Paragraphs. A bit of a lack of any.......
Discussion
For those to lazy to click the link, and in case he removes it!
First of all I must apologise because I can have gone a bit but I felt when you are buying a car of such magnitude I'll give you as much information as I can. However if you don't want to read it all, if you scroll down to 'My Ownership' all the main details are there.After four years of owning this beautiful car I have finally made the decision to sell. If you are in the market for a 348 I am sure you know by now how many awful examples there are out there. It took me over a year to find this example, and believe you and me I went to up and down the country most weekends in search for one and this included visiting most specialists! I saw so many examples that I lost count of the number of cars I had seen, they all had issues! Some had missing service history or huge gaps in the service history (owners servicing the cars with accordance to the mileage rather than annually, these car performance/racing cars for the road and need servicing annually), others had engine problems, bodywork required, rust issues, electrical problems and just in a overall tatty condition that you would never expect with these sort of cars! Especially when you are spending this sort of money you expect the best, apart from the money these cars deserve to be kept in prime condition! I believe they should be a source of pride and passion! I had done loads of research and read many articles, buying guides and spoke to numerous owners about this model. I concluded that the model I wanted is a late 348 and a model that's been assembled after a certain assembly number as these models had number of revisions and improvements over the first production models. These changes included a upgraded ecu from 2.5 to 2.7 this upgrade phased out the niggles and made the car more reliable, upgraded and revised suspension setup to address the handling issues the early productions cars had (this car handles like a dream feels like it's glued to the road), relocation of the battery from the back to the front to give better weight distribution again addressing the handling issue the early cars had, single plate clutch made it more smoother, upgraded alternator single silencer on the exhaust system makes it sound amazing and finally, a revised gearbox is 100% more reliable compared to the earlier models. So the car had to be a late 348 in rosso corsa with the cream leather, it had to be original and of course it had be the TS, as you still get the rigid feel of TB but you get the advantage of taking the roof off to enjoy the sound of that amazing Ferrari V8 even more! Out of the numerous cars I had seen only three were worth buying; one was LHD (Left hand drive) model although in mint condition, however it was LHD and I had no plans to drive in Europe so it would have been no good to me because I feel it's fairly nerve racking driving a LHD in the UK! The second car I had seen was a RHD (Right hand drive) this one was in concours condition but it was a early model, so a rear battery one therefore would have suffered from issues stated earlier and after some intensive research I found out that the previous owner had done few tracks days, which put me right off. Because I don't know about you but I personally wouldn't buy a car that's been on track days....yes I know these cars can take it and are designed for track days etc, etc. However I still prefer to buy a car that's never seen one! Before I even had the chance to refuse both the cars they both had sold within in a few days that shows that the good ones certainly don't hang around for long! So the search went on and after over a year of looking and sort of regretting not buying either of the two mentioned above because I couldn't find one that came close to them two, I nearly gave up! However I was on the Ferrari owners club website one night and I thought it would have been a bit of long shot but the only process I hadn't tried was putting a wanted advert on their website...advert read something like "348 TS RHD wanted, must be one of the late models with impeccable service history in rossa corsa with cream leather...." and I thought it was bit of long shot and thought nothing more about it. Couple of weeks later I got a phone call off a owner who just had put a order in for a F430 and was thinking about selling his 348, he didn't say much apart from the fact it met my criteria and when I asked him any questions he just said come and see for yourself! He was located about 350/400 miles from me but I thought to myself I'll go and see it and if this was not the one, I was going to consider an alternative! So the following weekend I set off with my buying check list on the long trek, after several hours I arrived at the given address and it was a private estate and had to check in before I was allowed in! Once in I was greeted by the owner and we walked up to his enormous temperature controlled garage and inside was parked this impeccable 348 and I thought to myself is this going be third time lucky! He also had parked in there a Ferrari 456, 360 spyder (clearly a huge Ferrari enthusiast I thought) and also parked was his misses Maserati 4200! The 348 was in its absolutely original and stunning condition, I started getting that excited feeling and thought this is hopefully going to be the one!! Also the 348 