughly enjoy driving a car like this. Despite the age, it seems like it'd be a great summer/spare car. And hopefully if I treat it well, it won't be as expensive as Edmunds' :P
skierx420 says:
04:36 PM, 01/14/08
i once heard a joke that started like this.......
estreka says:
05:35 PM, 01/14/08
"It's been taken care of, so it starts right up"
Uhhh, yeah.
mlowery85 says:
05:40 PM, 01/14/08
This is the most irrelevant vehicle of all the long termers, yet seems to get the most coverage. I understand it's something different, and something only a die hard car enthusiast could hope to appreciate - but what percentage of people buy these in comparison to the Accord?
As a faithful LT blog reader, I'd like to see more about the vehicles of today and less about the car in the fleet that is way, way beyond its prime.
funkymunky says:
05:50 PM, 01/14/08
M Lowery:
Perhaps you should read the introduction to this car. It's not irrelevant at all. Inside Line is for enthusiasts, people who love cars. Many of our readers have old cars, collector cars, fun cars.
Therefore, we posited that an enthusiast with about $30K in his pocket could actually buy an old Ferrari. The blog is about what it's like to actually own the car, and our experiment to see if it's fun, expensive, a daily driver, all of those things. It's actually quite relevant and the readers really enjoy it.
We bought a used BMW M3 for the same purpose. It's a fun exercise. And yes, our other cars are all modern, and cover a variety of styles: sedans, coupes, manual, automatic, minvan, pickup, SUV.
louiswei says:
07:09 PM, 01/14/08
So as long as this car is fun to drive, nothing else matters right? Got it. Is it going to be the same with the M3?
Does one really need to purchase an old Ferrari just to see if it's "fun to drive"? It is, after all, a Ferrari...
If I have $25k to spare and an unlimited fund to keep it running I'd choose the 308 over the Camry as well.
altimadude00 says:
09:30 PM, 01/14/08
"Speed checked by radar" *snickers*
Buying this Ferrari would justify the purchase of lace back leather driving gloves. (Probably the only justification for such driving gloves!)
benson2175 says:
02:15 AM, 01/15/08
This car is way more relevant to me than some Accord or Camry. I've always wanted to know what it's like to own a used exotic and have many times toyed with the idea of buying one. By the way I just watched Cannonball Run and if the 308 is good enough for Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin it's good enough for me.
dougtheeng says:
06:52 AM, 01/15/08
To me, the posts about this car are much more welcome than the posts about the navigation systems in an endless list of ugly family haulers. Some of us could care less about the Camry, Accord and Malibu. I personally would hate to drive any of those cars.
So, thanks to Edmunds and IL for giving me the chance to see what it might be like to own an exotic (and an imagination, unlike some).
Edit for spelling.
louiswei says:
09:15 AM, 01/15/08
So it's fun to drive the 308 and expensive to keep it running, what else do those of you who "could care less about the Camry, Accord and Malibu" and "don't want to hear about the navigation systems in an endless list of ugly family haulers" want to know? The beautiful 20-year-old paint that looks faded and ugly when compare next to a brand new MB? WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? This is a Ferrari, it drives good and expensive to maintain, WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?
I believe the whole point about the "long term blog" is to provide the reader of the "total ownership experience". We want to know exactly what's going on about each car, NOT JUST HOW GOOD IT DRIVES. If the later is the case why doesn't Edmunds just rent those exotics for a weekend and report back about the "driving experience" only. So far I haven't seen anyone knocking on the $5k repair cost and why is that? I believe most people who buy an old Ferrari also like to work on it themselves, Edmunds apparently doesn't do that, why's that? Isn't the "long term blog" suppose to be the "total ownership experience" instead of the 150-mile-twisty-road-driving-experience?
I come to the "long term blog" to see things like:
- The shocking news about that some editors actually prefer automatic than manual in the G35.
- The Honda Fit is actually sporty but how crappy the manual tranny is.
If I just want to know how a car "drives" then I'll just read the road test articles.
sabastian says:
09:58 AM, 01/15/08
"So far I haven't seen anyone knocking on the $5k repair cost and why is that?"
You're kidding right? The Ferrari is probably tied with the Aura for 'The Most Whined About Car in Edmunds History' Award. Every single post its "Stop talking about how much you like it! Every blog should be about how a (insert your car here) is more cost effective than this heap of Italian junk!" Different LT blogs appeal to different people. I really couldn't car less about the Outlander, Wrangler, Rondo, Tundra, or Enclave, but I do like to read about the Ferrari. If it bothers you that much, just read about the Lancer. I'm sure you'll find some useful consumer advice there.
estreka says:
11:32 AM, 01/15/08
Knowing what you know now, what would you look for in a classic exotic?
I don't want to beat you to the final LT review, but given your experience, is this car more enjoyable than frustrating or vice versa?
dougtheeng says:
11:44 AM, 01/15/08
louiswei:
I think those of us who like the 308 blogs want to know the same things you do about the other blogs. In fact you stated it yourself, the "total ownership experience".
I, for one, feel like the 308 blogs are providing that.
In the case of an old exotic, its true that you aren't going to have shocking news about comparing the clutch of this Ferarri to that of an old Lambo. Its hard to make direct comparisons in this case, except of course to modern vehicles but thats a fairly irrelevant case.
The value in the 308 blogs is reading about the passion and emotions that owning such a vehicle elicit. Edmunds may not do the repair work themselves, but that doesnt mean there is no value in seeing how much (and what sort of) work may be necessary to own this vehicle.
