Daily Driver 308??

I'd say forget it!

But where do you live?

It just really isn't a daily driver type car.

 

AC is questionable at best and your resale takes a dive, but the 3x8 series certainly can be a daily driver. I drove my 328 daily for 4 or 5 years with a 70 mile round trip commute until gas prices finally made me pick up a misercar for that drive.

Make sure ya got something else in the garage in case you end up waiting on parts.

 

I would say go for it as you have another car to rely on and the concept that a well maintained older Ferrari cannot be a dependable daily driver is well frankly far fetched but that is only my opinion.

 

The 308 is not a practical daily driver.

 

That's a bit much for an exotic of the 308 vintage IMO...especially a carbed one. I would think the wear and tear alone would start to take it's toll pretty fast and routine oil changes are just the start. Parts can be expensive and I think it's just a potential money pit. I am also of the mindset that they should be driven...but not that much.

Which modern sports car do you currently use? If it's a BMW, Porsche or [God forbid] from Japan [just kidding] it's a little diiferent than an Fcar...even a "modern" one.

 

I have been tossing around the same idea as the OP.

When those of you say it is not a " daily driver " - Why? Is it not a daily driver like my Lotus Elise is not? Or are there other problems associated with the 3x8's ?

I had heard that it would be best to get an FI car if given the option.

I hope to not derail the OP - just wanted to throw my own .02 worth of statements / questions.

Steve

 

Let me re phrase my whole comment...it's an EXPENSIVE daily driver

Last year I drove a well maintained 944 as my daily driver [sales]. It was great...and pretty good gas mileage on regular pump gas. A blast to drive in traffic and if it get's totalled...no tears...just get another one.

I like to drive my 308 often...and when I do I pay attention to everything it is doing...I don't think that applies to a daily driver. I can't even imagine myself in a traffic jamb [at least not one longer than a few minutes].

 

I don't see the negative responses to the question. The electrics can be handled, Porsche brakes, and Weber carburetors. The motors are tough and the transmissions are OK. Get rid of the points without making a major production of it and it should work like any older car. I just can't see sitting in one in traffic every day.
I've only had mine for 3 years, but once I got it straight it's been great. And the carb cars sound so sweet. I have a ton of CIS experience, and it's not that attractive as a 30 year old alternative. If gasahol starts messing with fuel distributor seals you're in trouble. Life is too short-have fun. Modern cars are too boring.
Cheers,
Tom

 

What he said. I love my 328, which is supposedly more refined and comfortable, but reality is they're hardcore cars, zero space, not much ground clearance, weak climate control, expensive and sometimes hard-to-find parts and not especially fun in stop-and-go traffic.

When I get my Audi serviced, I get a loaner and it's done the same day. With the Ferrari, I drop it off at the shop and they call me a few days later to let me how it's progressing. Etc.

 

I'm newest of the newbies to these F-car environs (got my 308 GTSi in May) but I'm a crusted veteran of the SF commute wars. Stop and go on the East Bay Fwy or coming down Marin at, say, 730AM just sounds like it would be miserable in the 308. Lots to worry about and pay attention to, and a car out of its element. I drive mine every nice day here in Indy, but traffic here cannot be compared to the nightmare beast that is Bay Area traffic.

As an aside, my 308's AC blasts arctic and makes the cabin as cold as it gets in my Hummer. Spot of luck, I guess.

 

I think Ferraris have gotten a bad rep for unreliability, older cars even more so.

For sure, they are never going to be "toyota or chevy" reliable, Primarily because they are more highly stressed and in the engineering of the car, many small compromises are made favoring performance, rather than durability of lower cost. Very few toyotas or chubbies are revved to redline everytime they are taken out or slid around the corners, braked really hard, if they were, we would see a serious drop in C & T reliability.

BUT, i don't think that these small compromises are the major detractor of reliability, rather, i think it is the fact that most Ferraris are second, fun cars, or infrequently driven collectors cars and occasionally, maintenance is postponed or abreviated, all leading to more frequent, (than normal), problems.

Secondly, because the cars are not found on every street, it is often difficult to find knowlegeable service and because these cars are more highly tuned/stressed, they are more intolerant of less than familiar mechanics.

Thirdly, Age exacerbates this problem, because 30 year old cars are now seeing hinge pins, wiring harneses, fuel hoses, door latches, gauges and seat bolsters, and as these problems creep us on "us", theye are not always corrected.

Fourthly, Time marches on, (and so do expectations of component life), People think they can go 30 k between tune ups because ignition points are from the stone age.

Lastly, some of the older cars have no rustproofing, suspension lubrication points, they have rivited fuse blocks, and lots of artisan, hand built components.

Having been a cadillac and Fiat service manager, i can offer the following advice to make it as painless as possible to have a "reliable" daily Driver:

Find a good mechanic, (probably through referrals), one that knows ferraris of your intended vintage and have him or her do the PPI, so you have the best possible idea of what kind of condition the car is, what level of care has been supplied and what needs attention, (have him/her give you a prioratized list of work to be done and rough estimates or ranges of cost for that work). At the very least, you will have a good cost basis to negotiate the sale. The sell er is not going to give you every thing that is needed to make it a 100 point car, but if there is a spot of rust, he needs to yield a bit.

Drive the car. It will probably be so overwhelming that you would pay over the asking price and throw in your mother, wife and first child and your left nut, but try to retain some reason, be fair and try to negotiate the best deal you can.

