Here is what may be the very nicest all around 308 in the world. Certainly one of the finest. See more than 40 pictures of this Ferrari here: www.anamera.com/en/detail/car/23732/index.html?no_cache=1&ret=63 1985: Last year of the Classic 308. VIN ZFFLA13B000055741
California Personalized "Arts" Plate: "85 308"
Export friendly: Container or RoRo to Europe and Asia via the Port of Los Angeles.
You're looking at what may well be the best overall, best looking 308 QV Spider anywhere in the USA, Europe or the World for that matter. I've been a 308 enthusiast for decades and attend Pebble Beach/Concorso Italiano annually. I've never seen a better all around 308 than this one. This is THE Ferrari for people that appreciate quality, stunning sculpture, peformance. This is the 308 for someone who appreciates having the best. Someone that won’t be happy with dried or tired leather seats, worn carpet, typical 308 lackluster performance or mediocre paint. This is a 1985 308 QV spider / convertible. (1985 was the last year for the 308QV). This car was fully serviced at 30k. Now the good stuff!
First , over $7000.00 (receipts) has just been spent making this Euro Spec Ferrari California legal! (Of course, she’s US legal but now also meets the strictest California legal standards.) This process includes a high performance, light weight yet emission friendly exhaust system. Without this investment, a Ferrari that was not made to be California compliant (USA or Euro) can no longer be registered in California. Thus, you need this if you live in California!
This Ferrari is superior to the ordinary 308QV GTS as it has the following upgrades which total more than $42,000. That’s $42,000 in addition to the price of the car! When you’re considering other 308s, consider the following:
GTO Style true three piece wheels w/ titanium bolts and Michelin Pilot Sport tires: $3500.
Fully adjustable coil over suspension: $3000
Refinished Leather interior: $5800
Repainted and hand finished exterior: $7800
Upgraded Headlights: $500
Dual driving-fog lights: $250.
Alpine Stereo system and speakers: ($1200 including alarm install)
Refinished GTO Style Roof panel: $300 (not including paint)
New Ferrari Grill: $675
Aluminum Shift Knob and Aluminum Drilled pedals: $295 (installed)
Sway Bars, front and rear, nickel plated, poly bushings: $1200 (installed)
New Windshield (old one had typical minor scuff marks) $2000
-Includes new windshield surround trim.
New exhaust and California emissions certification: $7029
New alternator: $2177 New Yellow Top Optima battery: $120
Major service performed just 2000 miles ago. $6900
-Includes all belts, new seals for motor and gearbox,
-Fuel injection system serviced, injectors bench cleaned and rebuilt fuel
distributor
-Air filter and Filter inlet hose
-New Spark plugs (NGK) and spark plug extensions;
New Blower Motor
Rebuilt axle
New Thermostat
Cooling system serviced, Radiator removed and serviced
Window motors serviced (as they typically don’t work so well on the 308s)
TOTAL EXCEEDS $42,479
This car was in “good condition” when I bought it several years ago. I decided to make it better, much better. The exterior was painted the proper Ferrari Rossa Corsa Red (Ferrari Code FER 300/6) but using paint that is an improvement over what was used back in the 80s. Also, this paint job, costing nearly $8000, has a hand polished, smooth as glass clear coat.
The removable roof panel, normally black, was specially prepared and painted the same color as the body, giving this Ferrari Spider a GTO look.
This Ferrari features specially prepared and most attractive Euro bumpers with white and amber turn signals. These bumpers are GTO-like and far prettier than the standard American bumpers and have also been refinished.
This Ferrari also features the deep Euro QV Ferrari spoiler.
Up front are GTO-style driving lights that feature both driving and fog beams.
Unlike the USA cars, the Euro has a traditional Ferrari grill with a large chrome Prancing Horse. The grill is brand new ($675). An F355-360-550 style 4” Prancing horse graces the rear panel.
Adding to the great looks of this car are the smaller European side mirrors (much prettier than ugly “flag” mirrors fit to ordinary 308s.)
Further adding to the spectacular look of this car was having the ugly rectangular, stuck on side markers sealed, giving a smooth and aesthetically clean look, just like the original Pinin Farina design which was unveiled at the Paris show in 1975.
This Ferrari also has a proper fully adjustable lowered suspension so it doesn’t looked “jacked up” like other Ferrari 308s. ($3000 installed). The suspension is described in detail below.
A new Viper Alarm system has been installed which features the convenience of remote locking and unlocking.
