I bust out laughing at the Adam Sandler reference! This is great content, very educational and great insight into the maintaining of a classic Italian car along with entertaining. I think Matt and Zack are providing some of the most well rounded automotive content on UA-cam today.
I know this video is going to do completely shitty because you dared venture outside of what UA-cam deems necessary but I wish we'd get more updates from Donny, he's naturally good on camera and it's always great to hear from an expert on something. I'd watch the shit out of a "Look at what Donny found on this Ferrari" series.
you know what the fucked up thing is, matt was absolutely right on the podcast, we ARE part of the problem - it took me days to click on this video and even after recognising that i wasn't as drawn to it as the others, i couldnt for the life of me figure out why! maybe the algorithm is right... im glad i finally watched it though this was really fun
Like babyblu said. I don't think I even got a notification about this vid and just found it, three days late. And agreeing with you, I fucking love Donny videos. Love them more than even two take vids that I really like. I would watch a six part series twice of "Look what Donny found on this 2017 Kia Forte".
The view count on this actually isn't that bad for the channel. I wonder if Matt will pivot the channel more towards him and less towards new car reviews. I don't listen to TST podcast for new car reviews, I listen for matt and zach.
I feel like the sheer age of used cars is often overlooked which is kind of the message of this video. A used Lexus is a reliable machine but at some age, every car will need shit fixed and replaced, regardless of it having a reputation of being 'bulletproof' or not.
This is true. Even on my '04 Xterra, a snapped throttle cable is extremely limited right now and I'm on a huge backorder right now. And that's a reliable car.
The point being made here cannot be understated. Whether a 30-yr-old Ferrari or Miata, the rubber bushings will be trash at this point. Makes an astounding difference when you refresh them.
But also be careful of over fixing. I've seen so many guys replace old rubber with solid or super hard urethane bushing to "tighten things up" and then complain that the car is unpleasant to drive. The car guy curse of wanting to upgrade everything and ending up making a track car out of your daily and then hating it. Sometimes the upgrade is just fresh OEM parts.
@@neong 100% agree. My '90 Miata is 80/20 street/track and the Mazda Motorsports +40% rubber bushings were the best compromise vs. low-compliance poly, Delrin, etc. If it doesn't see a track, OEM rubber -- or if there's an uprated stiffer rubber -- is best.
bigger problem is, convincing the sellers of those low mileage cars, that their values are off because it's going to need a pile of cash just to make it driveable. now if you never drive it, it obviously doesn't matter.
Everyone needs a Donny!! The best thing about all the repairs you are doing is you are doing them and they are being done by Donny so you know they are done right and with the right parts.
With as much as you're spending on repairs glad to see they have such a good boy as a master mechanic in the shop. Doggo really sniffed out the issues. Edit: Omg his name is Waffle lmao
Going through something similar now, but thankfully with my late brothers somewhat maintained E46 330ci. It’s at an age where 20+ years in the Northeast has aged all the rubber and plastic beyond recognition (shoutout Mr. Klapman!). Stuff like this is honestly kind of priceless. The amount of knowledge and depth of repair and restoration here will give you so much peace of mind when it’s done. Absolutely love the little nugget of giving your money to a respected person like Donny instead of a shady seller. Can’t wait to see black car running.
I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the driving experience of the 328 after this is done. It seemed like you were pretty pleased before. It should be outstanding now.
I'm happy this video is out because it's so informative.. Not only do I love a 328 but it's good seeing what all you may have to visit when you buy one. It is an 80s car and things don't last forever.. many things have to be replaced and resolved.. Thank you for the video!
The funny part is NONE of these parts (suspension and brakes) are better, or special, in any way, than the same parts for a Toyota, a Honda, or a Chevy and could be worked on yourself over weekend, and yet I gaurantee that check is in excess of $20k!? It's absurd what a Label/Name can do.
I love watching Matt restore his cars: It brings back all of the memories of doing it myself - but none of the hassle, grime or bills! I used to anthropomorphize my cars then feel guilt into spending more money on their restoration - as if they were a loved one needing health care. I see now it's so much better to anthropomorphize other people's cars! Donny - fix everything with the best parts no matter the cost. Matt - stop pestering poor Donny about the cost - cheap skate - just cut the check already! Yea, it's so much better this way! Cant wait until Donny gets his mitts into the Lambo. Muahahaha!
After listening to the podcast for a long time, I was not expecting Donnie to look like this. I thought he was going to be a 70 year old Italian with a super thick accent.
All those brakes, bushings, rose joints and ball joints are just standard annual maintenance checks, the way I phrase it when somebody leaves a car like that with me is "yea she's gonna need the full Sharon Osborne procedure"
This is why mileage matters less than maintenance history overall. Sometimes a low mileage car that commands a much higher price tag is actually worse than the higher mileage beater, simply because the beater was actually used and maintained rather than just sitting around looking pretty and rotting from the inside out. The beater might need more work to get it running just right, or to be restored visually, but at least you won't have to worry as much about dry rot.