parked next to the other models looked the prettiest and shouted out super car from every angle you looked at it! The 348 was so original that it had the original black sills and roof, most others have been colour coded and this is the only one that I had seen where no one had played around with it and I believe and still feel that it looks even more prettier and also gives it that aggressive look that I still wouldn't change today! The car even had the original emblem on the back, it had the original exhaust in fact it is the same and original as Ferrari in tenanted when it left the Maranello factory! I went through my checklist and it all checked out with flying colours. The car started from cold was spot no excessive spoke, sounded spot on and all the gauges including oil pressure were spot on! Once the car warmed we went for a test drive and the gear changes are nice and smooth and the car felt tight and drove in an excellent manor! Speaking to the owner I established that he bought the car nine years ago and it was his first Ferrari, the car's always been garaged and he only used the car in the dry and it never seen the rain and he only used the car for weekend pleasure drive's to get away from it all, never been on the track! He said what is the point, when you can hire one if you are into that sort of thing, it would be cheaper and you won't run the risk of damaging your car! You can tell it's never been on a track because the car feels so 'tight'! After the test drive we came back and the next step was to go through the paper work and to my amazement this car had a Full Ferrari Main Dealer Service History done annually, with all the stamps in the service book and receipts to back them all up, this was unique. Most Ferrari's after the warranty period usually end been serviced at specialists! The car had all the MOT's that verify the mileage alongside the service history. The car had numerous Ferrari valuations from the main dealer for insurance purposes and all the HPI reports; in fact all the paper was intact! I started to get more and more excited! After a nice cup of tea we came to an agreed figure for the car on the condition of PPI (Pre Car Inspection) carried out by a Ferrari Specialist. I got home that night and carried out a HPI check on the car and it all come back clear. The next stage was to find a Ferrari Specialist within travelling distance for the current owner, so I chatted on the Internet to Ferrari owners and got their recommendations. I also spoke to gentleman that lived in Scotland and had bought a F355 not far from where the 348 was based; he actually bought the F355 from well respected and established dealer. The F355 was inspected from a specialist called Terry Hoyle Ferrari specialist and the inspection found few problems on his F355 that the dealer had to sort before he bought the car! Now this gentleman never had seen this F355 so purely was going on the specialists report, and once the dealer rectified the problem the F355 was taken in again and was given the all clear! The gentleman took delivery of the F355 and has been very pleased and confirmed the inspection report had been spot on! So on this evidence I decided to use Terry Hoyle and the 348 was booked in for a full Pre Purchase Inspection usually takes about eight hours that included a full compression and leak down test on the engine, full mechanical test including gearbox test, full electrical test bodywork inspection, chassis inspection, suspension inspection, test drive etc, etc. I remember the day that it was getting inspected and I was at work getting excited but at the same time getting a bit nervous, because I knew the disappointment I have had previously in the quest for buying a 348! That day seemed to drag and eight hours later I got a phone call from Terry his exact words "After the 348 appraisal I conclude this car is in excellent condition and in fact the only fault we picked up on it is a bit of wear on the door handle and that is it. This is one of the cleanest Ferrari's I have seen and if you don't buy this 348 you never will" After I got off the phone from Terry, I got onto the owner and said it's a deal I am buying this 348! The owner insisted much to my liking to pick the car up on a dry day. So a week or so later came the window of opportunity, a dry weekend and time to pick up my dream car. After a long journey I arrived back at the owners place and he was standing outside waiting for me to arrive and he came up to me and said I don't think I can sell you this car! He stated that he was sorry for wasting my time and will cover my travelling costs, the PPI and my time; he was planning to extend the garage so he can keep the 348 and still have room for the F430. I wasn't bothered about the money side of things but had this sinking feeling of not having the car; fortunately his miss's came out and made him see sense! Although at the time I started to panic, I am sort of glad it happened because it showed how much he cared and looked after the car! So deal, paperwork signed and sorted and finally I had the keys to my Ferrari; I can't describe the feeling it was just amazing! Next I had the four hour journey awaiting me that included town traffic, back of my mind I was a tad nervous because I just bought a super car and will it be reliable throughout the journey! My nervousness was false expectation, because the car was