328 GTS : Buying Advice & Owner Experience - all advice, and stories gladly welcome!

[BenjaminBraddock]

Hi
I had a 1989 gts Rosso and crema for quite a few years.
I never had many bills except one which was to replace lots of rubber bits on the engine that had dried out due to lack of use.
I sold it as I had out grown it. ( I got fat ).
Having no power steering made it hard to do tight turns at slow speed,
Once on the move it was great.
wish I'd been in a position to keep it as it was so pretty.
Unlike other Ferrari's I've had ,people admired it rather than make rude gestures at me.
It suits people with long arms and short legs , and the pedals are offset but you get used to that as well.
Good luck finding the right one

Thank you Phil - its encouraging to hear you also found bills relatively low - clearly I need to make sure I get a well looked after car, and I've been told its good to see a car has done a thousand miles or so every year to turn the wheels and get fluids up to temperature which helps maintain the rubber bits better, although age is still a factor of course.

As I've now shed almost 3 stone of middle age spread I hope getting in and out and being comfortable while driving wont be a problem - lets hope so ..

My pals talk about some of the rude gestures and comments they get while sitting at lights or filling up in petrol stations - strange how some people are, I always speak to owners of interesting cars.. but nice to hear you had better experiences in your 328...!

[BenjaminBraddock]

I have a 308GT4 rather than a GTB/GTS but the experience will not be that much different.

As all have said, very easy to live with and a great driving fun experience. Yes heavy steering at low speed and the lock is abysmal so you'll need to do a number of manoeuvres if in a tight space, but great feedback once you get going. Performance is very good for a 35 - 40 year old car and certainly as quick as you can go on most roads.

You need to get used to the driving position but it's fine once you learn it.

My A/C is now, after some remedials, really efficient, but yes, I still get a frozen knee!

Mechanically these cars are pretty bullet proof if used regularly. Rust is always the enemy so be aware of what you are buying.

Good point Francis regarding rust I'd forgotten to mention this - I understand the usual places around arches and doors are the places to check.

Is sorting the A/C an expensive job? Do you remember what the various issues were and what parts were required?

The so-called lack of performance isn't an issue for me, and like you I tend to think 270BHP, or whatever that has reduced to over time, is still spritely in this car. Also I don't have hyper performance with some of my cars which are all about the overall driving experience.

[Triggerfish]

"Is sorting the A/C an expensive job? Do you remember what the various issues were and what parts were required?"

Don't worry about the aircon, You'll never use it. You'll probably never use the car with the roof on.

Incidentally, although I fitted in the car, my brother couldn't drive it with the roof in place, and a couple of my friends couldn't get their knees under the steering wheel. Have you sat in one yet?

[BenjaminBraddock]

I think I just found it a little limiting. I only tended to use it to go out for a blast. I certainly wouldn't have ventured too far for a weekend away with the wife! I do have a soft spot for the 308/328. I still think its a classic beauty, but you can't get past the fact its now old and not exactly quick. I traded it 13 years ago for a 575m and immediately drove that to Monaco, the following year Prague, and last year Croatia....yes I still have it, and it's still a joy to drive, even though I have since bought a 458.

I guess if I was looking for a classic Ferrari, I'd be looking for a 355...manual of course! But my service bills would also be much higher that a 328.

One thing I would say, is if you've never had a Ferrari, the 328 is a great way to start, so easy to own. Get to know your local independent specialist and they'll no doubt look after you. Don't buy a rough one, it will cost more to sort than a well looked after example. One of the leading 328 specialists is Adam Ayre at A E Performance, in Knutsford.

BTW, I see James May is selling his rather nice 308 via Kent High Performance...

Andrew that all makes sense - I wonder how many people would trust their 328 now to take them to France/Italy/Spain and back. I'd love to but it's a helluva risk. The 575M is perfect for crossing continents - the V12 must eat the miles! I've got a Maserati GT which is also built for this kind of trip, but they are not without their gremlins..

I'd absolutely love a 355 one day, its my dream to have one, but to get the deal rubber stamped by my wife (a happy wife is a happy life), the lower service and maintenance costs and slightly lower purchase price is key..

I've already spoken to a couple of local specialists, and need to contact a coupe of others too. Thank you for the top tip - I will definitely reach out to Adam Ayre as I've not heard of him before.

