Ferrari 355, whats it like to own?
Discussion
I'm currently on my second F355 GTS. Fantastic car, but certainly not an M3 replacement or a daily user (for most people). Insurance is very inexpensive if you shop around - I have a number of cars and it is often the least expensive to insure! I pay around £400 with a 3k mileage limit.#
Servicing is pricey especially at a main dealer - bills are more often than not £1000 plus and can easily get to £3000.
There is loads of info on www.fcars.co.uk
If you can afford one as a second car I thoroughly recommend it
Servicing is pricey especially at a main dealer - bills are more often than not £1000 plus and can easily get to £3000.
There is loads of info on www.fcars.co.uk
If you can afford one as a second car I thoroughly recommend it
Yup servicing is about right, to give you an idea, I do use mine everyday and this year was big service time, needed belts plus it was clutch time (needed a new slave cylinder as well, a common fault but new one is uprated) and one rad needed replacement, the car is 15 years old after all. Total bill was just over £5k, good for the amount of work and hours but not a cheap car to run and this would have been more at a main dealer.
As for tyres the car is light on them really, should see 8-10k miles without a problem if it's not tracked. Fuel, everyday use I get about 18-20 upto 22 on a run but down to single figures if lots of town work or foot down driving.
They are very reliable and usable cars, better than things like TVR's or Lotus's I've run in the past.
Deprecation should be as near to zero if the car is looked after well, the floor for 355's should be about 30k as they are better than a 348 and will always be more desirable (sorry any 348 owners, but you know it's true
).
Great cars, but never go in without thinking it CAN cost you sometimes, other years a simple service maybe all that's needed and you'll get away with spending less than £750.
As for tyres the car is light on them really, should see 8-10k miles without a problem if it's not tracked. Fuel, everyday use I get about 18-20 upto 22 on a run but down to single figures if lots of town work or foot down driving.
They are very reliable and usable cars, better than things like TVR's or Lotus's I've run in the past.
Deprecation should be as near to zero if the car is looked after well, the floor for 355's should be about 30k as they are better than a 348 and will always be more desirable (sorry any 348 owners, but you know it's true
).Great cars, but never go in without thinking it CAN cost you sometimes, other years a simple service maybe all that's needed and you'll get away with spending less than £750.
355s can be very reliable cars as longs as their looked after properly. You cannot skimp on maintenance because you'll just pay for it later. I've had mine 9 months and haven't had anything other than a flat battery wrong with it. If you find a good specialist them running costs can be kept way down. Saying that though I would still budget for a minimum of £1k a year. Some years it might be more, some it might be less.
As for using it as an everyday car, it could be used but I really wouldn't recommend it.
MPG is absolutely horrendous and there is no other way round it. You will probably get 15 MPG on the motorway maybe 18 if you really tried but thrash it and you'll easily get 5! I used a quarter tank in 25miles once!
Insurance depends on your age etc but it shouldn't be too ridiculous although if your in your 20s I would guess it'll cost more than a M3. I would recommend using a broker to sort out Insurance.
My advice would be to drive one. They are fantastic cars and by far the last pretty Ferrari (and that's coming from a 430 owner). If you like it then go for it! Life's to short! Let us know how you get on.
As for using it as an everyday car, it could be used but I really wouldn't recommend it.
MPG is absolutely horrendous and there is no other way round it. You will probably get 15 MPG on the motorway maybe 18 if you really tried but thrash it and you'll easily get 5! I used a quarter tank in 25miles once!
Insurance depends on your age etc but it shouldn't be too ridiculous although if your in your 20s I would guess it'll cost more than a M3. I would recommend using a broker to sort out Insurance.
My advice would be to drive one. They are fantastic cars and by far the last pretty Ferrari (and that's coming from a 430 owner). If you like it then go for it! Life's to short! Let us know how you get on.
Its an amazing experience! I love mine to bits.
I'll back the above comments up on servicing. It can vary, but its not worth skimping on. I usually bang on to friends about how expensive it is to run, but then thats because I compare it to the wifes Mini!
Only real problem I had with it was that once a colling pipe burst. I thougt it was going to be expensive, but it cost next to nothing to replace and get it sorted and tested afterwards.
The only other thing was the alternator, which was rather expensive to repair, but then the last car I had an alternator go on was a Super 7 kit car with a ford crossflow in it... the alternator was £50 on that. It was about £300 to repair the one the 355.
