Cars of Chris: 1975 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4
Car number 21
My time as a "Porsche Guy" was coming to an end—not through any fault of the car, but rather the things I kept experiencing at Porsche events. The cars themselves are great, and I still love the cars and hope to one day own my dream G50, but right now it's time to move on. My biggest dream car has always been a Ferrari, which seems pretty standard for a car enthusiast. But while most enthusiasts dreamt of something like a Ferrari GTO, F40, Enzo, etc., those weren't quite my dreams. Sure, I love those cars and would jump at the chance just to drive one, but my true passion lies in a "lesser" model.
I first saw a 308 GT4 in 1987 and was immediately smitten. I was 17 years old, and like any good car-enthusiast kid of the 80s, I had a Lamborghini Countach poster on the wall. But when I saw that 308 GT4, it stole my heart and captivated me for the rest of my life. I told myself I would one day own one of those. Big words coming from a kid like me: no wealthy family, no job, no great prospects—I think the most valuable thing I owned was a packed-away collection of Star Wars action figures (which weren't really worth that much in 1987). And when I did start entering the work force, I was making minimum wage (which was only $3.35/hr back then). Not really Ferrari money. Then again, this was likely the least popular Ferrari made, and certainly one of the most affordable.
As time went on and I got older, the 308 GT4 never faded from memory, but it did take a back seat. In all the times I went car shopping in my life, I certainly always thought about it, and on one occasion I went to see one but never bought it, of course, as it was way too much money for me. I considered myself very fortunate to have fulfilled a life goal of owning a Porsche 911, which is why it was so disheartening that desire was fading. But never—not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be able to buy a Ferrari and had thus largely given up on the idea.
Call it a mid-life crisis, call it what you will, but not only was I becoming disenchanted with the whole Porsche ecosystem, I was also yearning for a true vintage car. I had been considering cars like an Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, or even the GTV6, maybe another Datsun Z car, a Series I Lotus Esprit popped up that intrigued me, and even something like a Fiat X1-9 or Lancia Scorpion were entering my thoughts. I felt like I needed to get back in the seat of something old, and with prices of classic cars on the rise and hitting all-time highs, I needed to make my move or just forget about it altogether. On August 14, 2021, I made the decision to shit or get off the pot. I was going big, I was going to buy a 308 GT4.
To my surprise, it only took a month and a half. I hesitate to say "I found a 1975 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4" because, really, the car actually found me. Dany, the owner/mechanic of Dino Motors in San Mateo, CA, connected me with the owner of 10388 (the chassis number for an early 1975 Dino 308 GT4). After seeing the car, driving, chatting with Dany and then the owner, it was clear this was the car I should own. I had actually encountered it at a cars and coffee in 2015—a full six years before I would own it—and I already had 29 photos of the car in my photo library. And that was really the only time the previous owner had ever taken the car out and showed it anywhere. Talk about fate!
The interesting thing is that I was only looking for a driver's quality car, not a show car, but 10388 was pretty much perfect. I didn't think I could afford it but it turned out the owner was much more interested in the car going to a true enthusiast, he wanted someone to carry on its legacy and significance, not someone who wanted to run it in the ground or just try to flip it in order to make a buck. He thought I was the right owner, as did I, and I bought the car for $50,000. It was unbelievable since at the time a driver's quality example of this car would have easily fetched $65,000, whereas concours level models had hit $100,000. In my eyes I got the deal of a life time, and still can’t believe it to this day.
The car was red when I bought it, but its original color as it left the factory was a beautiful pine green. I managed to put a massive scratch down the passenger side rear wheel arch and discovered that repairing that would basically include a complete repaint of the car as there's no seams with which a shop could easily blend the paint. This was my opportunity to get it back to its original color, and I seized the moment. Thankfully, insurance paid for a huge chunk of that, otherwise I could have never completed it.