I saw James May's recent video on DriveTribe re him selling his 308 - I think it's now sold. In fact Kent High Performance are one of the specialists that I've spoken to. Funny enough when I was out for an early Sunday morning drive with my Ferrari pals plus a couple of other cars in August/early-September, we think we saw May in his 308 in the Lewes area, as he has a 2nd home around there/Brighton.

I've ruled the 308 out only down to better performance on the 328. Not sure what others who have owned/driven 308 and 328 think about this?

[BenjaminBraddock]

"Is sorting the A/C an expensive job? Do you remember what the various issues were and what parts were required?"

Incidentally, although I fitted in the car, my brother couldn't drive it with the roof in place, and a couple of my friends couldn't get their knees under the steering wheel. Have you sat in one yet?

I haven't driven one yet - as much as I'd like to try one or two, I understand that it's not really the done thing on these cars if I'm not almost about to seal the deal on that particular car, so I guess I will have to wait for the perfect one to come along.. not ideal but there you go..

I'm 5'10" without heels so hope the height issue doesn't apply to me..


-+

[Triggerfish]

Andrew that all makes sense - I wonder how many people would trust their 328 now to take them to France/Italy/Spain and back. I'd love to but it's a helluva risk. The 575M is perfect for crossing continents - the V12 must eat the miles! I've got a Maserati GT which is also built for this kind of trip, but they are not without their gremlins..

I'd absolutely love a 355 one day, its my dream to have one, but to get the deal rubber stamped by my wife (a happy wife is a happy life), the lower service and maintenance costs and slightly lower purchase price is key..

I've already spoken to a couple of local specialists, and need to contact a coupe of others too. Thank you for the top tip - I will definitely reach out to Adam Ayre as I've not heard of him before.

I saw James May's recent video on DriveTribe re him selling his 308 - I think it's now sold. In fact Kent High Performance are one of the specialists that I've spoken to. Funny enough when I was out for an early Sunday morning drive with my Ferrari pals plus a couple of other cars in August/early-September, we think we saw May in his 308 in the Lewes area, as he has a 2nd home around there/Brighton.

I've ruled the 308 out only down to better performance on the 328. Not sure what others who have owned/driven 308 and 328 think about this?

The only reason i didn't go very far in the 328 was the lack of comfort. After a couple of hundred miles, I'd need a spa break!

I had a Maserati GT until recently. Did a 3000 mile tour of europe.....Fantastic car for the job. always reliable. Loved it. Maybe you should have a 328 as a toy, and keep the GT for more serious trips

[Nosevi]

My pals talk about some of the rude gestures and comments they get while sitting at lights or filling up in petrol stations - strange how some people are, I always speak to owners of interesting cars.. but nice to hear you had better experiences in your 328...!

I think there's a cut off date somewhere - I've heard of guys in 360s, 430s, 458s, etc getting this sort of negative reaction, guys I know with Mondials, 308/328s, Testarossas etc say they always get the exact opposite. In the 348 I've only ever got very positive reactions.

Incidentally, although I fitted in the car, my brother couldn't drive it with the roof in place, and a couple of my friends couldn't get their knees under the steering wheel. Have you sat in one yet?

If you can, I'd try to drive all the models on your list and see which one suits you. At the very least I'd sit in them all and drive any that take your fancy. I drove a 308, 328, 348 ad 355 before buying my 348. Found the 308 and 328 a little cramped (not yet lost that 3 stone of middle age spread...... Height was an issue too though) and the 355 was both stretching the budget and I preferred the feel of the non-power assisted steering on the earlier cars. The 348 was the best fit for me, also had a bit more punch than the earlier 2 cars. I only knew that from looking at them all in the metal and sitting in them though.

KHPC has a 308, 328, 348 and 355 in stock. You could always pop down there and look over all of them back to back and maybe drive a couple if they look like a good fit?

https://www.tfcgb.com/used-cars/sear...&pageId=339944

[phillg]

Just remembered , changing from 1st to 2nd gear when cold is an issue. ( difficult to select ).
I used to change from first to third until the temperature got to normal. Then it was perfect.

[francisn]

Just remembered , changing from 1st to 2nd gear when cold is an issue. ( difficult to select ).
I used to change from first to third until the temperature got to normal. Then it was perfect.

I know that is always quoted as a problem but I have never had it in my GT4.

[F355GTS]

Just remembered , changing from 1st to 2nd gear when cold is an issue. ( difficult to select ).
I used to change from first to third until the temperature got to normal. Then it was perfect.

TADTS