Discussion
I've got about 35 - 40K to spend and thinking of getting a ferrari... I'm probably looking to put about 5 - 6000 miles on it a year and wondering about depreciation, running costs and what model / spec I should be looking at for that money - I'm thinking of a 348 or 355, but would welcome any advice...
With out doubt has to be a 355, if you get a good one then they are very reasonable to run think serviced once a year circa £700- £1000 at a specialist someone like Qv london. Not sure where 355 prices are at the moment but I suspect there are still the cheap ropey ones and the good expensive one, like all ferrari's look at loads before you buy and get a good inspection.
I suspect if you do 5/6k you will be loosing 3/4 k per year, as for mpg no idea but I suspect its circa 15-20 ish
Had mine 4 years and still love it ( may have to sell it next year though ..... umm maybe not )
Phib
I suspect if you do 5/6k you will be loosing 3/4 k per year, as for mpg no idea but I suspect its circa 15-20 ish
Had mine 4 years and still love it ( may have to sell it next year though ..... umm maybe not )
Phib
I don't think you will step into a good 355 for £35-40k. The owners of dealers will want a lot more for a sorted car.
Why not go for a 308/328 with pretty rock solid values, relatively inexpensive to maintain, look fantastic and you will have that beautiful manual gate to to play with and enjoy. Very reliable and the least expensive to maintain. Bank on £1500 a year compared to maybe £2.5k for a 355. They look great, get the right type of attention and as they have almost no driving aids (not even power steering) you really are at one with the car.
Why not go for a 308/328 with pretty rock solid values, relatively inexpensive to maintain, look fantastic and you will have that beautiful manual gate to to play with and enjoy. Very reliable and the least expensive to maintain. Bank on £1500 a year compared to maybe £2.5k for a 355. They look great, get the right type of attention and as they have almost no driving aids (not even power steering) you really are at one with the car.
wineman02 said:
I don't think you will step into a good 355 for £35-40k. The owners of dealers will want a lot more for a sorted car.
Why not go for a 308/328 with pretty rock solid values, relatively inexpensive to maintain, look fantastic and you will have that beautiful manual gate to to play with and enjoy. Very reliable and the least expensive to maintain. Bank on £1500 a year compared to maybe £2.5k for a 355. They look great, get the right type of attention and as they have almost no driving aids (not even power steering) you really are at one with the car.
A F355 can also have the manual gate and comes without driving aids (power steering granted). It has the classical Ferrari looks on its side too. Why not go for a 308/328 with pretty rock solid values, relatively inexpensive to maintain, look fantastic and you will have that beautiful manual gate to to play with and enjoy. Very reliable and the least expensive to maintain. Bank on £1500 a year compared to maybe £2.5k for a 355. They look great, get the right type of attention and as they have almost no driving aids (not even power steering) you really are at one with the car.
I started looking for that sort of money and made the stretch to 47k in the end because the car was so good, although 3k of that was after market Capristo 1 and some other additions. Trust me you will know most ropey ones as soon as you see/drive them but watch out for hidden uglies hence why people recommend a pre-purchase inspection. I bought from Autofficina and didn't bother with an inspection as there rep is so good and I am extremely happy with my purchase. Owned for a month and no regrets.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61382140@N08/62504634...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61382140@N08/62504634...
Audi 525i said:
A F355 can also have the manual gate and comes without driving aids (power steering granted). It has the classical Ferrari looks on its side too.
Indeed you can.I am sure there are £30k 355's out there but would you want one? Surely for a first time buyer or a non mechanically minded person a purchase from a reputable indie is the best option so you get a warranty etc. If you get one for £30k then it will probably need £15-20k of work done to it and would indicate that it has not been loved and well cared for. This could bring up further costly issues down the line as well. Otherwise why would the owner sell it for so little?
I cannot comment on what car you should buy. There are a few options around your price point and they are all different cars to drive. The only way you will find out what you want is to go and try a few. Once you've settled on what you want, then you can begin to scour the market.
I can only comment on the 355 really, however I've owned mine for 3.5 years and have over that time, done a large amount of the mechanical work myself. They are surprisingly decent to work on if you have the space and even a modicum of mechanical inclination.
Firstly, they are old, so you can expect to have to work on things as and when they need replacing. This will be the same for ANY car of that vintage, so just budget for it. A £50k 355 with 15,000 miles on it will STILL have 15 year old rubber hoses on it. You get the idea. I've done plenty of miles in my one and along the way (apart from regular servicing) its had new rads, new silicone hoses, suspension bushes, springs, both manifolds, cats, plugs, leads, coil packs, alternator rebuild, a/c compressor, buttresses welded and painted, headlight motors ets etc. some of it needed, some of it preventative. All the above are symptomatic of either age or model specific issues (eg the manifolds).
I think you can easily buy a prefectly good car for £35k and just as easily buy a proverbial highly polished turd for £45-50k, so don't for a minute be fooled by a shiny exterior (on either the car or the salesman). Also, full service history means precisely f
k all. A service book can be doctored very simply and it tells you NOTHING about any work which may or may not have been done in the interrim. A stamp in the book dated last Friday for a yearly service doesn't tell you that the tensioner bearings are screwed or that the engine cradle has a gaping rust hole in it.
If you want to actually drive it, IMHO you are FAR better buying a higher mileage example with a comprehensive, itemised list of work performed, together with supporting evidence, rather than a low mileage example with all the original items which are waiting to cause problems.
I can only comment on the 355 really, however I've owned mine for 3.5 years and have over that time, done a large amount of the mechanical work myself. They are surprisingly decent to work on if you have the space and even a modicum of mechanical inclination.
