It’s no secret that owning a Ferrari is at the top of the bucket list for many car enthusiasts. Powered by screaming, high-revving engines and draped in beautifully designed bodywork that could only come from Italy, few other makes can surpass the drama provided by Maranello’s finest.
Of course, the flip side of the coin is that the road to …
What a beautiful automobile. I'll have to bookmark this article as a reality check for those times when I'm tempted by a 'too good to pass up' exotic classified ad.
I clicked on the article already wincing and expecting an LS swap and was pleasantly surprised!
Also this shot!
Holy carp!
I was just in the the Maranello Ferrari museum last week pondering the many ways my automotive pedigree would be improved by the ownership of such a beast. Doing some mental math on what this took to do puts it all into perspective for me.
A beautiful beast to admire from afar.
Now I want one of these, except I'd do all the work myself. Sure it won't help the resale value, but the amount of money I'd save is astronomical. At the end of the day it's still a car, and I've worked on countless BMW engines, so an 80's Ferrari should be pretty simple in comparison.
dannyzabolotny said:Now I want one of these, except I'd do all the work myself. Sure it won't help the resale value, but the amount of money I'd save is astronomical. At the end of the day it's still a car, and I've worked on countless BMW engines, so an 80's Ferrari should be pretty simple in comparison.
I recall reading something to the effect that Steve matchett wrote that when working at a ferrari dealership he saw some extremely good mechanics brought to tears working on certain Ferrari’s.
dannyzabolotny said:Now I want one of these, except I'd do all the work myself. Sure it won't help the resale value, but the amount of money I'd save is astronomical. At the end of the day it's still a car, and I've worked on countless BMW engines, so an 80's Ferrari should be pretty simple in comparison.
I think you have that backwards. Countless BMWs are simple in comparison to an 80’s Ferrari...the valvetrain is an order of magnitude more complex between the quad cams and shim/bucket setup, and then you have the access issues.
I read a 308 service guide once, and after seeing the dance involved in the valve adjustments required every 15k, which you would THINK are at least kinda simple (hunch over the front bank to keep hold on both of the two shim tools while blowing the shims out of the buckets with compressed air ALL AT THE SAME TIME, by feel alone because there is no light) I would approach one with a significant sense of humility.
pointofdeparture said:I think you have that backwards. Countless BMWs are simple in comparison to an 80’s Ferrari...the valvetrain is an order of magnitude more complex between the quad cams and shim/bucket setup, and then you have the access issues.
I read a 308 service guide once, and after seeing the dance involved in the valve adjustments required every 15k, which you would THINK are at least kinda simple (hunch over the front bank to keep hold on both of the two shim tools while blowing the shims out of the buckets with compressed air ALL AT THE SAME TIME, by feel alone because there is no light) I would approach one with a significant sense of humility.
Well I'm a masochist when it comes to cars so I'd probably enjoy it. I guess I should have specified which BMW engines I've worked on— the late 90's V8's with quad cams and variable valve timing. I've also worked on the V12's and the M5 V8's with quad variable valve timing. Those engines are quite finicky too— if you have the timing even a hair off then the computer throws errors and CEL's all over the place.
Unless I somehow end up in a position where I can afford to pay someone to do regular service above maybe oil changes on a Ferrari, I fear my R53 MINI will be about as exotic as my cars will get.
At the same time, it amuses me when folks will say how they will do maintenance on a Ferrari but then cry about how putting a R53 into "service mode" is such a big deal. On many Farraris, many routine service procedures often starts with "remove engine."
Shouldn't this be titled, "car noob buys Ferrari, then pays a shop to install parts designed by a ferrari specialist to upgrade from factory spec?"
A bit misleading. Still a cool car, but certainly not what I expected from the title.
Ian F said:At the same time, it amuses me when folks will say how they will do maintenance on a Ferrari but then cry about how putting a R53 into "service mode" is such a big deal. On many Farraris, many routine service procedures often starts with "remove engine."
I see where you're coming from, but if you think the payoff from owning and servicing an R53 comes even close to a Ferrari 308 then you're a philistine!
I'm not scared of much mechanically and I'd put up with almost anything for the 308's curves. But, if i were paying the same money it'd be hard for me to not pick a 348. More modern performance, and while the styling isn't as universally liked, it is right up my particular alley.
I agree, for the money I'd rather have a 348. I've always loved the mini-Testarossa styling of it, plus the engine is longitudinal in the 348 versus transverse in the 308, making a lot of basic maintenance much more straightforward.
dculberson said:Ian F said:At the same time, it amuses me when folks will say how they will do maintenance on a Ferrari but then cry about how putting a R53 into "service mode" is such a big deal. On many Farraris, many routine service procedures often starts with "remove engine."
