F355 Gtb

[montyharding]

So I booked my car in for a service and sitting in a side display area is an F355. For a change it wasn't red or yellow but a much more appealing, low-key colour and I had a good gawk. I must admit I'm smitten, and my inner mid-life crisis decided to make a petition to be let out.

Coming back, I'm therefore nursing thoughts about buying this thing. It would definitely be a stretch to run the Quattroporte and this - so if I'm going for it, I'd have to get rid of the QP. But apart from that, it's perfectly doable - in fact, the actual purchase price is not terribly different to what I paid for the QP. I can even buy something like a used Mondeo / 3-series to pootle around in the rest of the time.

I obviously know it's not the first time that someone who can reasonably afford a used "supercar" is mulling over one, and am aware with some of the realities that ownership entails. Indeed the the QP - while it probably isn't as temperamental as a "supercar" - definitely hasn't been a Toyota.

I wouldn't be looking for a 'better' Ferrari. I don't believe in going into debt for a car and I've always paid cash for every one I've owned. And the F355's level of expenditure is something I can support without problems, as long as the service costs don't get totally out of hand. I wouldn't be looking to use it as an everyday machine: I don't actually drive that often. The car would be essentially a weekender - and as I said, for more mundane driving even then, I can buy something more 'regular'.

What is, however, the practical reality of owning an 11-year-old entry-level Ferrari? Tyre-kickers - links only, thanks.

 

[epb]

I've always loathed the F355 myself, it's the last of the 80s boxy designs that began with the 308. Objectively speaking, it's the last of the high maintenance-cost Ferraris that had to have the engine removed to do much more than change the oil, meaning a bill for $5000 or more every 3 years or so. If you can work on the car yourself, it can be cheaper to run one. On Ferrarichat, a new F355 owner spent $20k his first year, getting it running right.

I'd wait for the 360 to come down a bit more - they're nicer looking to me, they're built to be cheaper to maintain and more reliable than previous generations. For the first time in history, we're seeing high-mileage Ferraris with the 360, solely because of their reduced running cost.

 

[SirWilliam]

My father had a '95 355 Berlinetta which he kept for 10 years. He did not put a lot of miles on it but it was reliable.

The only issue we had was an air leak...be careful about keeping the battery charged though because if you kill the battery you have to take off the right front wheel to get to replace it.

Also be aware that services for the car are very expensive because they have to take the engine out of the car to change the belts.

It is an amazing driving car and the last of the good looking Ferraris...just be sure to avoid the F1 gearbox.

 

[Recoil]

The 355 is an excellent car and only eclipsed by the F430. The 360 never really did it.

 

[zjpj83]

The major services are expensive because it's an "engine out" service.

The '95s had some exhaust manifold issues. Make sure these have been resolved.

Interior plastic parts can get sticky. There are companies that do refinishing and do an excellent job.

The 355 is one of the best sounding Ferraris of made. It's got a glorious high scream.

SF member, TC (Houston), currently has one.

 

[bawlin]

Originally Posted by LVoer

The 355 is an excellent car and only eclipsed by the F430. The 360 never really did it.

The 360 did it, and did it well...

 

[oneeightyseven]

plus one. The 360 was a beast. Looks were spectacular. I cannot comment on the specs because I've never driven one, nor have I asked any of the owners.

 

[epb]

Originally Posted by LVoer

The 355 is an excellent car and only eclipsed by the F430. The 360 never really did it.

Something about the sports cars at the dawn of the millenium - everyone grouses about the 360, the 996... I suspect because both are dramatic departures from the previous models, rather than any real shortcomings. I test-drove the 360 and liked everything but the paddleshifters, which I've yet to like on anything. It's the only Ferrari made in recent years I'd seriously consider owning. I was really close to getting a 330 a while back, but chickened out. Nothing since appealed to me before the 360.

D'oh! Opened my issue of Forza to discover they did a Market Update this month on the F355 and 360:

For the F355:

"The F355s have two major roblem areas: faulty exhaust manifolds and rapidly wearing valve guides on the 1995-96 models. F355 exhaust headers cost $2,800 per side, not including labor to install; if not fixed, the faulty header can lead to a $25,000 engine rebuild when a lean fuel mixture fries a piston! As with the 348, major engine work on an F355 requires that the engine be removed from the chassis, although the V8's self-adjusting hydraulic lifters help to keep service costs down. The F1 transmission has proven to be relatively bulletproof, though the first-generation F1 system causes quicker clutch wear than later versions or stick shifts.

Sun damaged leather dashboards are common and, like the 348, plastic interior parts can get soft and sticky on very hot days. It's all too easy to spend $2000 replacing interior items. The Spider's complicated, fully automatic top can also be problematic."

For the 360: "Very few service problems have been reported for the 360s. Breaking with V8 tradition, the 360 can be serviced with the engine in, which translates into reduced maintenance costs."

 

[Christofuh]

I remember the time when the 360 rolled out. The initial craze to acquire one has gotten so intense that certain buyers would be willing to pay broker fee, shipping, duties to bring a euro-spec model here. Then pay to have it federalized. Un-*******-believable

 

[Gt1Nick]

Originally Posted by LVoer

The 355 is an excellent car and only eclipsed by the F430. The 360 never really did it.

+1

The 360 wasn't a looker and niether was the 430. Not to mention the 360 wasn't a stellar performer. Until the recent release of the upcoming 458; the 355 was the last great v8 Ferrari.

My father purchased a 355 two years ago he has had zero problems - puts around 100 miles a month on the car. And like a proper Ferrari it has a the manual ******.

 

[bawlin]

Funny people say the 360 isn't a looker when most people say the 360CS is the nicest looking modern Ferrari, and the one most likely to appreciate in value in the future.

 

[SoulPatcher]

Originally Posted by LVoer

The 355 is an excellent car and only eclipsed by the F430. The 360 never really did it.

Exactly. IMO, the 355 was the first of the new generation "cheap" Ferraris rather than the last of the old. Took a huge leap forward in performance, technology, quality, and style. Yes, from a design perspective it was the final generation to have 308 influence, but in such better form. To me the 348 was the last of the bad ones.

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by epb

Something about the sports cars at the dawn of the millenium - everyone grouses about the 360, the 996... I suspect because both are dramatic departures from the previous models, rather than any real shortcomings.

I like the 360, although I do like the F430 better. The 996 had ugly headlights and an uglier interior. Very mid-90's Taurus. It's notable that the 997 returned the headlights and interior back to traditional form.

 

[oneeightyseven]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

I like the 360, although I do like the F430 better. The 996 had ugly headlights and an uglier interior. Very mid-90's Taurus. It's notable that the 997 returned the headlights and interior back to traditional form.

Porsche interiors are fairly ugly to begin with.

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by oneeightyseven

Porsche interiors are fairly ugly to begin with.

Really? I love them. The current 911 interior is gorgeous--one of the best out there, if you ask me. No gimmicks, just business.