Ferrari 348 - Does anyone know these cars
Discussion
Behemoth said:
I really don't see how the 328 is the least practical.
The driving position is the daftest, the youngest car is now at least 25 years old and of all the 3 it's the one I'd least want to leave out in the rain 
Behemoth said:
Whilst the previous point is well put, you have to end up going with your heart. Buy what you fancy. It's an Italian exotic, not an Aldi. It's not a sensible decision you can do on a spreadsheet. And quite difficult in front of a computer. Go drive. They are all fun 
All very true But you can't get away from the fact that it is the cheapest 2 seater Ferrari you can buy. There are many who just couldn't afford an extra 30% to buy a 355 or a 328 no matter what their heart saysIt is a difficult one because except on price it is all subjective, and even price can be subjective. For me I chose a 348 over a 355, part of this was money but not that I couldn't stretch to a 355/360/430 but more that the price of a 348 for the 1500 miles a year I drive it the others weren't 20k/30k/40k better. A 348 is 95% of the event and 90% of the performance of the others.
In terms of looks the interior has aged well and is not much different to a 355. I prefer the strakes and testerossa style mirrors of the 348 over the 355, the rear on the 355 with F1 grill is nicer but the rest is very similar.
In terms of looks the interior has aged well and is not much different to a 355. I prefer the strakes and testerossa style mirrors of the 348 over the 355, the rear on the 355 with F1 grill is nicer but the rest is very similar.
Mario149 said:
I don't think it's so much about which one drives better, objectively or subjectively, rather where your particular balance of beauty/handling/pace/purchase cost/practicality comes in
The above sums it up very well. Everyone has a multitude of different reasons for buying, it is hard work trying to articulate these in a few paragraphs. Without test driving each it is just other people motivations/experiences, which in some/most/all aspects will be different to yours. Why did I go down this route ok.....everyone is different. Age, tastes, lifestyle, affordability can all play a part as previously said.
Buying a ferrari is not what many would call a sensible option especially financially....to me it wasn't about the money on all three. Whether the value rises or not, I'm not into speculation, it's about enjoying the car.
My personal take on the 3,
328-, easy to maintain and probably the cheapest to run of the three... becoming a true classic but before my era of car obsession...it drove well had the rawness/classic feel...........how many 308/328 owners get asked " where's your Hawaiian shirt ?"
....not for me....but I really liked it.
.
355- arguably one of the best ferraris ever made....brought in to replace the 348. Is it a classic....not yet IMO
It was the start of modern tech coming into the cars....it drove really well, quick in comparison to the other 2, but very 90s feel about it(which it is).................and how many 355 owners have been asked. "how's the mr2?" Not for me either, but I really liked it.
348- great car(subjective and is building a following) driving this car felt similar to the 355, but steering on this car is without a doubt the best (not just my opinion...the evo comparison) of the 3 has a similar rawness of the 328 as well. More power than a 328 that definitely shows. Less than a 355....but that's progress......and how many owners heard this "couldn't afford a 355 then" ? Loved the steering , the feel, the looks(yes the strakes) relatively simple mechanics.
Buying a 355 as it's the later model..more powerful, more refined, newer and ironed out a lot of the previous models issues (common car purchase criteria) is not necessarily what comes down to buying a ferrari, or any classic car.
If that had been the case I would have bought a 430, but not even a consideration in my case.
It's all down to personal preference. Whether it's Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston etc..it would be dull if we all picked the same.
My head told me to try all 3,look at build, reliability, running costs not purchase cost, the drive, financially I discounted any speculation as not the reason to buy. What I wanted out of it too, and finally there's no avoiding heart also came into into it. I was 18, not long past my test when they released the 348. At the time I thought it was the dogs B*!!*ck5 and that hasn't changed. Although so are the others. No such thing as a bad ferrari.
Personal taste just like marmite.
Buying a ferrari is not what many would call a sensible option especially financially....to me it wasn't about the money on all three. Whether the value rises or not, I'm not into speculation, it's about enjoying the car.
My personal take on the 3,
328-, easy to maintain and probably the cheapest to run of the three... becoming a true classic but before my era of car obsession...it drove well had the rawness/classic feel...........how many 308/328 owners get asked " where's your Hawaiian shirt ?"
....not for me....but I really liked it..
355- arguably one of the best ferraris ever made....brought in to replace the 348. Is it a classic....not yet IMO
It was the start of modern tech coming into the cars....it drove really well, quick in comparison to the other 2, but very 90s feel about it(which it is).................and how many 355 owners have been asked. "how's the mr2?"