Having bought a “cheap” (21yr old at the time) 308 GTS and then a not-so-cheap (but cheap relative to the 308) 15yr old Boxster S, I wouldn’t like to say one was any less expensive to restore than the other. At least the Ferrari didn’t have broken £1200 cup holders, and you get much more of your resto money back with a Fezza!
The amount that is consistent with what he's said in regards to other components leads me to believe that he's not just actually doing things for the labor money itself. My X5 suspension feels really good when driving, but that doesn't change the fact that i have some worn out bushings. Does that mean that I shouldn't change them just cause the car feels good when driving?
@@FailofWar127 well said. Also, when so many parts are worn out, even an expert can assume some components of the system are responsible even though there are more. And replacing some could solve most of the problem and make people happy. When he gets in there, of course he finds all the tiny details.
Thank god you found someone you can trust to work to it. It is good that you are doing this work not only for your enjoyment of the car but for everyone’s too! Thanks
Waffle! It’s an airplane! So effortlessly funny. A more in depth one take format, Matt with classics and Donny with an engineering perspective. Maybe a little too Leno or savage geese, but with your style and the right cars, this could be gold.
Donny is a true master with repair and restoring because of his attention to detail and always wanting - if possible - OEM parts. After he touches it, you know its been done right. They guy loves Ferrari, drives them and knows how they tick inside and out. Matt's 328 continues to be in very good hands. A valuable lesson in that a PPI doesn't assure any buyer all will be discovered during the inspection.
I love people like Donnie, that know how to do the right thing and get precious goods back to the way we desire. Keep up the great content, these videos in particular with people as fascinating as Donnie always get my full view!
The ‘man maths’ is strong with this one. In one fell swoop you’ve made all of the low mileage, absurdly priced garage queens redundant. Logic rules. Bravo!
These are honestly some of the most relatable videos on here. Very few people have experienced flogging a 911 GT3 through the canyons, but nearly *everyone* (at least in this viewing demographic) has probably has experienced buying a car and later finding some serious f&*kery under the skin when they got around to doing maintenance.
These updates are FOR SURE appreciated!!! Just the other day I was watching the podcast and thought about the 328 GTS... for no reason. I was like: "hmmm... Wonder how that little car is doing?" No shit.
Just went through something like this on a BMW 635csi. Owner had parked it indoors over a decade ago, raved about it's "condition". Exterior and interior were mint. Ran quite well. PPi showed it leaked from every seal, AC system needed replacing, belts were cracked and the suspension was shot. 5K to be a good runner, 10k to make it a top of the market car, which what he was asking.
Wow this went to “Harry’s Garage” restoration fast! It was fun to watch though! I also like that they’re both simultaneously working on their Countachs!
Phenomenal video! Older cars, in my experience regardless of maintenance will always need things fixed. Sucks you had to go balls deep into this rebuild, but the end should be great! Good luck!
I laughed so hard at the Adam Sandler “at a medium pace” reference. Seriously though, thank you Matt for sharing the real life experience of Italian poster car ownership, one of the most authentic and honest automotive content creators out there.
Donny is right that certain things need to be replaced on these cars just due to age, however prior ownership is a big factor in determining how much of that you will *need* to deal with. I have seen some 328s where all the rubber bits were seriously deteriorated and others that were in fine shape. Same age, so it would have to come down to usage, maintenance, storage, and environment. The only things I had to replace on my 328 so far were some of the low pressure fuel hoses and the fuel tank connector sleeves, which showed signs of ethanol damage. But the suspension bushings are all fine. Most other wear/age related stuff was handled as part of routine maintenance over the years.
This was awesome! It’s refreshing to see honest, straightforward, POV of dealing with a 30+ y.o. car, especially a Ferrari. Buying a vintage/enthusiast car from an auction doesn’t guarantee it’s completely sorted no matter how nice the car is presented. I love how you shared the story about fraudulent invoices etc: most would not admit to the duct tape and rivets either. Donnie is great addition to your content always (straight up expert opinion). He’s f**king awesome. Aside from the pain of Donnie’s invoice, looks like that car will be sorted for the rest of your life and provide miles of happiness. Enjoy!
If you buy a more expensive example of the model, then you just gotta hope that 1. all those wearables were replaced by the last or previous owner within the last 5 or less years 2. the work was done properly and didn't cause any possibly hidden damage during the refresh 3. OEM or better parts were used like shown here, instead of cheaper knockoff parts or used junkyard parts Better off buying the cheapest example of a car and then having the whole car done at once by a shop that specializes in the platform👍 Bad ass revival Matt🤘
The plastic sheeting he is looking for is something i found doing a restoration. When palletizing goods for shipment on a pallet, they use a black plastic slip sheet that sits on top of a pallet before the boxes are placed on the pallet. Go hit a costco and ask for to speak to a shipping manager, theyll give you a few.... or buy a oackage from a shipping supplies etailer
I only wish I had your money Matt. I have an old 78 Firebird Formula LE T-Top that I'm in the process of restoring but am stuck due to funding. This car is my first and I've been trying to work on it with my 9 year old boy as a project for him to learn from and make another auto enthusiast out of. Best of luck with all those Ferrari restorations, those are absolutely beautiful cars and well worth the cash invested.
