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Ferrari...It's time!

Joined
21 October 2004
Messages
816
Location
Valencia, CA
I've been a car enthusiast since grade school and have always dreamed of owning a Ferrari one day. The timing is right for such a move but I'll have to give up the NSX to do so.

I've obviously posted on www.ferrarichat.com, but wanted to get some feedback from my buddys that I respect here on the prime. My budget allows for a nice 355 Spyder.

Could anyone drop some knowledge on the 355? Has anyone else made this move?

Thank you in advance!!

-Simon
 
Sell the S2000 and make NSX your daily urban assault vehicle :)
 
awsomr1 said:
Sell the S2000 and make NSX your daily urban assault vehicle :)

Ha ha! Now there's an idea.:smile: Unfortunately I'll have to give up one and I think the NSX vs. 355 are more in kind than that of the S2k vs. 355. Trying to arrange some sort of even swap, if that makes any sense.

I'd love to just keep all my cars but that's not likely at this point. I'm not Jay Leno. :biggrin: Thanks for your input.

I'll just get more $ for the NSX than the S2k. Every little bit counts.
 
Simons2k said:
I've been a car enthusiast since grade school and have always dreamed of owning a Ferrari one day. The timing is right for such a move but I'll have to give up the NSX to do so.

I've obviously posted on www.ferrarichat.com, but wanted to get some feedback from my buddys that I respect here on the prime. My budget allows for a nice 355 Spyder.

Could anyone drop some knowledge on the 355? Has anyone else made this move?

Thank you in advance!!

-Simon

Owning a F355 is easy... it's the maintenance and upkeep that'll kill you. Make sure you do your research thoroughly and know what you're getting yourself into. Not knocking the car, as I do think it's one of the better looking and best sounding Ferraris, but the aforementioned points are things you have to seriously consider. I briefly considered them when the 360 first came out, and as much as I would have loved owning one, my practical side wouldn't let me deal with the "high-maintenance girlfriend" factor. Eventually, I went with a 996 Turbo.
 
Do a private inspection before hand by a reputable person/dealer, thats what most will say, let me know if you need help, a bud just went through a similar type purchase.
 
I almost went that route before I got my Silverstone 03...

almost everyone I talked in depth about the 355 said to get a 1997 or newer (unless the 95 / 96) has had engine upgrade mods. I don't have any details, but they had some engine problems in the first two years.

and the maintenance is high but not as high a previous years of ferraris. From the 348 and newer ferrari went to a 'modular' engine set-up.

good luck:biggrin:
 
make sure it has had it's most recent scheduled maint. If not it can, and most likely will get ugly. My best friend has a mondial, 355 and a 550. He is selling the mondial and the 550. He is keeping the 355. Tubi exhaust on that car is awesome.:eek: However, it needed to have the 30,000 mile service, new clutch and an oil leak fixed. Set him back roughly $5k.

I would love to own one, but that would be enough to choke a camel:biggrin:

Good luck and enjoy, it's a piece of moving art.
 
03 raw nsx said:
I almost went that route before I got my Silverstone 03...

almost everyone I talked in depth about the 355 said to get a 1997 or newer (unless the 95 / 96) has had engine upgrade mods. I don't have any details, but they had some engine problems in the first two years.

and the maintenance is high but not as high a previous years of ferraris. From the 348 and newer ferrari went to a 'modular' engine set-up.

good luck:biggrin:

I've read up on the engine problems on the 355. I'll definitely be careful in that regards. What do you mean by a modular engine set-up?
 
stephenti said:
Owning a F355 is easy... it's the maintenance and upkeep that'll kill you. Make sure you do your research thoroughly and know what you're getting yourself into. Not knocking the car, as I do think it's one of the better looking and best sounding Ferraris, but the aforementioned points are things you have to seriously consider. I briefly considered them when the 360 first came out, and as much as I would have loved owning one, my practical side wouldn't let me deal with the "high-maintenance girlfriend" factor. Eventually, I went with a 996 Turbo.

I've heard it said, the second happiest day in a Ferrari owner's life is the day they buy it; the happiest day in their life is the day they sell it. :biggrin:
 
nice! show us some pictures when you get it.

Gosh...if only the maintenance and insurance on these stallions are reasonable....
 
My 92 NSX insurance was just a bit less than my 360 insurance.

Scheduled maintenance however, is much more expensive.
 
Well as much as I want an Fcar, I should wait. The 355 is an awesome car no doubt but all the research I've done on it says it's a maintenance nightmare.

The 360 on the other hand seems to be more of a reliable Fcar compared to the 355. Unfortunately it's out of my range at this point. I'll just have to keep dreaming for now.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Meanwhile, my other dream car is waiting in the garage to be driven.:biggrin:
 
Edmo7 said:
I have both a 355 and a NSX and I've never had any problems with the 355. You just have to find a well maintained one.

Lucky you! I think I'll still wait for a 360. Trust me I dream of a 355 all the time. I just need peace of mind with my dream car.
 
Simons2k said:
Lucky you! I think I'll still wait for a 360. Trust me I dream of a 355 all the time. I just need peace of mind with my dream car.

Well, if you must have a 360.....the only one worth getting is the Challenge Stradale....otherwise, wait longer and get a 430
 
I've got both and love them both in their own respective way. I've had the NSX for years and just got the 355 recently.

Just be sure to find a well maintained (and documented) 355 that hasn't sat too much and you should be OK (2-3K miles per year). I haven't had the 355 that long so I can't speak with too much authrority but I can tell you the maintenance IS going to be more expensive. As an example, I just had the oil changed to the tune of $260.:eek: From what I can tell, they are pretty bullet proof (from a reliability standpoint) as long as you don't try to cut corners on the maintenance.

While I love the sound of the NSX, there aren't too many better sounding cars than a 355 with a Tubi at full song.
 
monteman said:
While I love the sound of the NSX, there aren't too many better sounding cars than a 355 with a Tubi at full song.

This is one of the biggest attractions for me! Sounds like you found a good one. Good luck with everything.
 
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