The Top 5 Things I Like and Dislike About My Ferrari 308 

There's nothing more satisfying than obtaining your childhood dream car!

My biggest dislike would be those US spec. bumpers not only the look but they add about 200lbs weight to the car.

In Beverly Hills Cop he’s driving a 308, but then pulls up in a 328. The scene is excellent and very drive it like you stole it. One of the finest cars and 80s movies ever 👍

You forgot to mention Christie Brinkley driving the red and tan 308 in the movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation” 👍😎

I own your twin. I love it and agree with the price of parts/service. I just tell people to add a 0 to the end of everything they are used to paying. $30 oil change is $300. Every 5 years the maintenance is not $800-1000, it's $8,000-$10,000 for the Ferrari "major" routine maintenance. Oh, and you forgot about Christy Brinkley driving the 308 in National Lampoon's Summer Vacation :) Thank you for sharing.

240 hp in a light road car with the torque of a V8 is enough .Torque is more useful than HP When 70mph is the legal limit

The 308 looks amazing. Good job with keeping it fresh! Enjoyed the video. I’m with you, have had a lifelong love affair with cars like the 308 and I get the bug to purchase one every time I see a nice example like yours! Thanks for sharing!

I adjusted the steering wheel on my 1984 308 Pull off the little piece of dashboard trim directly under the steering column and there are a couple of bolts to loosen. (It will be obvious which ones). Once you loosen those, you will notice that the steering wheel still won't move. That is because the steering column under the dash must change length as you adjust the angle of the wheel. There is a BIG collar lock nut on the steering column, about halfway to the floor. Loosen that and it allows the steering column to "telescope" while you adjust the wheel. Once everything is set right, tighten everything. Do not forget to tighten the collar nut....leaving it loose would be bad. The big collar nut on the steering column can be very tight. My advice is to spray some PB Blaster or similar penetrant on it the day before you tackle it. (Wrap a rag around the column when you do it so you won't get the stuff on your carpet or pedals). When you go to loosen the nut, get an assistant to hold the steering wheel. Makes it a lot easier.

I’ve owned my 308 for 32 years and two months ago learned you can adjust the steering wheel position. Remove the cosmetic collar under the steering column and there is a nut/bolt that loosens on a slide. The wheel will move from slanted forward to more upright, but then the gauges get partially blocked. I adjusted mine an inch and it made better and more drivable

#6 - Slow windows (when they work at all), #7 - Can't get into 2nd gear until hot, #8 - Shoestring belts for generator, water pump and AC which break frequently, #9 - Out of production metric TRX tires which require you buy aftermarket wheels if you want standard sizes, and #10 - I sold it.......Wish I still had it after watching your video!

I had the same start up issue with my 308, it turned out to be a bad fuel accumulator, very hard start when warm. Once I installed a new one which was very easy I never had a hard start issue again.

I love that you left in the strained start-up. You don't pull punches. Good video!

One summer in the 80s my friend and me hired a 328 GTS for some days. Some of the best days in my life. We will never forget those days... once i drove 270 km/h with open roof, my hairstyle completely messed up. To drive after that experience with a Ferrari my own Ford Cortina Mk 4, made me a bit depressed... 😁 Regards from Germany 👋🏻

Thanks for making these videos. As a ‘86 328 owner, i love them!!

Love the 308 and 328. I remember going to the NYC auto show in the 80's. I sat in a brand new 308. So awesome. Also Macy's in NYC had one for sale inside the store, really cool back then.

Nice video. Heartfelt review which sets it apart from all the other. Thanks.

Whoever cleaned that car, knows how to do that. Paint looks great, cleaned and polished. That is a skill in itself that takes time to master. I'm also glad you mentioned Pininfarina. Their designer/s did an awesome job. And like you said, later models (like my favorite car for its looks: the 288 GTO) does indeed take a lot of styling queues from the 308. Should I be a fan of Pininfarina or of Ferrari for how this looks? I'll be a fan of both but it's interesting to think: my favorite thing about Ferrari comes from another organization.

One of the nicest I've seen. Beautifully maintained. Paint looks amazing for the age of the vehicle.

Beautiful Ferrari! Always prefer the classics...nice summarization. Thank you for sharing.

Beautiful car. Contemporary road tests showed US models (230bhp) did 0-60 between 6.8 and 7.4 secs, and a top speed between 142 and 144. Euro cars were much quicker, with apparently only 10 bhp more. 0-60 between 5.7 and 6.3, top speed between 150 and 154.