Besides, there are what, like 20 other blogs for you to rant in? If you aren't a fan of this one, don't be rude, just go rut somewhere else.
louiswei says:
11:57 AM, 01/15/08
So providing a different voice is being "rude"? Wow!! Just because I don't agree with other people I should just shut up? If that's the cases, same should be applied for the 20 other blogs, if you are not a fan of a Kia Rondo, Saturn Aura or Honda Accord then don't voice your opinion. Because according to Doug that is BEING RUDE!!
Give me a break...
By the way, where is the "total ownership experience" for the 308 if none of the editors has said about how they feel about the $5k repair bill so far? Also, I have been asking the same question from the very beginning and yet have received no response: Would you still think the 308 is "all that" if the repair bills are coming out of your own pocket?
Edit: Apparently I confused Dougtheeng with the editor Doug, here I apologize for that. I have edited the original post as well. Again, sorry about that.
Also, thanks for those who noticed my mistake and took time to let me know, I am deeply appreciated.
boxermike says:
12:20 PM, 01/15/08
Louiswei: the Doug you are replying to is not the same Doug who wrote this blog.
funkymunky says:
12:23 PM, 01/15/08
Yo lou:
Lighten up. I don't think you're rude, but at least don't call me someone else. I'm not an engineer. I'm a copy editor. I know it's shocking that there could actually be two people in this world named Doug, but there you have it.
And we talk about the repairs all the time. Read back a bit and you'll find a few choice words from Scott Oldham about the repair bills. That's a HUGE part of this blog in total. We may have only paid $28K for this car, but if it ends up costing us another 10 grand for a year of maintenance, that's a very valuable bit of information for our readers. How we feel about $5K? It's a lot. Some real rich guy might not think twice about it. But we mention it and outline and detail what we pay, and that's the sort of thing we provide.
aps2 says:
12:29 PM, 01/15/08
louis,
No one likes a $5K repair bill, but this car was purchased cheaply, and had differred maintenance and age related issues. These issues are now exposed due to the car's regular use.
That's why if you look on some of the Ferrari forums eg. FerrariChat, you will see that there are three pieces of advice commonly given to those that ask about buying an older Ferrari:
1. Get a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection) by a mechanic that is an expert in older Ferraris.
2. Buy the best car you can afford - there are no cheap Ferraris, either you pay more for a good car or you spend a fortune and a lot of time fixing it.
3. Expect to spend $5K - $10K taking care of issues that will come up in the first year.
What's nice is that we get to witness these issues here through Edmunds and, hopefully learn from them; especially if we are interested in these old cars. Ferraris can be very reliable by old car standards as long as they are well maintained. Personally, I'm curious if the unscheduled maintenance issues will begin to taper off in the next few months.
Finally, most new cars will beat most old Ferraris based on the numbers; however, I find that each drive in an old Ferrari is an experience unto itself, whereas driving a modern car, even a high performance one, is just a commute.
louiswei says:
12:33 PM, 01/15/08
Yeah, sorry about that Doug, I have edited my previous post.
mercedesfan says:
12:36 PM, 01/15/08
To lighten the mood here, I really enjoy reading about this classic Ferrari. As the owner of a classic Mercedes myself I have a great appreciation for older cars. Sure they are slow, they don't handle all that well, and they can cost a fortune to repair. Personally that doesn't matter to me, my 1969 280SE 3.5 has more soul in its wiper stalk than every car in this LT blog does combined (excluding the Ferrari).
This is not to attack modern cars, I love my modern Benzes and all that they offer. I also understand how some people would criticize this old Ferrari, but owning a classic car is a highly irrational decision. It is purely based on emotion and that is what I find in these blogs.
Also, for the record; my 1969 Benz has 320,000 miles on it and has yet to have a serious mechanical problem to speak of. Not every classic car purchase is a money pit.
dougtheeng says:
12:39 PM, 01/15/08
Sorry for the name confusion. I can't think of a creative on like you guys so I just used the ole name/profession formula, lol.
Edited for content.
mlowery85 says:
05:43 PM, 01/15/08
I think the point being made is that this car is not more important than the new ones to the majority of people. I find this blog to be a very valuable resource in determining the real qualities in cars outside of the showroom. I also trust and read edmunds.com and insideline over any other car resource. I consider myself an enthusiast, but old cars don't do much for me. I'm more interested in the cars I might be buying in the future. This is all just my opinion, I can see that buying this car is a fun experiment. I don't fault edmunds for that.
billymay says:
10:26 PM, 01/17/08
I love this L-T test. All of us have modern cars, and frankly they all get the job done, have a bunch of airbags, cupholders, etc. It took a lot of imagination to reach back a couple of decades for an iconic dream car.
What's funny is that for the $5K spent on a Ferrari major service every few years, a new BMW probably costs far more than that in depreciation. But more importantly -- and I say this having a Ferrari 328 as a second car -- anyone who's a real gearhead owes it to himself (or herself) to experience these cars before prices do the usual old Ferrari thing and rise beyond the 'impulse buy' range like the 246 that came before. I'd also add that my service costs for calendar 2007 were under $800 (including all fluids changed and a fuel accumulator replaced for $200). Then I put four new Goodyear Eagle F1s on for $550 total. I hate to use 'value' and 'Ferrari' in the same breath, but the fun factor for the 308/328 is great --- and I really thought about getting a new Boxster S or similar instead. I would have regretted that.
Assuming you have a practical car already, the Ferrari 308 is something real enthusiasts should consider in the $40K+ range. So, kudos to Edmunds for this.