Ultimate Mondial convertible

Robbio99

In my humble opinion they are all really nice. I searched for almost 2 decades to find mine. I ended up getting the exact one that I wanted which I selected for many reasons. 1991 mondial t (5 speed). I would call it MY Ultimate Mondial convertible.

While I know that a heck of a lot of people love f1 style transmissions and the valeo was kind of an early attempt at that for the Mondial, it simply does not trip my trigger. I like to shift-clutch and all. To me that is a main reason I own one of these cars. I certainly respect others that opted for the valeo as it really is an engineering feat, and from what I am told it works well. Just not for me.

I believe the "t" model ran from 1989-1993 and they were all 3.4's. They have almost the identical engine to the 348's. (think 3.4 8 cylinder=348). And no it is by far NOT the first soft top. Mine has proven to be bullet proof, but the major service can be pricey as the entire engine must come out of the car. Not for the "weak in the wallet".

So for me the Ultimate Mondial Convertible had to be a "t" because of the engine layout, engine size (3.4) a few production upgrades, somewhat limited production of the car and body styling.

Aside from that I only had a few other criteria;

RED w/TAN INTERIOR
FLAWLESS
...And low miles.

I guess that was not much to ask.

I am sure you will hear from owners of all of the other models of Mondials as well. They are all unique.

I have not had ONE problem with the car and I have zero complaints...so IMHO that is the 'Ultimate Mondial Convertible' -for me anyway!

 

In contrast (sort of) to what Dave said, I have a Mondial t, but a high mileage 1989 one. When I was looking for one, I spent about 25 seconds looking for it, bought it sight unseen from across the country and have had no real problems. I have fixed a few minor things here and there, but the car has been faultless overall. I specifically wanted a higher mileage car as I needed something that was going to be used as a daily driver and that would be reliable. Yes - higher mileage Ferraris are as reliable, if not more so than the garage queens.

On another note, I find the t has only just enough power. I suspect the 3.2 would be tolerable, but a stock 8 or qv would be underpowered TO ME. You need to be sure that whatever car you get is the one you want. Try and drive each model and then go shopping.

Dave

 

I have a Mondial T cab sitting in my driveway right now in fact. I just finished off the engine out major this evening. These are wonderful driving cars. They just hum along the highway with out even so much as a hiccup. I hadn't driven a "T" in a while and had forgotten what a great drivers car they are. If your gonna go Mondial, go with the "T", the extra costs IMHO are worth it in the end.

 

I was casually in the market and then found one at a reputable dealer. 1989 t cab. 15700 miles. 2 POs. Only 1000 miles in the past 5 years. A slight premium to market but with 90 day dealer warranty. In the past nearly 12 months of ownership and 3500 miles (in rough chrono order):
- Warranty repair of rear windows, A/C, leaking oil, fuel sensor, gas port cover
- Major service (but I knew that was coming)
- A/C fixed again, leaky gaskets fixed again
- New clutch and flywheel grease pack
- A/C fixed again (different problem this time)
- New starter
- New boot snaps

Just about all the major problems were due to garagitis. When parts don't move for months at a time, things go wrong. The day I drove the car away it sputtered and popped during shifts and I thought "now there's a Ferrari sound!" but it was the sound of a couch-potato motor. Now she hums.

Not flawless but this isn't a concours car: this is a Ferrari you can drive around for almost any purpose. It's rather exotic looking (and sounding with a Tubi) but it doesn't draw gasps -- or attention -- the way a Murci will. And that's fine with me. You want an ultrafast, ultrahandling car? Get a Corvette Z06. Easy to maintain and will pretty much whip anything.

 

The ultimate mondial is one that runs!

 

Never driven a t so I can't compare, but my 3.2 cab is damn hard to beat if you want a true convertible that is roomy (not those tiny narrow t seats) bulletproof and reliable (sound of knocking on wood). Lack of power steering took a little getting used to but now I don't notice it - and it will never need servicing!

 

Every car of this vintage will need attention from time to time, garage queen or not. My car (1991) has under 4k miles and is problem free, but I don't expect that to last forever. It is absolutely a garage queen, but I start it and run it often...I just don't do 500 mile trips! Everything works on the car, and if I read one of the posts correctly it looked like there were AC problems that may have been due to a problem not being properly addressed the first time...which made it look like a longer issue than maybe it should have been. Then again it is not my car, and I would not ever, ever, ever, suggest buying a F-car for the air conditioning-especially in a convertible!

As for the narrow vs wide seats. I actually think the seats in my "t" (3.4) are on the wide side, so I am not understanding the comment regarding their "narrowness" compared to at 3.2. What the heck did they put in 3.2's...bench seats?

I would not want my "t" seats any wider!!!!

Shark49 said it best....the ultimate is any one that runs, because that all look great.

Fyrrari

 

Dave, it’s those 500+ mile trips that can be the best, especially through the back country. Although now that I’ve seen your car, I can understand how you feel. I wouldn’t think that there are any others out there in the same condition. So if something were to happen to it, you couldn’t replace it.

