Hi Whats are the differences between the 1995 model through to the 1999 F355? (was there a 2000 model or not?) George
Early cars had 2.7 injection - later had 5.2 - this has probably been covered in much more detail here many times so worth a search - you could also look at www.the355.com
Well im looking at buying an F355... which one do I want to look for, 1999? 1998? 1997? etc. Also I noticed the 5.2 had the pipes joining into one ontop of the engine while the 2.7 had them seperate... I personally like the look of the seperate ones more, and I read it adds 5-10hp more? Which is more reliable? which is the better system? If the 2,7 is better system but the 99 model car is the best... can I get a 1999 or even 98 model and make it the 2.7 style?
G-man, forget about the early vs later car crap. 5-10 hp is barely noticeable. Find the colour combo you want and then buy the best car you can afford. There are $100K 355s in Oz, up to $160K 355s. I am assuming the $160K 355s are in better overall condition. But I cant really comment without seeing them. Find the car you want, get a PPI and take it from there.
Yes, the 1995 uses Bosch Motronic 2.7, has dual air intakes + dual mass air flow sensors, and has OBDI engine diagnostics. The 1996 and later years use Bosch Motronic 5.2 with OBDII engine diagnostics, and the air intakes branch into one mass air flow sensor. Early production 355's used bronze valve guides which were prone to premature wearing. Make sure the 355 has had a cylinder leak down test, and that the valve guides were replaced with updated steel ones if poor leak down results were found - this is a very expensive repair. Additionally, the exhaust manifolds (headers) on the 355's are prone to rupture prematurely also; they are very expensive too. Check the service records to see at what mileage and when the headers were replaced or repaired. I have a 1995 355 Spider (6-speed manual) and for the most part it has been a fun, solid car with the exception of the valve guides and headers. The soft top has had some minor issues (seat potentiometers, worn hydraulics), and this is common on most 355 spiders. Here is a good 355 buyers guide: http://www.focfloridaregion.com/guides/355.pdf Good luck and hope you find a nice 355!!
Thanks fstifosi... So whats the better car to buy? Which one is the lightest/least optioned but same reliability etc? Btw that pdf isnt working for me, blank screen.
Buy the BEST car you can afford mate. If you have $160K to spend on a 355, buy one for $160K! If you only have $100K to spend on a 355, buy a $100K 355. But expect to spend some money to sort it out. If you can, buy one that has already have the valve guides replaced. That will save you a good chunk of coin if you have to do the job yourself. There are plenty of 355s for sale in Oz mate. Most average, some REALLY good. I reckon this one if the best of them all. If you like yellow/black 355s. Its a later car, rare factory CF seats, recent major service with new fabspeed headers fitted also. http://www.carpoint.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?Cr=11&R=10123352&keywords=&trecs=13&__Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32|1||pCar_Price_Decimal|1||pCar_Make_String|0||pCar_Model_String|0&__sid=12F2E9C030F1&__Nne=15&__Qpb=true&seot=1&__N=834 1216 1246 1247 1252 1282 4294966369 4294966380&silo=1011
Thanks for that. I only want a red one. If it aint red it aint a ferrari to me. Dunno why but red to me is the only colour that actually looks 'ferrari'. Not saying other colours are bad it just doesnt have the same effect to me. I spoke to a ferrari service centre and they said the 5.2 though 5-10hp less is actually a better designed system. That is why ferrari upgraded from the 2.7. The 5.2 is just a much better car. Therefor 97-99 are the ones to look at. I just wonder why did they make those air tube things join into one.... there was less work to make them seperate... why did they choose to do that?
Personmally I would prefer the 1995 model with M2.7 only because it is OBDI which is the less restrictive. The 1996-1999 models received minor improvements through the line, as with all Ferrari models, but you'd be hard pressed to summarize them. Cosmetically, you could stand over a line of different years and notice the differences. Mechanically, it's not so easy a task. Even though I'd select a 1995 Berlinetta, I'd be pretty happy with almost any choice of 355 excluding the F1 models. I just can't get into the sequential transmission movement. Look for the best car regardless of year, that's the best advice, given above. Make sure the service history and records are available and review them with your PPI mechanic. If it feels like a car that was cared for well, then it probably is. Be aware of the red mist that befalls most first timers - that's when your logic and rationale are replaced by the siren call of an exotic seducer. Cool heads prevail. These cars are all about passion, but not when you are shopping for a car.
