Talk to me about the 360 Spider, please
Discussion
Hello,
A friend of mine who is moving abroad is selling his 2004 360 F1 Spider. I normally lurk over in the Porsche forums and am happy to confess that I know very little about Ferraris - he reckons he'd get about 45k from the trade - it hasnt done many miles - about 18k I think. It is a sort of ice-blue metallic colour (lovely colour). I am quite tempted as an extra car - a bit of open top fun for the summer.
Any thoughts on obvious things to look out for, or just general comments on the car much appreciated. Is the F1 box more desireable than the manual for example? If I decide to buy, I will get it inspected - can someone recommend someone to do a PPI in Kent, please?
Presumably at this price depreciation should be modest over 2/3 years?
Thanks in advance,
Andrew
A friend of mine who is moving abroad is selling his 2004 360 F1 Spider. I normally lurk over in the Porsche forums and am happy to confess that I know very little about Ferraris - he reckons he'd get about 45k from the trade - it hasnt done many miles - about 18k I think. It is a sort of ice-blue metallic colour (lovely colour). I am quite tempted as an extra car - a bit of open top fun for the summer.
Any thoughts on obvious things to look out for, or just general comments on the car much appreciated. Is the F1 box more desireable than the manual for example? If I decide to buy, I will get it inspected - can someone recommend someone to do a PPI in Kent, please?
Presumably at this price depreciation should be modest over 2/3 years?
Thanks in advance,
Andrew
http://www.walkersport.co.uk/360-buying-guide.htm
There's a few 360 threads here if you flick back over the past months
There's a few 360 threads here if you flick back over the past months
Edited by johnnyreggae on Wednesday 18th January 10:50
The guide indicated above will tell you nearly everything you need to know. I can only add a couple of points:
1) Colour is not the best for resale value so should be reflected in the price you pay. If you like it and intend to keep the car this should not be an issue for you.
2) the roof mechanism is prone to stick sometimes if the oil resevoir is low. Easy fix by just topping up with the correct oil.
I owned a 360 spider which I sold at 37000 miles and never had any problems. They like to be driven so if you do buy it then use it! The F1 should be fine but be sensible when driving in traffic etc by slipping it into neutral for example if waiting at lights etc. It will save you money in the long run.
If you get it inspected you should be fine. They are fairly bullet-proof and a hoot to drive. The warning lights can be a bit of a pain as they are very sensitive but dont panic. Most can be fixed (if you ever get any!) by switching off the isolator switch in the "boot" and leaving for a few minutes then switching on again. Only happened to me twice in 18 months but can be a bit alarming if you are not aware. Finally you need to fit a decent exhaust if it still has the OEM one fitted. Tubi, Capristo etc do them. Lots of people prefer one against the other so it is personal taste. However either will be worth the extra cost as they are much lighter and give you a much better experience with the roof down. I hope this helps. Good luck if you go ahead!
1) Colour is not the best for resale value so should be reflected in the price you pay. If you like it and intend to keep the car this should not be an issue for you.
2) the roof mechanism is prone to stick sometimes if the oil resevoir is low. Easy fix by just topping up with the correct oil.
I owned a 360 spider which I sold at 37000 miles and never had any problems. They like to be driven so if you do buy it then use it! The F1 should be fine but be sensible when driving in traffic etc by slipping it into neutral for example if waiting at lights etc. It will save you money in the long run.
If you get it inspected you should be fine. They are fairly bullet-proof and a hoot to drive. The warning lights can be a bit of a pain as they are very sensitive but dont panic. Most can be fixed (if you ever get any!) by switching off the isolator switch in the "boot" and leaving for a few minutes then switching on again. Only happened to me twice in 18 months but can be a bit alarming if you are not aware. Finally you need to fit a decent exhaust if it still has the OEM one fitted. Tubi, Capristo etc do them. Lots of people prefer one against the other so it is personal taste. However either will be worth the extra cost as they are much lighter and give you a much better experience with the roof down. I hope this helps. Good luck if you go ahead!
iandc said:
Finally you need to fit a decent exhaust if it still has the OEM one fitted. Tubi, Capristo etc do them. Lots of people prefer one against the other so it is personal taste. However either will be worth the extra cost as they are much lighter and give you a much better experience with the roof down. I hope this helps. Good luck if you go ahead!
