Think of buying a 328 - thoughts

Buy the best one you can find. Its cheaper. And you'll be driving it instead of bringing your mechanic monthly checks.

An observation from over 40 years in the Ferrari business. Gray market cars were brought here for one reason only, to save money. That philosophy has followed 90% of them through life and the quality of everything that has been done to them reflects it. Its why in general they have a terrible reputation within the car business.

 

Agree, find a well cared for USA model. My advice would be different if we were talking about carb’ed 308 GTBs.

 

The 328 is a great car. I vote for a USA version. The focus areas should be a compression test - all cyl +/- 5%. if that is good, the rest can be dealt with.

next area is electrics - they are not great, wiring issues, etc, so expect to have some failures over time. if you get a car with the Birdman fuse block - that is much better but does not eliminate all electrical worries.
AC - is better than a 308 - which means it's poor at best in hot climates.

the rest is pretty basic and easy to deal with. There are only a few things that you can't find or that are unobtainable... heating control switches are one of those... windshields, and some lighting are hard to come by.... otherwise just expensive vs. impossible.

mechanically speaking the 328 is a robust car, and I'd look for one that has been driven vs. babied. If you buy one - drive it all you can they are great cars.

 

Birdman's fuse block..? 328 has a different fuse board. Something like this

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I echo the comments to buy the best one that you can. But I would rather have better cosmetics than mechanicals; you can always fix mechanicals, even an engine rebuild, but you'll never fix botched cosmetics. At least not at the price point that the 328 is at now. (Eventually, as the cars become even more valuable, then cosmetic restoration becomes an option. But it's way more expensive than mechanical restoration.)

As for US vs Euro cars: the differences are not as stark as with the 308, but there are still differences. A good Euro car feels sharper, faster, and lighter than an equivalent US car. Not much, but the difference is there. Of course, condition is everything, so don't pick a ropey Euro car over a great US car.

Finally, I would strongly recommend an 88.5/89 328. The changes made to the suspension and steering (for ABS) make the car feel much tighter and more responsive. You'll pay more for a later car, but it's worth it. Take it from someone who has traded in many of these cars and has personally owned quite a few as well.

(Oh, and I personally prefer the GTB over the GTS, but that's a personal preference. I could go into all of the reasons why I think the GTB is a better car, but that doesn't matter if you want to remove the top.)

 

Dont forget that the US version has 10 HP less then the Euro version...as I live in Europe, I have and prefer the US version. The only way you can enter the big agglomerations due the environment restrictions.

 

Yes, the GTB is vastly more structural... when you take the Targa top off... you lose a lot of rigidity.

 

Yes, the 328 uses modern spade fuses vs. the ceramic old stile pin type. Still the actual board is where the issues are, they are laminated printed circuits that just over time come apart. the other thing that is usual, is for the fuel pump fuse and its entire circuit to overheat. there are several connectors behind the fuse board and down in the passenger foot well, that will get hot, burn out and the car will not start. not expensive, but very time consuming to trace... the good news is that the wiring circuits are extremely basic compared to modern cars... multi meter and some knowledge and you can find it. ( sadly I don't have that knowledge)

 

whilst the GTB is "vastly more structural", and "when you take the Targa top off" (a GTS) "... you lose a lot of rigidity", it cannot be denied that driving a GTS with the roof off, has a charm of it's own, that the GTB cannot match, especially on a sunny day.

It's not just on the sunny days though, or even in the days at all. I speak from experience of driving both a 328 GTS and a 348 TS through dry nights, with the heating on, and the targa top off, and it's quite a remarkable experience driving along with the stars above you, and the roads to yourself.

So yes, the GTB is the better model for the more serious, sporty driver, for whom rigidity and ultimate handling is the most important thing, but the GTS has a magic all of it's own, and when out and about with the roof off, looks the more exotic of the two, and makes the driver more accessible to receive compliments of just how good the car looks!