Congrats on achieving and owning your dream car amigo! I too love these years and the black bumpers...

I love this car. I almost bought one when everything tanked back in '07-'09. The thing that killed it was it attracts too much attention, and my schedule wouldn't have allowed me to spend the time maintaining it I knew it would require.

I have an 84 and agree with almost everything-My car has 48k miles and starts like new every time. That's probably because I replaced the fuel injection system and ignition system because both systems were tired.

Great work on the video! You’re getting really good at this.. I would agree to plus points. But I would personally give more praise the handling. (least for my 328) But I don’t think your roads allow you to even explore that part of the cars personality. There is definitely a power difference and drive-ability you’d appreciate between the 308/328. Versus my 550 I don’t miss the power if I’m honest. These cars are very nimble and feel like a go kart on the right road and it feels just right for the chassis. I think you need to see your mechanic though as it shouldn’t be that temperamental starting. I personally would switch the steering rake to a plus for the car. This adds to the experience of driving these classics. When you get on a road that requires you to give ample steering input / lock, this makes the car feel like the event they are to drive. And they are an event like no other.. (that’s my number 1) It’s quirky yes and strange I agree, but just so right too.

I really love your car, I hope one day to own a Ferrari 308. Great video and thanks for sharing your car with us. Thank you!

Terrific wax job on this paint. The car looks new. Great job keeping it clean. One of my favorite cars ever made.

A real classic. love love love the 308

Great video Ervin, thanks for sharing the pros and cons of tour beautiful 308!

Hi! Thanks for the video, I really enjoyed your comments. I wondered how the car drives at slower speeds and in traffic. Also, how is rear visibility in traffic (besides the mirror issue)? Thanks!

It’s the Ferrari I like most and of course I would be also much lucky if I would own one, but for me it is too expensive! May be in next life 😀 I wish you a lot of fun with this, in my opinion, most beautiful car that has ever designed 👍

I'm a year too late . . . . .BUT the Ferrari 308 is a timeless classic ! My absolute favourite even though I'm 6'1 and can barely fit into one. The next best thing to not owning a 308 is having one in your street. The guy at the bottom of my street owned a Studio/wharehouse. He owned not one, but two Ferrari 308's in Australia in the late Seventies AND well before Magnum PI appeared on Aussie TV screens! PS - I found out later that this car lovin' hombre was a big wig in the first two original Mad Max films. NO .....it's not Mel Gibson but someone who was big in Australian cinema in the late Seventies and later in the USA in the mid to late Eighties hence the money to buy two Ferrari's in Australia. E g. the 308 quattrovalve he owned in 1981 cost $AU150,000 that is, three times the cost of US Ferrari 308. 🤷‍♂️ PPS - this gentleman also owned a 1972 Can An Porsche 917 ! ! ! BY accident I became a hero at school due to the 2 x 308's and one truly great Porsche. In a lucky episode my Phys. ED teacher dropped me off in late '83 and his mouth dropped open when he saw the 917. Ahh . . . yep . .. along with 2 x 308's a magnificent 1972 Can Am 917 Porsche!!! 💫👌 The teacher then explained to me how cool the 917 CanAm Porsche truly were. 🤚🤚🏿🤚🏿 This teacher then saw the 308 GTS and was amazed. 1988 . . . I was 21 and I finally got to ride in a black 308 GTSi. 👌 I had made friends with the owner and he was proud that I had made it to university. He had found out it had been my 21st birthday the month before and asked if I wanted to join him for a 10 minute drive to test the new installed 'muffler ' or exhaust pipe as you guys call it in North America. It was the quickest but MOST memorable 22 minutes of my life !!! That 308 engine whine is still my favourite and has stayed with me forever. 💚💥💫

If I was ever able to have an ‘80’s Ferrari in my garage (with my budget).....it would be an ‘85 QV just like this gorgeous example. MAN, that’s pretty! Love your shirt! Anything that shows that shifter gate can’t be all bad.

Ervin!!! Great Car!!! Looks amazing!!! I would like to see it sometime ‘for real’ I live closed by. I’m from PR as well… 👍🏼

Nice car. Absolutely fantastic!. In my next list surely!, let me know when you get tired ;).