absolutely spot on throughout the journey it never missed a beat, all gauges spot on including temperature, oil pressure etc! It really shows you that you get what you paid for!My ownershipNow four years on and the 348 is still spot on! I only use it in dry conditions so mainly in the summer and I use it for pleasure get away from the world pressure on the roads, never been near a track and never will be! The car is so reliable and I have so much faith in it now that I even leave my mobile at home, so it's just me and the Ferrari....after a look stressful week everything seems fine when I and the car go for nice cruise! The only dilemma I had was shall I take the car to Ferrari main dealer or a specialist for servicing. In the end I decided I go for a local specialist called AT Ferrari, as I know the owner very well he gave me great advice when I was searching for one and he knows these cars inside and out. Also when he does the servicing I am always present (main dealer will never let you do this) and I learn more about the car and I also have full photo evidence of all the work getting carried out, all parts for the servicing are Ferrari genuine or Ferrari approved and are sourced from a Ferrari main dealer! The cam-belt serviced has just been carried out but this time I used GT Autos Ferrari/Maserati Specialist. Gary owns and runs GT Autos he use to be the Ferrari Servicing and Workshop Manager at the Stratstone Ferrari Main Dealer in Little Aston, the dealership moved to another area so Gary decided to setup on his own. The reason I used him for the Cam-Belt service is because he has all the Ferrari Diagnostics equipment the SD1, SD2 and the SD3 and I wanted the 348 to be checked to make sure everything is in working order using the diagnostic equipment. Again I got full photo evidence of the service taking place, it was a proper engine out job (unlike other specialists who don't take the engine, you must take the engine out for 348 for a cam-belt change no matter what others tell you)! Gary was again kind enough of allowing me to be present when the engine came out, again fantastic experience and wonderful knowledge gained! Gary works sorts of all sort of Ferrari's if you ever get the chance to go his workshop you never seen so many Ferrari's in one place he works on everything from a 348's, 355's, 360's, F40's and even had a Enzo the time I went to pick up my car! But he commented on my car and said that's the best 348 he has seen and driven in a long time, he said in fact it's lot cleaner and feels better to drive than some of the modern Ferrari's he drives! Show's that it's well cared for example and is the one to go for!To sum it up: -· Ferrari 348 late '93 TS (Front battery Model)· UK car supplied by Maranello Concess· Right Hand Drive· Red with Cream Leather· Mileage: 32k· HPI Clear· Full Pre Purchase Inspection Report by Ferrari Specialist prior purchase· I have owned the car for four yearso Previous owner owned the car for nine years· Full impeccable Ferrari Service History o Prior ownership all Ferrari Main Dealer Service done annually with all stamps and invoices of the details of the servicing in placeo Under my ownership all servicing carried out by specialist. All servicing carried out annually using Ferrari genuine or approved parts sourced from Ferrari Main Dealers. Full photographic evidence of servicing and all stamps and invoices in place.o Cam-belt service just been carried out (Full engine out job)· All MOT's present to back up mileage· Log book present· CAT 1 Alarm/Immobiliser· Just been MOT'd· Just been taxed for the yearSupplied to Mr Dean on 05/01/93 by Maranello Concess to supplying dealer Ferrari Evans HalshawDetails of the service History: -· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 998 miles - First service - Feb '93· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 2035 miles - Annual service - May '93· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 5998 miles - Annual service - May '94· Ferrari Tower Garage (Main Dealer): 10560 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - April'95· Ferrari Tower Garage (Main Dealer):15501 miles - Annual Service - May'96· HR Owen (Main Dealer): 21798 miles - Annual Service - May'97· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 26294 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - June '98· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 27535 miles - Annual Service - July'99· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 28369 miles - Annual Service - August'00· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 29012 miles - Cambelt +Annual Service - September '01· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 29376 miles - Annual Service - October '02· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 30045 miles - Annual Service - August '03· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 30158 miles - Annual Service - January '04· PJ Evans Ferrari (Main Dealer): 30977 miles - Cambelt +Annual Service - March '05· PJ Evans Ferrari (Main Dealer): 31158 miles - Annual Service - March '06o Service book all stamped and invoices presentDetail of service history in my ownership: -· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 31598 miles - Annual Service - March' 07· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 31810 miles - Annual Service - March'08· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 