They are really useable. I dont use mine everyday, its more of a weekend toy, but I have used it in cities during rush hour traffic and its been fine. You can drive it like a normal car. I think this is why its desired more over the 348. Yes the 348 is more raw, but that makes it less usable. The 355 can sit in traffic making its flat F1 tickover sort of noise.
I'd recommend the manual over the F1 gearbox. Thats my personal preference. The F1 box is a bit too slow and jerky on the 355s for me, plus you miss out on that lovely clicnking noise you get from the chrome gate as you change gear.
I've had mine over 2 years now and I still get goose bumps when I open the garage door and see it there! Sadly I got to sell it though due to moving house and the wife thinks there's a nice deposit on the next house tighed up in the car!
http://www.pistonheads.com/SALES/1441793.htm
I'll back the above comments up on servicing. It can vary, but its not worth skimping on. I usually bang on to friends about how expensive it is to run, but then thats because I compare it to the wifes Mini!
Only real problem I had with it was that once a colling pipe burst. I thougt it was going to be expensive, but it cost next to nothing to replace and get it sorted and tested afterwards.
The only other thing was the alternator, which was rather expensive to repair, but then the last car I had an alternator go on was a Super 7 kit car with a ford crossflow in it... the alternator was £50 on that. It was about £300 to repair the one the 355.
They are really useable. I dont use mine everyday, its more of a weekend toy, but I have used it in cities during rush hour traffic and its been fine. You can drive it like a normal car. I think this is why its desired more over the 348. Yes the 348 is more raw, but that makes it less usable. The 355 can sit in traffic making its flat F1 tickover sort of noise.
I'd recommend the manual over the F1 gearbox. Thats my personal preference. The F1 box is a bit too slow and jerky on the 355s for me, plus you miss out on that lovely clicnking noise you get from the chrome gate as you change gear.
I've had mine over 2 years now and I still get goose bumps when I open the garage door and see it there! Sadly I got to sell it though due to moving house and the wife thinks there's a nice deposit on the next house tighed up in the car!
http://www.pistonheads.com/SALES/1441793.htm
Morning
I've had my 355 Berlinetta for almost 6 months and absolutely love it! I use it everyday as my daily commuting weapon of choice through the rough & tough streets of mayfair.
During the week all my driving is thus town driving and yes, fuel economy isnt great - ive done 20 miles on a 1/4 tank before and although it worried me that something was wrong at the time, im now completely relaxed. On motorway driving the car is a blast too and relaxed in a GT type of way.
I was lucky that my car only had 6k miles on it when i bought it last august, so the only problem ive faced so far is a flat battery when i left it parked underground for a week during the december cold snap.
I got a capristo put on last week and that has only served to make the grin on my face permanent - although not sure the neighbours reaction is the same when i start her up at 5:45am...
So in essence, it is fine as a daily driver (my previous daily was an Exige S) and every drive has a sense of occassion about it - and people let you out in traffic!
- Atticus
I've had my 355 Berlinetta for almost 6 months and absolutely love it! I use it everyday as my daily commuting weapon of choice through the rough & tough streets of mayfair.
During the week all my driving is thus town driving and yes, fuel economy isnt great - ive done 20 miles on a 1/4 tank before and although it worried me that something was wrong at the time, im now completely relaxed. On motorway driving the car is a blast too and relaxed in a GT type of way.
I was lucky that my car only had 6k miles on it when i bought it last august, so the only problem ive faced so far is a flat battery when i left it parked underground for a week during the december cold snap.
I got a capristo put on last week and that has only served to make the grin on my face permanent - although not sure the neighbours reaction is the same when i start her up at 5:45am...
So in essence, it is fine as a daily driver (my previous daily was an Exige S) and every drive has a sense of occassion about it - and people let you out in traffic!
- Atticus
tomvcarter said:
What are the servcing costs like?
Insurance is very cheap if you use a Classic Car policy from companies like Lockton, MWA etc. You don't need any NCB's either.tomvcarter said:
What are the servcing costs like?
This will give you an idea of servicing costs... http://www.verdi-ferrari.com/servicing.htm.Although the prices Verdi shows for the cambelts are engine in. You can probably double that for an engine out service.
