Late-night Web surfing claims another victim, the entire editorial staff of Inside Line.
The classified ad on Autotrader.com read: "1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole, red, tan, 46,000 original miles, cold A/C. $28,500. Call William."
Yo, Rocco, you know that generic crossover we just ordered? Cancel it. I've got a better idea.
What We Bought
And now we own it. Let the Magnum, P.I. jokes begin.
That's right, we've added a 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole to our long-term test fleet. Just like the ad said, it's red with a tan interior, plus it has a working air-conditioner. Even better, it has only covered 46,000 miles in its 23 years, according to both its odometer and well-kept service records.
When new this car cost $63,845, which was quite a bit of scratch during the Reagan administration. Still is, in fact. We paid 28,000 bucks.
The V8-powered Ferrari 308 was produced from 1975 to 1985 and was the successor to the acclaimed Dino V6. It was replaced in 1986 by the 328 series. Our car is a 308 GTSi, which means it has a targa-style removable roof panel — you know, just like Magnum's. If it was a closed car, it would be a 308 GTB.
This GTSi Quattrovalvole is the most desirable mutation of the 308 breed, because it features Bosch K Jetronic fuel injection (signified by the little "i" in its name) and four valves per cylinder (as the Italians say, quattrovalvole). The combination was offered only in 1984 and '85 and increased the power of the car's DOHC 3.0-liter engine significantly. Horsepower jumped from 205 up to 235 at 6,800 rpm and torque increased from 179 pound-feet to 188 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm, making the 308 one of the fastest cars on the road. (Remember, this was 1984.)
In fact, in the summer of 1983, a car magazine did a comparison test between a 308 GTBi Quattrovalvole, a Chevrolet Corvette, a Porsche 928S and a Porsche 944. The Ferrari proved to be the quickest of the bunch with a 0-60-mph time of 6.8 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 15.2 seconds at 91.5 mph. It was also the most expensive of the bunch and finished 3rd in the comparison behind the two Porsches. Time, however, has told another story, as the 928S and 944 are far less desirable (and valuable) today than our 308.
Mounted behind the driver in the middle of the car, the all-aluminum 90-degree V8 redlines at an unbelievable 7,800 rpm, yet it's surprisingly torquey. It's also matched to a five-speed manual transaxle, and the driver moves the shift lever through Ferrari's famous exposed shift gates. On the road are 16-inch Cromodora wheels with brand-new Goodyear F1 rubber. Why? Because Mr. Ferrari wanted it that way.
According to the car's service history, it received the all-important timing belt replacement surgery at 41,000 miles back in 2001. That means it'll be due for another before long. Paperwork also shows the oil, water pump, oil filter, brake fluid, oil pan gasket and a long list of other seals and hoses to be fresh, having just been changed in January to the tune of $3,830.29.
Ouch.
The real good news is that everything works. The windows go up and down, the headlights flick up when you want them to and the 1984-vintage sound system gets good enough reception. The car isn't a museum piece by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a solid driver. A Ferrari you can be proud to show up in, but won't be afraid to valet park. Plus it passed smog and sounds great.
William's mother-in-law, the original owner of the car, must have been a fun lady.
Why We Bought It
Because everyone should own a Ferrari once. Because life is too short. Because it's a Ferrari for Camry money. Because most soups are better served hot. Because it's Tuesday. Who cares why we bought it? It's a Ferrari. The car that makes women swoon, children point and women swoon.
But there is a method to our madness. Zima Citrus and foie gras may be delicious, but our motivation isn't all about living the P. Diddy lifestyle. We want to know if a $28,000 Ferrari is a dream or a nightmare.
Will the 308 leave us stranded? Will the maintenance costs bury us alive? Is the affordable exotic really affordable? Will women actually swoon? These are the questions we will answer over the next 12 months as we use the 23-year-old Ferrari as basic transportation. Heck, we've already had it detailed for $200 and bought a Ferrari key fob for $11.95, so the bills are already piling up.
Check our long-term blog pages for regular updates from the driver seat and our count of the number of times we hear, "Yo, Magnum!" We'll even try to track the 308's fuel mileage for kicks.