Great meeting you at the Avant launch beer line. Best of luck with the 328. Beautiful car at the end of the day - it is worth it. I went out with a girl once that must have gone to that same door panel repair guy for some face work...
I'm a motorcyclist and I've serviced my suspension (oil and seals) every second major engine service interval, as advised by my suspension mechanics. It' makes a huge difference and I've always been surprised car guys let their damper oil go unchanged for decades.
17:01 all that yellow stuff is not the circuit board melting, its just liquid flux used for soldering. some cold soldering joints as well, nothing too bad. The green solder masking missing is nbd.
My circuit board just went out. Waiting in Cleveland for the new one right now. My guys says about 1k maybe less. Curious how many miles/purchase price on your car. I paid 65k 3 years ago. 50k miles and a little shady past (Georgia car like yours) and also TRIPLE BLACK LIKE YOURS. They're worth a lot more now btw. Thanks
It’s the worse because of total cost but the car also sat for six years. At the beginning of this year I told the shop to get a ‘92 VW GTI 16v, w/ a turbo ABA motor on standalone, running and make it reliable. Five months and $11,000 later it was running. Sold it w/in three months and netted a cool $1,000 for my troubles. It was a massive snowball of shit breaking at each step.
Car appears to be in fairly good condition to be honest. The rear rotor discussion is a complete nothing burger, they are worn slightly below replacement thickness. The lip on inside/outside is completely normal (I've never replaced a set of rotors that didn't have this, why would you?). Door liner is a bit janky but not unexpected for a cheaper car of this age. Very mild refresh required.
I’m fixing things on my 2006 Boxster as they break and it’s irking me no end. Lovely thing to drive though and I’m still ahead of the game vs a new one - I can only imagine what an 80’s Ferrari would have cooking!
This is what happens when you buy old cars, you need to expect to spend the money on reconditioning them. It is nice to see Donny knowing so much about the intricacies of these silly Italian cars. But honestly it is spend more on the car up front to spend the same money on the back in maintenance. It just all depends on the budget you have and the understanding that it will need to get done eventually and if you aren’t willing to do it, don’t buy the car.
GTO.....308.....328.....most beautiful Ferrari's of all time to me. Can't wait to see it all finished up and "drivers car" perfect! When I was younger I was a Dupont registry collector. I can remember being a sophmore in college, sometime before the year 2000 🤫, and in need of a new car. At that time I'd see 308's under 20k and 328's in the mid 20's. I vividly remember buying a 2 yr old Honda accord for the same price as a 1981 308 I saw in the Dupont registry and thinking to myself "self....when we get out of college we're buying 1 of those things stat!!!". Well I should've skipped that Accord, bought my 308 in college and spent every dime I could muster on maintenance!!! Maybe when my daughter, who's a freshman in college this year, graduates I'll be able to mortgage my house again and buy my dream 308/328!!! Lol
Haven't been following along, but Todd @Everydaydriver mentioned you challenges on a recent podcast! Congrats on the 328i and I agree, this is the more enjoyable route in the end. Have a beautiful sorted driver that you are not precious with is the greatest investment!
I'm rebuilding/restoring a 20th Anniversary Edition VW GTI, and that one bit about enjoying a car despite it being broken, really sums up my experience with the GTI. I can't wait for it to be in better shape so I can just enjoy driving it.
Yep, that's how it is with things of this vintage. Everyone wants cool radwood stuff. Nobody realizes how much old crusty expensive radwood era rubber you're replacing. If you do it right it's properly expensive on even the shittiest of cars.
Would like to have more of this type of technical content. Love to see old cars brought back to spec or better, and your Ferrari shop seems highly competent. 👍👍
Great decision to buy this car, it has created lots of content for you and really showcased Donnie and his business. When you decide to sell it, I am sure talking it up on your youTube channel and other social media will artificially increase its price. That's the formula that Adam Corolla used to upgrade from Datsun 510 to Paul Newman's 935 Porsche.
Love this video - and love both perspectives. I want to see the end result and road trip!!!! Matt you have been great for over a decade, thanks for everything.
I was replacing door latch cables on a Ferrari 360 modena that the owner had only ever taken to Ferrari for service. The door liner was ripped and held on with duct tape, it had non-original machine screws where it should've had chamfered Allen head bolts, the cable had been pushed past its adjustments range and held in place with zip ties, and a missing dowel pin was replaced by a piece of piano wire stuck thru the hole and wrapped around. Even Ferrari themselves can't be trusted to take care of cars properly, and I, at a little all-makes independent shop, was the one to set things straight on it.