32021 miles - Annual Service - May'09· GT Autos (Ferrari Specialist): 32750 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - May'10o Full photographic evidence, service book stamped and invoices present. Both specialists can confirm the service work carried out.More details of the service just carried out by GT Autos Ferrari specialist: -Please note engine out job and all Ferrari genuine and approved parts used including shell productsØ Engine oil and oil filter renewed Ø Gearbox/Differential oil renewedØ Check clutchØ Gear linkage checkedØ Air filter renewedØ Spark plugs renewedØ Cooling system checked and coolant renewedØ All radiators checkedØ Brakes checked and brake fluid renewedØ Handbrake adjusted and lubricatedØ Suspension checked Ø Steering checkedØ Alignment setup checkedØ Electrics checked Ø Air conditioning checked - re-gassed and adaptors upgraded to meet current standards Ø Cam-belt renewed Ø Cam-belt tensioners renewedØ Cam seals renewedØ Valve clearance's checkedØ Air conditioning compressor belt renewedØ Alternator belt renewedØ Ferrari SD diagnostic check - no faultsØ Road TestØ MOT Also note because this example s had a full main dealer service history then serviced in my ownership from specialist. Specialists that service the car to the book and even exceed what Ferrari recommends. Therefore the car's always had the engine out for the cam-belt service and the engine mounts have never under stress like others examples possibly may have been with the engine still in-situ when the belts had been changed.MOT's: -· 1996 Mileage: 16285· 1997 Mileage: 21808· 1998 Mileage: 25927· 1999 Mileage: 27535· 2000 Mileage: 28375· 2001 Mileage: 28998· 2002 Mileage: 29159· 2003 Mileage: 29525· 2004 Mileage: 30426· 2006 Mileage: 31184· 2007 Mileage: 31347· 2008 Mileage: 31820· 2009 Mileage: 32087· May 2010 - May 2011 Mileage: 32755 (No Advisories)o MOT's Certificates presentSo finally why am I selling, well I certainly had no attention to I just have carried out the cam-belt service, just MOT'd the car and also put 12 months road tax on it! The reason being is I just bought my dream place that currently is being renovated and not so long ago I submitted a planning application for extension on the property. I thought this will take time but to my amazement the planning went through straight away and I have got consent for the planning permission. I know I got three years to start the extension but I have got the builders in at the moment and while they are in and everything is in a mess I guess it would be better to get the work carried out now for the extension rather than later! So I am following my head rather than my heart and decided to sell the car! To be honest I guess I have had my dream car now I need to have my dream place and also due to work commitments I don't get to use the car as much as I would like anyway! So it would nice to see the 348 go to a good home and get more use out of it then I do!No doubt I feel and many others do that this is one of the prettiest Ferrari's ever made and it is in stunning condition and has an impeccable service history! The car's just been serviced and had the cambelt renewed, been MOT'd and taxed, it's ready to go all you got to do is jump in and drive it and enjoy it! Any inspection is well come and use of ramp can be arranged.Please Note: Private Registration is not included in the saleADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Just spoken to Gary Tait the proprietor of GT AUTO's Ferrari/ Maserati Specialist and he said very kindly that he is willing to put a 12 MONTH WARRANTY on my car! Gary's just done the cam-belt and annual service on the car, because he's had the engine out and done all the service work and it's one of the best 348's his seen he said he is happy to put his name on the car. So there you go a 348 with a 12 month warranty from a Ferrari Specialist (not like you will need because this car is in excellent condition)! GT Autos/Gary's contact details are if you would like to speak to him:Website: www.gtautos.co.ukContact Numbers: 01543 682388 / 07877053671Any Pre Purchase Inspection from an independent Ferrari dealer or specialist is more then welcome! Any questions or queries please don't hesitate to contact me
First of all I must apologise because I can have gone a bit but I felt when you are buying a car of such magnitude I'll give you as much information as I can. However if you don't want to read it all, if you scroll down to 'My Ownership' all the main details are there.After four years of owning this beautiful car I have finally made the decision to sell. If you are in the market for a 348 I am sure you know by now how many awful examples there are out there. It took me over a year to find this example, and believe you and me I went to up and down the country most weekends in search for one and this included visiting most specialists! I saw so many examples that I lost count of the number of cars I had seen, they all had issues! Some had missing service history or huge gaps in the service history (owners servicing the cars with accordance to the mileage rather than annually, these car performance/racing cars for the road and need servicing annually), others had engine problems, bodywork required, rust issues, electrical problems and just in a overall tatty condition that you would never expect with these sort of