Exhausts are definitely personal taste. I had a 360 Spider, brilliant to drive and the sound was fantastic at 8,500 rpm - even with the stock exhaust. I think aftermarket exhausts need careful thought - high cost, questionable impact on resale and if you over do it (Capristo stage 2 or 3 for example) you get a thrilling sound for 20% of the time and some pretty unpleasant ones for the rest. Perhaps worth it if you only use your car infrequently and drive it quickly a lot of the time - after all, buying a Ferrari is a brilliantly irrational thing to do anyway!LukeyLikey said:
Exhausts are definitely personal taste. I had a 360 Spider, brilliant to drive and the sound was fantastic at 8,500 rpm - even with the stock exhaust. I think aftermarket exhausts need careful thought - high cost, questionable impact on resale and if you over do it (Capristo stage 2 or 3 for example) you get a thrilling sound for 20% of the time and some pretty unpleasant ones for the rest. Perhaps worth it if you only use your car infrequently and drive it quickly a lot of the time - after all, buying a Ferrari is a brilliantly irrational thing to do anyway!
agree regarding personal taste. I just got sick of the white powder coming out of the stock exhaust so fitted a Tubi level 1 (the quietest). It looked great in polished stainless steel, gave better performance and was a good compromise between quiet on motorways and loud when you wanted it to be. I drove a lot of miles with it on and never got tired of it. If you keep the stock item then resale is unaffected as it can be reversed as no mods to the car. williaa68 said:
Hello,
A friend of mine who is moving abroad is selling his 2004 360 F1 Spider. I normally lurk over in the Porsche forums and am happy to confess that I know very little about Ferraris - he reckons he'd get about 45k from the trade - it hasnt done many miles - about 18k I think. It is a sort of ice-blue metallic colour (lovely colour). I am quite tempted as an extra car - a bit of open top fun for the summer.
Any thoughts on obvious things to look out for, or just general comments on the car much appreciated. Is the F1 box more desireable than the manual for example? If I decide to buy, I will get it inspected - can someone recommend someone to do a PPI in Kent, please?
Presumably at this price depreciation should be modest over 2/3 years?
Thanks in advance,
Andrew
I bought new in 2002. A 360 F1 Spider which I had delivered in Rolls Royce Peacock, Crema, dark blue carpets and BBS Challenge wheels. Looked wonderful. Sounded mental especially in tunnels top down. Only problem with the model is the engine is gutless. Loves being spinned hard but mid range pick up is awful. You must fully test drive one before purchase. Good luck.A friend of mine who is moving abroad is selling his 2004 360 F1 Spider. I normally lurk over in the Porsche forums and am happy to confess that I know very little about Ferraris - he reckons he'd get about 45k from the trade - it hasnt done many miles - about 18k I think. It is a sort of ice-blue metallic colour (lovely colour). I am quite tempted as an extra car - a bit of open top fun for the summer.
Any thoughts on obvious things to look out for, or just general comments on the car much appreciated. Is the F1 box more desireable than the manual for example? If I decide to buy, I will get it inspected - can someone recommend someone to do a PPI in Kent, please?
Presumably at this price depreciation should be modest over 2/3 years?
Thanks in advance,
Andrew
mattdaniels said:
I don't find mine gutless. Granted it doesn't have the punch in the back of my Evo, but I'd hardly describe it as gutless.
Fair point. I guess everything is relative. One example I remember was when I was travelling at 50 mph in fourth on a dual carriageway. A Ford Focus sport- something-or-other decided he'd check out his motor versus my Fezza. He drew alongside, smiled, waved and then floored his pedal. I did then same thinking, well, mine's a Ferrari - should be fine. All I saw was his exhaust pipe rapidly shrinking in size. Above 4000 rpm a 360 F1 Spider is fine. Below, it's plain weak. Don't get me wrong, I loved the look and sound of my Spider. But I don't miss it one bit. 