Firstly, they are old, so you can expect to have to work on things as and when they need replacing. This will be the same for ANY car of that vintage, so just budget for it. A £50k 355 with 15,000 miles on it will STILL have 15 year old rubber hoses on it. You get the idea. I've done plenty of miles in my one and along the way (apart from regular servicing) its had new rads, new silicone hoses, suspension bushes, springs, both manifolds, cats, plugs, leads, coil packs, alternator rebuild, a/c compressor, buttresses welded and painted, headlight motors ets etc. some of it needed, some of it preventative. All the above are symptomatic of either age or model specific issues (eg the manifolds).
I think you can easily buy a prefectly good car for £35k and just as easily buy a proverbial highly polished turd for £45-50k, so don't for a minute be fooled by a shiny exterior (on either the car or the salesman). Also, full service history means precisely f
k all. A service book can be doctored very simply and it tells you NOTHING about any work which may or may not have been done in the interrim. A stamp in the book dated last Friday for a yearly service doesn't tell you that the tensioner bearings are screwed or that the engine cradle has a gaping rust hole in it. If you want to actually drive it, IMHO you are FAR better buying a higher mileage example with a comprehensive, itemised list of work performed, together with supporting evidence, rather than a low mileage example with all the original items which are waiting to cause problems.
If I spent more than a few weeks a year in the UK, I'd be looking at this right now:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3219391.htm
It's a shame the interior is dark blue rather than black, and the 7yrs in storage warrants a careful specialist inspection, but it ticks all the boxes for me.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3219391.htm
It's a shame the interior is dark blue rather than black, and the 7yrs in storage warrants a careful specialist inspection, but it ticks all the boxes for me.
Cactussed said:
I cannot comment on what car you should buy. There are a few options around your price point and they are all different cars to drive. The only way you will find out what you want is to go and try a few. Once you've settled on what you want, then you can begin to scour the market.
I can only comment on the 355 really, however I've owned mine for 3.5 years and have over that time, done a large amount of the mechanical work myself. They are surprisingly decent to work on if you have the space and even a modicum of mechanical inclination.
Firstly, they are old, so you can expect to have to work on things as and when they need replacing. This will be the same for ANY car of that vintage, so just budget for it. A £50k 355 with 15,000 miles on it will STILL have 15 year old rubber hoses on it. You get the idea. I've done plenty of miles in my one and along the way (apart from regular servicing) its had new rads, new silicone hoses, suspension bushes, springs, both manifolds, cats, plugs, leads, coil packs, alternator rebuild, a/c compressor, buttresses welded and painted, headlight motors ets etc. some of it needed, some of it preventative. All the above are symptomatic of either age or model specific issues (eg the manifolds).
I think you can easily buy a prefectly good car for £35k and just as easily buy a proverbial highly polished turd for £45-50k, so don't for a minute be fooled by a shiny exterior (on either the car or the salesman). Also, full service history means precisely fk all. A service book can be doctored very simply and it tells you NOTHING about any work which may or may not have been done in the interrim. A stamp in the book dated last Friday for a yearly service doesn't tell you that the tensioner bearings are screwed or that the engine cradle has a gaping rust hole in it.
If you want to actually drive it, IMHO you are FAR better buying a higher mileage example with a comprehensive, itemised list of work performed, together with supporting evidence, rather than a low mileage example with all the original items which are waiting to cause problems.
OP: I agree with cactussed.I can only comment on the 355 really, however I've owned mine for 3.5 years and have over that time, done a large amount of the mechanical work myself. They are surprisingly decent to work on if you have the space and even a modicum of mechanical inclination.
Firstly, they are old, so you can expect to have to work on things as and when they need replacing. This will be the same for ANY car of that vintage, so just budget for it. A £50k 355 with 15,000 miles on it will STILL have 15 year old rubber hoses on it. You get the idea. I've done plenty of miles in my one and along the way (apart from regular servicing) its had new rads, new silicone hoses, suspension bushes, springs, both manifolds, cats, plugs, leads, coil packs, alternator rebuild, a/c compressor, buttresses welded and painted, headlight motors ets etc. some of it needed, some of it preventative. All the above are symptomatic of either age or model specific issues (eg the manifolds).
I think you can easily buy a prefectly good car for £35k and just as easily buy a proverbial highly polished turd for £45-50k, so don't for a minute be fooled by a shiny exterior (on either the car or the salesman). Also, full service history means precisely f
k all. A service book can be doctored very simply and it tells you NOTHING about any work which may or may not have been done in the interrim. A stamp in the book dated last Friday for a yearly service doesn't tell you that the tensioner bearings are screwed or that the engine cradle has a gaping rust hole in it. If you want to actually drive it, IMHO you are FAR better buying a higher mileage example with a comprehensive, itemised list of work performed, together with supporting evidence, rather than a low mileage example with all the original items which are waiting to cause problems.
Comprehensive list of my costs and experiences here: http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?car... also here: http://www.fcars.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?41483-...
Excluding upgrades, insurance, (any?) depreciation and VED, mine's costing about £0.80 per mile
) but I take your point about a 15 year old car etc...I'd go for a 308 , but them I am an old fart and prefer the classics especially with the budget mentioned . Sometimes it's just about the ownership , 308's look stunning not as well built maybe as say a 355 for the same money but lovely classic lines . Not the fastest by any stretch of the immagination but lovely to own and drive I'd say . Yep 308 for me .
Being fair, I think you could spend £35k on a number of models (3X8-355, 456, 400 etc) and derive equal pleasure.
They will all drive differently and offer something different in terms of ownership experience.
You really are best off trying them then deciding which one ticks your particular boxes.
They will all drive differently and offer something different in terms of ownership experience.
You really are best off trying them then deciding which one ticks your particular boxes.
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