Man, we need like a "Donnie Score" to be added to CarsandBids and BringaTrailer. Seller pays a little extra (for Donnie's time), and he does a PPI for the listing
You’ve got a great mechanic …! Experienced and with a conscience. I’ll bet he doesn’t have drywall screws anywhere in his shop … other than in your car!!!…but those will be gone soon as well. Thanks for posting this video!
So happy you are doing all of this. I remember the first video of you taking the 328 to this guy and thought...do everything. Even though it's your money being spent.
I'm completely behind the you on the seat argument, you want to be able to use it. Keeping up with maintenance is one thing. I bought a ISF in February this year, I got a small rock chip in the original zero chip/scratch windshield on the way home, I lost it at first but after a while I thought "good, it's first battle wound, now its not perfect anymore". I dm'd you a picture of it Matt if you remember, it's still a fucking blast to drive and I have discovered that there's only 32 examples totally registered in Sweden. Didn't know they were that rare! Great video and thanks for the amazing content!
It's kind of a relief to see that pro's also do some bad deals. Bought a car thinking it was a great deal, and the funny thing is that the car itself didn't have any problems, but in months I got a/c problems, mysterious parasitic draw, alternator shot, bad brakes, water leak in the boot, etc. etc.
I'm sure you aren't thrilled to have Donnie on, as it usually costs you lots of loot, but he is a pleasure to listen to. Should try to get him to LA for the podcast!
Jesus! A Dino in the background with the original Italian plate from Vercelli! Crazy to think that car probably spent most of its life at 70 kilometers from where I live in a rice fields countryside area and now is in California!
A huge downside of old double-wishbone cars is maintenance on the suspension. The bushings are likely to last a long time, but I doubt most normal owners will ever go to the trouble and expense of replacing all the bushings. I know my car's bushings will need replacing soon, but the prospect of having to replace 22 rubber bushings that haven't been touched for 30 years is pretty scary and would take most home mechanics at least a couple days and lots of swear words to get done. "While you're in there" is a slippery slope but definitely worth the effort with a special car.
They sell that plastic for crawl space remediation and it's feels the same as that factory plastic rather than a trash bag. You can buy it in black, brown or clear at lowes or home depot. Would and is a much better recourse to trash bags for the plastic behind door cards.
I bust out laughing at the Adam Sandler reference! This is great content, very educational and great insight into the maintaining of a classic Italian car along with entertaining. I think Matt and Zack are providing some of the most well rounded automotive content on UA-cam today.
at a medium pace…..
@One Issue Voter ok bot
wholeheartedly agree
I know this video is going to do completely shitty because you dared venture outside of what UA-cam deems necessary but I wish we'd get more updates from Donny, he's naturally good on camera and it's always great to hear from an expert on something. I'd watch the shit out of a "Look at what Donny found on this Ferrari" series.
you know what the fucked up thing is, matt was absolutely right on the podcast, we ARE part of the problem - it took me days to click on this video and even after recognising that i wasn't as drawn to it as the others, i couldnt for the life of me figure out why! maybe the algorithm is right... im glad i finally watched it though this was really fun
Like babyblu said. I don't think I even got a notification about this vid and just found it, three days late.
And agreeing with you, I fucking love Donny videos. Love them more than even two take vids that I really like. I would watch a six part series twice of "Look what Donny found on this 2017 Kia Forte".
You should check out Jay Leno’s episode with him on it,it was pretty good
Hoovy has a wizard, Matt has a Ferrari whisperer.
The view count on this actually isn't that bad for the channel. I wonder if Matt will pivot the channel more towards him and less towards new car reviews. I don't listen to TST podcast for new car reviews, I listen for matt and zach.
I feel like the sheer age of used cars is often overlooked which is kind of the message of this video. A used Lexus is a reliable machine but at some age, every car will need shit fixed and replaced, regardless of it having a reputation of being 'bulletproof' or not.
This is true. Even on my '04 Xterra, a snapped throttle cable is extremely limited right now and I'm on a huge backorder right now. And that's a reliable car.
still cheaper to buy a whole suspention kit for my 1996 accord than a 2013 civic si
Yep exactly, age wear and maintenance don’t always go hand in hand
*Thats not a used car.
Its antique.
True, a rubber in my shifter linkage failed and left me stranded. That’s just what happens (92 Golf mk2 in this case)
The point being made here cannot be understated. Whether a 30-yr-old Ferrari or Miata, the rubber bushings will be trash at this point. Makes an astounding difference when you refresh them.
But also be careful of over fixing. I've seen so many guys replace old rubber with solid or super hard urethane bushing to "tighten things up" and then complain that the car is unpleasant to drive. The car guy curse of wanting to upgrade everything and ending up making a track car out of your daily and then hating it. Sometimes the upgrade is just fresh OEM parts.
