Mondial 3.2 Do I dare? | FerrariChat

Mondial 3.2 Do I dare?

Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by mrsimon, Mar 24, 2017.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. mrsimon

    mrsimon Rookie

    Mar 24, 2017
    6
    Barcelona
    Hi there
    I'm an ex pat living near Barcelona in Spain. In recent years I've become interested in classic sports cars, and currently have a 944 (1987).

    Today I went to see and test drove a Mondial 3.2 from 11/86 (86000kms). Cosmetically it's in pristine condition, with almost perfect paint, no accident evidence, perfect White leather and excellent condition thick pile carpet, that has come away on the LHS footwell /Wheel archand showed some signs of rust. The general condition of the clocks and switchboard panel was also very aceptable.
    It drove well, and all the gears went in 'smoothly'.
    It was serviced at the beginning of 2016 and since then has done 3000 kms. They changed the drive belt and 'fixed electrical probles', whatever they were. The only invoice they have.

    Gripes?
    Noisy, whining air conditioning motor. (air con worked).
    Windscreen wipers were very slow!

    The vents on the Bonnet had no backing to them so you could see the battery and wiring below. I understand that there is some rain-proofing, right?
    And there are no manuals :-(

    It originates from the north of Spain, the wettest part, which is a pity.

    It's 34000 euros. The dealer would fix the niggles that I've spotted and give it a service.

    Any pointers as to this being a potential purchase? And any comments on the problems?

    Many thanks
     
  2. mike32

    mike32 F1 Veteran

    May 13, 2016
    5,829
    Isle of man- uk
    Mondials are prone to slow wipers and electric windows- the electrics can be a bit tricky due to the original fuse box breaking down. You can source an aftermarket complete fuse box from at least 2 people on this forum which are much better quality than the original ferrari unit, which is not available anyway. It comes with all the fuses and relays and will cure a lot of your slow window problems.

    If buying this car, ask when the cam belts were changed, also if the cam belt idlers were done. Cam belt failure will wreck the engine and will cost a lot of money to fix. Ferrari say cam belts should be done every 2 years but i was getting 3 to 4 years on mine.

    Have a look on Eurospares web site in the uk for drawings of the car parts. Their site and Superperforman e do a lot of parts a lot cheaper than Ferrari prices. Mondial engines are very strong and your 86000 kms should not be a problem if it has a good history.

    Does it have the original TRX tyres or does it have replacement wheels and tyres.
     
  3. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

    Dec 8, 2004
    12,282
    South East
    Full Name:
    Jimmie
    Have a read thro the Mondial section for a better understanding

    Some folk here would get very hung up on the lack of manuals and no service history - the latter could present more of a problem come time to sell depending on how much history you accumulate during your ownership

    If it has TRX tyres check their age as they are very expensive (EUR 500 ea) - is the jack present ?

    As noted above windows will slow down over the years - the wipers may just need WD40 down the stems & into the mechanism

    Take a look at a site like mobile.de for a price comparator but it sounds ok

    On the plus side it is unusual for all the gears to go in smoothly as second is usually quite stiff especially from cold
     
  4. mrsimon

    mrsimon Rookie

    Mar 24, 2017
    6
    Barcelona
    I think I used the wrong word. it was the cambelt that was changed. I saw the old one. Don't know about the idlers.... maybe I need a mechanic to check it over. It has Trx tyres and a full size spare wheel and tyre.
    Are there spares for every part Ávailable? If Im not mechanically inclined should I still buy it?
    Lastly, im still intrigued about the front nombre vents and if there should be inner rain covers. Thanks for renting me coser to the purchase!!
     
  5. mrsimon

    mrsimon Rookie

    Mar 24, 2017
    6
    Barcelona
    Thanks for the feedback. Yep, I'm suspicious when there are no servicing invoices.
    and I was told by the dealer that it is customary in Spain for owners to take the manuals and owner's pack with them as souvenirs!!!
    I meant "cambelt" not distributor belt, changed 3000kms ago. I was shown the old one, but don't anything about the idlers... I probably need a mechanic to check the car over properly.
    It has the TRX tyres and a full sized spare wheel. Don't now when they were last changed.