Camlet said:
Fair point. I guess everything is relative. One example I remember was when I was travelling at 50 mph in fourth on a dual carriageway. A Ford Focus sport- something-or-other decided he'd check out his motor versus my Fezza. He drew alongside, smiled, waved and then floored his pedal. I did then same thinking, well, mine's a Ferrari - should be fine. All I saw was his exhaust pipe rapidly shrinking in size. Above 4000 rpm a 360 F1 Spider is fine. Below, it's plain weak. Don't get me wrong, I loved the look and sound of my Spider. But I don't miss it one bit.
Well tbh dont think you would miss it to much with your current fleet!
johnnyboy101 said:
Camlet said:
Fair point. I guess everything is relative. One example I remember was when I was travelling at 50 mph in fourth on a dual carriageway. A Ford Focus sport- something-or-other decided he'd check out his motor versus my Fezza. He drew alongside, smiled, waved and then floored his pedal. I did then same thinking, well, mine's a Ferrari - should be fine. All I saw was his exhaust pipe rapidly shrinking in size. Above 4000 rpm a 360 F1 Spider is fine. Below, it's plain weak. Don't get me wrong, I loved the look and sound of my Spider. But I don't miss it one bit.
Well tbh dont think you would miss it to much with your current fleet!If the 360 drove and sounded 1% of the way it looks it would be the greatest car in the known universe fact. I loved the looks of mine, but found it to be very agricultural, gutless below 3.5k revs and to severe above, also extremely hard to judge in tight spaces. there are better cars out there, imho, I prefer my boxster to a ferrari. Mike
mattdaniels said:
I don't find mine gutless. Granted it doesn't have the punch in the back of my Evo, but I'd hardly describe it as gutless.
Agree, depend what you have come from I suppose. Love mine although i know the 430 is better and the 458 is better than that etc.etc. You could go on forever but what you have and what you can afford can often more than suffice - I'm happy!As a bit of a gripe, why is there such a huge TVR forum presence still, unless they use it as a bit of a car boot sale / autojumble facility??
Edited by ewolg on Monday 23 January 22:49
Mike Brown said:
If the 360 drove and sounded 1% of the way it looks it would be the greatest car in the known universe fact. I loved the looks of mine, but found it to be very agricultural, gutless below 3.5k revs and to severe above, also extremely hard to judge in tight spaces. there are better cars out there, imho, I prefer my boxster to a ferrari. Mike
I've had a long list of nice cars, currently a 430, a DBS and a Cosworth Impreza. My 360 was brilliant to drive and not in the least agricultural. It sounded thrilling and felt quick although the power delivery was very linear with the real shove up top.I know everyone sees things differently but just to say there are other views!
Mike Brown said:
If the 360 drove and sounded 1% of the way it looks it would be the greatest car in the known universe fact. I loved the looks of mine, but found it to be very agricultural, gutless below 3.5k revs and to severe above, also extremely hard to judge in tight spaces. there are better cars out there, imho, I prefer my boxster to a ferrari. Mike
You must have had a very bad 360 then. I have owned both and the boxter was a great handling car but no comparison to the 360 in any way.Wasn't planning to keep my 360 spider for more than a year or two when i bought it in 2007.
But the more i drove it the better it got and the more engaging i found it.
yes it could do with more low end torque and be a tough sharper on the steering and brakes compared to newer stuff.
BUT
as a package and overall package i can't imagine a car that will be better.
a 355 is prettier but not as good on longer trips
a 430 is newer and faster but not as engaging...it's heavier and the electronics start to get annoying.
the 458 is a stunning car but demands less of the driver overall.
so the 360, the perfect mix between analogue and digital, a car you can driver every day if you want to and it still feels amazing every single time you turn the key.
Buy one - a good one from Walkersport or similar and you simply will not regret it.
you may however drive it more than you expected.
mine had just over 6k miles in 2007.....it's just about to tick over to 70k miles.....i'm going to keep it and run it till 250k miles....just because i think it deserves it.
But the more i drove it the better it got and the more engaging i found it.
yes it could do with more low end torque and be a tough sharper on the steering and brakes compared to newer stuff.
BUT
as a package and overall package i can't imagine a car that will be better.
a 355 is prettier but not as good on longer trips
a 430 is newer and faster but not as engaging...it's heavier and the electronics start to get annoying.
the 458 is a stunning car but demands less of the driver overall.
so the 360, the perfect mix between analogue and digital, a car you can driver every day if you want to and it still feels amazing every single time you turn the key.
