355 vs 430 buy
Discussion
I know they are quite different but here’s my dilemma.
Never owned a Ferrari before and just about in a situation it’s realistic. So what I can’t decide is to buy a 355 GTS/ Spy or a 430M/ spy. I love both cars kind of equally but here’s my real question - I know some 430 owners that have had proper nightmares with the F1 gearbox and general car, will my life be easier with a manual 355 or is this incorrect or false hope. Experiences would be massively welcome.
Also how are people finding the market at the moment?
Cheers
Never owned a Ferrari before and just about in a situation it’s realistic. So what I can’t decide is to buy a 355 GTS/ Spy or a 430M/ spy. I love both cars kind of equally but here’s my real question - I know some 430 owners that have had proper nightmares with the F1 gearbox and general car, will my life be easier with a manual 355 or is this incorrect or false hope. Experiences would be massively welcome.
Also how are people finding the market at the moment?
Cheers
355 is very dated to drive now, never felt that way in period but I drove one recently and it felt ancient. More of an occasion though and lack of driver aids makes you a better driver.
430 not as exciting but much easier to live with and far cheaper to maintain (get manifolds checked carefully before buying but at this age now most should have been uprated).
430 not as exciting but much easier to live with and far cheaper to maintain (get manifolds checked carefully before buying but at this age now most should have been uprated).
+1.
355 is a very pretty car, but they're pretty old now. My (360) mechanic was telling me recently that 360s are "getting old" now, and that more things will start failing soon - and that's a generation newer than the 355 (and I'd say it was a big technology step forward too).
Given your choices, I'd have the 430 - even though I think the 355 is a better looking car.
355 is a very pretty car, but they're pretty old now. My (360) mechanic was telling me recently that 360s are "getting old" now, and that more things will start failing soon - and that's a generation newer than the 355 (and I'd say it was a big technology step forward too).
Given your choices, I'd have the 430 - even though I think the 355 is a better looking car.
Hedgesnottwigs said:
I know they are quite different but here’s my dilemma.
Never owned a Ferrari before and just about in a situation it’s realistic. So what I can’t decide is to buy a 355 GTS/ Spy or a 430M/ spy. I love both cars kind of equally but here’s my real question - I know some 430 owners that have had proper nightmares with the F1 gearbox and general car, will my life be easier with a manual 355 or is this incorrect or false hope. Experiences would be massively welcome.
Also how are people finding the market at the moment?
Cheers
355 is a beautiful go-kart. F1 box leans toward the visceral side. Get a manual box if you prefer 3 pedal control.Never owned a Ferrari before and just about in a situation it’s realistic. So what I can’t decide is to buy a 355 GTS/ Spy or a 430M/ spy. I love both cars kind of equally but here’s my real question - I know some 430 owners that have had proper nightmares with the F1 gearbox and general car, will my life be easier with a manual 355 or is this incorrect or false hope. Experiences would be massively welcome.
Also how are people finding the market at the moment?
Cheers
430 is aging well and less fragile. Long term servicing costs should be smaller than 355. If you can find a manual in your spec I'd say it's worth it.
You really need to drive both to discover what you want.
Aesthetics aside (355 wins hands down IMO), I'd think it comes down to the driving experience; are you looking for something reasonably modern and Playstation-esque? Or something older, more mechanical*
Of course try both, but as a 355 owner be aware that they are old cars now, reasonably fragile and can be expensive to maintain (failing ECU's, buttresses, sticky switches, rust (yikes!), engine-out cam belts etc).
Of course try both, but as a 355 owner be aware that they are old cars now, reasonably fragile and can be expensive to maintain (failing ECU's, buttresses, sticky switches, rust (yikes!), engine-out cam belts etc).
- I could also use the words engaging/involving there, but perhaps a little subjective :-)
Drive both
I have a 355 spy with tubi, Love everything about it.
For me the 355 has the poster ferrari appeal to it along with the f40, everybody knows the model,iconic
Of course you can say I’m biased, but I regularly pass modern day Ferrari’s and with the exemption of the laferrari nothing really stands out, can’t quite put my finger on it
Interestingly I was considering a 430 spider but ended up getting the 355, If your half competent with a spanner you can do a lot to the 355 yourself, something to think about
I have a 355 spy with tubi, Love everything about it.
For me the 355 has the poster ferrari appeal to it along with the f40, everybody knows the model,iconic
Of course you can say I’m biased, but I regularly pass modern day Ferrari’s and with the exemption of the laferrari nothing really stands out, can’t quite put my finger on it
Interestingly I was considering a 430 spider but ended up getting the 355, If your half competent with a spanner you can do a lot to the 355 yourself, something to think about
I cannot comment on a F430, but i had 15 years of continuous F355 spider ownership over 2 cars that came to an end late last year.
First was a lovely Le Mans Blu with crème, the 2nd an uber rare Fiorano handling pack version red over black.
Both cars manual.
