Ferrari 308 vs...

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Anyone buying a 20+ year old car, even a Porsche or Ferrari, is going to be doing some kind of work on the car themselves unless the car is exceptionally collectible (like a 1948 Tucker or a Duesenberg SJ).

ZV

I would agree with you on that point.

BTW-I was looking on ebay at the 944 Turbos. That might be a fun car to pick up at some point. I've never driven one though. I also like the 928, always been a fan of that car, but many of them are automatics...:thumbsdown:

I have to say that I always enjoy a discussion with you. We can both be blunt and not get out of control.

For the money, I don't think that a clean 951 can be beaten. I can't think of another $8,000 car that has the same balance of handling and power. Still, they're old. Lower tech, stiffer ride, turbo lag, vague-ish shifter, etc. And old stuff is old stuff, little things break and need fixing, seats need to be re-covered, things like that. The 928 is nice, but it's heavier and not as nimble. It's a great touring car, but not so much a sportscar. Which explains why so many are automatics.

ZV

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Anyone buying a 20+ year old car, even a Porsche or Ferrari, is going to be doing some kind of work on the car themselves unless the car is exceptionally collectible (like a 1948 Tucker or a Duesenberg SJ).

ZV

I would agree with you on that point.

BTW-I was looking on ebay at the 944 Turbos. That might be a fun car to pick up at some point. I've never driven one though. I also like the 928, always been a fan of that car, but many of them are automatics...:thumbsdown:

I have to say that I always enjoy a discussion with you. We can both be blunt and not get out of control.

For the money, I don't think that a clean 951 can be beaten. I can't think of another $8,000 car that has the same balance of handling and power. Still, they're old. Lower tech, stiffer ride, turbo lag, vague-ish shifter, etc. And old stuff is old stuff, little things break and need fixing, seats need to be re-covered, things like that. The 928 is nice, but it's heavier and not as nimble. It's a great touring car, but not so much a sportscar. Which explains why so many are automatics.

ZV

Tell me about it. I picked up an old Honda CB750 motorcycle about a year ago and I've spent about the same amount of time cleaning/repairing it as I have riding it. :laugh: It was revolutionary in its day but by todays standards it's a dinosaur. Still, it is reasonably fast, reliable (aside from some relatively minor problems) and it looks great for its age. It was inexpensive and they are great bikes if you can find a clean one that's been well maintained.

Yeah, I enjoy these discussions too. :beer:

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I've always wondered how many old not-quite classic cars could benefit from putting in a newer, more reliable/powerful engine and become good rides. Many of the cars with electrical gremlins could potentially be updated by a do-it-yourselfer in the garage if they took some time to plan things out. A lot of those old cars had style, but weren't meant to last as low maintenance vehicles.

ie: MGA w/ a Honda 2.0 or GM Ecotec.

 

[exdeath]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
What it comes down to in the end though, is whether the owner is willing to get his or her hands dirty or whether they just want a car to display and not drive and fix.

ZV

F**k that. I bought my car to drive and enjoy, not to decorate my garage and leave the garage door open all the time.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
I've always wondered how many old not-quite classic cars could benefit from putting in a newer, more reliable/powerful engine and become good rides. Many of the cars with electrical gremlins could potentially be updated by a do-it-yourselfer in the garage if they took some time to plan things out. A lot of those old cars had style, but weren't meant to last as low maintenance vehicles.

ie: MGA w/ a Honda 2.0 or GM Ecotec.

I like old British cars like the Jaguar XKE and the MGA but to mod them or swap engines kills the value of the car. Putting a Chevy 350 in an XKE would be sacrilege!!!

If you are thinking about buying a classic British car though I suggest that you stock up on a few jars of this.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I like old British cars like the Jaguar XKE and the MGA but to mod them or swap engines kills the value of the car. Putting a Chevy 350 in an XKE would be sacrilege!!!

If you are thinking about buying a classic British car though I suggest that you stock up on a few jars of this.

So is putting an LS2 in a 318i, but god damn would be one fun and cheap ride 😀

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I like old British cars like the Jaguar XKE and the MGA but to mod them or swap engines kills the value of the car. Putting a Chevy 350 in an XKE would be sacrilege!!!

If you are thinking about buying a classic British car though I suggest that you stock up on a few jars of this.

