1983 Ferrari 308 QV as daily driver? Or should I just go modern?

I would go with a modern car. They are more reliable, more user-friendly and much, much safer.

We all love our 308s here, but we love them for their quirks and temperamental nature. We love them because we can accept (heck, enjoy!) their foibles. They are not first-time buyer cars and certainly not sole-transportation vehicles. We have a patience for these vehicles because our expectations (low!) are based on experience with other antique vehicles. We know we can just park them when something goes weird and leave them sit while we contemplate (sometimes months) to figure out what we’ll do. They are our toys.

A bitter truth is that safety is a big issue. A 308 must be driven with a full respect for the risks being taken. A real problem too is the feeling of invincibility when driving a Ferrari. It is a great feeling, but also a liability. With a 308, the truth is you would be driving a car from an era when safety standards were just being developed. They have progressed a long way over this last third century.

Of your list, I vote 4C. It is must less practical than the Porsche so it gives you a taste of exotic car ownership.

 

Short answer: nope.

Long answer: It's good you are enthusiastic.

It's a bad idea to try and daily in a 30 + year old exotic car. Yeah - the 308 was made in the most numbers, but it's still and exotic, and parts are damn hard to find. Plus - can you work on it? Do you have a shop that can work on it? Can you afford to wait 8 weeks for parts, if the part you need is even in existence anymore?? If you get in a wreck, can you find parts to replace it? Finally - safety standards are way different now than in 1983. Newer car = safer car.

If you've got the means - the Porsche is probably the answer. All the modern goodies, plus all the modern safety gear, plus there is probably someone that can work on it.

Finally - if I knew at your age what I know now - I'd buy the most economic car I could and invest the rest of the money.

 

No, it wouldn't be a wise purchase at this time in your life. Thumbs up on the enthusiasm though! Give it a few years and get established careerwise. 2cts

 

If you're mechanically inclined and like to DIY stuf, and aware of the Ferrari parts prices,
A QV can be a wonderful daily car and so cool to drive wherever you go but, as I said it can be an expensive daily driver. There are few people here I'm sure that uses their 308 as daily and doesn't have any complaint. OTOH, any modern car is always nice.

 

Go for the Porsche! ... sorry to say so as a 308 GTB QV owner. In line with the arguments provided by the earlier replies, a 308 does not serve well as a daily driver these days. You may try to use a very bad and cheap one for this purpose. Maintenance and other issues will however not make you happy, and in the end you would like to own a nice car, not a wrecked youngtimer...
You may get the Porsche and a cheaper Italian car as a second car, e.g. an early Lancia Delta Integrale. Then you have all you need for the moment.
david

 

The above is right on the money...

My daily driver is a BMW 530xd and I tend to cruise at a little over 120mph (on the Autobahn when traffic permits). Rapid/emergency maneuvers at this speed can be handled with the x-drive (usually accompanied by a change of underwear), where my '84 308 QV would require far more driving skill to control if indeed it could be controlled at all.

So, to my mind the safety factor trumps the reliability part of the equation. Note also that even if you are the best driver in the world, you are up against a lot of morons on the road that will typically be in something with a lot more mass (and therefore kinetic energy) than the 308... You need look no further than what happened to 'Bullfighter' for a very compelling argument...

 

The Ferrari may be right for you IF 1)You fully understand the safety issues but don't care and 2)You don't mind spending your money. In my mind driving my 308 is only slightly safer than riding a motorcycle. If riding a motorcycle everywhere scares you, don't buy this car.

The money may or may not be a big deal for you. If you wrench yourself it could save a lot of cash and it is a lot of fun. You end up building your own toy race car that you can drive on the street. If you have a pile of money and want other people to do it for you, why not? There is passion and joy in this hobby.

 

Don't just think about the cost of purchasing the car, can you pay the bills later on or someone will take care of them for you? Go for the P car, it's the most practical out of the 3. Your future 308 may be unusable for months if an important part cannot be sourced readily, it's more of a fun toy then a reliable daily commute.

 

You'll more likely to get laid owning a F car than a P car.

 

a good 328 could be a awesome daily driver, well at least if you go easy on it, look after it and it will look after you, but I'd probably won't use it as a daily car, its more of a go away for the weekend car, or a Sunday car show etc.

I have had two 328's and used them often, both reliability were fantastic but I have kept a hand on them, especially the first one (high mileage 1986 model) which I sold.

my current 328 is immaculate and I have confidence to drive it anywhere but I don't use it as a daily car.

cheers
Johnny

 

DD should be safe, economical, reliable and not attract the attention of the police. A ferrari is maybe one of those things.

 

Curious as to why anyone would consider, much less mention, using a 308 as a DD nowadays.

