Mondial T - Reliability and Maintenance Help Wanted

Mondial T: belt service is an engine out procedure, thus much costlier than with the Mondial QV,8 and 3.2 (belts on the side). One of the more important issues you may experience with the Mondial T is leaking fuel tanks because of oxydation of the aluminium. When inspecting a Mondial, always smell under the car for fuel!

I think many advice has been given on many occasions under this thread, look for buying advice threads under this section and you'll learn a lot.

I personally prefer the Mondial QV/3.2 for their simplicity, the Mondial T for the performance and sexier looks.

 

At least here in the US my understanding is that the difference between doing a major in the 8, the QV, and the 3.2 (engine in) is not that much more than that of the t (engine out). It would seem the reason for this is that although a major CAN be fine w/ the engine in A LOT of techs prefer to take the engine out anyways. Why? It’s not easy doing a major while at the same time having to be a contortionist!! Others I’m sure will chime in with their experiences. And btw I do NOT own a Mondial and my “technical” abilities are limited to pretty much changing the oil.

As Stefan said your best friend is the search button here. I’m certain there are some fairly recents postings/threads that specifically address majors in the 8, the Q.V., and the 3.2 vs that of the t.

 

3 or 4 years ago, Ferrari of Tampa quoted $500 more for a major on a t than a 3.2. Even if you double that, $1000 extra every 5 years (if you follow the 5 year schedule, no one seems to reach the mileage of 30k between services), that is an extra $200 PER YEAR. If that is an issue, you really shouldn't be considering any of these cars...at least IMHO.

Regards,
Jerry

 

So glad you chimed in Jerry; I remember you posted the same thing a year ago. But I’m not a Mondi owner, much less a t owner. And the owner of one of MY unicorns (non-red t coupe). Hope you save her for me!! I will do my best to show her the love she deserves. The same love you have shown her. I promise too not to say anything about the cost of that love to the Minister of War and Finance!! Deal? Lol In any case I thought it more appropriate that OWNERS respond.

 

Hello

I may have a biaised opinion on this topic but I will give you my thought!
I say biaised since I own a T and I DIY all the mechanic.

When I was looking for a Mondial, I focused on the T since for me it is the best in the "old/new" trade off, with power steering, a more modern interior and a few exterior tweaks and obviously the engine (power, sound).

Regarding the mechanical, it has the same powertrain as the 348 that you already know.

The engine by itself looks to be bullet proof (even if there is some evidence of failed intermediate timing gear bearings).
For me the gearbox is the big issue on these cars, I don't know if you had to deal with it on your 348; so big warning on this point when buying a car because it can cost a lot.
A part from that, I think you can expect a good reliability on this car, even if you may have to install a starter relay or change the fuse box.


If you consider the servicing, the T has the advantages of a easy clutch change, general accessibility (apart from the timing belt) on the engine is good according to me.
You also get rid off the TRX tires which is nice when you know how much they cost..

Then there is the timing belt change topic, if you don't mind taking the engine then there is no problem for this!

 

Thanks for your excellent post, and appreciate you letting us know about your history. The 348ts and Mondial t are very similar mechanically and share a lot of the parts. I think you'll find that the experience will be very similar. The Mondial will be slower (but not drastically) and be less susceptible to snap oversteer. The roof is fine - it's not the easiest thing to put up and down, the key thing is having two people do it makes it a different level of effort. I think folks that complain about the roof is folks that try to do it themselves (not that it can't be done, I've done it many times - just that instead of a couple of minutes - it could be a 6-minute process.) My car has been very reliable but not before I had to get things sorted - so that's key #1 - get a loved and maintained car. The second thing is that you need to drive the thing -- when you said you plan to not drive it 6 months out of the year - that could spell trouble - and that's the part that concerns me. These cars do not like to sit. Most of the problems I've seen is cars not utilized for months (heaven forbid years) at a time. I can't speak personally with the 3.0/3.2 models, but I would argue are more reliable.

Cheers

 

I've had a 1989 ~60k mile Mondial T Cabriolet for 4 years and ~5k miles. Very well maintained before I got it, but it needed a major. The major wasn't a big deal. It took two weekends, a lift, and a little over $1200 in parts (including upgraded tensioner bearings and a professional rebuild of the Ferrari water pump. Upgrading the gearbox oil helped on smoothing out the shifts (and no doubt improving long-term gearbox reliability). I have found that little silly things go bad: driving light switch, roof latch, front trunk solenoid, poor hot start (solved by installation of a solenoid). It has all been pretty minor stuff. No leaks, no drivetrain hiccups so far. The drive is sublime. The car has phenomenal road feel. It's not fast, but it is quick enough to be fun.

My suggestion on buying a good one:
- Worry about maintenance history, and go through the car with a fine tooth comb. There is nothing worse for these cars than negligent owners and bad mechanics. The purchase price of good ones isn't much more than bad ones, but bad ones cost a whole lot more than good ones after you buy them.
- In my opinion, super-low mileage cars are more trouble. They leak and have more electrical trouble. Don't be afraid of 40-70k mile cars that have been well cared for.
- Try to avoid the automatic belts. They will drive you crazy. I looked at one like that, and it didn't feel like a Ferrari. Maybe those that own them have a solution that I don't appreciate. I thought I was in a mid-80s GM reject.
- Just find the nicest car that you can. There is such a difference between condition of used cars that I really wouldn't sweat whether it is a 3.2 or a T.

P.S. I also have a 1987 560sl. Very different car than the Mondial, but also a lot of fun. Never enough space in the garage. : )

Good Luck with your search!

 

Theres more data on 328's, and 348's on which the 3.2 and the T are based.
Sure the 3.2 30k is cheaper.
What you want to know is, which car is more reliable.
History shows its the 328.
They are all great cars.