Buy one - a good one from Walkersport or similar and you simply will not regret it.
you may however drive it more than you expected.
mine had just over 6k miles in 2007.....it's just about to tick over to 70k miles.....i'm going to keep it and run it till 250k miles....just because i think it deserves it.
iandc said:
Mike Brown said:
If the 360 drove and sounded 1% of the way it looks it would be the greatest car in the known universe fact. I loved the looks of mine, but found it to be very agricultural, gutless below 3.5k revs and to severe above, also extremely hard to judge in tight spaces. there are better cars out there, imho, I prefer my boxster to a ferrari. Mike
You must have had a very bad 360 then. I have owned both and the boxter was a great handling car but no comparison to the 360 in any way.Harsh said:
Wasn't planning to keep my 360 spider for more than a year or two when i bought it in 2007.
But the more i drove it the better it got and the more engaging i found it.
yes it could do with more low end torque and be a tough sharper on the steering and brakes compared to newer stuff.
BUT
as a package and overall package i can't imagine a car that will be better.
a 355 is prettier but not as good on longer trips
a 430 is newer and faster but not as engaging...it's heavier and the electronics start to get annoying.
the 458 is a stunning car but demands less of the driver overall.
so the 360, the perfect mix between analogue and digital, a car you can driver every day if you want to and it still feels amazing every single time you turn the key.
Great post, though I hope I find the 430 comment not correct! Just swapped a 360 for a 430, both spiders. Haven't had a chance to get to grips with 430 but already I can tell it feels a totally different car, more sophisticated, smoother, less raw.But the more i drove it the better it got and the more engaging i found it.
yes it could do with more low end torque and be a tough sharper on the steering and brakes compared to newer stuff.
BUT
as a package and overall package i can't imagine a car that will be better.
a 355 is prettier but not as good on longer trips
a 430 is newer and faster but not as engaging...it's heavier and the electronics start to get annoying.
the 458 is a stunning car but demands less of the driver overall.
so the 360, the perfect mix between analogue and digital, a car you can driver every day if you want to and it still feels amazing every single time you turn the key.
Edited by LukeyLikey on Tuesday 24th January 08:18
Harsh said:
Wasn't planning to keep my 360 spider for more than a year or two when i bought it in 2007.
But the more i drove it the better it got and the more engaging i found it.
yes it could do with more low end torque and be a tough sharper on the steering and brakes compared to newer stuff.
BUT
as a package and overall package i can't imagine a car that will be better.
a 355 is prettier but not as good on longer trips
a 430 is newer and faster but not as engaging...it's heavier and the electronics start to get annoying.
the 458 is a stunning car but demands less of the driver overall.
so the 360, the perfect mix between analogue and digital, a car you can driver every day if you want to and it still feels amazing every single time you turn the key.
Buy one - a good one from Walkersport or similar and you simply will not regret it.
you may however drive it more than you expected.
mine had just over 6k miles in 2007.....it's just about to tick over to 70k miles.....i'm going to keep it and run it till 250k miles....just because i think it deserves it.
I drove the car at the weekend. Ok, so it wasnt massively endowed with low end grunt but I absolutely loved it. I thought it had a fabulous presence on the road and looked sensational. Sadly, my salivating over the car might have caused my friend to reconsider - apparently he can drive it on English plates in Switzerland for a year - but I have to say these cars look incredible value to me. But the more i drove it the better it got and the more engaging i found it.
yes it could do with more low end torque and be a tough sharper on the steering and brakes compared to newer stuff.
BUT
as a package and overall package i can't imagine a car that will be better.
a 355 is prettier but not as good on longer trips
a 430 is newer and faster but not as engaging...it's heavier and the electronics start to get annoying.
the 458 is a stunning car but demands less of the driver overall.
so the 360, the perfect mix between analogue and digital, a car you can driver every day if you want to and it still feels amazing every single time you turn the key.
Buy one - a good one from Walkersport or similar and you simply will not regret it.
you may however drive it more than you expected.
mine had just over 6k miles in 2007.....it's just about to tick over to 70k miles.....i'm going to keep it and run it till 250k miles....just because i think it deserves it.
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