Ferrari...daily driving?

Question

I know they are not supposed to be daily drivers, and I don't want any replies saying something witty like "If you have to drive it everyday, you can't afford it!!!!" yada yada ...i hate that, it's like...calm down, jeez.

I do not know a whole bunch about them and I found a 328 GTS with very low miles and a reasonably good price but I am too young for it and can't afford it, and my parents of course think its ridiculous (um i agree because i'm too young..)

But I'm just curious what its like to own a 328...as far as maintenance ...etc...

How often can you really drive them? And what would happen if you drove it every other day or so? Would you just need to do maintenance sooner & more?

Just for future reference when I possibly can have one! heh..
I like the 328 and 348's more than the newer ones for some reason...

If there are any Ferrari experts on here, I'd appreciate if you could just tell me some stuff about them...seriously I'm just a harmless curious auto-stupid 16 yr old..

I also know mpg is pretty bad..

Answer 1

A 328 is a nice car... but sadly, not a practical one. The cost of these cars can make them attractive, but the purchase price is really the smaller part of overall ownership of a car like this.

Generally, Ferrari's are reliable cars. Many high performance cars are designed to be driven - that is, many mechanical parts need regular movement to keep things lubricated and working. When this doesn't happen, small failures become common (and many of these cars will be subject to this as they are not regularly driven). However, commute driving is probably even worse than not driving - the car is not able to truelly get up to operating temperature, which leads to water moisture buildup in fluids, and leading to corrosion, along with the problems that can plague seldomly driven cars (ideally, the cars should be driven a couple times a week for 10+ miles after the engine is fully warm).

So, as a daily driver, it's a car that is not designed to be driven under such conditions. It can be, but it's not something that should be planned on... and given a stiff clutch (whic you will find in many old Ferrari's) and a peaky engine, you'll find it very tiring to drive under these type of conditions.

In terms of maintenance: Expect to spend close to $1k for basic service about every 3-4k miles (or at least once a year if driven for less), with a little over $3k for 15000 mile services. You'll find fairly high parts prices (expect $300 or so for new spark plugs, more than $100 for a fuel filter).

The car will need good performance tires, which will wear out fairly quick. Insurance will be costly. And gas milage will not be great (not as terrible as the 12 cylinder Ferrari's though). For most owners, with minimal driving, the car probably costs about $3-5k/year of ownership... if you were to drive it daily, annual costs would quicly exceed $10k.

Yet, they are fun cars with alot of charm.

Answer 2

The answer to this question:

But I'm just curious what its like to own a 328...as far as maintenance ...etc...

Is A LOT!

Talking $3000-$5000 regular maintenance bills. That is not a joke. 10,000-12,000 mile maintenance is fairly reasonable as well so you are looking at shelling out $3000-$5000 a year on top of what the car already costs. So that is one reason why most people don't drive them everyday.

Everything is going to be more expensive with the car. A Ferrari owner also isn't going to tolerate many imperfections in the vehicle so any scratches, dings, dents is going to really hurt your resale...more so than in a "typical" daily driver.

These are also 20+ year old vehicles. So many of the electronics are going to be on the way out. Same for rubber...and there is a lot of it in a car (weather stripping, brake lines, etc.). Starters, window motors, etc. are all going to be prone to breaking and failing.

All you need is a timing belt failure and you are out $10,000 for a new engine. That is why you have the yearly maintenance.

Here is a typical maint. schedule:
http://www.alfonsofaustino.com/Ferrari_328_GTS_Service.html

I added up the costs for the service over 20 years and it totals $25892.97. Now this was from a guy that took care of the car since it was new. You don't know the history on this car and your first service will probably run $5000+ just to make sure you aren't going to get hit with a $10,000 engine bill in the future.

You already mentioned fuel economy.

Don't forget about insurance either.

Those are some of the biggest reasons why a Ferrari would make a great WEEKEND car but not a daily driver.

Answer 3

This link shows a supercar video showing supercars from the 80's and also watch part 2 and 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WugJUrrwzGQ

This link tells you about the ferrari 328:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_328
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11114/Ferrari_328%20GTB/default.aspx

Answer 4

If you have ANY type of problem with it, HANG ON. It is very, very, very expensive to repair. Do you have your own Italian mechanic? Just joking. (16 years old) My best advice is to forget it. (for now) Try paying out $8,000 to $12,000 for an engine noise. It happened to a friend of mine. (10 years ago)

Answer 5

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