Are you saying externally they had differences? Such as? (and any pictures for me to see the differences) - Im a very fussy person So I wanna know what model Im looking for exactly and then get a good well cared for car in that particular model. Since im spending the money, mayswell get the subtle differences exactly how I want them to be. Thats perhaps why I want to know "whats the better engine" "Whats the better/more reliable system" Which one has more power (ofcourse if its half as reliable but adds 10hp difference, then id want the more reliable one) if they are both 5.2 and 2.7 = same reliability/same engine/same camshafts etc etc an its just the top that looked different basicaly, then myswell go for the 5-10hp more since both = same reliability. Which car is lighter, why? Which one is more rigid and therefor handle better? That to me is finding the best model and thus I can go look for that model. Sorry sabout that, but thats how I am, spending money I dont wanna spend 100 000+ To only know "IF I just got that other model it would have had a slight advantage" Well why didnt I buy that one to start with then? See? Im really itnerested in - HP/Torque between the models - Weight difference between the models - Suspension rigidity between the 2 (handling capability) - External differences (with photos so I can see what I prefer) - Reliability (based on how the different models were upgraded engine wise etc, was it due to the fact its more reliable or just more restrictive but identical engines etc) - Whats the resale value on the different models, are the earlier models like alot cheaper or the same, so in that sense whichever I get they are all worth the same amount. Thats in general the 6 main things im looking at. Comming from muscle car world... I can tell u with the Dodge Charger, 68-70 model, 68 had round tailights, 69-70 had hockey stick shaped tailights, 68 had open black grill, 69 added an I in the middle, 70had a wrap around chrome bumper around the front with a line horizontally going across the whole grill. 68 had circle marker lights, 69-70 had rectangle, but 70 had lights behind them like the 68 while 69 were just reflectors. Interior there were differences to... (but to me that wasnt important) I went 68 becasue I liked the big open grill vs the I in the middle or the strange lookign wrap around bumper Are there any serious differences like that bweteen the ferrari F355 models where 1 looks right and the other just looks weird? MEchanically the chargers 68-70 were pretty much the same, same weight etc... depending on howmuch options were fitted in. So that kinda what im after on the Ferrari F355 model differences (if they were that noticable) BTW- I dont care for airbags... I personaly rather have a car without them
Hi George, Give the pdf a minute to load into your browser (it's a pretty big file with lots of pictures). I think the weight of all model year 355's are relatively close. I would think the later year 355's are more reliable because of factory updates and updated headers. For reliability, I would opt for a manual clutch instead of the F1 (I've heard a lot of horror stories about the F1 clutch from other owners and mechanics). There are probably more parts (like headers) out there (and they may be possible cheaper) for the 1996+ (5.2) models because they were produced over more years (1996-1999) than the 1995. I would get the latest F355 that I could afford with low miles that has been maintained well with a complete set of service records. I don't think there is a significant weight and power difference between the different model years. Additionally, the later 355's got upgrades brakes.
Looks like your research has been complete on the 355. As others have suggested, buy the car that is the best you can afford. As you know, in terms of resale, the high option cars will always bring in the best dollars and value. I also congratulate you for your efforts to drill down to the small details. If a component holds special interest for you, by all means, seek out the information that will quench your thirst for that info. Like you, I have other special interest cars and must say, the 355 will always hold a unique place in my collection in terms of overall desirability. I have attached a picture of my 355 only because it is a highly optioned car, meets some of your purchase requirements, and clearly, to brag a little too. Remember, the chase is one of the fun parts of the purchase. Hope you find the dream F-Car you desire. DJ Image Unavailable, Please Login
Externally, no real differences; interiors have subtle differences. Mechanically, the major diffs are as shown in the 355 Buyers' Guide posted above. Repeat: Get the best car for the money; get records; get a PPI; don't sweat the small stuff. 5 HP between 1999 and 1995 is nil. If you can get a car with selected proven performance mods, do so - Tubi, Hyperflows or the equivalent, handling package. Owning and driving this Ferrari is not like a muscle car. The collectability of a 355 is low, except for maybe the 108-odd 1999 Serie Fiorano Spiders. GTS cars sell for more than GTB cars, but frankly I can't figure it. I prefer the GTB for chassis stiffness, but there were fewer GTS cars made. Spiders are more valuable than everything else, but only if you are in part of the country where people want them - i.e., the sunbelt. Lastly, if you want to live in the fast lane, get a 355 Challenge model that is street legal. Race car for the street assuming it wasn't modified too much to return to street use. Few comforts, lots of performance, very raw driving experience. Also, might not be legal is certain states.