@@neong 100% agree. My '90 Miata is 80/20 street/track and the Mazda Motorsports +40% rubber bushings were the best compromise vs. low-compliance poly, Delrin, etc. If it doesn't see a track, OEM rubber -- or if there's an uprated stiffer rubber -- is best.
bigger problem is, convincing the sellers of those low mileage cars, that their values are off because it's going to need a pile of cash just to make it driveable. now if you never drive it, it obviously doesn't matter.
I love that he's made a rolling cradle for the car. That shows some serious quality work.
Everyone needs a Donny!! The best thing about all the repairs you are doing is you are doing them and they are being done by Donny so you know they are done right and with the right parts.
The Donnie content is A+. His attention to detail is so interesting. That car will be boss when it’s back on the road!
Totally agree
With as much as you're spending on repairs glad to see they have such a good boy as a master mechanic in the shop. Doggo really sniffed out the issues.
Edit: Omg his name is Waffle lmao
And for some, it is going to be worth more as it did go to Donnie
Going through something similar now, but thankfully with my late brothers somewhat maintained E46 330ci. It’s at an age where 20+ years in the Northeast has aged all the rubber and plastic beyond recognition (shoutout Mr. Klapman!). Stuff like this is honestly kind of priceless. The amount of knowledge and depth of repair and restoration here will give you so much peace of mind when it’s done.
Absolutely love the little nugget of giving your money to a respected person like Donny instead of a shady seller. Can’t wait to see black car running.
I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the driving experience of the 328 after this is done. It seemed like you were pretty pleased before. It should be outstanding now.
I'm happy this video is out because it's so informative.. Not only do I love a 328 but it's good seeing what all you may have to visit when you buy one. It is an 80s car and things don't last forever.. many things have to be replaced and resolved.. Thank you for the video!
I absolutly adore the care and detail of donnie. Love the updates, donnie should have his own show.
Or at least have earned his name capitalized.
Donny playing the long game
Love the break from the usual content! Thanks guys.
The funny part is NONE of these parts (suspension and brakes) are better, or special, in any way, than the same parts for a Toyota, a Honda, or a Chevy and could be worked on yourself over weekend, and yet I gaurantee that check is in excess of $20k!? It's absurd what a Label/Name can do.
I love watching Matt restore his cars: It brings back all of the memories of doing it myself - but none of the hassle, grime or bills! I used to anthropomorphize my cars then feel guilt into spending more money on their restoration - as if they were a loved one needing health care. I see now it's so much better to anthropomorphize other people's cars! Donny - fix everything with the best parts no matter the cost. Matt - stop pestering poor Donny about the cost - cheap skate - just cut the check already! Yea, it's so much better this way! Cant wait until Donny gets his mitts into the Lambo. Muahahaha!
Feel like you've been waiting for the perfect moment to use anthropomorphize 😂. I am truly humbled by your vocabulary.
After listening to the podcast for a long time, I was not expecting Donnie to look like this. I thought he was going to be a 70 year old Italian with a super thick accent.
All those brakes, bushings, rose joints and ball joints are just standard annual maintenance checks, the way I phrase it when somebody leaves a car like that with me is "yea she's gonna need the full Sharon Osborne procedure"
this is straight up Jay Leno restoration blog! this is fun.
This is why mileage matters less than maintenance history overall. Sometimes a low mileage car that commands a much higher price tag is actually worse than the higher mileage beater, simply because the beater was actually used and maintained rather than just sitting around looking pretty and rotting from the inside out.
The beater might need more work to get it running just right, or to be restored visually, but at least you won't have to worry as much about dry rot.
Nothing is more expensive than a used Ferrari.
amen
a 99VR4 is,..
Ex wife
Having bought a “cheap” (21yr old at the time) 308 GTS and then a not-so-cheap (but cheap relative to the 308) 15yr old Boxster S, I wouldn’t like to say one was any less expensive to restore than the other. At least the Ferrari didn’t have broken £1200 cup holders, and you get much more of your resto money back with a Fezza!
@@fatboy200164 A vindictive ex-wife with three attorneys.
Wouldn't Donny have felt some of these things while driving instead of all this being such a surprise during teardown? Like a floppy steering rack?
The amount that is consistent with what he's said in regards to other components leads me to believe that he's not just actually doing things for the labor money itself. My X5 suspension feels really good when driving, but that doesn't change the fact that i have some worn out bushings. Does that mean that I shouldn't change them just cause the car feels good when driving?
@@FailofWar127 well said. Also, when so many parts are worn out, even an expert can assume some components of the system are responsible even though there are more. And replacing some could solve most of the problem and make people happy. When he gets in there, of course he finds all the tiny details.