The interior may truly be the nicest you will ever find on any 308 or 328 Ferrari. Everything is BETTER than new after investing another $5800! First, the leather Ferrari used was less than great. It’s now been replaced with the HAND PICKED Connelly leather hides! The seats, door panels and center console components are all done in the finest Connelly hides. Gone is the original burlap like material around the rear window. Its been replaced to match the leather seats. The color is proper as well. Its not the pale cream “crema” one sees so often in these cars. This car features the “beige” (Code number VM4208). This is a light tan color that matches the exterior of red cars because, from a paint mixers’ palette point of view, the beige has the hint of orange in the mix which, of course, matches the exterior (the way a blue car matches a grey interior.)
THE HEADLINER: Normally the headliner on the removable room and around the rear window is that same ugly canvas like material. Not here! This Ferrari now features matching alcantra tan suede like material on both the removable roof and headliner around the rear window.
THE CARPET: The cheap carpet used by Ferrari is gone! Replaced with Premium Mercedes carpet. According to the upholstery specialists, this is the very best and most durable carpet money can buy. It looks far better than the Ferrari did new!
THE ARMRESTS: The door armrests on Ferraris are vinyl. Not here! The black armrests have been covered with supple leather!
The plastic shift knob has been replaced with a polished aluminum knob.
The plain rubber pedal covers have been replaced and now feature drilled aluminum GAS, BRAKE AND CLUTCH pedals.
The steering wheel is in excellent condition.
The interior of this Ferrari maybe the nicest of any 308 or 328, anywhere! Period!
A new high performance Alpine Stereo has been fitted with a rear mounted 12 CD changer.
While on the subject of rear trunk space, it’s enormous! The Euro 308 trunk is about 40% larger than the USA 308s.
But what good is a spectacular looking car if it doesn’t handle well? This 308 will out-handle a GTO with its more than $4000 in suspension upgrades and nearly $4000 in wheels and tires.
ADJUSTABLE COIL-OVER SHOCKS
First, the entire suspension has been fully upgraded. It now features aluminum coil-over shocks (like those used on race cars) and special coil springs (weight reduction 32 pounds!).
The front shocks are double adjustable for stiffness so, with the simple turn of a knob, you can set them for a soft or stiff ride and you can ever separately set the bounce and rebound. Set them stiff for a day at the track and then reset them softer for the drive home. It takes minutes to adjust all four shocks which adjust by simply turning a knob!
The rear shocks are also externally adjustable. Just turn the external knob to make them softer or stiffer based on your own preference.
The shocks are adjustable so you can also set the ride height. Set the car lower or higher, however you like, easily and quickly. Drop it down mean and low for show or track appearances then raise it up to the height that suits you for road use (pictures show the car as I find it suitable for road use which is substantially lower than the original setting).
New polyurethane sway bar shock bushings have been fit as well.
SWAY BARS
In addition, the front and rear sway bars have been replaced by three way adjustable, nickel plated bars with polyurethane bushings and aluminum spherical bearings and polyurethane bushings. You can see these attractive silver bars with their red links and red urethane bushings when you are behind the car.
3-PIECE GTO-STYLE WHEELS AND TIRES
How about wheels and tires? New (w/in the last 2k miles) custom built, 17” F40 style wheels, true three piece, with titanium bolts! Very light weight. The front wheels are 8.5” wide the rears are 9.5” wide! (GTO wheels are only 16”)
Tires? Only the best and most expensive Michelin Pilot Sports: Massive 285/40 17s in the rear! These are the biggest tires I’ve ever seen fitted to a 308! By comparison, the GTO had only 255mm tires! The front tires are here are F40 sized 245mm x 17”! (GTO fronts were only 225mm).
That’s about $3800 in wheels and Pilot Sports!
With this suspension set up, this Ferrari rides BETTER than stock yet handles like a race car! Go into an on-ramp at ludicrous speeds and she just stays flat, smooth and neutral. With her lowered center of gravity and better balance, this Ferrari out handles my Ferrari 512TR and Porsche 911 Twin Turbo! It’s easy to drive fast and perfectly balanced.
The suspension has been set so that steering effort is amazing light! Compared to a normal 308 you’d think this car had power steering. This car is a delight to drive!
LIGHT WEIGHT HIGH PERFORMANCE EMISSIONS LEGAL EXHAUST
Outside and inside she looks spectacular and she will handle like a race car. What about performance and sound? This custom system runs clean, passes California emissions, and, in my opinion, sounds better than the Tubi.
This new exhaust is 20 pounds lighter than the OEM system and probably frees up 15-horsepower. (The OEM exhaust is very restrictive.)
With this new exhaust, this 308 just past California’s difficult smog test and on the very first try!