I see where you're coming from, but if you think the payoff from owning and servicing an R53 comes even close to a Ferrari 308 then you're a philistine!
True... the payoff for owning a prancing horse is a bit higher than with a MINI. But it also becomes a personal understanding of one's limits. I have a house full of hopes and dreams projects. A 308 would be an order of magnitude more involved than any of them, save maybe my 1800ES (due to the extensive rust repairs in my future).
I've also been in a 308. Holy crap is that a cramped car...
Back in 2007 I found a cherry Euro-spec 348 in Detroit for $34k. I ended up buying a Porsche instead, but now think I should have got them both...
When I owned my 308GTS, a great thrill was finding interchange parts for less than Ferrari prices... things like Fiat lights and switchgear, Mercedes 190E brake pads, etc.
The handling wasn't "balanced"... they pushed like a dump truck in stock trim.
Other than an appetite for wheel bearings (due to less than optimal bearing seals), we did just normal, frequent maintenance, and it was a great, fun car to own and enjoy.
Wish Ferrari still made a GTS version of their mid-engine offerings.
I remember reading somewhere that you never ever want to damage the nose on a 308 as they're insanely expensive. Is that still true?
I was just talking to a close buddy about finding some type of downtrodden exotic as a project. Like the (is it jalpa?) one in our build threads here.
I think I would angle for a lotus esprit.
To each their own, and I'd love a Ferrari someday, but I think I'd stick with Porsche until I could afford at least a 360, making a possible exception for a 456. I'm afraid of the 355 and earlier.
I bought a 308 Quattrovalvole in 2014 before the market went crazy. Then I stumbled on a motor that I also bought--it was around $3k which I thought was cheap insurance against the unspeakable. Every time I read about one of the 3.5 liter builds I start fantasizing about big power. But really, the car is plenty of fun as it is. The QV was intended to make up for the power lost when Ferrari went from the Weber downdraft carbs to Bosch CIS injection. It worked, and it makes the cars fairly easy to live with.
I have done a bunch of work on the car myself--and I'm only an OK wrench. I did a QA1 coilover conversion, a big brake conversion, and the usual fluids etc. I did manage to get myself in over my head with a timing belt and tensioner service, but a more talented buddy came over and saved my bacon.
It's a gorgeous car (duh) and the Ferrari Club guys really don't care if you spent $10m or $30k for your car--if it has the horsie, you are good to go. I'm glad I was foolish enough to ignore the naysayers and take the plunge.
Blaise said:Shouldn't this be titled, "car noob buys Ferrari, then pays a shop to install parts designed by a ferrari specialist to upgrade from factory spec?"
A bit misleading. Still a cool car, but certainly not what I expected from the title.
ditto.
#yesIamjealous
but
#letskeepitgrassroots
Beautiful car and exactly what I would love to do myself if I had time. But I dont so if I were to start again for the money a C5Z in great shape would be less than the entry price of a Ferrari, and you could just pretend its an exotic. Incidentally, I have a 4th gen Camaro with C5Z DNA that I have to pretend is an exotic!
Ian F said:Unless I somehow end up in a position where I can afford to pay someone to do regular service above maybe oil changes on a Ferrari, I fear my R53 MINI will be about as exotic as my cars will get.
At the same time, it amuses me when folks will say how they will do maintenance on a Ferrari but then cry about how putting a R53 into "service mode" is such a big deal. On many Farraris, many routine service procedures often starts with "remove engine."
Remove engine is actual the easier way. You can do cam belts on a 355 with the engine in the car but you really do not want to.
irish44j said:Blaise said:Shouldn't this be titled, "car noob buys Ferrari, then pays a shop to install parts designed by a ferrari specialist to upgrade from factory spec?"
A bit misleading. Still a cool car, but certainly not what I expected from the title.
ditto.
#yesIamjealous
but
#letskeepitgrassroots
How boring would this site be if mazdeuce's R63 was just dropped off at a dealership?
Ian F said:
On many Farraris, many routine service procedures often starts with "remove engine."
Having removed the twin turbo setup on a third gen Supra with the 1jz, with the engine in the car, I can honestly say that a lot of times, this is the easy route. Shoot, I'd be willing to bet I could have mine out and back in in a weekend, and mine is beyond crowded, as far as engine bays go... on a relatively stock example, gimme 6 hours.
On the subject of the 308 here, I would not be upset to find that face greeting me when I opened the garage door. Granted, most cars look better in black, but wow. I did the "feasibility test" of a 360 a few years back, after driving a 458 for part of an afternoon. That car still haunts me from time to time.
You'll need to log in to post.