No early Ferrari was "quick" because the displacement wasn't there. Displacement = Torque...just the way it is. The cars are based on racing where lap times count. The idea is to go fast overall, maintaining a high rate of speed over the length of the course, or track. The "Bus Driver" steering wheel...yeah. The "Old School" way to drive Ferrari is two hands on the bottom of the wheel, palms facing upwards, sliding or scooting the wheel back and forth. A driver can get comfortable driving in this fashion, just takes a little practice. The rubber bumpers weigh ~80 lbs. The Quarttrovalvole engine brought back nearly all the power lost when the early "injected" motors were trying to meet clean air standards, where HP numbers were closer to 210 due to less aggressive camshaft profiles, air injection pumps and the same two-valve head. The engine with the nicest sound, IMHO, is running the quad Weber set-up. Pick up a Tubi (or similar) muffler. The sound of the air rushing past the Weber venturis in combination with the "performance" muffler will, well, make it difficult to get out of the car...if you get my meaning. The two-valve motor? If you wanna have a real aural treat try to find a set of P6 camshafts, re-build the engine with pistons that pump the compression to 10.5:1 (higher still is better. 12:1 is best but 100+ octane fuel becomes an issue), add 42 or 44 DCNF Webers (with 40 mm venturis to keep the carb signal up) and the engine will spin to well over 8000 rpm, a mechanical cacophony like no other. 308s are iconic and SO fun to drive!

Absolutely beautiful example...very nice!!

The dual engine cover catches are just diabolical. If one catches and the other doesn't its a struggle to undo them to start again.

Loved the 308,simply iconic. The two things I hated was 1 the American bumpers and 2 the mirrors. The square mirrors looked so out of place with the flowing lines of the car. By the way, you have a beautiful example👍👍👍

Firstly, your car is absolutely immaculate and in beautiful condition, a credit to you and to see how you value owning it and take care of it. I really enjoyed this video as it is real life , warts and all, and for me being a fellow Italian car owner and lover-of, these 'quirks' are normal for our cars, but always good to hear a truthful review from an owner. This is also really valuable for me as I am in the market for a 328GTS here in England (UK), so while being a very 'slightly' different model, some/several of your +s and -s will also apply I'm sure. If I were you I would definitely remove the US bumpers - so much better to have the car look as Ferrari and Pininfarina designed it, and not as the 1980s over-the-top US safety regulators designed it... Keep up the good work Sir! :-)

Thank you! Great video.

Indeed a great car. You did not talk about the double wishbone suspension all round the car! As for it's temperamental issue, 'restomod' with standalone ECU to do proper electronic injection and ignition. Then tune the engine for above 300hp! You can increase the engine displacement to 3.9L too. It is my dream car too, thanks to Magnum PI . . .

My second favorite car shape, Porche 928 beint the first.... Love it.

Yes...Timeless Beauty 🔥

Great video.

Hi, did you manage to sort out your warm starting problem? I’ve got the same problem, great video 👍

The performance figure you have of 7+ seconds to 60 is probably wrong. They can get around 6.5 in reality.

Not sure I would agree that the 308 GTS looks a like a Lamborghini Countach. Maybe some slight similarities to the Lancia Stratos. The Ferrari 308 GT4 is a Marcello Gandini design seems to fit the “wedge “ description better than the GTS. GTS has the Pinifarina curves. A good Ferrari mechanic can help you with your cold star issue, you may have a problem with your cold start injector.

Am fairly certain there is a limited adjustment on the steering wheel with a specific wrench you can use underneath on the column.

Wonderful honest review. Your car looks beautiful. With your dislikes, remember two things. 1 The car is 35 years old and not comparable with modern models. 2 it's Italian. Please continue to enjoy it. Best wishes.

Great job on the review. I have a Prugna 85 308. Have you looked the front and rear fuel relays. they will make it difficult for cold and warm starts independently. Adjusting the fuel relays by cleaning to contacts can also help.Doing a calibration on the air-fuel mixture will also help with startup and running. If you haven't looked at the electrical board conversion have a look at FerraiChat for Birdman conversion. There are some others now that have modern fuse box inserts that use standard fuses (not glass). if you experience the mirror droop, there is a quick fix for that on youtube also $2 in screws and washers.... if you replace the injectors (Mercedes Bosch $20 each for SS not brass) you can also replace the injector bushings, there is a guy in the NL named Jens who does a fantastic job or creating custom ones (fiberglass teflon) that are better than the rubber ones - although my rubber ones were still good after 35 years and 47K miles.... so GO FERRARI!!!! the suspension bushing are also a great idea after 35 years.... makes it ride like its on rails..... have fun and thanks for sharing. San

Great video. My biggest issue is with the hand brake.