Not for me either, but I really liked it.348- great car(subjective and is building a following) driving this car felt similar to the 355, but steering on this car is without a doubt the best (not just my opinion...the evo comparison) of the 3 has a similar rawness of the 328 as well. More power than a 328 that definitely shows. Less than a 355....but that's progress......and how many owners heard this "couldn't afford a 355 then" ?
Loved the steering , the feel, the looks(yes the strakes) relatively simple mechanics.Buying a 355 as it's the later model..more powerful, more refined, newer and ironed out a lot of the previous models issues (common car purchase criteria) is not necessarily what comes down to buying a ferrari, or any classic car.
If that had been the case I would have bought a 430, but not even a consideration in my case.
It's all down to personal preference. Whether it's Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston etc..it would be dull if we all picked the same.
My head told me to try all 3,look at build, reliability, running costs not purchase cost, the drive, financially I discounted any speculation as not the reason to buy. What I wanted out of it too, and finally there's no avoiding heart also came into into it. I was 18, not long past my test when they released the 348. At the time I thought it was the dogs B*!!*ck5 and that hasn't changed. Although so are the others. No such thing as a bad ferrari.
Personal taste just like marmite.
fangio246 said:
However, all the advice from the 'experts' suggests buy a 328 - cheaper & simpler to maintain and more reliable, or a 355.
Armchair experts by any chance?Mario149 said:
348 - arguably the 'ugliest' (it's all relative!)
www.specsavers.com 
JaseB said:
Handling wise you could talk to the chap at Damax in Brackley, he has set up a fair few, would be able to talk you through the differences I would imagine and what you might expect after a wheel alignment.
He did mine a few years ago. Very knowledgeable chapTISPKJ said:
I doubt anyone would take a 348 over the 355, even if they are fairly similar.
if you can stretch to the 355 then that would probably be your best option.
I'd have a 348 over a 355, 360 and 430 every time. All nice cars, but the 348 was the best drive "for me".if you can stretch to the 355 then that would probably be your best option.
Each Ferrari model is different. Not better or worse than any other model. It's just a matter of finding the right Ferrari for "you".
Moulder said:
It is a difficult one because except on price it is all subjective, and even price can be subjective. For me I chose a 348 over a 355, part of this was money but not that I couldn't stretch to a 355/360/430 but more that the price of a 348 for the 1500 miles a year I drive it the others weren't 20k/30k/40k better. A 348 is 95% of the event and 90% of the performance of the others.
In terms of looks the interior has aged well and is not much different to a 355. I prefer the strakes and testerossa style mirrors of the 348 over the 355, the rear on the 355 with F1 grill is nicer but the rest is very similar.
Yes I think I agree with all the above. Though I would prefer a 328 on looks and likely reliability/servicing costs I don't want to have that much money invested in a weekend car doing couple of thousand miles a year. I could possibly stretch to low £40K's, but can hopefully get a good 348 for close to £30K and the difference hopefully goes on a lot of enjoyable miles.... In terms of looks the interior has aged well and is not much different to a 355. I prefer the strakes and testerossa style mirrors of the 348 over the 355, the rear on the 355 with F1 grill is nicer but the rest is very similar.
Mario149 said:
I don't think it's so much about which one drives better, objectively or subjectively, rather where your particular balance of beauty/handling/pace/purchase cost/practicality comes in
The above sums it up very well. Everyone has a multitude of different reasons for buying, it is hard work trying to articulate these in a few paragraphs. Without test driving each it is just other people motivations/experiences, which in some/most/all aspects will be different to yours. I think paying someone like Tim at Walkersport to inspect a likely car is the way to go, piece of mind and all that.
Now need somewhere to store it, as the good lady has just thrown a spanner in the works by saying 'you are NOT having a Ferrari in our garage'. We live in a small Worcestershire village and she is concerned it will give the wrong impression and alienate us from the neighbours.... And she is right! bugger....
Quote:
Now need somewhere to store it, as the good lady has just thrown a spanner in the works by saying 'you are NOT having a Ferrari in our garage'. We live in a small Worcestershire village and she is concerned it will give the wrong impression and alienate us from the neighbours.... And she is right! bugger....
If you can look out at out your neighbours drives and see new beemers/audis etc that as a whole cost more than 30k, then why worry. You pays your money and takes your choice.
You will be surprised that most reactions are positive, being an avid car fan is nothing to hide from.
Now need somewhere to store it, as the good lady has just thrown a spanner in the works by saying 'you are NOT having a Ferrari in our garage'. We live in a small Worcestershire village and she is concerned it will give the wrong impression and alienate us from the neighbours.... And she is right! bugger....
If you can look out at out your neighbours drives and see new beemers/audis etc that as a whole cost more than 30k, then why worry. You pays your money and takes your choice.