So is putting an LS2 in a 318i, but god damn would be one fun and cheap ride 😀

Nah, a 318i isn't a classic like the Jag or the MGA (I'll add Austin Healy to that list as well since the MGA is just a poor man's Austin Healy 😛 ).

BTW-Did they ever finish that project car? I haven't seen any updates on it.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
I've always wondered how many old not-quite classic cars could benefit from putting in a newer, more reliable/powerful engine and become good rides. Many of the cars with electrical gremlins could potentially be updated by a do-it-yourselfer in the garage if they took some time to plan things out. A lot of those old cars had style, but weren't meant to last as low maintenance vehicles.

ie: MGA w/ a Honda 2.0 or GM Ecotec.

I like old British cars like the Jaguar XKE and the MGA but to mod them or swap engines kills the value of the car. Putting a Chevy 350 in an XKE would be sacrilege!!!

If you are thinking about buying a classic British car though I suggest that you stock up on a few jars of this.

Well, I don't think any potential MG buyers would be turned off by a replaced/revamped electrical system. More like "Yay exorcism!"😛

Obviously they wouldn't like the engine swap.

Originally posted by: exdeath

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
What it comes down to in the end though, is whether the owner is willing to get his or her hands dirty or whether they just want a car to display and not drive and fix.

ZV

F**k that. I bought my car to drive and enjoy, not to decorate my garage and leave the garage door open all the time.

In that case you probably shouldn't buy a 30-year old Ferrari...I think that's what we're getting at here.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Although I consider the XKE a classic, I've never considered MG and Triumphs to be. Just in the not-quite-classic level.

I don't know about the BMW, but I've heard many a Miata finding themselves with an extra four cylinders as well as one person that was swapping an LS* into an S2000.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: exdeath

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
What it comes down to in the end though, is whether the owner is willing to get his or her hands dirty or whether they just want a car to display and not drive and fix.

ZV

F**k that. I bought my car to drive and enjoy, not to decorate my garage and leave the garage door open all the time.

In that case you probably shouldn't buy a 30-year old Ferrari...I think that's what we're getting at here.

Actually, I was thinking more of the difference between the sort of crazy fool (me) who would buy a 22 year old Ferrari and still drive it a lot and the sort who would never put miles on it.

The 308/328 has been on my short list of "cars I want to own someday" for a long time.

ZV

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: exdeath

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
What it comes down to in the end though, is whether the owner is willing to get his or her hands dirty or whether they just want a car to display and not drive and fix.

ZV

F**k that. I bought my car to drive and enjoy, not to decorate my garage and leave the garage door open all the time.

In that case you probably shouldn't buy a 30-year old Ferrari...I think that's what we're getting at here.

Actually, I was thinking more of the difference between the sort of crazy fool (me) who would buy a 22 year old Ferrari and still drive it a lot and the sort who would never put miles on it.

The 308/328 has been on my short list of "cars I want to own someday" for a long time.

ZV

I've always had a love of that car as well. I check out ebay every now and then to see what they are going for and to see what's out there. I would drive the car though. No doubt about it.

BTW-I've stumbled onto some great websites that talk about various Ferrari models, typical repair costs and what to look for/look out for.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: jagec
LOL...interesting cross-shopping there.

I can't believe those guys thought the "modern ABS" braking would give the Kia the edge...on a closed course where ABS would provide no benefit. They again mention the benefits of ABS later in the section.

Are they putting random oil slicks on the track, or do they just have no clue how to threshold brake?

Still, if I owned an old Ferrari...you can bet I'd do my own maintenance. Parts alone would still kill me, of course.

Yeah right...

So you are one of those people who assumes because HE cannot do something that no one else can either. I can guarantee you that if I ever bought an old Ferrari I would do the maintenance myself. I used to have a friend that had a foreign auto business and I helped him with Ferraris from time to time. They are more intimidating than difficult. They are also highly over rated.

Thing is (unlike you that can somehow stamp out practically unitbodies in your garages) if one is not working on their own cars now, it's doubtful they are going to start once the cost of ownership rises substantially.

The rear engined ferraris are a bitch to work on. Almost everything requires the engine to be moved.

I am not sure on Zemmer's saying the prices on that Ferrari site are what he is paying for his 951, unless he is comparing Porsche Dealership rates. 951's for routine maintenance are not terribly difficult. The clutch R&R is time consuming though.