DD = throwaway

Exception; the super wealthy, then:

DD = consume -> replace -> consume -> replace...

Or, for some:

DD = consume -> restore -> consume -> restore...

 

Live life to make wonderful memories. Take some risks that others wouldn't dare. Beat your own drum.

What everyone has mentioned regarding practicality of owning a 308, or the 4C, are spot on. They are both impractical. Can be tempermental. Neither were intended to be a daily driver. However, if I were in your position and if you have decent mechanic skills, love the art of the car, go the 308. If not mechanically skilled, go the new 4C with a nice extended warranty to go with it. Either of those two options will speak to your soul. And dam the consequences.

And with no offense to the Porsche crowd as a Cayman is a fine car, and is by far the better practical choice, better reliable choice, and so forth. I would not choose that car with the opportunity that you have. It doesn't move the soul. But its wonderful for A to B transportation with some style.

Best Regards,
John

 

Of the choices you mentioned. Porsche Cayman for sure. Safer in many ways, better dependability, high miles don't affect value as much as exotics, way better in rain as far as handling and leaking or rusting. You don't want to leave a 308 outside and basically you don't want them to even get wet much less heavy rain. They don't seal well and they are prone to rust, 83 QV is still in that catagory since it wasn't galvanized.

Just keep that 308 in mind for the future.

 

Another option... With the budget you have why not buy the 308 for use as a collector car and something used and modest (Fiat Abarth) as a daily driver? When you are off to college you won't want to park a Ferrari outside the dorm. Best of both worlds plus you won't lose you investment to depreciation. Congratulations on your dilemma!

 

BMW Z4s are dirt cheap now and make a dead reliable daily driver. Snap up a 308 if you get a chance, just don't use it as a DD! Welcome to the forum!

 

Petrolicious

 

Yes. Two things though:

1) I have a mini. There's no way I'd use it as a daily.

2) Love the Alfa, but I'm not sure it would be in a reliable one.

One car missing from that list - BMW 2002

 

If you are as young as you say and can afford an Alpha or Porshe as a 1st car, take 1/2 of that money and put it in a mutual fund. By a Mazda Miata MX 5 with the remainder. They are super reliable and one of the best balanced sports cars ever. You buy Ferrairs when you can afford to throw the money away. They are toys, nothing more.

 

Guys,

I live in UK and park my 84 gts on the drive and have used her daily as my main car for 4 years even in snowy/icy conditions. Obviously not a show car, A1 etc....and not an investment
However a few things from experience
1. She leaks through the roof and to stop this I have a cover which I made that just covers the roof and this solves the problem and saves me de icing in the morning.
2. If you don't use her she will not like it especially the ignition.
3. Decent tyres, I use a rain tyre i live near Manchester after all
4. Wash regularly but his will only slow rusting, Use plenty of underseal/waxoyl in the frames and door/sills
5. I feel far safer driving her even in bad situations as you feel what is happening and extremely well balanced, modern cars lull you into overconfidence especially the rear wheel types.
6. You only live once enjoy it with her.

Cheers

John

 

Mate, a bloke your age is going to come to grief. In Australia, so probably the same in the US, the biggest killer of young adults aged 15-25 is... car accidents. And for every fatality, there are thousands of injuries, and tens of thousands of minor bingles.
Get a nice car, sure, but if you're going to use is as a DD, get one where a minor scrape won't cause cardiac arrest, it has modern safety features, and starts every time you turn the key.
Your family obviously has means, so, out of the three, go the Porsche. Wisdom can't be imparted, it must be acquired, but there is a lot of wisdom on this forum for you to call on, if you want. I like the suggestion of getting the 308, but then getting a good second hand run around, with modern safety features, and not the end of the world if someone scratches it, or, more likely, one of your mates throws up in it.

 

Depends on where.

Minis were my DDs (850 Wagon and a 1000) when I live in Holland during the mid 80's. My work commute was less than ten minutes away with everything else within 20 or 30 minutes. Sometimes I'd drive to Amsterdam or Den Haag but anything further would be by train. Or the TR8 if the weather was nice (i.e. not freezing).

 

Yep - good point.

In the UK or The Netherlands, where you can probably find a mechanic that is familiar with the cars, no problem.

So - good point. If I lived near Auburn, CA, and could have the guys at Seven Enterprises work on my mini, I'd do it.

 

go for it!
if those that are backing you will pay for maintenance why not.
When I was graduating high school I lacked some common sense, Im sure you are different.
You probably live in a nice climate all year and windshield wipers don't need to function properly and it rarely goes over 80 degrees so A/C is not necessary.
Your girlfriend will love this car, getting in and out will be easy so don't worry.
If you ever do break down, those long romantic strolls on the highway will make you two closer.