As far as the best Mondial, I agree the T with a 5 speed is the best, easier to drive than the QV or 3.2 with a better ride. I think the interior of the 89 is best, mostly because of the seat belts. I just never seemed to get use to those in the 90 - 93 models and they can get in the way when you try and put something in the back seats.

For all the others, drive the heck out of them. The more time behind the wheel, the better you can appreciate the car and learn to get the most out it. Anyway, even with a little wear and miles on them they still look great on the road and most people don’t know the difference between a Dino or a F430. They see Ferrari and that’s all it takes.

As for dependability, any fun adult sized toys i.e.: boats, cars motorcycles, can all have problems and usually do. That’s because they seem to deteriorate regardless whether you use them or not. What’s the saying about a boat - it’s a hole in the water you thorough money at.

I have had mine for almost 6 years and had to deal with a few issues,. Nothing major, a starter, some nicky knacks and a hot start problem which is not that uncommon. It has only failed me once when a tensioning pulley on the accessory belt came loose and started to make some noise and I had it towed to Bryan just to be safe. Heck my son has a 05 Jeep that has been the shop well over 10 times for all kinds of problems. I’ve put close to 15K on mine and each time I drive it I’m amazed at how easy it is to drive. That’s why those 500+ mile trips don’t bother me, except for my butt get a little tired.

 

Roofguy,

No arguement on driving these cars...I think the "t" is very well balanced.

The public sure never gets tired of looking at them. I cannot believe how much attention my Mondi got at the Danville event, even though it was surrounded by 4 or 5 360's. Everyone that came by peered into the windows and exclaimed-"Look.. this one seats 4".

I have also been impressed at the performance as well. While it is not the fastest horse in the barn, it does get out of its own way, and handles great.

I personally like the seatbelt set up in front, and they are certainly Ferrari unique. Actually the way that they operate seems to be impressive to those that have never been in a Ferrari. It is the first thing most people notice when embarking into my Mondial.

By the time you end up latching the lap belt and then make the decision on whether to latch the shoulder belt to the moving anchor or the fixed anchor you really feel "strapped in". However, I do think they could have done a bit better with the rears. The recoil chamber sits on the seat and really could be perceived as being in the way. Could have better located them next to or down below the sides of the rear seats.

I also own a Harley, Boat, Sea Doo's, etc., and I will agree; they all require a lot of maintenance. You have to pay to play. I have hear BOAT stands for "Bring Out Another Thousand" and HD means "Hundreds of Dollars".

...Then again when you are playing with these toys, you feel like a million bucks, so I guess it all works out.

I am sure I will own other F-cars as time goes on, but I must say the Mondial seems to be a crowd pleaser, and is certainly a well balanced car...not to mention extremely undervalued (((At least for the time being))). It is all I thought it would be and MORE.

Hopefully you can make it out for one of our Nor. Cal morning coffees or one of our Danville dinners. I would love to see you Mondi, as mine has been lonely at these events!

 

Robbio99

I remember seeing this car when it was being sold a while back. It seemed like a good buy back then, but who knows what it has gone through. Has it had a recent service? I think the celebrity owner is a plus, but now that it has changed hands a few times that equally could work against it. I believe this car originally sold for over 100k.

If it has 15k miles and is only commanding 39k dollars I would say either something is up or it is a really good deal. I feel these cars are extremely undervalued and I would think the original 52K asking price is what this celebrity car should be fetching. I guess the market thinks otherwise!

The majority of people that I run across who know little to nothing about F-cars think Mondials are in the 100k price range-so I also believe we owners which eventually become sellers are our worst enemies!

FWIW, I looked at Mondials for over 20 years before finding and buying mine. I ended up purchasing one of the most expensive ones I came across. I am so glad that I did not try to buy a cheaper one and part it back together. From what I have learned; I could have have ultimately ended up spending a lot more than I did for a perfect one. If this Mondial is 39k and in really good shape you may have found your needle in a haystack.

Remember-they did not make a lot of Mondial's in the scheme of things, (1000 +/- "t"s) and for a F-car under 50k ...it is quite a bargain.

Think about this-A fully loady truck can set you back 39k...

Just my .02

 

The 89 model has super-skinny front seats. The later models were "relieved" with wider seats.

This would be the only complaint I have with mine - even my wife complains (about the seats that is) and she is skinny! One day I'll get around to installing some nice Sparco's covered in crema leather to match....

 

I got mine (89 t) for LESS than an ENTRY level BMW 325i. Now THAT is a bargain.....

 

I have to agree with Buzz...I have the same car Buzz has ( well mine is black) and it just loves being a daily driver....I drove it to montreal flat out and it jsut sounded great all the way...just came back from a long weekend inteh hamptons with it and that is a 3.5 hour drive through traffic hell (each way) and the mondy and passenger were unfazed. as buzz says have to drive these things and as a real world usable F-car that is comfortable and carries a small family in comfort and A FULL CONVERTIBLE!!! and civlized and these cars are now 16years old plus! Ferrari could put the 430 engin in a mondial today sell it under the maserati brand and it would make teh covers of all teh car mags!