Hello everyone. I am new to the forum and have a couple questions. I presently own a 1980 Mercedes 450sl. Nice car insode and out with 77K miles, and have owned several English sports cars in the past. I have always loved the mystique of Ferrari and am considering selling/trading the Benz to purchase a 308GTS. What can you folks tell me about the 308? What to look for and LOOK OUT for? What is a reasonable price for, say a 1980 with 30K miles? Thanks in advance for your assistance.
New to the Forum
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
Joined
·
6,317 Posts
foxmo,foxmo said:
welcome to the site.
I'm a little behind on market pricing but if the car is in pristine condition then I would say $35,000 USD.
As far as things to expect. Check out the tech forum just below this one. There you will find what people are fixing. Just to give you a brief on this, pretty much the same things your fixing on your SL, the normal wear and tear. I don't know how often you plan on driving the car. Overall the engine in solid, replace all the belts etc just to protect yourself from damage that would end up costing you lots of money. You won't have much electrical problems and I don't remember what year fuel injection was used but the 70s models used Weber cauerberators (sp?).
Hope this help and I hope you get the car. When you do be sure to visit us here on the forum and tell us how you fancy the car.
Joined
·
383 Posts
Welcome, hope you enjoy our 'company'! :green:
Joined
·
749 Posts
Hi foxmo, welcome!
Pricing will depend on which country you are in, as exchange rates are all over the place at the moment making comparisons difficult.
Note that the GTS is carburetted with more power than the injected GTSi engine. This change was late 1980 and the performance I believe is quite a bit different, so check this out. The carbs are fussier but do sound better IMHO! Power came back up in 82 with the 4 valve engine (QV).
30K miles sounds pretty low for an 80 model so you will probably pay a bit over market for this. If you have a car in your sights get a proper market valuation from a reputable on-line source. It costs almost nothing but will give you the facts as to retail / trade prices plus average miles. Use this to bargain down the $$$.
Good luck 8)
Pricing will depend on which country you are in, as exchange rates are all over the place at the moment making comparisons difficult.
Note that the GTS is carburetted with more power than the injected GTSi engine. This change was late 1980 and the performance I believe is quite a bit different, so check this out. The carbs are fussier but do sound better IMHO! Power came back up in 82 with the 4 valve engine (QV).
30K miles sounds pretty low for an 80 model so you will probably pay a bit over market for this. If you have a car in your sights get a proper market valuation from a reputable on-line source. It costs almost nothing but will give you the facts as to retail / trade prices plus average miles. Use this to bargain down the $$$.
Good luck 8)
Joined
·
457 Posts
Hi foxmo,4kids3fish said:
Good advice here from 4kids3fish. I have a 1976 308 GTB Fiberglass and have found that once the carbs are adjusted and synchronized, they tend to stay that way. Yes, the sound from a carburetted car is distinctive.
The carburetted GTSs are actually less powerful than the earlier pre-catalytic GTBs. The 1975 and 76 cars have different camshafts making them the most powerful in the series. Still, these cars have sufficient power and you will enjoy what they have to offer. Keep in mind that the earliest are coming up on 30 years old and so you must take into consideration that the technology has changed much in that amount of time.
Prices can vary, so take your time and test-drive many cars from all three variants. Do get a PPI on the one(s) you are interested in.
Oh, and keep your SL. It's a classy car. I have a 1985 380 SL also with about 77,000 miles. It's been very dependable.
My SL:
Attachments
Joined
·
457 Posts
and my GTB:
Regards,
Barry
Regards,
Barry
Attachments
Thanks, Folks, for your thoughts. It may be a while before I start to "seriously" look for a 308. My wife thinks driving a Ferrari is too pretentious!! I was going to sell the Benz to help finance the 308, but she's putting up a fight! So, I'll have to try another method. As with many of the older exotic cars, the purchase price is probably the cheapest thing I'd run into; at least I've sort of seen that with the Benz. Just because it has an MB emblem on it, the price goes up fivefold. Anyway, Thanks again. I enjoy the topics and will visit you frequently.
Barry, if you don't already know, there is a great MB forum: www.mercedesshop.com. Check it out. THE FOX
Barry, if you don't already know, there is a great MB forum: www.mercedesshop.com. Check it out. THE FOX
Joined
·
457 Posts
Fox,
I hope you can convince your wife of the practical need for BOTH your SL and a Ferrari. (Easier said than done)
Barry
I hope you can convince your wife of the practical need for BOTH your SL and a Ferrari. (Easier said than done)
Barry
Joined
·
457 Posts
Hi Andrew,
The 380 SL is a nice car. I think the 107 is a classic and timeless style and still looks sharp today. It was a design that lasted almost two decades!
Barry
The 380 SL is a nice car. I think the 107 is a classic and timeless style and still looks sharp today. It was a design that lasted almost two decades!
Barry
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
