Bob S. submitted this 1974 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, and it is in an unusual location: Craigslist and what would appear to be the boneyard of some sort of shop. While not unheard of, finding a Ferrari on Craigslist always catches me by surprise! This one is certainly a project, but looks to be a solid restoration candidate. According to the ad, it has 15,457 original miles. Find it here on Craigslist in Los Angeles with an asking price of $26,000.
The interior is a bit of a mess, but the seller states that there is a new headliner installed and the pictures verify that claim. In fact, it looks quite nice! There is no mention as to whether or not the missing interior components are included with the sale. Though much is missing, what is in place looks to be intact. The dash looks clean and complete. The interior of this car seems to be the worst of the project and if that is the case then one could certainly do worse!
The killer for many folks considering a “cheap” Ferrari is something that comes standard with almost all Ferraris: high maintenance costs. While keeping the engine running could be affordable for many, building one could quickly become a financial nightmare. Fortunately, the seller states “Engine runs strong as hell with no problems mechanical wise.” Furthermore, the engine has had “oil and spark plugs and some new belts” installed.
A former classmate of mine owned a 1976 model, and installed a twin-turbo 4.8 liter GM V8 engine since the original drivetrain had previously been swapped out for Subaru drivetrain. A writeup on that car can be found here on BangShift. As far as this 1974 goes, from the way the seller talks about it all it needs is paint work and an interior. With nice examples bringing $50,000+ in many cases, this could be a good way for an enthusiast to get into a Ferrari for less. Do you see an honest project, or a nightmare waiting to happen?
The price is about twice as high as it should be.
This is a nightmare! no…wait… this is a nightmare and then you wake up and realize you aren’t dreaming nightmare. Much better project Ferrari’s out there…
It’s in a junk yard for a reason .
Engine or tranny or electrical nightmare for someone to deal with for 26k.
I would poney up more cash for a non salvage one myself
How to unleash a Tsunami in your wallet.
ooooo tough crowd. So non computerized, non electronic, straight 12V electrical scares y’all? This is a 2-3 week effort including powerbuffing with a light compound. It is priced about right when you consider what you can part it out for. Even the windshield is worth $1200. A 90 day note and can do attitude will put about $20k in your pocket if you choose to fixnflip.Excellent deal.
Looks like a good way to start a run on your own personal ass-bank, (wallet).
most expensive thing is a cheap ferrari.
Is that “The Grim Reaper” in the last picture?
How come the photographer can see the car but can’t see his own shadow?
Nosferatu!
Really amazing to see a Ferrari in such sad shape,
poor car..!How does that happen to one of these?
Someone with some experience with these
will snap this right up..I would think?,maybe it is priced too high?
Super cool car,I imagine interior parts are very pricey as well..,
Will be great if someone can get it back together,
without selling a kidney…or 2…! LOL…
A Cheap Ferrari will be the most expensive Ferrari you could buy.
Gone! Somebody must a snatched it up.
A “strong” running Ferrari, with “no problems mechanical wise”, and no collision damage doesn’t end up in a junk yard without reason.
~ Remember these words, ‘If you can’t afford a good Ferrari, you really can’t afford a bad one.’
Someone didn’t think so. Going going gone.
This is for someone who has a lot of time and money. Not a loved Ferrari model even in good shape. These are in the same league as a Mondial. Buying a really beatup F355 is a better option if someone wants to spend a bunch of money.
CL ad ‘deleted by its author’. Maybe it sold, maybe he got embarrassed that his BIG shadow is looming over the front end of the car in one of the photos like a Ferrari gremlin.
Tough crowd. I agree with jeff6599—you could probably make money just by parting it out, even if you pay the $26K asking, and it might have already sold for a lower offer than that.
That’s because all those expensive parts costs that scare people away from Ferraris work in your favour when you are parting out a Ferrari. I would want to verify the seller’s claim that the engine runs strong is accurate, and that there aren’t any more horror stories in addition to what you can see in the photos. At least it’s a So Cal car, so not likely rusty—-but best to verify.
Good driver 308 GT/4s sell in the $45-$50K range now—up from $15-$25K not many years ago—and the latest SCM Guide says the median selling price at recent auctions has been $64,500, so the asking on this car looks pretty cheap even tho it has needs.
The interior is a mess but upholstery can be done by any good automotive upholstery shop if you don’t need excellent original in there. Assuming the engine (and drivetrain) are OK, my biggest concern would be the electrics, based on the rat’s nest of wires hanging under the dash. My other concern would be the black paint, which might be OK if dealt with properly. If not OK, I would be tempted to do something I never like to do: a color change from the original. Altho these look good in black, they look better in some other colors.
I’d like to know what happened to it now that the CL as is gone.
Obviously some far less cynical person decided it was a good opportunity and went for it, some you win, some you lose, sitting on your a….. thinking about it won’t get you anywhere, you gotta take a chance in life sometimes, it’s more fun that way and you could make a ‘buck or two’ on the way, if not at least it’s not boring !
You guys do remember that these were cheap used cars when they were five years old. The founder of Red Lion gave me his 365GTB in 1979 with instructions to get him two Cadillac Coupe deVilles in trade. I drove that all over the west coast trying to get a decent bid on that car. I needed $26,000 to make a deal and the best cash offer was $18.5. One of the driving highlights of my life was putting 2000 miles on that car. RIP Eddie Pietz