This 308 is faster than a 328. I know. I have a 328.
This 308 is more enjoyable to drive than a 355. (I have one of those as well.) Why?
The 355 is a high pitched, high strung toy. She sounds like an F1 car but would you want to hear a F1 race car sound for an hour or two each day? The 308 is wonderful around town or on the highway. She emits an exotic sound that I’ve never tired of as she’s not so high strung (even though she revs to almost 8000 RPMs)!
HEAD LAMPS & DRIVING LIGHTS
The headlights and driving lights have been updated with modern Xenon bulbs and halogens ($500).
THE INVESTMENT
Older, pre-massed produced corporate Ferraris, are an international commodity. Scarcity sets demand. Ferraris are desired around the world, including the “emerging markets” of China, India, Russia, etc. Until recently the Ferrari market may be said to have been limited to America-Europe and Japan (about 1 billion consumers total). Now add in the emerging economies of China (1.6 billion) India (1.1 billion) and Russia 150 million (oil and gas rich) consumers that raises the available Ferrari market from one billion to nearly four billion consumers! The fastest growing market today for new Ferraris is China! Supply and demand effects are already being felt. Just a few years back a 250 Lusso was $125k. Today they’re half a million dollars. Even the once unloved four headlight 330GTs, which recently sold in the mid-20s (I’ve had two) now command upwards of $100k. The writing is on the wall folks. Twenty years ago used Daytona were selling all day long for just under $20k. Now they cost upwards of $400,000. Stocks and even real estate can decrease in value. Unlike real estate, which is local market dependent, Ferraris are an international commodity. Unlike gold or diamonds, they won’t be mining more 308QV! Unlike all those traditional investments, you can actually drive and enjoy a Ferrari. You only live once!
The Ferrari 308QV (84-85 in particular) are the Ferrari entry level and very best investments today much like the Dino was 5-10 years ago. Just 3042 308QV GTS were manufactured (compared to more than 13,000 Ferrari 360s!) Over the years before Ferraris become a commodity many 308s were lost to age, accidents, etc., so the actually number of QV remaining is significantly less than 3000. There are only an estimated 100 Euro 308s in the USA while only a hand full have been made California legal thanks to the $7000 investment needed to make it CA legal.
This 308 is, in my opinion, better looking than any Ferrari in the last 40 years and comparable to the 246 Dino (which are now pushing $200k! and were designed by the same designer).
This 308 is much faster than a Dino. The Dino GTS 0-60 is 7.7 seconds. The Euro 308QV is 5.7 seconds.
It’s truly interesting to note the 512BB (Ferrari Boxer) with its 12 cylinder motor yet more weight than the 308QV recorded 0-60 numbers only slightly better than the Euro 308 (e.g., 5.5 for Boxer and 5.7 for Euro QV).
The 308QV is better built, more refined and more reliable, cheaper to maintain more masculine and just as stunning as the 246 Dino. The 308QV is the next Ferrari to go into super-collector car status. It’s looks and history assure its status.
The designer of the Boxer and Dino essentially synthesized these two great designs into the 308. The Dinos are nearly $200k and Boxers have doubled in value the last couple fo years and will no doubt be in the $200k range by years end.
This car is about as close as you’ll get to the 288 GTO look while retaining the 308 purity and GTOs are now $600,000! http://www.sportscarmarket.com/Profiles/2007/10/Ferrari
Like the Dino and GTO, she weighs under 3000 pounds so she’s fast, stops well and handles brilliantly. She’s toss-able and friendly.
If you want a weekend show condition Ferrari that looks better than it did new (wheels, roof, interior, suspension, etc) yet can be driven daily and reliably then this is the car for you. If you want what may be the prettiest car ever made, made even better, this is your Ferrari!
I go every year to the local car shows and Concorso Italiano in Monterey. I have never seen a better looking 308 (and I’ve seen hundreds of them!)
This is my personal car and presently. Recently driven flawlessly on a 300 mile trip along the California Coast.
Of course, she comes with the Ferrari binder, Ferrari owners manual, records, tools and jack bag. Here’s an overview of the 308QV.
