I would not look at an older car than a F360. Period.
this was EXACTLY the logic i used to select a gated 456m. 12 cylinders? check. manual transmission? check. back seats to drive my grandsons around? you betcha! maintenance is not that bad and driving the big v12 with the shifter clanking from gear to gear is like a dream come true!
What do you like? Old school analog cars? *1977-1979 or 1983-1948 308 GTB, beautiful bullet proof, cheap to fix and maintain and great investment. Analog modern features like power steering and adjustable suspension ? 348 or 355 with manual transmission. Reliable and not too expensive to maintain. For a modern driving experience bellow 100k Go for a 360 F1 If you want a race car experience, then you must buy a 1999 F355 and add a Capristo self adjustable exhaust (this is the closeset you will get to a Formula one car (has to be a 1999) as the design of the headers is different and give this year model a unique sound at high revs
If the 3X8 cars cost $40k, they might be worth it for a first time buyer, but they don’t. While they have problems, the newer cars are better built and have comfort features like air conditioning that works. Plus, the ergonomics are much better. A 328 for $75k, no way. A 360 for $75k, can work. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I’m always interested on these threads when people still trot out the 355/360 belts out versus belts in service. As someone correctly pointed out earlier, it’s not about routine maintenance anymore on these cars (now that many 360s are approaching 20 years old). It’s all about the age and wear-related repairs. Literally anything that breaks on a 355 or 360 will likely cost a lot more then the delta between a 355 and 360 belt change.
I have a 2000 550M manual 6 speed that I purchased for under $100,000. I've had it for 10 years and it very rarely needs anything other than simple annual routine maintenance. The nice thing about them is that you don't have to "drop the engine" to do a belt change(needed every 5 years) so the expense is reasonable( in Ferrari speak). It is the workhorse of older Ferraris. The older 575 is the same basic car. Stay away from F1 transmissions.
"Stay away from F1 transmissions." ****** You mentioned the belt change expense (30k miles/five years), any idea on clutch longevity for a 575 F1?
With absolutely no disrespect intended to anyone who has earlier models, I took to heart a very trusted Ferrari mechanic who told me not to buy a car before the 360. Maintenance and repair costs.
My first and only Ferrari is a 1999 355 F1 Spider so I can only relate my experience. I semi retired in December 2014 and had been looking for a few years for a Ferrari that fit my budget, and my eye. The 355 met both those criteria. If you are a DIY guy and enjoy learning about your machine, the 355 is a good choice. Maintenance cost are reasonable if you can do the regular yearly maintenance, and the odd item that pops up yourself. F Chat has turned out to be my go to form for HOW TO information. Parts are available and reasonably priced if you take the time to shop around and use the model specific FC form to find out where to get proper parts at good prices. I am now doing the 30k major service this year. The parts cost $1650 and labor will be +- $2500. In addition I had to change the hydraulic hoses for the roof. I purchased the hoses for $500 and did the work myself, again with help form people on FC. Yearly fluid change / maintenance runs about the same as my A4. What ever you decide I am sure of 1 thing - when you see and hear your first Ferrari you will be smiling from ear to ear. Ken
this was my first ferrari..... Image Unavailable, Please Login and it was a pos. and i have had a few other cars since ... so my advice is not without reason...
Or if you get unlucky like me, the carrots will cost 2x of your original goal and you will still be chasing them years later. (CS was $120-140k, now $200-250k, 550s were $80k now $150-200k, F430 6 speeds were $120-140k now $200k.. etc)
Well thats my point. In 5 yrs theres no telling where the old stuff will be but the new stuff (theres a ton of it) will all be lower
Hoovie recently declared the 348 as his favorite car of all the ones he owned. I understand why, it has a viscerally that is cool. For many, it's too 'raw'.
too raw? do you really think that i mind a car being too raw?? have you see the cars i own or have owned? plenty of raw cars in the mix. no, the problem with the 348 ts was that it was a piece of ****. so unless you are trying to define "raw" as being uncooked, ie not well engineered, not put together correctly, and not able to exist without some issue plaguing it on a weekly basis, then ok, it was raw. and if you want to define 'cool' as being cold ie like the many times it would not start, or the many times that cold rain water easily made its way past the ill fitting targa top and straight into my lap, then yea sure it was "cool"..... i will simply call it the worst car i have ever owned (and i have an mgb on my ownership list !). and of course i am not trying to insult any of the great fchat owners who have one....mine was surely a one-off example and the spawn of the devil.
Sorry to hear about your experience. Didn't mean to imply you didn't think it was raw. Just quoting Hoovie above. He's owned over 110 cars, including the F355, Testarossa, and Gen 1 NSX, Tyler declared 3 days ago, the 348 is his favorite out of all 110 of them. If you think he's wrong or lying, doesn't offend me! Cheers
I like Tyler Hoover. Like Doug Demuro, Hoover is a legitimate car journalist with hours and hundreds of cars reviewed between them. While I quoted Hoover saying the car is his favorite, based on my own experiences with the 348, it didn't surprise me. Ask any owner of both a 348 and 355, and you'll hear the 348 is rawer. I also don't think the styling is terrible. The side strakes are great on the Testarossa but not the 348? Makes no sense. The 348 was a victim of being behind the times, as more 'friendly' cars came to the fore and were in vogue, ala NSX. Today, I argue the 348 represents the very NVH that people wax nostalgic. If you peruse any contemporary reviews of the 348, most are positive. Now is it true that @ross had a lemon? I have no doubt. However, something in that 348 seemed to have press the right buttons, as it was his 'first' Ferrari - not last.
I would not put Hoover in the same class as DeMuro, as I don’t see Hoover reviewing cars.....his schtik has been buying cheap cars, doing dumb things with them, then going “hey look how stupid I was to buy this”. And look at his history with Ferraris, his 355 burned to the ground and he returned the TR after a week due to a title problem. So of course the 348 is his favorite......LOL He can be a funny guy, but not a car journalist.