As has often been advised, do not spend all you can afford, save 10-25% as a near term repair, fix up budget, you don't want to be dipping into the food/beer budget for timing belts or cracked exhaust.

Assuming you have found a trusted/knowlegeable mechanic, get things fixed, drive it and persue things that need repair. Most people, including me, don't know what is normal for a ferrari, spend a considerable amount of time familiarizing yourself with F chat, so you know what to expect, where to get parts, how to make it into the car you want.

It will take a long time to get an older, "low mileage car" into reliable good shape, because you will have to have bought a really well cared for car or go through every system of the car to make sure it is up to snuff.

Once hoses, gaskets, carbs, bushings, tires, brakes, weatherstripping, wiring, electronics, exhaust, ignition, fluids, seals, constant velocity joints & boots, (etc.), are all in "good" shape, you will have a reliable car.

Notice, i did not mention cosmetics

Best of luck, persue it, it is worth it, believe me.

chris

 

A whole lot of good advise Chris...but 10K a year...in traffic no less? These cars prefer WOT and open roads...stick them in traffic and it's no fun at all.

 

Look at a later QV...it may be the answer. A well sorted out one should be less troublesome than an earlier carbed car as a daily car.

 

I drive my car a lot, over 6k miles a year, and I don't think reliability is an issue if maintained (had my 308 6 yrs now), but low speed driving and manouevring around town is NOT fun, nor is driving in the rain at night. Buy the 308 for weekends and a $2000 ****box (you don't have to worry about what anyone thinks because you KNOW you've got an Fcar to come home to!)to drive to work and you'll be a happy camper!

 

I had mixed feeling when I first read thru this thread. With California weather, I would have no problem driving my '74GT4 daily, however, I do feel that these cars are best driven on more open roads vs. in traffic! Whoever said that above is 100% correct.

I think that you should buy the 308 and get or keep the inexpensive car to drive daily. You can always drive the 308 to work a couple times per week, that way you get your fix and the car gets driven. On the weekends you can find the great roads around your town to chew up.

Best of luck!!!!

JIM

 

I would seriously reconsider.

 

If you look at what the Pros that post here say, they all say that the engine is bullet proof, the trans is tough, the electrics occasionally troublesome, but once brought into a state of good repair, they are quite reliable.

For sure, the car is no fun in stop and go grid lock, but what car is??? Perhaps more importantly, how much gridlock do you have to endure?? Similarly, i don't think i would use the 308, (pre-rustproofing) for any close to the coast daily commuting.
I don't think i would live in downtown big city and wade through the taxis to park on the street - BUT - if your circumstances are more favorable and the car is up to snuff, i would go for it

Hell, i just feel good sitting in the car.

It is kind of like the old joke that compared cars and their countries of orrigin:
German cars are kind of soul-less machines, cold, mechanical, grey.
Italian cars are like women, when they are happy, they are terrific, when they are upset, they are frightening,
British cars, like the jag are, well... It is like if you had a realy bad argument with your wife and you went out into the garage and sat in the car - everything would be all right.

I am really happy owning, studying maintenance and working on the car, driving it and occasionally really letting it out on the track and doing F chat, I have a hard time not getting another one

But, it is like three wives...
chris

 

I drive my carb'd 308 to regularly when I am commuting outside of rush hour (which happens regularly) and always enjoy it. Of course, there is the odd time when I get caught in traffic (e.g. accident on the highway) and it's not fun. I watch all the gauges carefully while telling my car "it's okay, we'll get off the highway". Invariably, I get off the highway as soon as I can and find an alternate route home. That is always much less stressful.
Btw, my car has never overheated in traffic.

 

Looks like your on your way to owning a 308...a very good choice. I only stressed the "reality" part to see how commited you might be [I lie so bad!].

Personally I enjoy noisey [especially at +5K RPM], hot [yes...red hot], no room [who cares?], hard clutch [that's heavy duty for a reason!].

It's a tight little go kart that wraps itself around you. Like my friend from South America said this past weekend after taking the wheel...this car is "off the hook". So much for "fast" cars being better. I tell the kids around me "you will pass me...but mine says Ferrari when you go by!"

What can I say...you have the passion...now you just need to find the right car and SORT IT OUT

 

Last summer I'd take mine 81 308 for work to home (134 miles) on weekends, take the wife and kid for drives and return to work Sunday night. All German Autobahn traffic.

B U T when I would get into a stau (traffic jam) of 3+ miles (sometimes 10+), the car did not like that at all and it registered its displeasure. It would get a mite warm (but never overheated, hmmmmm lucky maybe) and even with the refined clutch the 81's supposedly had, it would get VERY tiring in Stop and Go Traffic.

I would NEVER intentionally drive it in Stop and Go Traffic (Cali-style city commute). If it ain't fun, it ain't worth it. "Fun" is what having these cars is all about.

 

Go for it. Once the car is well maintained, you should drive it. I also have a Delorean and people argue about the same thing. My Delorean has the same fuel injection setup and is a 1981. Once it is well maintained, it likes to be driven. I have driven it over 8 years now with not one problem. These cars are meant to be driven not stored in a garage. Even if I sell my Delorean tomorrow, I would have gotten my money's worth in enjoyment. I am sure you can afford the maintenance on your Fcar. You may work out little kinks here and there. How many people can say they drove a beautiful Ferrari to work every day? One thing I do know is that our days on this Earth are numbered. DO IT!!!