Unnecessary....Great license plate!!

Would putting engine block heaters on the trans and engine help alleviate the "cold" starts? I've wondered about this, and it would be cool if you tried it. It should help the longevity as well of the motor over all.

ur car is very clean, nice!

Thanks for sharing your insight. I'm considering purchasing a 308 and hope you can answer a couple of questions. First, does the roof panel store behind the seat? It appears to but I haven't found a definitive answer. I hope to use the car as a weekend getaway which would require taking the roof with me. And second, I've heard that anything stored in the trunk compartment will end up smelling like gas. Can you comment on this? It wouldn't be much fun making that weekend getaway if our change of clothes smells when we get there! Any thoughts you have would be much appreciated. Thanks!

From a boomer, you have a beautiful and great car.

I am not sure as I am a not a 308 owner but it doesn’t seem normal your car take so long to start. Anyway, great videos and nice to see you sharing your passion!

So if you're still monitoring the comments on this video I have a question for you. In the pilot episode of Magnum P.I. & in the original intro video you can find on RU-vid Tom Selleck slides the roof back to remove it but for the life of me I can't figure out where the roof could possibly go. I always felt like this scene must be faked & there's like crew members just taking the roof from him. Can you explain this?

When I saw your difficulty in starting, it reminds me of my Replica Porsche Speedster. When it's cold, there's no problem. No problem when it's hot either. But when the engine is in a warm state, starting requires repeated pressure to the accelerator for it to turn over. Since it does have a Fi Tech Fuel Injection system, after having removed the carbs, the starting should require nothing but turning the key. Was told by my mechanic that FiTech came up with something called a Go Spark CDI Box and I hope to have it installed soon. Basically, it is supposed to send a high degree of electric pulsations that cures the probem of the car not 'catching' during starts. You may inquire if there is something similar for your car?

Great video! Thanks for making it. Like you, love the car but unlike you, I don't own one :) I read somewhere that when the roof top piece is in place it squeaks a lot. Is that your experience?

Get the David Lee engine stroke to 3.6 liter and you will get 400 🐎 🏇

For once I hear and see a very honest likes and dislikes of a Ferrari 308.

The supplier www.auto-leds.co.uk is in the UK but he would probably supply worldwide. Contact Craig Rowlands at info@auto-leds.co.uk. There are two sizes you need T5 5050 SMD LED and Ba9s 5 x 5050 SMD LED in various colours to match the indicator. The T5 are small to fit ignition light fan etc, these need a small modification to stop them shorting out in the bulb holder. Cut a small slot where the wire leaves the base and pull the wire into the slot, the original bulbs had a blob at the bottom to stop the wire shorting. The Ba9s are large with multiple LEDs to fit in the instruments (some may not fully seat but don't worry they still work). If you want pictures email me on redlen308gtb@gmail.com.

Yeah, those US bumpers are horrible, and Euro bumpers don't bolt in. BUT you can buy Euro-style bumpers for US-spec 308s from Superformance in the UK. They're lighter, affordable, bolt right in, and look OEM.

Cool video. Well done. You sound like a nice guy too, especially if you let kids sit in it and take pictures.

308 QV from 1982 were a lot quicker, beating the 1983 911 Carrera 3.2 on track in a US test. A German mag clocked 160 mph top speed and 5.7 s to 60 mph (5.4 with 1 ft roll-om), 14.0 to 100 and 23.0 to 124 mph. European carburetted 308 were also quick, clocked at 159 mph top speed with 5.8 s to 60 (5.5 with roll-on) and 24.3 s to 124 mph.

Great car man

Any chance you could do another video with some slow pans and zoom all around? The car is gorgeous and my dream to own some day, just wish you were speaking next to the car instead of blocking it so I could see more footage of the curves. The sunny day made the red paint stand out so much, gosh I love looking at your car.

You need to change the bumpers to European spec makes a big difference,in the uk 95% of people can drive a stick shift,I only know one person that can’t and she’s from Mexico.