If you are a competnent mechanic, you could do a lot of the work yourself as it's just an engine, but it will affect residuals when it's time to sell.
Tyres cost anywhere from £150 to £200 each.
tomvcarter said:
And will i be constantly paying for new parts?
Yes.The 355 is now between 11 and 16 years old so things will need updating, refurbishing, replacing etc. There is a good support structure for 348/355 owners on forums like Ferrarichat.com that help keep costs down, but these are Ferrari's so will always cost more to fix than other car makes.
The important thing about buying any Ferrari is to do a lot of research before hand.
SpeedYellow said:
Deprecation should be as near to zero if the car is looked after well, the floor for 355's should be about 30k as they are better than a 348 and will always be more desirable (sorry any 348 owners, but you know it's true ).
Personally,I'd always get a 348 over a 355. ).atticus said:
I've had my 355 Berlinetta for almost 6 months and absolutely love it! I use it everyday as my daily commuting weapon of choice through the rough & tough streets of mayfair
Jonty355 said:
Yes the 348 is more raw, but that makes it less usable.
Never had a usability problem with mine, although 3 point turnings can be a bit hard. Edited by Angelis on Thursday 18th February 09:05
You really are a one off if you prefer the 348 to the 355, I can honeslty say I have never known anyone else say that.
The only thing I would say about the 355 is that it sin't very comfortable for long journeys. It could jsut be me but it gives me back ache, the driving position is very 80's Ferrari. I have even tried the sports seats which are better. Going to try a new wheel with longer steering wheel boss next.
The only thing I would say about the 355 is that it sin't very comfortable for long journeys. It could jsut be me but it gives me back ache, the driving position is very 80's Ferrari. I have even tried the sports seats which are better. Going to try a new wheel with longer steering wheel boss next.
Angelis said:
Jonty355 said:
Yes the 348 is more raw, but that makes it less usable.
Never had a usability problem with mine, although 3 point turnings can be a bit hard. They're both so similar yet different cars.
Jonty355 said:
Sorry, what I meant to say was less useable around town at slow speeds. Just mainly down to the lightness of the steering, clutch and gearbox though. Out of town though, I'll admit I prefer the steering on a 348 over the 355 as I think its a bit over assisted on the 355. Would be better with a quick rack on the 355 with how light it is.
They're both so similar yet different cars.
I did a 3 point turn in the 348 yesterday with a 355 owner sitting next to me and he couldn't stop laughing as I wrestled with the steering wheel. They're both so similar yet different cars.
Have been offered a cockpit adjustable power steering system used on Le Mans race acrs which I'm seriously thinking about.... or I could start going to the gym more regularly.
Tom
I might be able to shed a little light on things for you, as I own a 355 and an M3 (albeit, only an E36).
There are various sites that will give you an idea of the fixed price servicing for the 355, eg, Verdi's. What these don't tell you is the ocst of all the additional bits and bobs that WILL need to be done, the same as ANY old car.
If you're prepared to do a bit of DIY, then they can be manageable. There's plenty of posts on here which document the costs as well as the common pitfalls / known faults which need sorting out.
If you're comparing costs on an old 355 with a new M3, then the 355 will definitely be more. If you're giving it to a shop to do the work, then a budget of £1-3k pa is reasonable. As said, you might go one year with hardly spending anything other than an oil and filter change, then have 3-4 things need sorting the following year. As I said, these are OLD cars now and WILL need things refurbishing. If you're prepared to DIY and get non-Ferrari parts, then they can be manageable. And don't assume that OEM parts are better. They're often not.
Tyres aren't too bad in terms of wear, although the rears can take a bit of a pounding. That said, they're only 18's so quite affordable realtively speaking. Lots of people get hung up on only running factory spec, but if you're happy to move away from Pirelli etc, they're not too pricey. I run Bridgestonews right now, but they're a bit soft, so am moving to Kuhmo's next. All personal preference but any decent name brand is fine, you just learn different driving characteristics of each tyre.
MGP is woeful. Just woeful. No way around it, especially around town. Motorway I might get 250 miles from a tank, around town that can easily drop to 70 or 80. My best effort was a track day, which eeked 53 miles from brimming to light coming on.
I might be able to shed a little light on things for you, as I own a 355 and an M3 (albeit, only an E36).