cars! Especially when you are spending this sort of money you expect the best, apart from the money these cars deserve to be kept in prime condition! I believe they should be a source of pride and passion! I had done loads of research and read many articles, buying guides and spoke to numerous owners about this model. I concluded that the model I wanted is a late 348 and a model that's been assembled after a certain assembly number as these models had number of revisions and improvements over the first production models. These changes included a upgraded ecu from 2.5 to 2.7 this upgrade phased out the niggles and made the car more reliable, upgraded and revised suspension setup to address the handling issues the early productions cars had (this car handles like a dream feels like it's glued to the road), relocation of the battery from the back to the front to give better weight distribution again addressing the handling issue the early cars had, single plate clutch made it more smoother, upgraded alternator single silencer on the exhaust system makes it sound amazing and finally, a revised gearbox is 100% more reliable compared to the earlier models. So the car had to be a late 348 in rosso corsa with the cream leather, it had to be original and of course it had be the TS, as you still get the rigid feel of TB but you get the advantage of taking the roof off to enjoy the sound of that amazing Ferrari V8 even more! Out of the numerous cars I had seen only three were worth buying; one was LHD (Left hand drive) model although in mint condition, however it was LHD and I had no plans to drive in Europe so it would have been no good to me because I feel it's fairly nerve racking driving a LHD in the UK! The second car I had seen was a RHD (Right hand drive) this one was in concours condition but it was a early model, so a rear battery one therefore would have suffered from issues stated earlier and after some intensive research I found out that the previous owner had done few tracks days, which put me right off. Because I don't know about you but I personally wouldn't buy a car that's been on track days....yes I know these cars can take it and are designed for track days etc, etc. However I still prefer to buy a car that's never seen one! Before I even had the chance to refuse both the cars they both had sold within in a few days that shows that the good ones certainly don't hang around for long! So the search went on and after over a year of looking and sort of regretting not buying either of the two mentioned above because I couldn't find one that came close to them two, I nearly gave up! However I was on the Ferrari owners club website one night and I thought it would have been a bit of long shot but the only process I hadn't tried was putting a wanted advert on their website...advert read something like "348 TS RHD wanted, must be one of the late models with impeccable service history in rossa corsa with cream leather...." and I thought it was bit of long shot and thought nothing more about it. Couple of weeks later I got a phone call off a owner who just had put a order in for a F430 and was thinking about selling his 348, he didn't say much apart from the fact it met my criteria and when I asked him any questions he just said come and see for yourself! He was located about 350/400 miles from me but I thought to myself I'll go and see it and if this was not the one, I was going to consider an alternative! So the following weekend I set off with my buying check list on the long trek, after several hours I arrived at the given address and it was a private estate and had to check in before I was allowed in! Once in I was greeted by the owner and we walked up to his enormous temperature controlled garage and inside was parked this impeccable 348 and I thought to myself is this going be third time lucky! He also had parked in there a Ferrari 456, 360 spyder (clearly a huge Ferrari enthusiast I thought) and also parked was his misses Maserati 4200! The 348 was in its absolutely original and stunning condition, I started getting that excited feeling and thought this is hopefully going to be the one!! Also the 348 parked next to the other models looked the prettiest and shouted out super car from every angle you looked at it! The 348 was so original that it had the original black sills and roof, most others have been colour coded and this is the only one that I had seen where no one had played around with it and I believe and still feel that it looks even more prettier and also gives it that aggressive look that I still wouldn't change today! The car even had the original emblem on the back, it had the original exhaust in fact it is the same and original as Ferrari in tenanted when it left the Maranello factory! I went through my checklist and it all checked out with flying colours. The car started from cold was spot no excessive spoke, sounded spot on and all the gauges including oil pressure were spot on! Once the car warmed we went for a test drive and the gear changes are nice and smooth and the car felt tight and drove in an excellent manor! Speaking to the owner I established that he bought the car nine years ago and it was his first Ferrari, the car's always been garaged and he only used the car in the dry and it never seen the rain and he only used the car for weekend pleasure drive's to get away from it all, never been on the