1st time ferrari buyer 1999 360 Modena

Be sure it has 2 original keys and 2 black and one red fob.

When was the last time the belts were done? Not miles but year. If more than 4 years - figure it needs a full service at about $5,000.

Try to get a PPI.

If you are in California, be aware that 1999s sometimes have registration problems there.

Try to get a PPI - things to check for include oil leaks, engine-transmission mounts, and clutch wear.

Try to get service records, check for any Car Fax info.

Good luck.

 

Read the buyers guide in the 360 section

 

Ensure variator replacement completed, and f1 software upgrade completed.

 

^^^^ This!

F1 can be great, but if you are buying another's F1 problems, it can get out of hand quickly
( Clutch Kit, variator, etc can cost you over $30k really quickly )

Oh yeah, get a PPI

S

 

As these cars age - a 1999 is now 13 years old, which is OLD for a modern electronic era car - the really nice cars differentiate themselves from the not so nice cars. This difference is in appearance, perfomance, reliability, need for repairs...and price.

Try to buy the best car you can afford. There is no financial advantage to be gained by buying a 360 at a bargain price and then fixing it up. Only take this path if you are looking for a hobby - and even then I would advise buying a classic car (pre 1970) to play with.

 

99's have their own issues separate from the 2000's and newer.

As its been said make sure the car has had its variator recall. The 99's have issues passing smog compared to the 2000's, not the sniff test as they pass that without issues. Its the ODBII part of the test they regularly fail because not all the monitors are on. Cost me $1,800 last time in software updates and some other work that was not needed but the dealer wanted to change some parts and I let them. In theory with the new updates I won't have that problem anymore.

The 99's have no pre-cats, that is a good thing as you don't have to worry about them failing and metal bits being sucked into the motor.

The F1 system is supposed to be bad and should be upgraded according to everyone, I can't answer that as my 99's TCU failed on a previous owner and a 2004 TCU was in$talled by a dealer a few years ago, so my 99's F1 is fine.

A lot of people here hate the 99's and a lot of others don't think very highly of the 99's but I see no difference between a 99 and 2004 model assuming proper maintenance and required Ferrari updates have been done.

The 99's are older so if they have been driven check out the front suspension a little closer for wear, I had to replace some of my front suspension at 55,000 miles.