Current Odometer: 46,876
Best Fuel Economy: 16.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.8 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 14.9 mpg
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
The classified ad on Autotrader.com read: "1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole, red, tan, 46,000 original miles, cold A/C. $28,500. Call William."
Yo, Rocco, you know that generic crossover we just ordered? Cancel it. I've got a better idea.
What We Bought
And now we own it. Let the Magnum, P.I. jokes begin.
That's right, we've added a 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole to our long-term test fleet. Just like the ad said, it's red with a tan interior, plus it has a working air-conditioner. Even better, it has only covered 46,000 miles in its 23 years, according to both its odometer and well-kept service records.
When new this car cost $63,845, which was quite a bit of scratch during the Reagan administration. Still is, in fact. We paid 28,000 bucks.
The V8-powered Ferrari 308 was produced from 1975 to 1985 and was the successor to the acclaimed Dino V6. It was replaced in 1986 by the 328 series. Our car is a 308 GTSi, which means it has a targa-style removable roof panel — you know, just like Magnum's. If it was a closed car, it would be a 308 GTB.
This GTSi Quattrovalvole is the most desirable mutation of the 308 breed, because it features Bosch K Jetronic fuel injection (signified by the little "i" in its name) and four valves per cylinder (as the Italians say, quattrovalvole). The combination was offered only in 1984 and '85 and increased the power of the car's DOHC 3.0-liter engine significantly. Horsepower jumped from 205 up to 235 at 6,800 rpm and torque increased from 179 pound-feet to 188 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm, making the 308 one of the fastest cars on the road. (Remember, this was 1984.)
In fact, in the summer of 1983, a car magazine did a comparison test between a 308 GTBi Quattrovalvole, a Chevrolet Corvette, a Porsche 928S and a Porsche 944. The Ferrari proved to be the quickest of the bunch with a 0-60-mph time of 6.8 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 15.2 seconds at 91.5 mph. It was also the most expensive of the bunch and finished 3rd in the comparison behind the two Porsches. Time, however, has told another story, as the 928S and 944 are far less desirable (and valuable) today than our 308.
Mounted behind the driver in the middle of the car, the all-aluminum 90-degree V8 redlines at an unbelievable 7,800 rpm, yet it's surprisingly torquey. It's also matched to a five-speed manual transaxle, and the driver moves the shift lever through Ferrari's famous exposed shift gates. On the road are 16-inch Cromodora wheels with brand-new Goodyear F1 rubber. Why? Because Mr. Ferrari wanted it that way.
According to the car's service history, it received the all-important timing belt replacement surgery at 41,000 miles back in 2001. That means it'll be due for another before long. Paperwork also shows the oil, water pump, oil filter, brake fluid, oil pan gasket and a long list of other seals and hoses to be fresh, having just been changed in January to the tune of $3,830.29.
Ouch.
The real good news is that everything works. The windows go up and down, the headlights flick up when you want them to and the 1984-vintage sound system gets good enough reception. The car isn't a museum piece by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a solid driver. A Ferrari you can be proud to show up in, but won't be afraid to valet park. Plus it passed smog and sounds great.
William's mother-in-law, the original owner of the car, must have been a fun lady.
Why We Bought It
Because everyone should own a Ferrari once. Because life is too short. Because it's a Ferrari for Camry money. Because most soups are better served hot. Because it's Tuesday. Who cares why we bought it? It's a Ferrari. The car that makes women swoon, children point and women swoon.
But there is a method to our madness. Zima Citrus and foie gras may be delicious, but our motivation isn't all about living the P. Diddy lifestyle. We want to know if a $28,000 Ferrari is a dream or a nightmare.
Will the 308 leave us stranded? Will the maintenance costs bury us alive? Is the affordable exotic really affordable? Will women actually swoon? These are the questions we will answer over the next 12 months as we use the 23-year-old Ferrari as basic transportation. Heck, we've already had it detailed for $200 and bought a Ferrari key fob for $11.95, so the bills are already piling up.
Check our long-term blog pages for regular updates from the driver seat and our count of the number of times we hear, "Yo, Magnum!" We'll even try to track the 308's fuel mileage for kicks.
Current Odometer: 46,876
Best Fuel Economy: 16.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.8 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 14.9 mpg
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
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