Thank god you found someone you can trust to work to it. It is good that you are doing this work not only for your enjoyment of the car but for everyone’s too! Thanks
Waffle! It’s an airplane!
So effortlessly funny.
A more in depth one take format, Matt with classics and Donny with an engineering perspective.
Maybe a little too Leno or savage geese, but with your style and the right cars, this could be gold.
Remember to do the countach door speakers while you’re in there.
Donny is a true master with repair and restoring because of his attention to detail and always wanting - if possible - OEM parts. After he touches it, you know its been done right. They guy loves Ferrari, drives them and knows how they tick inside and out. Matt's 328 continues to be in very good hands. A valuable lesson in that a PPI doesn't assure any buyer all will be discovered during the inspection.
I love people like Donnie, that know how to do the right thing and get precious goods back to the way we desire. Keep up the great content, these videos in particular with people as fascinating as Donnie always get my full view!
Monetize that misery!
I love having the "behind the scenes" look via the podcast.
The ‘man maths’ is strong with this one.
In one fell swoop you’ve made all of the low mileage, absurdly priced garage queens redundant. Logic rules.
Bravo!
These are honestly some of the most relatable videos on here. Very few people have experienced flogging a 911 GT3 through the canyons, but nearly *everyone* (at least in this viewing demographic) has probably has experienced buying a car and later finding some serious f&*kery under the skin when they got around to doing maintenance.
This is one of the most genuine and informative videos about purchasing a 328…..interesting as heck!
These updates are FOR SURE appreciated!!! Just the other day I was watching the podcast and thought about the 328 GTS... for no reason. I was like: "hmmm... Wonder how that little car is doing?" No shit.
Just went through something like this on a BMW 635csi. Owner had parked it indoors over a decade ago, raved about it's "condition". Exterior and interior were mint. Ran quite well. PPi showed it leaked from every seal, AC system needed replacing, belts were cracked and the suspension was shot. 5K to be a good runner, 10k to make it a top of the market car, which what he was asking.
Wow this went to “Harry’s Garage” restoration fast! It was fun to watch though! I also like that they’re both simultaneously working on their Countachs!
I'd like to see an episode on this once it's back together :)
driving Topanga, noise only.
Phenomenal video! Older cars, in my experience regardless of maintenance will always need things fixed. Sucks you had to go balls deep into this rebuild, but the end should be great! Good luck!
I laughed so hard at the Adam Sandler “at a medium pace” reference. Seriously though, thank you Matt for sharing the real life experience of Italian poster car ownership, one of the most authentic and honest automotive content creators out there.
@8:13 matt asking and answering a question at the same time - brilliant.
“Aesthetically… but it’s hidden” and then Zack cracks up in the background 😂
Donny is right that certain things need to be replaced on these cars just due to age, however prior ownership is a big factor in determining how much of that you will *need* to deal with. I have seen some 328s where all the rubber bits were seriously deteriorated and others that were in fine shape. Same age, so it would have to come down to usage, maintenance, storage, and environment. The only things I had to replace on my 328 so far were some of the low pressure fuel hoses and the fuel tank connector sleeves, which showed signs of ethanol damage. But the suspension bushings are all fine. Most other wear/age related stuff was handled as part of routine maintenance over the years.
God I love Matt’s taste in cars. The guy literally likes exactly what I do….
This was awesome! It’s refreshing to see honest, straightforward, POV of dealing with a 30+ y.o. car, especially a Ferrari. Buying a vintage/enthusiast car from an auction doesn’t guarantee it’s completely sorted no matter how nice the car is presented. I love how you shared the story about fraudulent invoices etc: most would not admit to the duct tape and rivets either.
Donnie is great addition to your content always (straight up expert opinion). He’s f**king awesome. Aside from the pain of Donnie’s invoice, looks like that car will be sorted for the rest of your life and provide miles of happiness. Enjoy!
You won't look back! Proper maintenance is SO worthwhile 👍
Thanks for getting his kids thru college. Doing god's work, Matt.
Thanks uncle Matt
If you buy a more expensive example of the model, then you just gotta hope that
1. all those wearables were replaced by the last or previous owner within the last 5 or less years
2. the work was done properly and didn't cause any possibly hidden damage during the refresh
3. OEM or better parts were used like shown here, instead of cheaper knockoff parts or used junkyard parts
Better off buying the cheapest example of a car and then having the whole car done at once by a shop that specializes in the platform👍
Bad ass revival Matt🤘
The plastic sheeting he is looking for is something i found doing a restoration. When palletizing goods for shipment on a pallet, they use a black plastic slip sheet that sits on top of a pallet before the boxes are placed on the pallet. Go hit a costco and ask for to speak to a shipping manager, theyll give you a few.... or buy a oackage from a shipping supplies etailer
The Adam Sandler reference was gold to those who know. Thanks Matt, hope the Italians feel better soon. 🤙🏼
I only wish I had your money Matt. I have an old 78 Firebird Formula LE T-Top that I'm in the process of restoring but am stuck due to funding. This car is my first and I've been trying to work on it with my 9 year old boy as a project for him to learn from and make another auto enthusiast out of.