No F1 exhaust note? The Ferrari 348 is the single Biggest Bang for the Buck in Ferrari and exotic sports cars. Wait till you have an electrical gremlin with the 296. In Ferrari sports cars. Jeremy Clarkson declared the 355 “the greatest car in the world, ever.” But Less is More with the completely analog 348 as it doesn’t have the brass valve guide and/or electronic suspension issues the 355 has. Older is Easier as the 348 is the best “purely analog” Ferrari ever made according to Hoovies Garage, the Smoking Tire, Jay Emm, etc as the 348 comes without modern day features that actually detract from the experience of driving a Ferrari. Why drive a “fast” car “slow” when you can drive a slower car fast? Lastly, the 348’s 8,500 rpm flat plane crank shaft generates an Formula 1 exhaust note as F1 cars also use flat plane cranks to lower their center of gravity.

One of my dislikes on my 328 is the turn signal indicators is hard to see.

The steering wheel angle, windows not going completely down, and doors would swing open too easily.

Please share your height and experience with driving comfort.

Do you have any suggesting on buying a 308?

Troppo bella ‼‼ 😃😃😃

Hey bud, regarding your no3 dislike, i have had 308’s and 328’s for over 30 yrs, your staring issues are due to a fault with your car, i have never had any issues what so ever!

Who in NC works on it if you don’t mind me asking? I’m in the market for a 308 and I live in Apex.

Thanks for the video! the 308 is my all time favorite Ferrari (thanks to magnum pi) but the idea of maintaining it keeps me away. I own a 599 and it s also unreliable and costs an absolute fortune to run... they did not get better with time these cars!

Very very very nice

100 things I love about it and three things I don’t like 😉. I love how your exhaust tips don’t stick out too far- very classy. That car should only come in one color- RED!! The rear reminds me of a “snake face”. Even the name makes people turn their heads “308”. I don’t like the name 328 in the front in on that reminds me of a Pontiac fiero. I like how it’s temperamental -it’s like a hot girl with different moods. Whom did you buy the car from- Dealer or individual

That car screams !!!!! Wow!!

The steering wheel on my 328 is adjustable up and down using spanners. I believe it is also adjustable towards and away from the driver. I assume that the 308 is the same. I assume that 308 QV also has electronic fuel injection. should start every time. Don't know how many miles you are doing or what your service schedule is but there is no point "over servicing" if you are only doing limited miles. I get the oil and filter changed every 3 years and the belts every 7. nothing gets changed because of any schedule. however I have done only 3500 miles total in the last 12 years. :)

Such a Rad car, love the video! I'd take off those side badges though...

Beautiful car. I have a 328. You’re in North Carolina? So am I.

Check out the Green 308 with gold wheels ,on Mototechnique channel..it's Stonkingly beautiful 😊👍🏻.....you might want that one!🙂😁👍🏻.

Really nice example you have there! However, I do think there is a way to adjust your steering column a bit - there should be a bolt under the cover on your steering wheel that will give you some adjustment, so you might check. I watched a channel in the UK, and he adjusted the steering on his 308, but I can't remember which video it was. His RU-vid channel is called Number 27, here is the link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WMDkr0CLN-U.html (check the playlist on the InfluEnzo) , and here is a link that explains how to make that adjustment - www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/308-steering-wheel-height-adjustment.43694/

The wheels don't fit with the car, I have a 328 and there is no straight line on the car, while the wheels have the straight line, 'ground hog day', 5 spoke design. Plus, the gun metal gray doesn't fit in with any of the colors and just emphasizes the bad wheel design.

Dislike, parts No Longer Available, NLA. I've always loved the 308!

It’s still my favourite Ferrari.

I have a '79 GTS (yellow). Great video, but you need a new license plate, yours is just wrong. Mine says "YLW FVR"...

The Beverly Hills 2 Ferrari is the 328 gts.

I've got a 1972 tractor that will fire on the first revolution. ...that car needs attention.

You can adjust the wheel

Im saving for that car right now. Luckily I live in the EU cause those US bumpers are ugly af

Made in Italy “quirks”? Really? They make amazing products the world envies - top notch engineering.....

LOL, the mirror really are awful. Didn't expect that to be on the list, but it surely needs to be.

Change bompers please

Nice car..but I'd rather have a 355 spyder !!!! 👍🇮🇹😎

The Scuderia Shields don't belong on that car and detracts from the lines in my opinion.

Very good video, but in the future you should really remove your sunglasses, at least when looking into the camera. I know it was sunny that day but I don't trust someone who's eyes I can't see.