Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Holly cow

[Doug & Terri (dnt]

Brian notes “308/328 . . . . with exceptional low mileage cars [are] bringing over $100k.”

 

I personally have pondered the wisdom buying an “exceptionally low mileage car” which is now between 35 and 44 years old. 

 

I just finished a suspension overhaul on our 1978 308 GTS and I personally shudder to add up the dollars as to what it took between the “well . .  as long as we are here” and then to finally get the car back on the road - - - and I did the work myself under the auspice of the ever watchful eye of a Pebble Beach winning tech pointing the way.  Turn him loose at his going rate and to make ANY car road worthy to “exceptional” standards would be astronomical. 

 

Now here’s an example and I invite our worthy readers to slap me around if I am off track.  Except for Clyde.  :  )  Let’s say the bill, parts and labor, to bring up a low mileage car to road worthy and trusted conditions comes to $25,000.  That means I have to earn 50,000 taxable dollars to have $25,000 spendable dollars.  That puts an exceptionally low mileage (read UN-DRIVEN) car now at $150,000 for me and it may be worth only $80,000.  The math just doesn’t add up.

 

Give me a car that’s been enjoyed and driven, reasonably, and I’ll show you a car that can answer to that Sunday drive without trepidation.

 

Of course if I had just bought that 288 GTO a few years ago for $300,000, drained the fluids and put it in a hermetically sealed box . . . . but then I also passed up on a few Van Gogh’s.  LOL

 

DOUG