Best of luck with all those Ferrari restorations, those are absolutely beautiful cars and well worth the cash invested.
Shoulda had a waffle barking at the airplane b roll Matt you slackin, we know your a cat guy but c’mon 🤣
I've seeing how Donny knows everything inside and out and knows all these vendors who can bring the car back to life.
Great meeting you at the Avant launch beer line. Best of luck with the 328. Beautiful car at the end of the day - it is worth it. I went out with a girl once that must have gone to that same door panel repair guy for some face work...
LOL at Donnie laughing at Matt for being overly careful with the BMW seat bolster
I'm a motorcyclist and I've serviced my suspension (oil and seals) every second major engine service interval, as advised by my suspension mechanics. It' makes a huge difference and I've always been surprised car guys let their damper oil go unchanged for decades.
brilliant video, thanks so much for sharing the progress with us! I could listen to Donny talk for hours
I almost forgot about everyone's stupid alarms back in the 90s. I can remember hearing them go off in the school parking lot almost every day.
The sheet plastic that new mattresses are wrapped with, makes a great weather seal for door.
17:01 all that yellow stuff is not the circuit board melting, its just liquid flux used for soldering. some cold soldering joints as well, nothing too bad. The green solder masking missing is nbd.
What's your best (or worst) "while you're in there" story?
My circuit board just went out. Waiting in Cleveland for the new one right now. My guys says about 1k maybe less. Curious how many miles/purchase price on your car. I paid 65k 3 years ago. 50k miles and a little shady past (Georgia car like yours) and also TRIPLE BLACK LIKE YOURS. They're worth a lot more now btw. Thanks
It involves my ex-wife...
--Shannon
It’s the worse because of total cost but the car also sat for six years. At the beginning of this year I told the shop to get a ‘92 VW GTI 16v, w/ a turbo ABA motor on standalone, running and make it reliable. Five months and $11,000 later it was running. Sold it w/in three months and netted a cool $1,000 for my troubles. It was a massive snowball of shit breaking at each step.
This is gold!
Waffles, Donnie, Italian shitpiles and the Felicity Ace T-shirt :-)
Well done, love it!
Car appears to be in fairly good condition to be honest. The rear rotor discussion is a complete nothing burger, they are worn slightly below replacement thickness. The lip on inside/outside is completely normal (I've never replaced a set of rotors that didn't have this, why would you?). Door liner is a bit janky but not unexpected for a cheaper car of this age. Very mild refresh required.
More videos like this, Please!
Really enjoyed this. Thanks Matt for the continued high quality videos.
I totally forgot about this thing
Matt we really need to see this car on the road. Please consider a road trip video, the car is simply perfect
I’m fixing things on my 2006 Boxster as they break and it’s irking me no end. Lovely thing to drive though and I’m still ahead of the game vs a new one - I can only imagine what an 80’s Ferrari would have cooking!
This is what happens when you buy old cars, you need to expect to spend the money on reconditioning them. It is nice to see Donny knowing so much about the intricacies of these silly Italian cars. But honestly it is spend more on the car up front to spend the same money on the back in maintenance. It just all depends on the budget you have and the understanding that it will need to get done eventually and if you aren’t willing to do it, don’t buy the car.
You are right. If there are problems get them fixed then once done don’t need to do again.
Those door panels are looking sweet, Matt! 👍
Matt, Thank you for sharing. Very appreciated and great info to get me thinking factoring cost of maintenance to purchase price of the car.
GTO.....308.....328.....most beautiful Ferrari's of all time to me. Can't wait to see it all finished up and "drivers car" perfect! When I was younger I was a Dupont registry collector. I can remember being a sophmore in college, sometime before the year 2000 🤫, and in need of a new car. At that time I'd see 308's under 20k and 328's in the mid 20's. I vividly remember buying a 2 yr old Honda accord for the same price as a 1981 308 I saw in the Dupont registry and thinking to myself "self....when we get out of college we're buying 1 of those things stat!!!". Well I should've skipped that Accord, bought my 308 in college and spent every dime I could muster on maintenance!!! Maybe when my daughter, who's a freshman in college this year, graduates I'll be able to mortgage my house again and buy my dream 308/328!!! Lol
Haven't been following along, but Todd @Everydaydriver mentioned you challenges on a recent podcast! Congrats on the 328i and I agree, this is the more enjoyable route in the end. Have a beautiful sorted driver that you are not precious with is the greatest investment!
I'm rebuilding/restoring a 20th Anniversary Edition VW GTI, and that one bit about enjoying a car despite it being broken, really sums up my experience with the GTI. I can't wait for it to be in better shape so I can just enjoy driving it.