track! He said what is the point, when you can hire one if you are into that sort of thing, it would be cheaper and you won't run the risk of damaging your car! You can tell it's never been on a track because the car feels so 'tight'! After the test drive we came back and the next step was to go through the paper work and to my amazement this car had a Full Ferrari Main Dealer Service History done annually, with all the stamps in the service book and receipts to back them all up, this was unique. Most Ferrari's after the warranty period usually end been serviced at specialists! The car had all the MOT's that verify the mileage alongside the service history. The car had numerous Ferrari valuations from the main dealer for insurance purposes and all the HPI reports; in fact all the paper was intact! I started to get more and more excited! After a nice cup of tea we came to an agreed figure for the car on the condition of PPI (Pre Car Inspection) carried out by a Ferrari Specialist. I got home that night and carried out a HPI check on the car and it all come back clear. The next stage was to find a Ferrari Specialist within travelling distance for the current owner, so I chatted on the Internet to Ferrari owners and got their recommendations. I also spoke to gentleman that lived in Scotland and had bought a F355 not far from where the 348 was based; he actually bought the F355 from well respected and established dealer. The F355 was inspected from a specialist called Terry Hoyle Ferrari specialist and the inspection found few problems on his F355 that the dealer had to sort before he bought the car! Now this gentleman never had seen this F355 so purely was going on the specialists report, and once the dealer rectified the problem the F355 was taken in again and was given the all clear! The gentleman took delivery of the F355 and has been very pleased and confirmed the inspection report had been spot on! So on this evidence I decided to use Terry Hoyle and the 348 was booked in for a full Pre Purchase Inspection usually takes about eight hours that included a full compression and leak down test on the engine, full mechanical test including gearbox test, full electrical test bodywork inspection, chassis inspection, suspension inspection, test drive etc, etc. I remember the day that it was getting inspected and I was at work getting excited but at the same time getting a bit nervous, because I knew the disappointment I have had previously in the quest for buying a 348! That day seemed to drag and eight hours later I got a phone call from Terry his exact words "After the 348 appraisal I conclude this car is in excellent condition and in fact the only fault we picked up on it is a bit of wear on the door handle and that is it. This is one of the cleanest Ferrari's I have seen and if you don't buy this 348 you never will" After I got off the phone from Terry, I got onto the owner and said it's a deal I am buying this 348! The owner insisted much to my liking to pick the car up on a dry day. So a week or so later came the window of opportunity, a dry weekend and time to pick up my dream car. After a long journey I arrived back at the owners place and he was standing outside waiting for me to arrive and he came up to me and said I don't think I can sell you this car! He stated that he was sorry for wasting my time and will cover my travelling costs, the PPI and my time; he was planning to extend the garage so he can keep the 348 and still have room for the F430. I wasn't bothered about the money side of things but had this sinking feeling of not having the car; fortunately his miss's came out and made him see sense! Although at the time I started to panic, I am sort of glad it happened because it showed how much he cared and looked after the car! So deal, paperwork signed and sorted and finally I had the keys to my Ferrari; I can't describe the feeling it was just amazing! Next I had the four hour journey awaiting me that included town traffic, back of my mind I was a tad nervous because I just bought a super car and will it be reliable throughout the journey! My nervousness was false expectation, because the car was absolutely spot on throughout the journey it never missed a beat, all gauges spot on including temperature, oil pressure etc! It really shows you that you get what you paid for!My ownershipNow four years on and the 348 is still spot on! I only use it in dry conditions so mainly in the summer and I use it for pleasure get away from the world pressure on the roads, never been near a track and never will be! The car is so reliable and I have so much faith in it now that I even leave my mobile at home, so it's just me and the Ferrari....after a look stressful week everything seems fine when I and the car go for nice cruise! The only dilemma I had was shall I take the car to Ferrari main dealer or a specialist for servicing. In the end I decided I go for a local specialist called AT Ferrari, as I know the owner very well he gave me great advice when I was searching for one and he knows these cars inside and out. Also when he does the servicing I am always present (main dealer will never let you do this) and I learn more about the car and I also have full photo evidence of all the work getting carried out, all parts for the servicing are Ferrari genuine or Ferrari approved and are sourced from a Ferrari main dealer! The cam-belt