2.7 has more power, but consumed by the vavle guide delima. Berlinetta is lighter and stiffer GTS is in the middle of weight but no stiffer than the Spyder
Then you are best off chasing a late 94 or early 95 355. They are the only 355's that didnt have airbags. Or get a later 355, disable the passenger airbag and change the steering wheel.
Thanks for the replies. Thanks Mitch Alsup, that pretty much made it easy to read/understand Btw - thanks for the F355 pic, In options I would like the Drilled Brake thing (I assume that provides something better over the non drilled? - like possibly cooling? Random guess), I would like the Carbon Fibre trim (looks good and I assume lighter than the non-carbon fibre trim cars), and the Black challenge grill (just adds a little race look to the vehicle over the painted rear). Btw- Im only looking at the Berlinettas. Never liked convertibles on any car. You just lose the look of the rear which to me makes up the look of the car in terms of shape. And Targa top, nice, doesnt lose the look, but... I prefer the lighter/more rigid Berlinetta and probbably never would take the roof off anyway. Berlinetta is more race like. I also dont care for the F1 version. The 6 speed stick looks good and less to go wrong. Given the feedback... I should look for a 98-99 model F355 Berlinetta, most reliable in terms of engine system... 5-10hp less than the early 94-95 model but alot more reliable/longer lasting and thus the 5-10hp isnt worth it and if possible to find the carbon fibre trim/drilled brake option, id pretty much have the best available setup in terms of lightness (carbon fibre) and better braking (drilled). I can then change the steering wheel to get rid of air bag and disable (take out?) the air bag out of passenger side. And hving the options above mentioned would be worth more than the standard versions that were not optioned as long as ofcourse the car was well looked after. righT?
lol at the sticker. From experiences of many people, it is actually argued that Air-bags are more dangerous to own than not having them. First of all, when you have a collision, your head cant hit the windscreen/dash cause your strapped in a seat belt. So whats the airbag for? To smack you in the mouth since the dash cant. Also some have actually died/suffocated after a bad collision because they had to get cut out of the car and the airbag just made all that alot more difficult. Theres a better survival rate without it + the car performs better. Anyways I read the buyers guide, very good. Just wasnt sure what it meant here as it can be read 2 ways... 1995 - Dual air flow system OBD I 1996-1997 - Single air flow system, OBD II, 2nd generation brakes and headers 1998-1999 - 3rd Generation brakes With the Dual airflow system delivering an extra 5-10BHP, the 1995 model is the fastest of the F355s. It is also the loudest. On the buyers guide there is no comma or fullstop after '3rd generation brakes' on the 98-99, so is it saying the 99 had the dual airflow system but the 95 was the fastest, or, is it exactly how I just wrote it up, (meaning 98-99 were also single airflow but had the 3rd gen brakes)? I assume the 3rd gen brakes were the best, so once again... 98-99 is what im looking at?
The '94 and '95 were the only models with 'dual air flow' system with the 2.7 ECU that helped it achieve the extra horsepower. The '95 definitely with Tubi exhaust has a awesome sound. The previous owner of my car installed Brembo 'F40' brakes (drilled) up front with OEM in the back (non-drilled). Due to the '95 having the 2.7 ECU, you can slap on test-pipes (for track use ) without worry about getting CELs. It also fewer emissions sensors than the 5.2. I am not sure how much easier it is to pass smog with a later model with 5.2 ecu than a '95 with a 2.7 ecu. I guess I'll find out next year.