There are various sites that will give you an idea of the fixed price servicing for the 355, eg, Verdi's. What these don't tell you is the ocst of all the additional bits and bobs that WILL need to be done, the same as ANY old car.
If you're prepared to do a bit of DIY, then they can be manageable. There's plenty of posts on here which document the costs as well as the common pitfalls / known faults which need sorting out.
If you're comparing costs on an old 355 with a new M3, then the 355 will definitely be more. If you're giving it to a shop to do the work, then a budget of £1-3k pa is reasonable. As said, you might go one year with hardly spending anything other than an oil and filter change, then have 3-4 things need sorting the following year. As I said, these are OLD cars now and WILL need things refurbishing. If you're prepared to DIY and get non-Ferrari parts, then they can be manageable. And don't assume that OEM parts are better. They're often not.
Tyres aren't too bad in terms of wear, although the rears can take a bit of a pounding. That said, they're only 18's so quite affordable realtively speaking. Lots of people get hung up on only running factory spec, but if you're happy to move away from Pirelli etc, they're not too pricey. I run Bridgestonews right now, but they're a bit soft, so am moving to Kuhmo's next. All personal preference but any decent name brand is fine, you just learn different driving characteristics of each tyre.
MGP is woeful. Just woeful. No way around it, especially around town. Motorway I might get 250 miles from a tank, around town that can easily drop to 70 or 80. My best effort was a track day, which eeked 53 miles from brimming to light coming on.
Angelis said:
Jonty355 said:
Sorry, what I meant to say was less useable around town at slow speeds. Just mainly down to the lightness of the steering, clutch and gearbox though. Out of town though, I'll admit I prefer the steering on a 348 over the 355 as I think its a bit over assisted on the 355. Would be better with a quick rack on the 355 with how light it is.
They're both so similar yet different cars.
I did a 3 point turn in the 348 yesterday with a 355 owner sitting next to me and he couldn't stop laughing as I wrestled with the steering wheel. They're both so similar yet different cars.
Have been offered a cockpit adjustable power steering system used on Le Mans race acrs which I'm seriously thinking about.... or I could start going to the gym more regularly.
Why go to the gym, when you could just do more 3 point turns? You'll build muscles up far quicker and its more fun!Cactussed said:
MGP is woeful. Just woeful. No way around it, especially around town. Motorway I might get 250 miles from a tank, around town that can easily drop to 70 or 80. My best effort was a track day, which eeked 53 miles from brimming to light coming on.
I managed to get through £130 of petrol in 2 hours on a dawn raid one morning.... the wife was not best pleased!Edited by Jonty355 on Thursday 18th February 10:46
Forgot to add:
Insurance is cheaper than the M3 (albeit with limited mileage policy).
Like every car, they don't respond well to lack of use. IMHO, one that is driven and maintained regularly is likely to be a far better purchase (in terms of fewer issues) than a garage queen. The mechanicals are fairly bomb-proof if treated well (ie not thrashed from cold) so don't let mileage put you off in the slightest.
The front gets stone chipped, so they will ALL have had a front-end repaint if they look immaculate. Otherwise, agian don't let stone chips put you off. Some minor cosmetic work is VERY cheap vs buying a mechanical nightmare. Also, they should ALL have had some paint around the rear buttresses as they all crack here. Just one of those things you live with and budget for every few years.
Also (again my opinion), buy on current condition and history of recent work. 1-2 stamps missing from the service book in 1999 are largely irrelevant vs a full service recently or a massive stack of work done in the last 12-18 months. As someone who does a lot of my own maintenance, I increasingly know my car inside out and spend accordingly. There's quite a lot of others on here who do the same, so don't be put off by competent DIY mechanics, especially if they have well doecumented records including receipts and photos. Take a look at my 'engine out oddysey' thread to get an idea. Terry on here also has a similar thread and, despite being a complete DIY man, proabbly has the best 355 on this site, bar none. Once you get the hang of it, they're surprisingly good cars to work on as they're designed to have the engine removed every 3-4 years.