serviced has just been carried out but this time I used GT Autos Ferrari/Maserati Specialist. Gary owns and runs GT Autos he use to be the Ferrari Servicing and Workshop Manager at the Stratstone Ferrari Main Dealer in Little Aston, the dealership moved to another area so Gary decided to setup on his own. The reason I used him for the Cam-Belt service is because he has all the Ferrari Diagnostics equipment the SD1, SD2 and the SD3 and I wanted the 348 to be checked to make sure everything is in working order using the diagnostic equipment. Again I got full photo evidence of the service taking place, it was a proper engine out job (unlike other specialists who don't take the engine, you must take the engine out for 348 for a cam-belt change no matter what others tell you)! Gary was again kind enough of allowing me to be present when the engine came out, again fantastic experience and wonderful knowledge gained! Gary works sorts of all sort of Ferrari's if you ever get the chance to go his workshop you never seen so many Ferrari's in one place he works on everything from a 348's, 355's, 360's, F40's and even had a Enzo the time I went to pick up my car! But he commented on my car and said that's the best 348 he has seen and driven in a long time, he said in fact it's lot cleaner and feels better to drive than some of the modern Ferrari's he drives! Show's that it's well cared for example and is the one to go for!To sum it up: -· Ferrari 348 late '93 TS (Front battery Model)· UK car supplied by Maranello Concess· Right Hand Drive· Red with Cream Leather· Mileage: 32k· HPI Clear· Full Pre Purchase Inspection Report by Ferrari Specialist prior purchase· I have owned the car for four yearso Previous owner owned the car for nine years· Full impeccable Ferrari Service History o Prior ownership all Ferrari Main Dealer Service done annually with all stamps and invoices of the details of the servicing in placeo Under my ownership all servicing carried out by specialist. All servicing carried out annually using Ferrari genuine or approved parts sourced from Ferrari Main Dealers. Full photographic evidence of servicing and all stamps and invoices in place.o Cam-belt service just been carried out (Full engine out job)· All MOT's present to back up mileage· Log book present· CAT 1 Alarm/Immobiliser· Just been MOT'd· Just been taxed for the yearSupplied to Mr Dean on 05/01/93 by Maranello Concess to supplying dealer Ferrari Evans HalshawDetails of the service History: -· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 998 miles - First service - Feb '93· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 2035 miles - Annual service - May '93· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 5998 miles - Annual service - May '94· Ferrari Tower Garage (Main Dealer): 10560 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - April'95· Ferrari Tower Garage (Main Dealer):15501 miles - Annual Service - May'96· HR Owen (Main Dealer): 21798 miles - Annual Service - May'97· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 26294 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - June '98· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 27535 miles - Annual Service - July'99· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 28369 miles - Annual Service - August'00· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 29012 miles - Cambelt +Annual Service - September '01· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 29376 miles - Annual Service - October '02· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 30045 miles - Annual Service - August '03· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 30158 miles - Annual Service - January '04· PJ Evans Ferrari (Main Dealer): 30977 miles - Cambelt +Annual Service - March '05· PJ Evans Ferrari (Main Dealer): 31158 miles - Annual Service - March '06o Service book all stamped and invoices presentDetail of service history in my ownership: -· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 31598 miles - Annual Service - March' 07· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 31810 miles - Annual Service - March'08· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 32021 miles - Annual Service - May'09· GT Autos (Ferrari Specialist): 32750 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - May'10o Full photographic evidence, service book stamped and invoices present. Both specialists can confirm the service work carried out.More details of the service just carried out by GT Autos Ferrari specialist: -Please note engine out job and all Ferrari genuine and approved parts used including shell productsØ Engine oil and oil filter renewed Ø Gearbox/Differential oil renewedØ Check clutchØ Gear linkage checkedØ Air filter renewedØ Spark plugs renewedØ Cooling system checked and coolant renewedØ All radiators checkedØ Brakes checked and brake fluid renewedØ Handbrake adjusted and lubricatedØ Suspension checked Ø Steering checkedØ Alignment setup checkedØ Electrics checked Ø Air conditioning checked - re-gassed and adaptors upgraded to meet current standards Ø Cam-belt renewed Ø Cam-belt tensioners renewedØ Cam seals renewedØ Valve clearance's checkedØ Air conditioning compressor belt renewedØ Alternator belt renewedØ Ferrari SD diagnostic check - no faultsØ Road TestØ MOT Also note because this example s had a full main dealer service history then serviced in my