Ferrari 308GT4

[josephvman]

Stephen,

I've turned down some borderline ridiculous offers for the car lately, but it's not for sale, nor will it likely ever be.

Regarding 308 vs. 328, 328's are a bit more refined, particularly the late 88/89 cars. Being a decade newer than the earliest 308's, they've likely suffered less neglect, abuse, or deferred maintenance. There are quite a few variants of 308's in particular, all with their own strengths, weaknesses, and quirks, but driving character remains similar across the board, and performance is similar as well, with the exception of the 2V injected 80-82 cars that were down quite a bit on power. My favorites are the early glass cars, pre-catalyst carbed GTB's (coupes), quattrovalvole GTB's, and my '89 GTB. The pool of average to good 328's is much larger than 308's, so you're more likely to find a good 328. Service costs are similar across the range, but many of the 308's had sodium-filled valves that can fail, but it's not all that common. This is probably the only 308/328 issue that I would consider potentially catastrophic in terms of cost, and in he past could turn a cheap one into a salvage case, costing nearly the value of the car to repair. Now that values have jumped, finding yourself upside down because of a valve failure is less of an issue, however that doesn't change the cost of the repair.

308 GT4's are a bit of a wild-card. They have the distinction of being the only Bertone-designed production Ferrari, not an insignificant factor for future collectibility. They can look a bit homely in certain colors (one of the few that doesn't look as good in red as many other colors), especially beside a 246 or 308, but I really like the way they drive, and they're a very interesting package of efficient design, considering mid-engine with rear seats. I wish I would have picked one up when a well-sorted car could be bought for $25k.

As for maintenance costs, I would budget $5k a year to own one of these cars. Most years you'll spend $2k for basic service, and every 4-5 you'll spend $10-15k for a full-blown major service. $5k a year covers that and then some, and you can take comfort in the fact that nice cars are appreciating, so actual cost of ownership is much lower than you'd think.

Originally Posted by stephentross

Beautiful car. That is what i am looking for and I live in Houston as well. If you ever want to sell. Please PM me here