You will be surprised that most reactions are positive, being an avid car fan is nothing to hide from.
If you worry about what other people think, none of these are really for you. And that includes being worried about MR2 comments, Miami Vice comments, Hawaiian shirt comments. Who gives a damn? Some people might want a Ferrari for the image it offers. Certainly, the majority of buyers of the newer cars do. Far less the classics, especially driver ones (vs show queens).
If you're worried about what your neighbours think, I have nothing but pity . Maybe move where there are fewer curtain twitchers?
If you don't want to stretch towards 40K for a 328, then get a 308. Purer and prettier, with a classier mechanical switching vintage interior. Utterly reliable, mechanical, simple. And they don't melt in the rain, trust me. Whichever you get, they're all wonderful weekend cars. Go with your heart, not your head.
If you're worried about what your neighbours think, I have nothing but pity . Maybe move where there are fewer curtain twitchers?
If you don't want to stretch towards 40K for a 328, then get a 308. Purer and prettier, with a classier mechanical switching vintage interior. Utterly reliable, mechanical, simple. And they don't melt in the rain, trust me. Whichever you get, they're all wonderful weekend cars. Go with your heart, not your head.
Mario149 said:
The driving position is the daftest, the youngest car is now at least 25 years old and of all the 3 it's the one I'd least want to leave out in the rain
Strange comment. I have no problem with the driving position whatsoever, it's a joy and I've crossed the continent in my 308 without a twinge. As for the rain, let's face it, you'd want to be garaging any of these cars. Are you talking about taking them out in the wet? It's never bothered me. Unlike the 348 on, the 308/328 is not a monocoque. The frame is tubular steel. Really big sections that would need years next to the Titanic to rust. Any surface rust on the outer shell just needs attention. It won't be structural on a 308/328.
Behemoth said:
Mario149 said:
The driving position is the daftest, the youngest car is now at least 25 years old and of all the 3 it's the one I'd least want to leave out in the rain
Strange comment. I have no problem with the driving position whatsoever, it's a joy and I've crossed the continent in my 308 without a twinge. As for the rain, let's face it, you'd want to be garaging any of these cars. Are you talking about taking them out in the wet? It's never bothered me. Unlike the 348 on, the 308/328 is not a monocoque. The frame is tubular steel. Really big sections that would need years next to the Titanic to rust. Any surface rust on the outer shell just needs attention. It won't be structural on a 308/328.
But that said, let's not kid ourselves that older, especially RHD Ferraris, are massively ergonomic Hell, I'm half Italian, average height and average limbed, and I had to change the steering wheel on my 355 'cause I could barely get my legs under it.Ref taking them out in the rain, it's not that I particularly expect a 328 to dissolve, but at the end of the day it will have experience a good deal more weather on average than a 348, which will have had more than a 355. So a 328 would be generally more susceptible to corrosion.
I think we may be taking this a little too seriously! Just to be clear to everyone, my examples earlier weren't set in stone as the pros/cons of ownership of any of these cars, they were just an example of the thought process that one might use to choose between them
FWIW, I'd probably go down the 328 route myself just because they're classic automotive porn and I've already had a 355. But if I did I suspect in the back of my mind I'd always have a little voice saying that a 348 would have been better value for money
Fair dos. My 308 is a left hooker. I've spent my driving life equally between lhd cars and rhd ones both in the uk and on the continent. I prefer lhd. Most (non jap) cars are designed that way and it shows in little nuances of ergonomics. Certainly does in the 3x8s. Left hookers are no bother on uk roads if you're a competent driver.
I love the look of the 348. I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up if I wasn't already enjoying my 308. But I have a tiny suspicion the 308/328 is the easier/cheaper/more reliable one to run. Find one with good recent service and usage evidence. For these cars, miles don't really matter. No ferrari out there has done shedding miles. If anything, they are too seldom used.
I love the look of the 348. I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up if I wasn't already enjoying my 308. But I have a tiny suspicion the 308/328 is the easier/cheaper/more reliable one to run. Find one with good recent service and usage evidence. For these cars, miles don't really matter. No ferrari out there has done shedding miles. If anything, they are too seldom used.
Angelis said:
Because you don't have to do this every 3 years!!!
Yeh, I forgot about that. They are also just simpler cars. I don't buy the "newer & therefore goes wrong less" argument. That only works up to a point, maybe to about 10-15 years. Most 355s have past that point and the 348 certainly has. The very definition of classic is probably that a car has lived beyond the normal depreciation cycle of the car market.
I don't have any first hand owner / driver experience to contribute but on the subject of the early 348's wayward handling, I do think this contemporary track test in Fast Lane offered a compelling counterpoint.
http://www.lotusespritworld.com/ERoadtests/FastLan...
http://www.lotusespritworld.com/ERoadtests/FastLan...
