Ditchdigger wrote: I did a full 30K service on a 308GT4 last year and fell in love with it. Not fast or great handling by current standards but the overall package was just something I could drive every day and be a happy man. The subdued styling in a dark gray really added to the appeal to me.
I think a 308GT4 is still fast. Don't they have 240hp and are like 2800lbs? I imagine it's like a S2000 with torque.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: A friend had a 328 V8 car. It was a fun novelty and he didn't have any issues getting parts or maintaining it. It's pretty accessible if you have a lift. It was the little things that went wrong that cost a fortune. I recall a horror story where he paid $1200 for a sensor that came in a Ferrari box he had to order directly from Italy but turned out to really be an $85 Bosch product that he could have gotten at NAPA had he known to look for cars with similar engine management. So... I think these are feasible for the sort of people who can DIY, and research what will work in place of "genuine" parts for sensors, switches, coils etc. FWIW, he sold it and bought a Porsche to save money and go faster.
Oh, yeah, the Italian markup is obscene! My Alfa 164 24V shares some standard Bosch components with Ferraris and the lighting/wiper stalks with the Lamborghini Diablo. NOS Alfa parts are not much cheaper than the Ferrari parts, but if it's a Bosch component you can cross-reference the part number on a site like findpart.org and get the Bosch item for much cheaper.
A good example is the fuel pump. It's a bog-standard Bosch component found in the 164 and a bunch of F-cars like the Maranello and the F50. It's $150 from RockAuto, $350 for the OEM-branded pump from an US Alfa supplier, and $660 from a Ferrari parts supplier! 
Travis_K wrote: From what I have seen (just reading about them/looking at pictures of how to repair stuff), they really don't seem complicated. Id probably be the most concerned about windshield glass cost and availability if I was planning to drive one on the street much, windshield glass for many Italian cars is very expensive.
I know a replacement for the Lancia I had was over a grand. And that is without labour, and because it was from a Series 2 montecarlo, it was guaranteed to crack again
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