This car has been a gateway to new experiences. After getting it back to green, I took it to car week in Monterey and it won "Best in Class" and "Best of Show" in the Classic Motorsports Magazine Monterey Kickoff show (which happened to also be their inaugural show in August, 2022). They featured the car in the next issue of their magazine, and you can read that article here. It also took the "Silver" award at Concorso Italiano that year, but the biggest honor is that I was invited to display the car at Casa Ferrari. Casa Ferrari is found on the first fairway of Pebble Beach and is an exclusive event usually reserved for the rarest and most valuable of Ferraris. However, in 2022, Ferrari was celebrating its 75th anniversary and had a display that featured one car from each year Ferrari had existed. In 1975, the only Ferrari you could buy in America was, in fact, a 308 GT4. This is not the car of millionaires and billionaires, thus Ferrari was having a tough time finding one.
In 2023 my car took the "Gold" award at Concorso Italiano and then this year, 2024, I was able to fulfill another dream as my car was accepted to be shown at The Quail, which is (in my opinion) the best show during car week. It had truly been an unbelievable ride, I had managed to get into events I never thought possible, and I had managed to win awards with a car that's not usually admired by most people. After car week, in fact while I was on my way home, things took an unexpected turn.
Initially, it was a little scary buying the car as I always heard that people of "modest" means shouldn't buy cars like this (referring to the maintenance and repairs as they're usually too expensive for mere mortals to afford). But when it comes to the 308 or 328, it's likely the best vintage Ferrari you can own. They're fairly stable and reliable, and they don't require much of anything unusual. I was certainly in a position where I could easily afford the regular maintenance like oil changes and what not, and the "major service" that's needed every five years. What I wasn't prepared for was any sort of catastrophic engine failure. But that's what happened.
I was headed Northbound 101 and had just passed over Golden Gate Bridge approaching the Robin Williams Tunnel, when my engine suddenly cut out. I was able to make it safely over to the shoulder where I came to a stop. I tried starting the car again but was only able to do that (and keep it running) while the gas was pressed. Additionally, there was a really nasty rattling coming from the engine. This wasn't good. I had it towed to a nearby Ferrari mechanic and my wife came to rescue me. Three days later I found out the car had suffered from bore scoring and a piston ring had failed (this was the source of the rattling sound). This pretty much warranted a complete rebuild of the engine, the cost of which would be North of $30,000. This is what they mean when they say "mere mortals".
That's not something I can do, at least not immediately. Sure, I could spread it out over two or three credit cards, take out a loan, or sell some of my stock. But credit cards are a bad idea, stock is earmarked for retirement or life-threatening emergencies, and a loan just isn't something I want to do as it could hamper my ability to handle any unexpected life emergencies during the life of that loan. However, this car is my dream. It represents to me the things it will never represent to anyone else, and it's special. For me, very special. It's like a family member, and you don't walk away from family members because they're going through a hard time. So I'm not selling it. For now, the car will be returned to my home and will sit in my garage until I can figure out how to get it fixed. The good news is, I have a number of ideas and strategies that should see this car back on the road within two to two and half years, maybe less if I'm really lucky and diligent.
Should mere mortals buy a Ferrari? Well, only the mere mortals who want one can answer that question. For me, personally, it wasn't about just owning any "Ferrari" — I wasn't looking for a status symbol or some vulgar display of wealth. I wanted the classic wedge-shaped car that captured my heart, mind, and soul 35 years before I could even fathom owning one. It's about the connection between man and machine. This is the one car that I had always wanted, the one dream I honestly thought I could never fulfill, and I'll be damned if I'm ever giving it up! If your passion is that strong, then you'll know what to do should the occasion arise. I enjoyed it to its fullest extent during the time it was running, and I drove it every opportunity I had, covering 8,661 miles during that time (remember, it was in the shop getting painted for 10 months). That's more miles than most Ferrari owners put on their car during its lifetime. And I will definitely be putting more miles on it in the years to come… albeit with a small gap in between.
Thank you for reading my "Cars of Chris" series, I hope you enjoyed my automotive journey and discovering what motivated me to buy and sell the cars I've owned throughout my life. Right now, this is the end of the series, but there's more to come in the future, I'm certain of it! But what and when… I have no idea. Please keep checking back, and eventually car number 22 will appear (maybe sooner rather than later).