[TheITGuy]

Hi,
Well at the moment I'm like the girl who's a little bit pregnant- I'm a little bit Ferrari owner, finally. I have to wait for the bank to open in the morning before the money gets transferred and I'm ready to take my 308 home. And there will be much rejoicing.
I was told about this site by the previous owner (or current owner if you're reading this on Sunday). I'm sure I'll be trawling it for answers to questions that have been asked and answered a thousand times already, so I apologise in advance if I'm the person who's asking for the 1001st time...

[Maranellohouse]

Excellent, that's 2 of us now from Norn Iron and Barry from Dublin. And I have a 308 as well.
I know how excited you feel right now so look forward to seeing photo's of the car and feel free to ask away, the guys here are some of the most friendly people I've came across on the web with a decent sense of humour that suits us from overhere.

good luck tomorrow, Stuart

[Barry]

Congrats IT Guy. Only 24 hours to go so it's a fairly short wait now.

Welcome to F-Life. There is a infinite amount of knowledge here (and a lot of fun too). Nice to see another Irish member on the site. Nearly have think we've just increased the Irish numbers by 50%...

We'll have to have an Irish chapter meet soon....

[Pete04222]

Would this 308 happen to be black? If it's the car I'm thinking of then you made an excellent purchase.

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of an Irish Ferrari chapter meet. I'm sure there will be much rejoicing. Do I have to come over there and collect everybody's keys first?

You know the saying about why God created Whiskey? So the Irish wouldn't rule the world.

Congrats on the purchase and feel free to ask any question you may have. There's a lot of people on here who are very knowledgeable about the 308.

[Barry]

Originally Posted by Pete04222

Would this 308 happen to be black?

Ahh I see where you're going here Pete. Why didn't I think of that 308... and its a GTS QV as well isn't it?

[TheITGuy]

Thanks for the warm welcome lads Unfortunately it'll be a bit more than 24hrs, though. Have to wait for the payment to appear in the seller's bank account (could take a day or two for that), sort out insurance, book a flight over, a ferry back, yadda yadda yadda. I'd say I'll be going over for it on Thursday. But the principle stands- I'm spending the interval drooling over the pics of the car.

Oh, I copied the sale ad pics over onto my own site so you should be able to see 'em: http://www.theitguy.ie/ferrari308 Let me know if you can't, and I shall curse extensively and try again.

As for an Irish chapter meet, it'd be like that film where the baseball team is rubbish and the only three fans who turned up, try to do a mexican wave... But I'd be game all the same!

Jonathan

[Pete04222]

Yeah Barry, you know the one.

[Pete04222]

Jonathan, Yup, that's the one. Great car. I know the seller was very upset to see her go. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Cars of this caliber don't just fall from the sky all the time.

[Pete04222]

Originally Posted by ENZ9_1

Excellent, that's 2 of us now from Norn Iron and Barry from Dublin. And I have a 308 as well.

BTW - Forgive my ignorance, but where is this Norn Iron? Is it just a colloquialism for Northern Ireland? The only places I've been to in Ireland are Dublin, Waterford, Wexford and Cork. Oh, and some pub in a hayfield in the middle of nowhere with nothing around it for miles that was packed on a Thursday night.

[Pete04222]

Also BTW - I've got to tell you guys that I love Irish pubs. You can walk in there a total stranger and within 2 hours you know everyone in the place and they all know you. Friendliest pubs on Earth.

I remember being in a sports pub in Dublin and this wall of a man who was obviously the goalie for the football club came up to me and said while he was swaying, "So.... As an American what do you think of the Fuckin' English?" Of course there was only one right answer to this question so I said, "Hmm... I don't like 'em. I don't like 'em a bit." I was his best mate after that.

[TheITGuy]

Originally Posted by Pete04222

Would this 308 happen to be black? If it's the car I'm thinking of then you made an excellent purchase.....

....Jonathan, Yup, that's the one. Great car. I know the seller was very upset to see her go. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Cars of this caliber don't just fall from the sky all the time.

Oho, it's a small world I've gotten myself into, I see! :biggrin: Yes, I believe I WAS in the right place at the right time. I'd been looking at Autotrader's website every day for about a year and I was fed up with the limited and largely unchanging selection they had. So on Tuesday night, for the pig iron of it, I just typed 'Ferrari 308 for sale' into Google. It brought up a link to Pistonheads, I had a look and was on the phone to Ian within the hour...

Originally Posted by Pete04222

You know the saying about why God created Whiskey? So the Irish wouldn't rule the world.
Congrats on the purchase and feel free to ask any question you may have. There's a lot of people on here who are very knowledgeable about the 308.