Every year without fail they were through to Ferrari for servicing and maintenance, however, even previously supremely maintained versions are expensive to run now, as even though mines was one of the last built, its still 20 years old and items were starting to fail with age.
As a previous poster mentioned, there isn't much that you can replace on a F355 that is cheap, and even then that may not be the issue; lots of parts are not being made now and you have to scour the globe for some obscure 2nd hand parts from breakers...i had built up a wee stock of spares that i am now selling, and this week alone i dispatched a part to Norway and a part to the USA.
Then there are other problems that arise; last year it developed an electrical problem that took 38hours to trace with the dashboard having to come out....that sucked.
The high maintenance cost were offset for myself by how much the car went up in value, however, if I had sold 2 years previously I may of achieved a huge amount more....and I say may as there are still lots of 355s advertised that were up for sale 2 or 3 years ago at the same price....a good few owners bought after they leaped up in price and are trying to sell for the same as they may of paid but the market has changed.
The F355 is a great looking car, but an expensive car, and I personally feel as though they are still artificially high in price. Finding a buyer was very tricky and that was with a Fiorano car.
Here's the thing...I really loved the F355, but as soon as it was gone, I genuinely did not miss it...glad i ticked the box though.
Loads of fantastic times, quite a few frustrating times.
Think long and hard and go forward with your eyes wide open; you will have to put in regular decent cash to keep this in tip top condition with yearly servicing and maintenance in order to keep it at its value.
Apologies for not sugercoating F355 ownership.
The oldest F430 will be 15yrs now so they are no spring chicken either...i can only guess similar issues shall either be present or enroute.
Best of luck in your search
First was a lovely Le Mans Blu with crème, the 2nd an uber rare Fiorano handling pack version red over black.
Both cars manual.
Every year without fail they were through to Ferrari for servicing and maintenance, however, even previously supremely maintained versions are expensive to run now, as even though mines was one of the last built, its still 20 years old and items were starting to fail with age.
As a previous poster mentioned, there isn't much that you can replace on a F355 that is cheap, and even then that may not be the issue; lots of parts are not being made now and you have to scour the globe for some obscure 2nd hand parts from breakers...i had built up a wee stock of spares that i am now selling, and this week alone i dispatched a part to Norway and a part to the USA.
Then there are other problems that arise; last year it developed an electrical problem that took 38hours to trace with the dashboard having to come out....that sucked.
The high maintenance cost were offset for myself by how much the car went up in value, however, if I had sold 2 years previously I may of achieved a huge amount more....and I say may as there are still lots of 355s advertised that were up for sale 2 or 3 years ago at the same price....a good few owners bought after they leaped up in price and are trying to sell for the same as they may of paid but the market has changed.
The F355 is a great looking car, but an expensive car, and I personally feel as though they are still artificially high in price. Finding a buyer was very tricky and that was with a Fiorano car.
Here's the thing...I really loved the F355, but as soon as it was gone, I genuinely did not miss it...glad i ticked the box though.
Loads of fantastic times, quite a few frustrating times.
Think long and hard and go forward with your eyes wide open; you will have to put in regular decent cash to keep this in tip top condition with yearly servicing and maintenance in order to keep it at its value.
Apologies for not sugercoating F355 ownership.
The oldest F430 will be 15yrs now so they are no spring chicken either...i can only guess similar issues shall either be present or enroute.
Best of luck in your search
I moved from a 355 Berlinetta to a 360 Spider. The 355 had been one of my poster cars and getting one was a special moment. It was everything I hoped it would be and there were no downsides to my ownership ..... other than the cold sweat everytime there was a funny noise or a panic anytime anything wasn't exactly as it should be. In many ways, that side of the ownership was a similar to how I felt driving an older Esprit. Every run in it was fantastic but putting it back in the garage after an uneventful run was also a good feeling.
I've never had the same thoughts with the 360. It just feels more modern and of a different era. Looks are subjective tho and while I really love the look of the 360 / 430 Spider with the roof down I think the coupes are less appealing where as I think the 355 Spider looks classy but a bit dated.
Anyhow, it's a goo problem to have.
I've never had the same thoughts with the 360. It just feels more modern and of a different era. Looks are subjective tho and while I really love the look of the 360 / 430 Spider with the roof down I think the coupes are less appealing where as I think the 355 Spider looks classy but a bit dated.
Anyhow, it's a goo problem to have.
I owned a F355 Spyder for a couple of summers and it needed nothing except a service, but that was 7 years ago. It has doubled in value since but would no doubt have cost that in maintenance.
The 355 was designed with a manual gearbox, which snicks across the metal gate nicely. It's compact size makes it b road friendly and you can wring it out to 8,500 revs in the lower gears before running out of road.
If you want the fastest Ferrari you can afford and the benefits of a newer more modern car then it has to be the 430. The 355, with its lack of torque, can easily be shown up by quite mundane modern machinery if not kept on the boil.
Both cars have further to depreciate imo. I think the 355 increased more in percentage terms so perhaps will lose more than the 430.
