348 Owners - Advice please

[tom1981]

Hi

I am considering the purchase of a 348 early next year. Purchasing the car is not an issue, I will obviously have a day to day car to use. I am looking for some advice/info on running/repair costs.
I obviously want to be able to give it the loving care it deserves. What am I looking at for servicing/running costs? Anyone reccomend any independts for work? Am I likely to get any problems with this older model etc.

I would apprichate any advice from current or ex owners or anyone with knowledge of this fine car!

Thanks.
Tom.

[tony h]

ask the boys at www.clubscuderia.co.uk

[angelis]

Also see: www.the348.com/Tech/348.html#Primer

[burriana]

Do a search on here also. Certainly myself and Angelis have answered this very question at length a couple of times in the last 3 months or so.

Basically - 6k service £500/600 12k service £700/800 ... the big one is the cambelt out (every 3 years or 20-25k miles, though book says 30k)

This is an engine out service and is c £2k at a main dealer or £1500 at a good inde specialist.

Great great cars. A lot of doubters, but an awful lot of fans too

[MitchT]

burriana said:

the big one is the cambelt out (every 3 years or 20-25k miles, though book says 30k)

This is an engine out service and is c £2k at a main dealer or £1500 at a good inde specialist.

According to adverts in Ferrari News the following indie specialists will do 348 belts for the following prices...

£935 - Hollingworth & Ombersley - www.midland-ferrari.co.uk
£795 - Verdi - www.verdiferrari.biz
£790 - DK Engineering - www.dkeng.co.uk

For 18K service including belts and valves the price goes up to about £1,500 for all of the above.

burriana said:

Great great cars. A lot of doubters, but an awful lot of fans too

I agree – Great car! I think the 348 gets a bad press which it doesn't deserve. I've read that it is too nervous and twitchy on poor roads but owners who I've spoken to say that this translates to go-kart like handling on the track which is great. I've also heard people who race them say that the 348 is a sharper tool than a 355 for track use, although the 355 is more accessible on the road to to its more pliant handling. The 348 is regarded as one of the first 'reliable' Ferraris and you also have the benefit of it not being loaded with expensive technology that can go wrong the way that the 355 is. If you want a car that is a machine rather than a collection of computers, and as dependable as you could ever expet a supercar to be, then the 348 is a good choice. Of course, what I say is all based on information that I have collected from various conversations with owners and articles that I've read (I'm slowly and carefully looking for a Ferrari too), not first-hand experience, but I am relaying exactly what I've heard from people who own these cars, so I believe it to be a realistic reflection of 348 reality!

[tony h]

those prices are EX VAT

[LotusJas]

Generally those claiming the 348 is twitchy and nervous have only driven modern soft cars, and wouldn't know a real drivers car from a Go-faster Mondeo.

[angelis]

Check it out

348 chasing a 355

www.fgear.tv/ab/

[tom1981]

Thanks for all the posts people. Some interesting reading so far! Much apprichated!

[zed3]

Must say I never thought a 348 would keep up with a 355........... was the 355 guy a poor driver or is it really that close in the real world and on the track???

Perhaps a 348 is a better proposition after all instead of paying silly bugger prices for a 355..........

[zed3]

Must say I never thought a 348 would keep up with a 355........... was the 355 guy a poor driver or is it really that close in the real world and on the track???

Perhaps a 348 is a better proposition after all instead of paying silly bugger prices for a 355..........

[angelis]

zed3 said:

Must say I never thought a 348 would keep up with a 355........... was the 355 guy a poor driver or is it really that close in the real world and on the track???

Perhaps a 348 is a better proposition after all instead of paying silly bugger prices for a 355..........

Not for me to say as the 355 owner knows where I live.

[burriana]

In most real road terms there is not much difference, certainly on twisties. The time you would notice is on a long straight or motorway where the 55s extra hoof would show a bit, certainly not to the point of embarassment though.

[angelis]

burriana said:

In most real road terms there is not much difference, certainly on twisties. The time you would notice is on a long straight or motorway where the 55s extra hoof would show a bit, certainly not to the point of embarassment though.

Agreed.

You can see on the video how the 355 starts to pull away on the straights. On the bends, the 348 was like a go kart...albeit a bloody heavy one. Also, the brakes on the 348 and 355 are the same.

[tony h]

angelis said:

burriana said:

In most real road terms there is not much difference, certainly on twisties. The time you would notice is on a long straight or motorway where the 55s extra hoof would show a bit, certainly not to the point of embarassment though.

Agreed.

You can see on the video how the 355 starts to pull away on the straights. On the bends, the 348 was like a go kart...albeit a bloody heavy one. Also, the brakes on the 348 and 355 are the same.

brakes aren't same

[angelis]

tony h said:

angelis said:

burriana said:

In most real road terms there is not much difference, certainly on twisties. The time you would notice is on a long straight or motorway where the 55s extra hoof would show a bit, certainly not to the point of embarassment though.

Agreed.

You can see on the video how the 355 starts to pull away on the straights. On the bends, the 348 was like a go kart...albeit a bloody heavy one. Also, the brakes on the 348 and 355 are the same.

brakes aren't same

I think you will find they are.

[Lotusjas]

Also, the 348 in the video is a GTB, and therefore has an extra 20bhp over most 348's.

[tony h]

angelis said:

tony h said:

angelis said:

burriana said:

In most real road terms there is not much difference, certainly on twisties. The time you would notice is on a long straight or motorway where the 55s extra hoof would show a bit, certainly not to the point of embarassment though.

Agreed.

You can see on the video how the 355 starts to pull away on the straights. On the bends, the 348 was like a go kart...albeit a bloody heavy one. Also, the brakes on the 348 and 355 are the same.

brakes aren't same

I think you will find they are.

hmmmm


355

www.eurospares.co.uk/userImages/007/Medium/007_036.gif


348

www.eurospares.co.uk/userImages/078/Medium/078_032.gif

[chrisx666]

The (pre-superseded) part numbers for front and rear disks are shared between 348 and F355. I understand that the Brembo (late 348) callipers are also interchangeable but the finish paint is different. For arguments sake the brakes are pretty much the same, it's not like they made them any bigger to take advantage of the larger wheels.

www.eurospares.co.uk/searchResult.asp?M=&Mo=&A=&B=&ID4=&S=131750&SO=1&SB=3&SM=&SMo=&O=5

[tony h]

chrisx666 said:

The (pre-superseded) part numbers for front and rear disks are shared between 348 and F355. I understand that the Brembo (late 348) callipers are also interchangeable but the finish paint is different. For arguments sake the brakes are pretty much the same, it's not like they made them any bigger to take advantage of the larger wheels.

www.eurospares.co.uk/searchResult.asp?M=&Mo=&A=&B=&ID4=&S=131750&SO=1&SB=3&SM=&SMo=&O=5

so ABS aside, they are the same . Angelis is right