Oooohhhh, don't talk to me about whiskey. My first three-day hangover was brought to me in association with whiskey (which I never drink but did that night cos we'd finished all the beer, oops)

Originally Posted by Pete04222

BTW - Forgive my ignorance, but where is this Norn Iron? Is it just a colloquialism for Northern Ireland? The only places I've been to in Ireland are Dublin, Waterford, Wexford and Cork. Oh, and some pub in a hayfield in the middle of nowhere with nothing around it for miles that was packed on a Thursday night.

Yes, it's 'Northern Ireland', spelled the way it's pronounced by the locals I'm afraid the description 'some pub in a hayfield in the middle of nowhere with nothing around it for miles that was packed on a Thursday night' doesn't really do much to whittle down the number of suspects lol. The reason it was packed on a Thursday night is precisely because there's nothing around it for miles!

[archiegibbs]

Glad to see you made it on here Jonathan, I told you they were a great bunch of guys. I'm pleased to see my old 308 will be in safe hands now you are a F'Lifer. Congrats and I know you will enjoy her as much as I did.

[TheITGuy]

Hi Archie,

Aha, THERE you are! I'd forgotten to ask what your username was on here. Yep, the locals are indeed friendly. If only the insurance companies were similarly welcoming! I have to ring the folks Enz9_1 recommended in the morning; hopefully they'll be kinder than the results off comparethemarket (£1300- £2000 ).

I will try my best to keep your pride and joy in the condition (and indeed SHAPE) to which she has become accustomed.

Thank you!

Jonathan

[archiegibbs]

I read your post about insurance. That seems very strange, I can't understand why none of the main classic brokers want to insure in NI these days. Hopefully the ones that Enz gave you will give you a competitive quote.

She's all nicely tucked up in the garage waiting for your return. I'm sure you will get a good feel for her on your drive to the ferry Hopefully the sun will be out and the roads will be dry for you too

[Maranellohouse]

Don't tell me you bought that aul kit car off Archie

You know that now means I'm going to have to do some serious work to get mine into anywhere near the same standard Archie kept his so mine won't look like a heap beside it at any show we end up at at the same time.

Seriously though, what a star buy from a decent bloke. Don't worry Archie I'll make sure he looks after it properly.

[Maranellohouse]

Here Pete, we're getting very civilised now you know, we have wine bars in the middle of the fields now.

[Pete04222]

Originally Posted by ENZ9_1

Here Pete, we're getting very civilised now you know, we have wine bars in the middle of the fields now.

Oh, very nice and civilized! All imported stuff I'd imagine since I've never heard anybody discussing fine Irish wines. Wine is not made with potatos.

[Saint Bastage]

Originally Posted by Pete04222

Oh, very nice and civilized! All imported stuff I'd imagine since I've never heard anybody discussing fine Irish wines. Wine is not made with potatos.

The most famous Irish wine is "how come this whiskey costs so much"?

Jeez Arch - Didn't know you were jumping off again. Is there a replacement in the future? How's Lil Arch taking it?

[archiegibbs]

Originally Posted by Saint Bastage

Jeez Arch - Didn't know you were jumping off again. Is there a replacement in the future? How's Lil Arch taking it?

Temporary measure due to change in circumstances and immediate priorities which involve a lot of lang haul travel (cant say much more on the public forum). L'il Arch has taken it a lot better than when we sold the 328 GTS. You know me, I wont be without a F-car forever, and I'm sure there will be a replacement in the future. I was thinking of a 360, but my good friend CGT has talked me into considering a F355 GTS. Who knows what and when?

[TheITGuy]

Originally Posted by Pete04222

Oh, very nice and civilized! All imported stuff I'd imagine since I've never heard anybody discussing fine Irish wines. Wine is not made with potatos.

Au contraire, there is a fine potato-based wine being produced in well-hidden stills up and down the length of this country as we speak! Wine that would knock anything else into a cocked hat (and then burn its way through the hat)

Originally Posted by archiegibbs

L'il Arch has taken it a lot better than when we sold the 328 GTS.

Ah well you see, nothing hurts like first love. First cut is the deepest, etc., etc.

Originally Posted by archiegibbs

I was thinking of a 360, but my good friend CGT has talked me into considering a F355 GTS. Who knows what and when?

No boot space in either of those though. What you need is a 308...
Personally, I was never all that dying about the looks of the F355. It didn't look special to me, especially the way the side vents were done. Didn't like the way they painted the rear panel between the tail lights black either. I know the 348's not very well-regarded but I thought it was prettier than the F355. If only it had had the round tail lights; what were they thinking? Everybody knows you can't have a Ferrari without them.

Best of luck, whatever you decide upon. Were many F355 GTSs produced? Any ads I glanced at were either fixed-head or convertible.