The 355 was designed with a manual gearbox, which snicks across the metal gate nicely. It's compact size makes it b road friendly and you can wring it out to 8,500 revs in the lower gears before running out of road.
If you want the fastest Ferrari you can afford and the benefits of a newer more modern car then it has to be the 430. The 355, with its lack of torque, can easily be shown up by quite mundane modern machinery if not kept on the boil.
Both cars have further to depreciate imo. I think the 355 increased more in percentage terms so perhaps will lose more than the 430.
Which one will make you smile every time you look back at it after you've parked up? Which one will you be proud to introduce as 'your' car? Which one will you sneak down to the garage and pull the covers back, just to look at, when everyone else is asleep?
If those things don't matter to you - which one makes you smile as you go through the gears, or nail an apex?
If servicing costs/maintenance costs are an issue and the budget is tight, these things can be a bit of a lottery. You perhaps increase the likelihood of a big bill with an older car, but that doesn't mean you're less likely to have issues with the newer car. Go in with a budget of £2k at least per year and be pleasantly surprised if you don't go through it.
As for residuals - ignore them. We've lived in crazy times recently where cars have maintained value, perhaps even increased. Don't bank on that continuing and make sure that - when the sh!t hits the fan - you're left with a car that you love anyway, not one you despise because it didn't perform financially and that's the reason you had chosen it.
Best of luck!
G
If those things don't matter to you - which one makes you smile as you go through the gears, or nail an apex?
If servicing costs/maintenance costs are an issue and the budget is tight, these things can be a bit of a lottery. You perhaps increase the likelihood of a big bill with an older car, but that doesn't mean you're less likely to have issues with the newer car. Go in with a budget of £2k at least per year and be pleasantly surprised if you don't go through it.
As for residuals - ignore them. We've lived in crazy times recently where cars have maintained value, perhaps even increased. Don't bank on that continuing and make sure that - when the sh!t hits the fan - you're left with a car that you love anyway, not one you despise because it didn't perform financially and that's the reason you had chosen it.
Best of luck!
G
Love mine but as above, it does feel a bit dated at times. But you only have to park it in the street, sit across the road from it and watch peoples reaction. Still looks the business!!
See my profile for running costs.
https://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?ca...
See my profile for running costs.
https://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?ca...
As for market info - from https://themarket.co.uk/market-trends...
Neither graph looks encouraging but arguably the 355 has further to fall to what was a lower base. You can safely make the assumption that either car will lose money over time - except the very best examples of the very best variants, and those will be very mileage sensitive so hardly fun to own.
The 355 is beautiful, one of the nicest, however I went for the 430 as I felt it would better withstand the use I wanted to get out of it. I've done tours and trackdays in all sorts of conditions and it's only once come home on a trailer after a failed wheel bearing at Snetterton. The car thrives in being used but the caveat is that Ferraris, pre 458 when so much was re-engineered, are highly strung Italians and can't be put away wet. They need proper care and a sensitive ear for anything that doesn't sound quite right. After every significant outing my car comes back to a heated garage and lift and is cleaned, dried, lubed and re-torqued. Neglect it and problems may well appear, that's very often the case when I hear of cars with multiple issues - used hard, cared for lightly. If that level of maintenance is not possible then you will need to accept that they are both older cars now, need to be used more lightly, and annual services are going to find things that need sorting with bills increasing accordingly.
Neither graph looks encouraging but arguably the 355 has further to fall to what was a lower base. You can safely make the assumption that either car will lose money over time - except the very best examples of the very best variants, and those will be very mileage sensitive so hardly fun to own.
The 355 is beautiful, one of the nicest, however I went for the 430 as I felt it would better withstand the use I wanted to get out of it. I've done tours and trackdays in all sorts of conditions and it's only once come home on a trailer after a failed wheel bearing at Snetterton. The car thrives in being used but the caveat is that Ferraris, pre 458 when so much was re-engineered, are highly strung Italians and can't be put away wet. They need proper care and a sensitive ear for anything that doesn't sound quite right. After every significant outing my car comes back to a heated garage and lift and is cleaned, dried, lubed and re-torqued. Neglect it and problems may well appear, that's very often the case when I hear of cars with multiple issues - used hard, cared for lightly. If that level of maintenance is not possible then you will need to accept that they are both older cars now, need to be used more lightly, and annual services are going to find things that need sorting with bills increasing accordingly.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 12th July 14:57
Really useful data. I too think the F430 has pretty much stayed pretty stable through all the recent supercar price rise madness, so perhaps has less to fall as prices soften across the board. I think even the 360's which were 35k a few years back have started overlapping with F430 prices, and IMHO I think the F430 is a much improved car over the 360 so if I was pick out of those two I expect the 360 to fall well before the F430 does. As for the 355 I think whilst it is no doubt a beautiful car, I think maintenance will be more than the F430.
Gassing Station | Ferrari V8 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff