Which Ferrari do I buy?
Discussion
First time ive been on this forum and apologies for any mistakes made by the new boy but believe me when i say i talk from experience (and experience doesnt always mean ownership)
348,s in general are awful cars. When ferrari decided to build it it was a rush job becuase they needed something on the market to compete with the porsche of the time unless you find an exceptional one anybody who has ever worked with or on one would tell you to steer clear. Far more joy and far less running costs will be encountered with a good 328/308.
Other than the mondial,400,and early 456,s the 348 within ferrari circles is one of the most unfavoured beasts.
348,s in general are awful cars. When ferrari decided to build it it was a rush job becuase they needed something on the market to compete with the porsche of the time unless you find an exceptional one anybody who has ever worked with or on one would tell you to steer clear. Far more joy and far less running costs will be encountered with a good 328/308.
Other than the mondial,400,and early 456,s the 348 within ferrari circles is one of the most unfavoured beasts.
MIKEYF said:not having a go at mikeyf here,but id love to get to the bottom of this '348 is the poor relation' talk.ive heard so much of it,but still no-one can give me a good reason why?it has the acclaimed mechanical simplicity/reliability of the 308/328's,with more modern looks,so why so bad then?i honestly thought the drive was a good one,so whats missing?is it just snobbery from owners of the different models,perhaps because its such good value,as you have to wonder why the 355 is worth £20k more in some ways?
First time ive been on this forum and apologies for any mistakes made by the new boy but believe me when i say i talk from experience (and experience doesnt always mean ownership)
348,s in general are awful cars. When ferrari decided to build it it was a rush job becuase they needed something on the market to compete with the porsche of the time unless you find an exceptional one anybody who has ever worked with or on one would tell you to steer clear. Far more joy and far less running costs will be encountered with a good 328/308.
Other than the mondial,400,and early 456,s the 348 within ferrari circles is one of the most unfavoured beasts.
Long post (for me..).
I talked to a lot of people and read a mass of info before deciding on my 348. For me, it went a bit like this..
308 - I'm not into 'classic cars' (maybe I'm not old enough).
328 - as above, and good ones were over my budget.
355 - Over budget (by about 10 thousand). Too many MR2 replicas about. Scare stories about £3k exhaust manifolds and valve guides etc - if I had taken the 355 route I would have has nothing left to deal with that sort of thing.
So then it came to the 348. A modern Ferrari and I love the looks. I would have a few quid left over to deal with any probs.
Very early cars had issues which left cars sitting around the factory waiting for mods - not a good start and did not go unnoticed by the press (leading to a lot of the bar-room talk you hear today). Handling was apparently very snappy on the limit. Delco alternators packed up regularly. Iffy electrics etc.
Most of these issues were addressed by (I'm told) mid 92' chassis no. 92100. Suspension was modified and battery moved to front of car. Alternator changed to Nippondenso. A cheaper to replace single plate clutch was used. etc.etc.
Wanting to buy from a specialist I looked into a few, and was disappointed at what was available for 25k - they were all early cars and a bit rough in places. Costs soon add up, one I saw needed 4 tyres, full set of brakes and wheel/stonechip refurbs all round. 25k instantly becomes 27+k and it's still an early 90' LHD car.
Maybe I was just unlucky with what was about at the time. A few are still being advertised 6 months later though.
I ended up spending a bit more with my local specialist on a 92'tb that needed nothing. So far (ok, only 5 months later) the only problem is that the clock keeps resetting to 0:00. I am well pleased with this car.
Chris.
I talked to a lot of people and read a mass of info before deciding on my 348. For me, it went a bit like this..
308 - I'm not into 'classic cars' (maybe I'm not old enough).
328 - as above, and good ones were over my budget.
355 - Over budget (by about 10 thousand). Too many MR2 replicas about. Scare stories about £3k exhaust manifolds and valve guides etc - if I had taken the 355 route I would have has nothing left to deal with that sort of thing.
So then it came to the 348. A modern Ferrari and I love the looks. I would have a few quid left over to deal with any probs.
Very early cars had issues which left cars sitting around the factory waiting for mods - not a good start and did not go unnoticed by the press (leading to a lot of the bar-room talk you hear today). Handling was apparently very snappy on the limit. Delco alternators packed up regularly. Iffy electrics etc.
Most of these issues were addressed by (I'm told) mid 92' chassis no. 92100. Suspension was modified and battery moved to front of car. Alternator changed to Nippondenso. A cheaper to replace single plate clutch was used. etc.etc.
Wanting to buy from a specialist I looked into a few, and was disappointed at what was available for 25k - they were all early cars and a bit rough in places. Costs soon add up, one I saw needed 4 tyres, full set of brakes and wheel/stonechip refurbs all round. 25k instantly becomes 27+k and it's still an early 90' LHD car.
Maybe I was just unlucky with what was about at the time. A few are still being advertised 6 months later though.
I ended up spending a bit more with my local specialist on a 92'tb that needed nothing. So far (ok, only 5 months later) the only problem is that the clock keeps resetting to 0:00. I am well pleased with this car.
Chris.
chrisx666 said:
(leading to a lot of the bar-room talk you hear today).
Hear hear!
I was looking at either a 348 or 355. Here is what swung it for me - the 355 revs 1000 higher, but the commonly heard problems were/are, cracked manifolds, snapped con rods and breaking valve guides. The 348 engine, touch wood is near bomb proof with minor niggles... like the clock restting itself to 00.00
(apparently you undo do the screws in the ashtray bit and the whole binnacle slides out easily so you can clean the main clock/climate connection - if you are that fussed that is!) The later 348 GTB/GTS/Spider was the test bed for the 355 with improved track, suspension set up and 20bhp more, so a late 348 handling will not be that far off a 355, and then, in every day driving you would not notice it anyway.
Subjectively i think the styling on the 348 is far more to my taste than the 355. The 355 is too pretty, they call the 348 the baby Testarossa, for good reason. I love the side veins and slats across the rear, it has a far more aggressive look than the 355. To say the 348 is ugly is to say the Testarossa is ugly - I love it and so do 1000s of others. However, the motoring press labelled the 355 the best and most beautiful sports car in the world. Horses for courses - saying one is better than the other based on styling is just plain narrow minded.
Can you take a 348 abroad?
I had mine 1 1/2 weeks before I hammered it across France, Germany (nice police let us off at 162mph!), Switzerland, the Alps and Italy on EuroHoon. I boiled the brake fluid after the second day in the Alps (now got racing fluid in) and shook a bolt loose from the aircon pump. I did 3000 miles in the first three weeks of ownership, I have now done 8k since september, drive it all through winter, am taking it down to Le Mans in June and down to the Costa del Sol in July... They are meant to be driven!
I had it seviced 6 weeks ago at the main dealer for £600. It needed nothing but a new set of tyres.
A post 348 is a great car and it screams like a banshee with a Tubi fitted
Pick the model your eyes get most pleasure from and then get the best condition one you can afford.
except don't buy a GTS cos they're very rare and I want one after I take my Spider to Spain!
>> Edited by burriana on Friday 29th April 14:37
burriana said:
except don't buy a GTS cos they're very rare and I want one after I take my Spider to Spain
Better hurry then. I read that there's only 14 of them. I've only come across one black one so far.
1994 Nero/Grigio, 24000 miles £36,995
If only it was red........and £4K cheaper
jy said:
I'm about to buy a 355 myself. I think the 348 looks quite ugly in comparison, but more importantly it's not nearly as good a drive. Worth stretching your funds a bit further to get a 355 I say
The 348 is better looking from the front, more aggressive and the side with those proper ferrari features but sadley not the rear. The 355 has a nicer back end with those traditional round lights.
The 348 styling is like the baby 512TR. The last real traditional very look. The 355 started to go too rounded at the front.
The 348 with decatted tubi is awesome sounding nier then the 355 or 360. One of the best sounding ferrari around. Saying that closest to F1 sound is a 355 decatted with Capristo exhuast on. The 348 second in that case.
The handling of late 348 is as good as the 355. The 348 is a drivers car, not as forgiving as the 355.
The feel of the 348 is much better then the 355. The 348 has that go-kart like feel - no power steering.
Power and performance, no muc in it between them. My 348 is as quick as a 355. I know of two 348's quicker then 360 CS and handles as well.
When you out on the raod you very rarely see any 348's. Most the time you spot 355's and 360's.
I would go for a late 348 - 348 Spider, 348 GTB 348 GTS or 348 GTC.
Don,t get me wrong my comments were not to say the 348 is the poor relation just to say when you consider what you pay for a good 348(and it would have to be a good one to be enjoyed) compared to what you would pay for a 308/328 and the cheaper running costs involved in the earlier cars then the 348 doesnt really get a look in. 355,s can also be poor if you get an early 2.7 motronic version that hasnt been looked after but its all relative. age/condition/service history etc.
burriana said:
niggles... like the clock restting itself to 00.00
Cheers Al. Easy job - found dry joint on back of PCB. Sorted.
chrisx666 said:
niggles... like the clock restting itself to 00.00
Cheers Al. Easy job - found dry joint on back of PCB. Sorted.
Bugger!!! I've been meaning to get round to it for 5 months... you do it the next day
Angelis said:
Better hurry then. I read that there's only 14 of them. I've only come across one black one so far.
I wish... I heard that there were only about 10 RHDs
Mongoose - I'll probably have to sell mine after the Spain trip as I'll have it up to about 30k miles and what with an unhealthy percentage of the Ferrari owning fraternity firmly believing that these cars are NOT meant to be driven, it leaves me in a predicament. Even though it is a weeeknd car, I drive it a lot all through the year, I either get rid now or end up keeping it and having a 60k miles Spider in another three years, not the best of ideas if i want to sell it i suppose. So, if I'm going to change, and I can't afford a 512TR, then the 348 GTS is the next best thing, a change from the Spider and maybe a change in colour, and the more i see the TS and the TBs the more I appreciate the coupe lines... you also get more room behind the seats for the baby buggy
burriana said:ah ha,i see now.i think its daft the people read so much into mileage also,especially as general concensus is that they can do huge mileage with no problems.shame there arent a few more gts's to go around.is it relatively painless to get the gts performance from a ts,or is there much more to it?
Mongoose - I'll probably have to sell mine after the Spain trip as I'll have it up to about 30k miles and what with an unhealthy percentage of the Ferrari owning fraternity firmly believing that these cars are NOT meant to be driven, it leaves me in a predicament. Even though it is a weeeknd car, I drive it a lot all through the year, I either get rid now or end up keeping it and having a 60k miles Spider in another three years, not the best of ideas if i want to sell it i suppose. So, if I'm going to change, and I can't afford a 512TR, then the 348 GTS is the next best thing, a change from the Spider and maybe a change in colour, and the more i see the TS and the TBs the more I appreciate the coupe lines... you also get more room behind the seats for the baby buggy
This is turning a roller-coaster!!!
Early postings had me thinking the whole idea was duff and I would be best advised getting a boxster (spit). In fact I even started looking at Caterham 7's!!
The we had burriana's (excellent) comments about durability and driveability. Talk of the scream from the business end and cooking the brakes over the alps had my hairs on end!!
Now we're talking mileage - in all honesty I'll be purchasing next year or year after depending on how things go. The intention is to get a good one and keep it for at least five years until I've saved enough for another.
Say I do 10K a year and end up with (for example) a 92 348 with 60K+ on the clock. What are the re-sale options?
Also, I'm getting the impression that the first thing to do when I get it is to fiddle under the bonnet, change pipes, remove cats and such. I've always held the ideal that one buys as-is and leaves alone. After all, the techies at Maranello know more than me about performance!!! I guess I've seen to many fake "M" and "Irmscher" badges in my time!!!!
Early postings had me thinking the whole idea was duff and I would be best advised getting a boxster (spit). In fact I even started looking at Caterham 7's!!
The we had burriana's (excellent) comments about durability and driveability. Talk of the scream from the business end and cooking the brakes over the alps had my hairs on end!!
Now we're talking mileage - in all honesty I'll be purchasing next year or year after depending on how things go. The intention is to get a good one and keep it for at least five years until I've saved enough for another.
Say I do 10K a year and end up with (for example) a 92 348 with 60K+ on the clock. What are the re-sale options?
Also, I'm getting the impression that the first thing to do when I get it is to fiddle under the bonnet, change pipes, remove cats and such. I've always held the ideal that one buys as-is and leaves alone. After all, the techies at Maranello know more than me about performance!!! I guess I've seen to many fake "M" and "Irmscher" badges in my time!!!!
If you want pure adrenalin, and a car that will show the vast majority of Ferraris its arse on most circuits, buy a high powered 7.
Without doubt a lot more pure, cheaper to run (just about) and nothing gives you the buzz they do.
You'll still need a Ferrari at some point though.
A 60k miler is going to be tough to shift, unless the price is right. If it's really well maintained, you may get away with it, but it's a risk. that said, hopefully in a few years more cars will have this sort of mileage!
In a year's time you may find you have more options for your cash, so might be worth just keeping a watching brief...
Without doubt a lot more pure, cheaper to run (just about) and nothing gives you the buzz they do.
You'll still need a Ferrari at some point though.
A 60k miler is going to be tough to shift, unless the price is right. If it's really well maintained, you may get away with it, but it's a risk. that said, hopefully in a few years more cars will have this sort of mileage!
In a year's time you may find you have more options for your cash, so might be worth just keeping a watching brief...
The one your heart tells you too!
It goes like this.
Listen to all the technical info people give you i.e. how much to pay how much to run. However everything else is pure opinion only. I own a Mondial and love it to bits. In fact anything prancing horse gets me going.
You ask most people and they would tell me it's a pile of crap.. That's the point I like and drive it they don't.
It is you that is going to own the car look at it drive etc. It is you and only you that can make this decision.
My advice (and basically it is a contradiction to my statement as it is not based on fact
) go to a dealer ask him if you can drive both, look at them next to one another then make your decision. At his point you will know what the costs are due to the comments on this thread.
Whatever you buy you will not be disappointed
>> Edited by toolman on Thursday 5th May 15:47
>> Edited by toolman on Friday 6th May 09:13
It goes like this.
Listen to all the technical info people give you i.e. how much to pay how much to run. However everything else is pure opinion only. I own a Mondial and love it to bits. In fact anything prancing horse gets me going
. You ask most people and they would tell me it's a pile of crap.. That's the point I like and drive it they don't.
It is you that is going to own the car look at it drive etc. It is you and only you that can make this decision.
My advice (and basically it is a contradiction to my statement as it is not based on fact
) go to a dealer ask him if you can drive both, look at them next to one another then make your decision. At his point you will know what the costs are due to the comments on this thread. Whatever you buy you will not be disappointed
>> Edited by toolman on Thursday 5th May 15:47
>> Edited by toolman on Friday 6th May 09:13
Just been looking at the latest Top Marques magazine.
Seems 355 prices are falling a lot more than I thought. A private silver 95 Berlinetta with 29,000 miles for..... £39,500 and a Red 97 Berlinetta for £46,000.
I might just wait until autumn/winter and get a 355 rather than a 348 in the next few months. Maybe another £5K down by then?
Seems 355 prices are falling a lot more than I thought. A private silver 95 Berlinetta with 29,000 miles for..... £39,500 and a Red 97 Berlinetta for £46,000.
I might just wait until autumn/winter and get a 355 rather than a 348 in the next few months. Maybe another £5K down by then?
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