 

Cant deny that! In the USA, while the GTB is the better looking and slightly performing car, you need a GTS to stay cool... literally and figuratively. of the 15 years of having my 328, I had many pleasant evening drives home with the top off, music on and wind in your hair times... however from June to end of September the car usually stayed in the garage as it was just way too HOT to drive. getting stuck in traffic with exhaust at your forehead level takes a bit of the charm off! BUT it is still the most iconic Ferrari made. Everyone on the planet knows what it is first time.

 

Keep us posted on your decision. You will learn a lot from the guys here, I have. Don't be afraid to ask any questions.

 

I decided on a USA 328 GTSwith all the emissions stuff still on it. I figured someday if I sold it someone in next door CA would insist.I also didn’t want a garage queen as I wanted to drive it so adding a few more miles won’t matter

So it depends a bit on what you plan to do with it.

A few ponies doesn’t matter in these things. You don’t buy them for speed. You buy them for fun, which it is. Some would say it’s “crude” but I would say it has “character”.

and I agree I like driving with the top off vs any loss in strength. I’m not tracking it. I’m enjoying the sunshine.

 

I agree Mr. Vegas. I live in Upland CA and have a list of support sites for your soon-to-be 328. Lets chat. Send me a PM.

 

There is a nice 89 GTS red/tan in the for sale section. Price just lowered to $95k so they may be willing to go even lower. The 89 is the best year but I may be biased as that is what I have. Ha.

 

Ive had my 89 328 GTS for 24 years, and it has 105,000 miles. My fuse board lasted 103 k miles, and then was rebuilt to new. Its the best production car Ferrari has ever mass produced, its that simple.

Big G

 

I have an 89 328, ( not for sale) I agree with most of the comments except for performance differences between Euro/US, GTS/GTB. Most people aren’t buying these cars to track them and are worried about seconds around a track. I bought mine for the looks, sound feel etc.
I agree to buy one that is well sorted. If you want to go fast and are worried about stiffness/ 10 HP. I would buy something else.


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Wow I just read my post and didn’t mean to come across negative. The information provide is excellent to educate yourself on what you are buying.


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Buy it !! You will absolutely love it, its that simple,.My life has been that much the better because of owning the 328 , I really dont have the right wordS to describe living with THIS MODEL FERRARI !!! Maybe " magical " could be a start...The 328 embodies ALL THAT FERRARI IS !!!

G

 

My pseudonym posted this a few weeks ago. A bit of inspiration...

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There are occasions when you have to say: "Actually, Magnum drove a 308 GTS, this is the model that followed it, the 328 GTS, but they are pretty much the same car"

For a whole generation though, when they think of Ferrari, they immediately think of the 308/328 GTB/GTS series, and thanks to Magnum p.i, more often than not they think of the GTS version

 

Two words of warning:

1) If you're getting a bit thin on top, and enjoy driving your GTS with the roof off on sunny days - Keep a baseball cap in the car!

I learned that when I took a shower after a day driving in the sunshine - To say the top of my head was tender, would be putting it mildly!

2) If you're out for a day out driving in the bright sunshine, plan your route carefully!

I once took a drive down south to see friends, and a long part of the journey was on a straight motorway (the M1 in the UK), that runs north/south. I drove down in the morning in the sunshine, and drove home in the evening, still in the sunshine. The next morning, when I looked in the mirror, one side of my face was tanned, and the other side was still white!

I'd driven down with the sun in the east, and driven home with the sun in the west, hitting the same side of my face in both directions!

I spent the next couple of weeks walking everywhere trying to keep the white side of my face towards the sun, to balance the tan out!

 

I'm pretty fair skinned - so I burn immediately - and this is a thing... when wearing a hat, I would burn on the corners of my face - between hat and Sunglasses.. .. and wind burn at Highway speeds.... but still fun. there is a lot to be said for a nice evening, music going, the hum of the car behind ... wind in your hair... my wife next to me ( complaining of her hair getting messed up ) its a great experience.

 

Excellent point.
Inspect all wires for any black or burned indications, even behind key ignition