    Do I understand it that I can get ALL the spares I need whether Ferrari originals or pattern parts? e.g a new air con fan .... If so, that would give me more peace of mind.

    Also, I'm still intrigued about the open bonnet vents and if there are rain panels that go underneath them. Surely they must exist, otherwise the battery and fusebox would get wet.

    If I could get some confidence about this car, I might just get it. But, I don't want to be starting a nightmare relationship with a 30-year old Italian sports car! i'm not mechancially minded.
    Will I regret this?

    Thanks for any help getting me closer to a purchase :))
     
  6. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

    Dec 8, 2004
    12,282
    South East
    Full Name:
    Jimmie
    As mentioned above you can look at the parts book online at Eurospares which might explain the grilles

    It will not show what is or is not available exactly but there will be hints in the Mondial section here - there will be gaps so 'ALL' is not necessarily correct
     
  7. AMA328

    AMA328 F1 Rookie

    Nov 12, 2002
    2,518
    ABQ-67me68-OKC :)
    If you want to own/drive a different/neat looking kind of car that's under powered by today's standards and costs way more to maintain than anything you've ever experienced, go ahead.

    Mondials were interesting cars for the 1980s/90s, but unless you're willing to do work yourself or have a lot of money, it'll just be a money pit.

    Looks nice in the garage or with a beach/mountain backdrop, but doesn't hold up too well when viewing the economics of ownership -today-.

    I personally really like Mondials, but would only own one -today- if I were willing to wrench it myself and/or had a sizeable budget for maintenance. These are, after all, 30-ish year old cars.
     
  8. ///Mike

    ///Mike F1 Veteran

    Dec 11, 2003
    6,097
    Bugtussle
    My single biggest concern with that particular example would be the rust, specifically how widespread it might be. Anything can be fixed, even rust, but rust is typically more difficult and expensive to put right than mechanical issues.

    I have no idea what the market is like over there but in the US i think that car would be over-priced, meaning that you could buy a better example for that money. If you are serious about a Mondial I'd suggest looking around a little more, or at least having a specialist go over this one with a fine tooth comb looking for rust and other major issues.

    Only you can decide if a Mondial is a good choice for you but there's a saying here that's very much worth keeping in mind as you consider your decision and various cars: the most expensive Ferrari you can buy is a cheap one. There is nothing in the world like a Ferrari but they cost quite a bit more to repair than most other marques so try to buy the best example you can (bide your time, if necessary) unless you are skilled enough to restore the car yourself and if you do buy a lower tier car negotiate a price that will leave you more room for repairs.

    Good luck and let us know what you decide.
     
  9. mrsimon

    mrsimon Rookie

    Mar 24, 2017
    6
    Barcelona
    Thanks for the sensible messages. It's good to hear people saying 'don't rush into it' on single marque fórums.
    I'm on my second 944 (1987 US import) and the term ' bottomless' pit can also be used for these cars, and even though mine was very comprehensibly sorted by an official dealer by the last owner, I've still had to fix electrics, change all four tyres (1200 euros) and I'm getting the two front seats reupholstered (800 -1000 euros). And this was for a car that cost me 8500 euros and has come with a 1 year official warranty (and oil leaks they fixed using this)! I'm willing and expecting to pay a certain amount for yearly maintenance but don't want to be looking at a car that will cost thousands as well as leave me stranded. I'm not 'short of money' , but I have commited a certain amount to other 'projects'.


    The 'unreliable Italian sports car' reputation has put me off up to now. And these classics take that one step further.
    I've seen the Europarts site and it's pretty comprehensive.
    Before buying I'd definitely get an informed mechanic to look it over. The next step would be trying to find one to get to a not very convenient location logistically speaking. The fact that it ended up in the wettest part of Spain for the last seven years is unfortunate, as the dry climate in Spain is a huge advantage when buying older cars and motorcycles.

    And then I'd need to find an official Ferrari dealer or specialist in Barcelona. But that's all part of the 'fun'!!!
     

Share This Page