Finally (and most importantly) is the ownership experience. I love my M3 to bits and find it a hoot to drive. Its quick, quiet, competent and very benign on the handling front (albeit the brakes are a little weak). The 355 is a WHOLE other ball game in terms of ownership. Words simply cant express how good it feels to hop in and turn the key. Every single time. Its probably no faster (maybe even slower) than your M3 (V8 I presume?) but the feeling of noise, speed and connectedness with the car are miles apart. Its the only car that, after nearly 2 years of ownership, I still sometimes just burst out laughing for no reason other than joy of being in it. The only other thing I will say, which you'll get once you buy one, is...
Tunnels.
ETA: I forgot. Those threads are on Clubscuderia.co.uk which has a WEALTH of information on it...
Insurance is cheaper than the M3 (albeit with limited mileage policy).
Like every car, they don't respond well to lack of use. IMHO, one that is driven and maintained regularly is likely to be a far better purchase (in terms of fewer issues) than a garage queen. The mechanicals are fairly bomb-proof if treated well (ie not thrashed from cold) so don't let mileage put you off in the slightest.
The front gets stone chipped, so they will ALL have had a front-end repaint if they look immaculate. Otherwise, agian don't let stone chips put you off. Some minor cosmetic work is VERY cheap vs buying a mechanical nightmare. Also, they should ALL have had some paint around the rear buttresses as they all crack here. Just one of those things you live with and budget for every few years.
Also (again my opinion), buy on current condition and history of recent work. 1-2 stamps missing from the service book in 1999 are largely irrelevant vs a full service recently or a massive stack of work done in the last 12-18 months. As someone who does a lot of my own maintenance, I increasingly know my car inside out and spend accordingly. There's quite a lot of others on here who do the same, so don't be put off by competent DIY mechanics, especially if they have well doecumented records including receipts and photos. Take a look at my 'engine out oddysey' thread to get an idea. Terry on here also has a similar thread and, despite being a complete DIY man, proabbly has the best 355 on this site, bar none. Once you get the hang of it, they're surprisingly good cars to work on as they're designed to have the engine removed every 3-4 years.
Finally (and most importantly) is the ownership experience. I love my M3 to bits and find it a hoot to drive. Its quick, quiet, competent and very benign on the handling front (albeit the brakes are a little weak). The 355 is a WHOLE other ball game in terms of ownership. Words simply cant express how good it feels to hop in and turn the key. Every single time. Its probably no faster (maybe even slower) than your M3 (V8 I presume?) but the feeling of noise, speed and connectedness with the car are miles apart. Its the only car that, after nearly 2 years of ownership, I still sometimes just burst out laughing for no reason other than joy of being in it. The only other thing I will say, which you'll get once you buy one, is...
Tunnels.
ETA: I forgot. Those threads are on Clubscuderia.co.uk which has a WEALTH of information on it...
Edited by Cactussed on Thursday 18th February 12:37
Bought my 348 from the Ferrari Centre. Had it about 18 months with no issues at all.
Had an anual last year at Graypaul for £450.
Its due a major soon which will be done at Graypaul and they have quoted £650
I've done 7000 miles since i've had it and i use it every week.
Most reliable car i've ever owned.
I went for the not so sensible buy it and worry about running costs after but it has caused no headaches at all.
Most of the maintainance work can be done yourself, they are quite simple cars and i'm no mechanic.
I think the main thing with these cars is if you're planning to use it don't buy a garage queen as the premium you pay for it will soon be wiped out when you use it.
Buy a good honest car that has been used and has done a few miles and make sure you use it regularly and drive it as its been designed for.
If you look into running costs too much you'll never buy one.
I like Jonty have got mine for sale to buy a new house but to be honest if it doesn't go buy the end of the month I'll advertise again in September
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1319725.htm
Had an anual last year at Graypaul for £450.
Its due a major soon which will be done at Graypaul and they have quoted £650
I've done 7000 miles since i've had it and i use it every week.
Most reliable car i've ever owned.
I went for the not so sensible buy it and worry about running costs after but it has caused no headaches at all.
Most of the maintainance work can be done yourself, they are quite simple cars and i'm no mechanic.
I think the main thing with these cars is if you're planning to use it don't buy a garage queen as the premium you pay for it will soon be wiped out when you use it.
Buy a good honest car that has been used and has done a few miles and make sure you use it regularly and drive it as its been designed for.
If you look into running costs too much you'll never buy one.
I like Jonty have got mine for sale to buy a new house but to be honest if it doesn't go buy the end of the month I'll advertise again in September
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1319725.htm
Gassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff