I just found out the 360 I "was" buying was a rental car

Outcome from the OP?

 

I would hope he took our advice.

 

Chris, after just escaping a possibly horrific situation, learn the following from this. Don't settle when buying your dream car. So, if you're thinking spider, don't buy a coupe, not matter how much you think you're saving because of a "great deal". It today's auto marketplace, the buyer holds all of the power. Take your time and find the right car and spend the most you can to get the most well sorted out car.

No coupe for you!

Good luck

 

If you are running on a budget (which it sounds like you are), 6 months is nothing. Here is a well written article on the woes of ferrari shopping that may resonate with you: Buying A Ferrari Is Harder Than You Might Think [VIDEO!]

 

I know how you feel. I looked for almost a year and had someone beat me to the punch on the perfect car last summer. Spring is right around the corner and you will see more cars available at that time. Just need to be patient. Easier said than done I know. Good luck.

 

Hang in there. I did an intensive search for a Boxer and it took 6+ months. Also, there will be a flood of cars coming into the market in a month or two as spring sets in - I don't believe in the "sell your convertible in spring theory" with exotics, but sellers do. Anyway it's always darkest before the dawn.

JMO, I don't see any reason not to get a coupe, I love convertibles and have a 308QV GTS and just sold a 65 XKE OTS. The two reasons for a coupe over convet; one, with the top down in the summer you just cook in the sun on a hot day, I just about never take the top off the 308 anymore as to me its cooler to drive it without the sun beating down on me. Second, the coupes always look better to me over time - purity of design.

If I ever get an XKE again it would be a coupe and I also would do the same with the 308 if I sold it and wanted another.

Hope you find a great car whichever style you choose. Good Luck.

 

Chris-look in the US. I bought my Ferrari there. Southern car,low milage,bringing it up was not a big deal. But have some spare cash left. Even the best car will have some items to put right.

 

6 months is not a long time to look for the right Ferrari. If you want a Spider, but get a coupe...you'll always want a Spider. Do not "settle" for anything less than what you want.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2GmGSNvaM]Seinfeld - The Car Reservation - YouTube[/ame]

Watch around 1:55 :O

 

Chris; you're getting lots of sage advice on this site. Hold out for the car that you want... do not settle for anything less. Not to throw you a curve, but since you asked for opinions... I had a 360 Spider, and I always wished I had the coupe. I also had an F355 GTB and loved it -- despite the fact that the roof was fixed. Although it certainly comes down to personal opinion, I agree with the poster who said that coupes simply look better. Btw, six months is nothing in terms of searching for the perfect car. I spent 46 years looking for the perfect "no stories" Shelby Cobra. I finally found the car just as I had given up all hope of ever finding an unmolested original car. Be persistent... you WILL find your car!

 

Contrarian view.

Buy it and use it as spare, OEM parts car for a MR2-based 360 kit car.

No intent to offend Chris, but the sum of the parts may be worth more to a kit car ("replicar") builder

Pass on this one IMHO

 

I looked for 3 years to find a car in my budget and in my region that I could actually look at and drive before buying...it was a long search. Thus I am in the camp too about not settling.

However... 360's are not done depreciating. They have a little way to go yet. If you buy one right now you are still going to lose value for a few more years (IMO). If you can get this car for 20-30% under current market (guessing) because of it's issues and in a few years you sell it for the same 20-30% under that current market then it's a wash. Buying a 360 as an investment right now is not going to pay off for many many years to come. If you can get in and back out of the market in the same relative range whats the difference.

I also don't believe in the notion that cars like this or prior salvage cars or diminished value cars are "un resellable." There are always buyers out there for everything. There is alwasy someone looking for a deal on something that they didn't quite think they could afford. It may take lonfer to sell but people with good cars often take the same time to sell.

Again, no reason to settle. But if the car is the color combo, options, and style you want then all it really comes down to is the price you can live with knowing it's past existence. I see the new engine as a plus. IMO matching numbers (engine/car) in a modern ferrari or most modern cars doesn't make a differnece. Get the car at a discount that you can live with, use the extra cash in the budget for mods and upgrades and enjoy it.

JMWO

 

Not done depreciating? What do you think they're going to go to? 348 prices? $40k? Get real. 355 prices? Why would they? There are enough people out there that like the 360 body style as much or more than they like the 355.. and the belt service is 50% cheaper. I don't know about you, but I've seen an increase in the prices of used Ferraris that has followed the rise in the economy.

OP listen to who you want to.. wait as long as you want… but I'll be out driving mine while others are waiting. And we don't get MORE time in our lives. The "perfect" car is like the "perfect" woman, only with 360's there aren't any more being made. Ah yes, but there's "a million out there". Clearly you've seen in your own search that 8,000 US ferrari's doesn't equate to unlimited options. If you wait on the perfect car.. you'll miss out on years of driving to someone else. Regarding the Spider top.. I'm done with convertibles after my Boxster. The tops need replacing and the plastic windows crack. But.. if that's what you've always wanted go for it. Compromise on a color.. not a platform. I always envisioned driving a silver/blk 360.. but I was meant for my red/blk bella… and I don't regret anything.

 

+1 case closed.

Btw he already bought a white coupe so dont think he needs anymore buying advice

 

That is one funny sketch -- if I remember the repartee --
Rental agent "Do you want insurance?"
Seinfeld "You bet, because I'm going to beat the sh*t out of this car".

Alan

 

So sorry.. I got all riled up..

 

I bought a 2000 360 that has a chequered history. I got it for a great price. It had 51000km on it. Ferrari mechanic told me that the 360 is a great little work-horse.
A new clutch, belts, and a front ball-joint later, we've had 5000km of fun driving in 6 months.
There is a price on everything in life. Don't be so precious, get out and enjoy it. Buy the car.

 

How do you know? Good for him. White coupe = oh my! Take care of that and he won't do too bad!

 

Not me. My previous car, an Alfa Spider had a very similar top and I was constantly suffering "top anxiety". Sometimes it would work and sometimes not. It got to the point where my wife didn't want to ride in it she hated that top so much.

Everybody loves the top down experience, including both me and my wife, under the right circumstances. But quite often even a fully functioning top is a PITA. Just washing your car will reveal some issues as you do your best not to contaminate the top with the wrong cleaning product or squirt water where it will leak into the car. Now add to that the problems associated with an intermittent top and I figure it's not worth it. I live in Italy and I was unable to find any mechanic who could understand or actually repair the top even though the car spent a good deal of time at various shops. It was very frustrating.

So when I bought my 360, I rejected all spiders and after owning a coupe for a while, I'm quite happy; so is my wife. In addition, I really like the looks of the coupe; the spider (top up or down)......... not so much.

On the other hand, if you know the potential problems and expenses associated with a spider and you really have your heart set on a spider, then buy one. But if the spider vs coupe argument is a toss-up for you, go for the coupe.

 

Ive only bought 3 used cars in my life and all were open top. 348, e type, and elise all feel less dated when driving out in open air

Btw, i would still love to know how op discovered rental history of his car. That is a worry of mine if i was to buy a used ferrari

 

I was looking for a 328GTS and after a year of looking, I got frustrated, talked it over with my wife and decided to look for a 360, 3 days later I owned a 360, a week later I was driving my 360 1,100 miles home. I agree, people here spend WAY too much time looking.

I would still walk from this car

 

Not only do rentals get routinely thrashed, rental companies don't report damage. I’ve seen many crashed rental vehicles repaired and never reported to any database, i.e. Carfax, ISO etc.