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NSX or F355

Please do some searching at F-chat about what constitutes a good 355,something smells fishy about a 70k spyder,I also agree that a green F car is a risky color for resale.
 
docjohn said:
,I also agree that a green F car is a risky color for resale.
I agree because I can garantee you my future F-car will not be green.
 
I really like the 355 and have considered getting one myself for a while now. The green IMO would not be that easy to sell so you should be able to get a good price on it. Just remenber it will be hard when you sell it also as most people want the red or yellow.
 
I'd keep looking for another 355, but I'd get one. F-car owners often live a "Ferrari Lifestyle" which may make their community attractive to participate in.

The reason I'd keep looking is the colour. You could low ball them on the 70k ie $55k and see if they negotiate. I think that would be a hard colour to unload down the road. If you get it cheap and take a bit of a hit, compared to a red one when you sell it, you'll have minimized your losses.
 
IMO the Argento Silver cabs are nice. A little too much flex on harsh roads but hey if you want a cab its your choice.
64247-1.jpg
 
Yes, I have the same dilema. I am a car enthusiast and before I die I will own a Ferrari. I am also looking at this particular Green Ferrari and think somewhere in the $60's would be a good price as most 355's I see are $80k to $100k and the 360 is double the price. I would like to keep my 1998 Yellow NSX and Black 1997 Porsche 911 and add the Ferrari 355 so I am thinking Red is the way to go. Just have to be patient and find the right car as after the 1st of the year, with any sports car, prices come down and sellers get a little desparate.
 
and think somewhere in the $60's would be a good price as most 355's I see are $80k

It appears that most 355's are SELLING for mid-50's, just take a look at ebay's closed and sold auctions.

the 360 is double the price.

It is worth it and is incredibly good value for your money as the service and the costs of maintenance are much less.

This is the reason 360's get driven and 355's are [now] museum pieces. There is no point in having a car if you cannot drive it and that is essentially what a 355 and 348 are now....maybe authorized service is cheaper "out your way"...but standard oil changes, required every 3K miles or 6 months, averages $1250 out here.

The 360 can have its belts changed without dropping the engine, just that feature alone is worth the differential in price between a 360 vs 355.

If you are just going to buy a 355 to say you have a Ferrari, go for it and that is a perfect car for that purpose.

If you plan to drive a 355 like the NSX: I wish you lots of luck.

Drew
 
drew said:
It appears that most 355's are SELLING for mid-50's, just take a look at ebay's closed and sold auctions.
I can't find a single one on eBay that sold for less than 70K. Remember, we're talking about a Spyder (I also searched on Spider).
 
Having had an NSX for 7 years and now owning a 1995 F355 Berlinetta, I think that they are both great cars, just different. Peformance wise they are not that far apart, looks are going to be purely subjective, but many consider the F355 to be a classic design and the last pretty Ferrari. Soundwise, I spent a lot of $$ trying to make the NSX sound like a Ferrari, it is not going to ever work, it sounded great, but it did not sound like a Ferrari. The NSX only cost me about $7,000 in repairs over 7 years, mainly a/c issues, window regulator and clutch as well as scheduled service. I have spent close to that getting the F355 correct and up to date on maintenance. Once the F355 is properly sorted, they are fairly reasonable with the exception of the major service every 5 years at $7K at an independent or $13K at a dealer. The only F355s that are trading below the mid $60K range are dogs and storied cars that I would run far away from and they are without proper paperwork and service records. If you are looking to buy one, buy the best you can afford, the $$ spent on getting it correct can eat you alive. Just like wanting to avoid an NSX that is in snap-ring range, you want to make sure the the F355 has had the valve guides replaced ($14K) and that it does not have header ($6K) or cat ($3K) issues. If the maintenance costs scare you, stay away from any Ferrari, they are not that troublesome if you perform the proper maintenance with a qualified mechanic (the dealer is not always qualified, in fact they may the worst palce depending on where you are located). You will be able to rack up the milage on an NSX and not effect it re-sale price too dramatically, not true with the Ferrari (over 30,000 miles will be difficult to sell). The other thing to look into is how the local clubs compare. The NSX club in Denver was very informal and really only had 1 event a year, I put it down to we all are too busy working to schedule events. The local Ferrari club has 3 incredible events in the last 3 months (they have more time and $ to plan would be my guess). My last advice is really drive the F355 spider for more a day, rent one if you can and determine if it worth the cost difference to you, and only you, it is your life, your money and your time, you only live once so get the one that puts the biggest smile on your face.
 
