Ferrari 308 GTS

[RSTarga]

They look good, but the build quality on those late 70's and 80's cars left a lot to be desired. Similar to an XKE. Just read Donahue;s comments about when they raced that Ferrari at Daytona. Even on the race cars the quality was just not there.

[Louie]

decades on any short comings have been identified and remedies enacted. Much like Porsches of the same era.
Do be mindful of the early 308 (non-glass cars). The pre-84 (IIRC) 308s weren't galvanized and were slower.
In the 3x8 world the market seems to be chasing:
Glass 308s
84-85 QVs
Virtually any 328.

As others have stated it makes no sense why 3x8s aren't massively more expensive. Based on Hagertys pricing info that seems to be changing.

Personally I am in the hunt for a sorted 84-85 QV. Ideally a Euro car.

[swbstudios]

They look good, but the build quality on those late 70's and 80's cars left a lot to be desired. Similar to an XKE. Just read Donahue;s comments about when they raced that Ferrari at Daytona. Even on the race cars the quality was just not there.

This simply has not been my experience. The 308 pictured is wearing its original paint, the interior leather/fit is very good, the drivetrain is original and it runs perfect. The doors close with a "thunk" just as nice as my 911s and the overall impression is one of a quality piece and a special drive. I'll match the quality of my 308 against a 911 of that period-easy to do as we have an 85 two owner Carrera in the driveway as well . As to Ferrari race car quality, not too many cars could have competed at Daytona and LeMans with a basically stock car like the Ferrari 365 GTB did. They even ran one in 79 when it was basically an antique and it nearly won the race overall.

[Mike_Moore]

The car to have is the euro fibreglass 308, or Vetroresina as the cognoscenti call them! ( Fibreglass sounds so much better in Italian...)
These were the very first of the 308 and the purist in form, dry sump motor with webers carbs gave 255hp which Ferrari used in 76/77
for homologating this new V8 for racing. All went a bit downhill after that with the introduction of wet sump and fuel injection.

[friggens]

I appreciate all the positive and informative comments here. Good question Frank.

Its like a quick left turn... And frankly I don't think I've ever been privy to an informed discussion about 308's at all...

The guy who had my '83 SC traded it for a 308. He said the SC was a better driving car, but that a Ferrari was on his bucket list. SAC Colonel from Omaha.

cheers!

[pu911rsr]

I remember sitting in my 79 SC at a stop light in Ann Arbor when someone from C&D pulled up next to me in a red 308, one can imagine what happened next. To quote the thread starter- I got out my car a while later and thought "damn that was stupid".
Phil

[boxster03]

looked at once - $25K - needed basic maint. - on top of the engine out basics - new tires/brakes and chasing down a/c leak - repair bill est. pushed $60K - what a bargain

[swbstudios]

looked at once - $25K - needed basic maint. - on top of the engine out basics - new tires/brakes and chasing down a/c leak - repair bill est. pushed $60K - what a bargain

I don't know how that is even possible. A major performed by the owner is about 1800. Even quoted by the Ferrari dealer, its still between 4500-6000. and includes timing belts, fan belts, coolant hoses, water pump, fluid flush, plugs,filters,etc.
My engine has never been out of the car to perform a belt change, although some do prefer to R&R. I just replaced my brakes-nothing exorbitant about any of the parts and tires are also inexpensive as they are not large diameter.
That number quoted was bogus-unless the car needed a complete rebuild. The cost to rebuild a 308 V8 is no more than what many of us have spent on our flat 6 engines.

[LongRanger]

. . . The car to have is the euro fibreglass 308, or Vetroresina as the cognoscenti call them! ( Fibreglass sounds so much better in Italian...)
These were the very first of the 308 and the purist in form, dry sump motor with webers carbs gave 255hp which Ferrari used in 76/77
for homologating this new V8 for racing. All went a bit downhill after that with the introduction of wet sump and fuel injection . . .

Hear-hear!

Fiat --- excuse, me . . . Ferrari built over 12,000 308/328s, between '75 and '85 . . . but only ~700-800 were GRP. After the switch to steel, all the GTSs had wet-sumps, while the Berlinettas were supposed to still be dry-sumped thru '80-'81 (?)

Depending on who you believe, steel cars only weight ~25 lbs more than the plastic ones. But, seems nobody actually weighs those cars either, so . . .

Anyway, the early cars have carbs --- which are supposed to sound great . . . but the later cars have 4-valve heads, which --- well . . . have more valves. So, it's always sounded like the best combo would be an early dry-sump car --- steel or 'glass, depending on your climate, I guess . . . w/ carbs + a later set of Quattrovalvole heads? Euro bumpers, please

Nobody 's done it, AFaIK

Then again . . . nobody 'Outlaws' their Ferrari, either --- or drives them much, for that matter . . . so . . .



. . . you could be the First One, Frank!

[Frank Beck]

Now that the gallery has sounded off I'm hearing they're nicer to look at than drive which I can embrace.

Heck, isn't that why guys buy boxers over briefs?

What I'm not clear on is the best value right now. Let's say buyer has no preference of plastic vs steel and carbs vs FI.

Best bang for buck is what?