Hi guys, Looks wise I think this is the most beautiful Ferrari ever (the 550 a close second), I know maintenance wise is expensive but before even doing some number crunching I want to know about parts availability. There's a F355 available locally at a reasonable price, I still need to go over service history and all that but now I'm wondering what parts availability looks like for F355s in general. I've been following the 456/550 forum for a while and I read time and again that many parts are becoming more and more scarce for 456s in particular, things like pop up headlights spring to mind. How does it look for this one though? Thanks, Leo
I think the F355 will eventually trend towards the 456 in relation to parts new and second hand (as will all F cars), but they made 3 or 4 times the numbers of F355's, so perhaps the trend won't be as fast. Here are some examples... I waited nearly 3 months for a new brake/clutch fluid reservoir to appear, but got tired of waiting and ordered a second hand part. While I was waiting, the factory decided to restart production (and I got the new part within days of receiving the second hand part ) There are interior parts which may be hard to find (like seat recline handles for Spiders). I managed to find a used part that looked like new. Meanwhile, one FChat member reproduced the item in anodized aluminium. Hill Engineering (UK) also started making some types of handles. HVAC air direction actuators are now NLA, but one FChat member recently started making the internal cog which usually fails. Similarly, someone started making interior parts for seat potentiometers for Spider seats. The HVAC fresh air vent actuator seemed to go out of production for a while, but they now seem to be available again. I guess you have to make a personal judgement based on how long you're willing to wait for a new or quality used part to appear or how much you're willing to pay for a rare part.... or how good your DIY skills are.
Doing a major engine bay recently, just about everything that you may need to replace is available online. All wear parts are for sure available. Parts that fail after 20 years (like hoses) may need to be rebuilt. On the interior, it's a bit more challenging. HVAC control, some trim pieces are becoming unobtainium. Occasionally come up on ebay, secondhand, etc., and there are a few rebuilders who can rebuild electronic parts that fail. Scuderia Rampante is working on a fuse box replacement. It does require effort and searching (sometimes for a while), but you can find most things. A dealer can help you, but you pay a large tax.
somehow my notifications failed and only now I'm seeing these replies... My DIY skills are almost non-existent hehe, for what you are telling me it's worse than I thought but good point about how many more F355's are compared to 456's.
I see, the idea of not being able to drive the car for who knows how long until a part shows up online makes me feel uneasy about it. Granted, the parts you mentioned as being more problematic are not that kind but still... I'll think more about it but for now I'm leaning more towards passing on it. Thanks for the feedback!