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05011994 said:
Having had an NSX for 7 years and now owning a 1995 F355 Berlinetta, I think that they are both great cars, just different. Peformance wise they are not that far apart, looks are going to be purely subjective, but many consider the F355 to be a classic design and the last pretty Ferrari. Soundwise, I spent a lot of $$ trying to make the NSX sound like a Ferrari, it is not going to ever work, it sounded great, but it did not sound like a Ferrari. The NSX only cost me about $7,000 in repairs over 7 years, mainly a/c issues, window regulator and clutch as well as scheduled service. I have spent close to that getting the F355 correct and up to date on maintenance. Once the F355 is properly sorted, they are fairly reasonable with the exception of the major service every 5 years at $7K at an independent or $13K at a dealer. The only F355s that are trading below the mid $60K range are dogs and storied cars that I would run far away from and they are without proper paperwork and service records. If you are looking to buy one, buy the best you can afford, the $$ spent on getting it correct can eat you alive. Just like wanting to avoid an NSX that is in snap-ring range, you want to make sure the the F355 has had the valve guides replaced ($14K) and that it does not have header ($6K) or cat ($3K) issues. If the maintenance costs scare you, stay away from any Ferrari, they are not that troublesome if you perform the proper maintenance with a qualified mechanic (the dealer is not always qualified, in fact they may the worst palce depending on where you are located). You will be able to rack up the milage on an NSX and not effect it re-sale price too dramatically, not true with the Ferrari (over 30,000 miles will be difficult to sell). The other thing to look into is how the local clubs compare. The NSX club in Denver was very informal and really only had 1 event a year, I put it down to we all are too busy working to schedule events. The local Ferrari club has 3 incredible events in the last 3 months (they have more time and $ to plan would be my guess). My last advice is really drive the F355 spider for more a day, rent one if you can and determine if it worth the cost difference to you, and only you, it is your life, your money and your time, you only live once so get the one that puts the biggest smile on your face.

Anyone considering a 355 should read the above post carefully. I had a 1997 355 Berlinetta for several years and experienced all three of the serious known weaknesses associated with the 355 mentioned above (as well as a few additional minor ones too). It's also a common misconception that 1997 cars onwards don't suffer from the dreaded valve guide issue. Just be very careful to get a leakdown as a part of the PPI. Having said all that, I enjoyed every mile in mine.

Another thing to check with Spiders is the condition of the leather. It doesn't take much exposure for the seats and the dash to dry out and shrink if not properly cared for. If the seats feel hard but look good, the leather has probably already dried out and has been re-dyed. The leather on the instrument binnacle is also prone to shrinking and exposing the leading edge.
 
1999 is the year where the valve issue was addressed with the 355. This is coming from an 1999 F355 owner that I have spoken to. Very nice car.....I would say own the NSX and 355 if you can.
 
RON98 said:
1999?
i thought it ws 1997:biggrin:

No its a 1999 355 here's the pics







M's racing exhaust, Gruppe M intake, challenge doors, challenge seats, challenge grill, speedline wheels, HID's....thats all I could see on the car but it was sweet looking.
 
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personally from my experience stay with the nsx. unless you are goin to get a 360. i dont think the 355 is worth it. because once you get it, expect paying 3 times amount on parts and services. and expect three times less of the life of all parts. i do like 355 they are fun to drive,they sound good, but i would take the nsx.reliability is key.and trust me ferrari lacks it.unless you get 355 challenge:biggrin:
 
personally from my experience stay with the nsx. unless you are goin to get a 360. i dont think the 355 is worth it. because once you get it, expect paying 3 times amount on parts and services. and expect three times less of the life of all parts. i do like 355 they are fun to drive,they sound good, but i would take the nsx.reliability is key.and trust me ferrari lacks it.unless you get 355 challenge:biggrin:
 
My head says NSX, but man, I LOVE F355s!!!

Look how gorgeous that alloy one is with the speedlines. I WANT!

I guess it depends upon your lifestyle. If you can accomodate a car that may be expensive to keep on the road, and may not be even 50% as trustworthy as your NSX, maybe I would stuff that car away somewhere in my garage for occasional use. I'd be prepared for at least some frustration with it though.
 
You guys are better than me in this consideration. My favorite car for the longest had been 300ZX TT with all sorts of mods ,but the reality after having two of them constantly and I do mean constantly in the shop has made shy away from anything that needs to be in the shop or downtime in my garage on a regular basis. It's not even a money standpoint so much as a frustration thing. It's wonderful to have something beautiful in the driveway ,but sucks when it's there because it won't start or it's having trouble and your waiting for your mechanics place to open. After awhile I started calling the thing my "Ferrari" because it was literally spending more time at the shop than with me. When the most fun your having is driving the thing away from the shop there's a problem. If Ferraris are like this or worse sometimes from what I've heard I'll continue to enjoy watching them online and reading about themn in magazines.
 
WingZ said:
You guys are better than me in this consideration. My favorite car for the longest had been 300ZX TT with all sorts of mods ,but the reality after having two of them constantly and I do mean constantly in the shop has made shy away from anything that needs to be in the shop or downtime in my garage on a regular basis. .
Strange...300k miles
 

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WingZ said:
You guys are better than me in this consideration. My favorite car for the longest had been 300ZX TT with all sorts of mods ,but the reality after having two of them constantly and I do mean constantly in the shop has made shy away from anything that needs to be in the shop or downtime in my garage on a regular basis. It's not even a money standpoint so much as a frustration thing. It's wonderful to have something beautiful in the driveway ,but sucks when it's there because it won't start or it's having trouble and your waiting for your mechanics place to open. After awhile I started calling the thing my "Ferrari" because it was literally spending more time at the shop than with me. When the most fun your having is driving the thing away from the shop there's a problem. If Ferraris are like this or worse sometimes from what I've heard I'll continue to enjoy watching them online and reading about themn in magazines.

No comment. :redface:
 
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