Within the last 2k miles the following is a sample of the work that’s been performed with receipts to verify OVERVIEW OF THE 308QV CAR Magazine, the respected British publication, calls the 308QV “impossibly pretty”. According to the Ferrari Market Letter, while there were 3042 308 QVs produced for the world, half of which are in the US, there are only approximately 100 Euro spec 308QVs in North America. The Euro cars are highly sought after because they are much faster than regular 308s and look much better as well. By comparison, in just five years, Ferrari made 16,000 Ferrari 360. First, the Euro 308 weighs, according to Ferrari, 273 pounds LESS than the US cars (2956 lbs. V. 3229 lbs for US cars) so of course it is faster than the US car, particularly as this car weighs nearly 60 pounds less than OEM (lighter suspension and exhaust) But that’s not all. This 308 also makes more horsepower and as a result of its greater power and less weight, is much faster, handles better and stops faster. The numbers? The Euro 308s were road tested at 0-60 in a mere 5.7 seconds! That’s faster than a US Spec 328! Top speed? 154 mph! Appearance wise this 308 is far prettier and more stunning than the run of the mill 308. Directly from Ferrari this 308QV features the deep GTO style front spoiler, GTO Euro style bumpers, GTO style white and amber turns signals and running lights and a more aesthetically appearing rear end. The Euro bumpers which are smaller also permit the traditional Ferrari grille with the Prancing Horse in the front grill. (The US cars large ugly black bumpers which leave no space for the Prancing Horse in the grill, hence its absence from the American market cars.) The Euro cars also have the pretty and aerodynamic mirrors with their Enamel Ferrari badges. (The US cars have large square “flag” mirrors.) Finally, unlike the US 308, this car features 288GTO style passing/fog lights set inside the grill under the front bumper. If you’re like me and appreciate rolling sculpture and find the 355s front-end styling bland and uninspiring (not to mention its well known motor issues daunting) and find 360 to be large and blocky (Have you ever seen a 308 side by side with a 360? The 360 is BIG compared to the svelte 308. The 308 door is hip high, the 360s is several inches taller. In fact, this 308 is 10 inches shorter than a 360, 7.5” narrower and its roof 5” shorter than a 360 spider) then this car is for you. The 308 was designed by artists; cars today are designed by artists and then dramatically altered in the wind tunnel and to meet stringent government regulations. The 308 was the last pure Ferrari whose lines are pure magic. Classic & Sports Car Magazine put it simply: “the sublime purity of this ‘70s design icon still enraptures, whereas the intrigue of latter day Ferraris is expressed with extraneous styling gimmicks, few will ever mature as favorably as the 308.” Maintenance on the 308 is nothing compared to the 355 or 360. (You could buy a 308 for the cost of a replacement 355/360 engine.) While 308 parts are relatively cheap and plentiful, the exact opposite is true for a 348/355/360. This car’s paint is excellent with a brilliant luster that does not need polishing to glow. Its interior is likewise in unusually excellent shape. Compared to the 328, the 308 is a far purer and classic design. In the July 2002 issue of Classic & Sports Car, the well-respected British publication stated that the 308 styling was “corrupted” into the 328 (the 328 features a Fiat X1/9 style interior and gauges.) The 308QV is truly a classic, and as there were only 3042 produced for the world market. Can you imagine what one of these babies would cost if its production numbers were as limited as a California Spider? Close to seven figures is my guess. As noted by author Beki Adam: “Pininfarina had relished the job, and excelled themselves: the look remains timeless, even today. The mix between the original Dino styling (those side-scoops and the recessed rear concave window)and the 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer (that spliced from bumper to tail bodywork, that wonderful nose and equally delightful rear-end with its sail panels extending from the roofline down to the whisper of a spoiler) was styling perfection. The lines are faultless.” Germany’s Auto Motor Und Sport called it “bella macchina”. England’s Car Magazine called it “poetry in motion” and “the doyen of exotic car shapes”. Forza Magazine noted: “the four valves were easily the best performers of the 308 series, noting Road and Track’s test of 308QV, Corvette and two Porsche’s ‘Ferrari fixed the criticism that its 3.0 V8 did not produce quite enough horsepower to match the car’s racy good looks.” England’s Motor Car magazine clocked a 308QV’s 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds! Forza’s recently tested a 308 QV and noted: “what was most impressive about the 308s was their reliability. When we tested the two Ferraris, Northern California was in the midst of a heat wave with temperatures in the triple digits. Not once did either car hiccup, overheat, or act temperamental in any way. They simply shrugged off the 100 degree heat as easily as they would your favorite twisty road. In short, these are Ferraris that you can truly use every day.” In the same Forza article Ferrari expert Tom Shaughnessy noted: “A good 308, when properly serviced, will easily last 100,000 miles or more.” Shaughnessy also noted that parts for the 308 are affordable while parts for the 348 or 355 are “absolutely ridiculous.” He went on to state of the 308: “It is the only Ferrari I would recommend as a daily driver. The V8 engine is virtually indestructible and the model line has been around for a decade. This is Ferrari’s utility car.” |
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