Thanks Alfanatic
A very interesting read, especially as the Esprit was considered the last word in car handling at one time....
Makes me feel a little more comfortable with the prospect of buying a 348. Not so much the 'poor mans runt of the litter' Ferrari then after all.
Lets hope the one I'm looking at turns out to be a good 'n'.
Its encouraging to find some forums do bring genuine results.;)
A very interesting read, especially as the Esprit was considered the last word in car handling at one time....
Makes me feel a little more comfortable with the prospect of buying a 348. Not so much the 'poor mans runt of the litter' Ferrari then after all.
Lets hope the one I'm looking at turns out to be a good 'n'.
Its encouraging to find some forums do bring genuine results.;)
Thing is, at the end of the day the handling of the car is only going to be as good as the suspension it has and how it's set up. No one has yet pointed out any glaring design issues (like the engine being in the wrong place ) in any reviews I've met, and the chassis is the same as the 355 AIUI, so you're off to a pretty good start already.
I would think many 348s are running on original dampers/springs and whatever alignment the car has been battered into by british roads over the last 20 years. If you're that worried about how it drives, just spend a couple of £k replacing them with modern items, have the car set up by an outfit like Centre Gravity and it's job jobbed. You'll have a 300bhp+ howling Italian V8 with all the modern ride and handling you can shake a stick at, a dogleg box (which let's face it, is far cooler than a regular one), good brakes and uncorrupted steering. All for probably less than £30k if you buy well. Christ, I want to bloody go out and buy one now....
) in any reviews I've met, and the chassis is the same as the 355 AIUI, so you're off to a pretty good start already. I would think many 348s are running on original dampers/springs and whatever alignment the car has been battered into by british roads over the last 20 years. If you're that worried about how it drives, just spend a couple of £k replacing them with modern items, have the car set up by an outfit like Centre Gravity and it's job jobbed. You'll have a 300bhp+ howling Italian V8 with all the modern ride and handling you can shake a stick at, a dogleg box (which let's face it, is far cooler than a regular one), good brakes and uncorrupted steering. All for probably less than £30k if you buy well. Christ, I want to bloody go out and buy one now....
http://www.quantumracing.co.uk/ do a great set of adjustable dampers for the 348/355. You can see them in the pic of my car above.
Slightly stiffer than standard on it's softest setting.
Cost is over £2,000 though, but a great improvement.
Personally, I'd get the existing dampers refurbished by Bilstein and buy bigger AP Racing brakes first.
Slightly stiffer than standard on it's softest setting.
Cost is over £2,000 though, but a great improvement.
Personally, I'd get the existing dampers refurbished by Bilstein and buy bigger AP Racing brakes first.
My first Ferrari was an F355 spider. It's a great car to drive, fast at high rpm and with a glorious sound (Capristo).
The 348 (mine is a tb), is a much rawer car with a very sharp steering. The car has more torque at lower rpm, which makes it nice to cruise. I also find the seats quite good. Biggest advantage is that I just hop in the car and drive off. I let the 355 idle for 5 minutes before I do so.
My 348 is an early one, and I can't honestly tell that it is a badly balanced car.
The 328 has a more vintage feel to it. Theseat is quite small, but is quite comfortable besides the driving position. My Gtb has limited headroom (I'm 1.83 and have got 1 hand between my head and the ceiling).
It is also quite quiet with the stock exhaust.
Summary:
Looks: 355, 348, 328
Performance 355, 348, 328
Consumption: 328, 348, 355
Maintenance: 328, 348, 355 ( i change the belts every 5 years, not 3)
Ergonomics: 348, 355, 328
But most of this is quite subjective. I can honestly say that all 3 cars put a grin on my face whe I drive them.
David
The 348 (mine is a tb), is a much rawer car with a very sharp steering. The car has more torque at lower rpm, which makes it nice to cruise. I also find the seats quite good. Biggest advantage is that I just hop in the car and drive off. I let the 355 idle for 5 minutes before I do so.
My 348 is an early one, and I can't honestly tell that it is a badly balanced car.
The 328 has a more vintage feel to it. Theseat is quite small, but is quite comfortable besides the driving position. My Gtb has limited headroom (I'm 1.83 and have got 1 hand between my head and the ceiling).
It is also quite quiet with the stock exhaust.
Summary:
Looks: 355, 348, 328
Performance 355, 348, 328
Consumption: 328, 348, 355
Maintenance: 328, 348, 355 ( i change the belts every 5 years, not 3)
Ergonomics: 348, 355, 328
But most of this is quite subjective. I can honestly say that all 3 cars put a grin on my face whe I drive them.
David
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