Matt sounds like a typical Ferrari owner - excited to drive it and equally as anxious to restore it. 😄
Funny upload. 👍
Yep, that's how it is with things of this vintage. Everyone wants cool radwood stuff. Nobody realizes how much old crusty expensive radwood era rubber you're replacing. If you do it right it's properly expensive on even the shittiest of cars.
"This & That, at Medium Speed" w/Donnie. 😆 🤣 😂
Would like to have more of this type of technical content. Love to see old cars brought back to spec or better, and your Ferrari shop seems highly competent. 👍👍
Great decision to buy this car, it has created lots of content for you and really showcased Donnie and his business. When you decide to sell it, I am sure talking it up on your youTube channel and other social media will artificially increase its price. That's the formula that Adam Corolla used to upgrade from Datsun 510 to Paul Newman's 935 Porsche.
It's just old and needed someone like you to come along and give it some TLC. It's gonna be great when you're finished!!
Love this video - and love both perspectives. I want to see the end result and road trip!!!! Matt you have been great for over a decade, thanks for everything.
I was replacing door latch cables on a Ferrari 360 modena that the owner had only ever taken to Ferrari for service. The door liner was ripped and held on with duct tape, it had non-original machine screws where it should've had chamfered Allen head bolts, the cable had been pushed past its adjustments range and held in place with zip ties, and a missing dowel pin was replaced by a piece of piano wire stuck thru the hole and wrapped around. Even Ferrari themselves can't be trusted to take care of cars properly, and I, at a little all-makes independent shop, was the one to set things straight on it.
Really interesting about not wanting to make the car cosmetics too perfect. Totally makes sense!
I’ve never wanted a car more than when I watch these two together
I need "Donny's Restoration Blog or Vlog. " in my life maybe brought to us by The Smoking Tire.
How about using softer (streetable) polyurethane instead of rubber for bushings? They last much longer.
Man, we need like a "Donnie Score" to be added to CarsandBids and BringaTrailer. Seller pays a little extra (for Donnie's time), and he does a PPI for the listing
You’ve got a great mechanic …!
Experienced and with a conscience.
I’ll bet he doesn’t have drywall screws anywhere in his shop … other than in your car!!!…but those will be gone soon as well.
Thanks for posting this video!
So happy you are doing all of this. I remember the first video of you taking the 328 to this guy and thought...do everything. Even though it's your money being spent.
At least you're not upside down and underwater on it..
Then again it's a GTS so I guess roof-leaks aren't out of the question 😁
I'm completely behind the you on the seat argument, you want to be able to use it. Keeping up with maintenance is one thing. I bought a ISF in February this year, I got a small rock chip in the original zero chip/scratch windshield on the way home, I lost it at first but after a while I thought "good, it's first battle wound, now its not perfect anymore". I dm'd you a picture of it Matt if you remember, it's still a fucking blast to drive and I have discovered that there's only 32 examples totally registered in Sweden. Didn't know they were that rare! Great video and thanks for the amazing content!
It's kind of a relief to see that pro's also do some bad deals. Bought a car thinking it was a great deal, and the funny thing is that the car itself didn't have any problems, but in months I got a/c problems, mysterious parasitic draw, alternator shot, bad brakes, water leak in the boot, etc. etc.
I'm sure you aren't thrilled to have Donnie on, as it usually costs you lots of loot, but he is a pleasure to listen to. Should try to get him to LA for the podcast!
Jesus! A Dino in the background with the original Italian plate from Vercelli! Crazy to think that car probably spent most of its life at 70 kilometers from where I live in a rice fields countryside area and now is in California!
A huge downside of old double-wishbone cars is maintenance on the suspension. The bushings are likely to last a long time, but I doubt most normal owners will ever go to the trouble and expense of replacing all the bushings. I know my car's bushings will need replacing soon, but the prospect of having to replace 22 rubber bushings that haven't been touched for 30 years is pretty scary and would take most home mechanics at least a couple days and lots of swear words to get done. "While you're in there" is a slippery slope but definitely worth the effort with a special car.
I can't wait for the receipt breakdown when this is over
What a fantastic video. Peak automotive nerd level. Very relatable for anyone trying to fix up old gems.
Love this! I know you’re blowing big money, but it’s fun to live vicariously through you! Excited to see the final product.
"IF I go to the gym - and I'm all sweaty - I'll just plop in the seat!"
Congrats, for just wiping $10k off your car's resale value, lol!!!!
Glad to see that Matt has the common problems of the 'every man'. I feel better about some of my purchases after watching this video.
The old style radio with USB port/sd card is a legit add on
They sell that plastic for crawl space remediation and it's feels the same as that factory plastic rather than a trash bag. You can buy it in black, brown or clear at lowes or home depot. Would and is a much better recourse to trash bags for the plastic behind door cards.
Thank you Matt. That was very entertaining to watch.