ownership from specialist. Specialists that service the car to the book and even exceed what Ferrari recommends. Therefore the car's always had the engine out for the cam-belt service and the engine mounts have never under stress like others examples possibly may have been with the engine still in-situ when the belts had been changed.MOT's: -· 1996 Mileage: 16285· 1997 Mileage: 21808· 1998 Mileage: 25927· 1999 Mileage: 27535· 2000 Mileage: 28375· 2001 Mileage: 28998· 2002 Mileage: 29159· 2003 Mileage: 29525· 2004 Mileage: 30426· 2006 Mileage: 31184· 2007 Mileage: 31347· 2008 Mileage: 31820· 2009 Mileage: 32087· May 2010 - May 2011 Mileage: 32755 (No Advisories)o MOT's Certificates presentSo finally why am I selling, well I certainly had no attention to I just have carried out the cam-belt service, just MOT'd the car and also put 12 months road tax on it! The reason being is I just bought my dream place that currently is being renovated and not so long ago I submitted a planning application for extension on the property. I thought this will take time but to my amazement the planning went through straight away and I have got consent for the planning permission. I know I got three years to start the extension but I have got the builders in at the moment and while they are in and everything is in a mess I guess it would be better to get the work carried out now for the extension rather than later! So I am following my head rather than my heart and decided to sell the car! To be honest I guess I have had my dream car now I need to have my dream place and also due to work commitments I don't get to use the car as much as I would like anyway! So it would nice to see the 348 go to a good home and get more use out of it then I do!No doubt I feel and many others do that this is one of the prettiest Ferrari's ever made and it is in stunning condition and has an impeccable service history! The car's just been serviced and had the cambelt renewed, been MOT'd and taxed, it's ready to go all you got to do is jump in and drive it and enjoy it! Any inspection is well come and use of ramp can be arranged.Please Note: Private Registration is not included in the saleADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Just spoken to Gary Tait the proprietor of GT AUTO's Ferrari/ Maserati Specialist and he said very kindly that he is willing to put a 12 MONTH WARRANTY on my car! Gary's just done the cam-belt and annual service on the car, because he's had the engine out and done all the service work and it's one of the best 348's his seen he said he is happy to put his name on the car. So there you go a 348 with a 12 month warranty from a Ferrari Specialist (not like you will need because this car is in excellent condition)! GT Autos/Gary's contact details are if you would like to speak to him:Website: www.gtautos.co.ukContact Numbers: 01543 682388 / 07877053671Any Pre Purchase Inspection from an independent Ferrari dealer or specialist is more then welcome! Any questions or queries please don't hesitate to contact me
edo said:
For those to lazy to click the link, and in case he removes it!
First of all I must apologise because I can have gone a bit but I felt when you are buying a car of such magnitude I'll give you as much information as I can. However if you don't want to read it all, if you scroll down to 'My Ownership' all the main details are there.After four years of owning this beautiful car I have finally made the decision to sell. If you are in the market for a 348 I am sure you know by now how many awful examples there are out there. It took me over a year to find this example, and believe you and me I went to up and down the country most weekends in search for one and this included visiting most specialists! I saw so many examples that I lost count of the number of cars I had seen, they all had issues! Some had missing service history or huge gaps in the service history (owners servicing the cars with accordance to the mileage rather than annually, these car performance/racing cars for the road and need servicing annually), others had engine problems, bodywork required, rust issues, electrical problems and just in a overall tatty condition that you would never expect with these sort of cars! Especially when you are spending this sort of money you expect the best, apart from the money these cars deserve to be kept in prime condition! I believe they should be a source of pride and passion! I had done loads of research and read many articles, buying guides and spoke to numerous owners about this model. I concluded that the model I wanted is a late 348 and a model that's been assembled after a certain assembly number as these models had number of revisions and improvements over the first production models. These changes included a upgraded ecu from 2.5 to 2.7 this upgrade phased out the niggles and made the car more reliable, upgraded and revised suspension setup to address the handling issues the early productions cars had (this car handles like a dream feels like it's glued to the road), relocation of the battery from the back to the front to give better weight distribution again addressing the handling issue the early cars had, single plate clutch made it more smoother, upgraded alternator single silencer on the exhaust system makes it sound amazing and finally, a revised gearbox is 100% more reliable compared to the earlier models. So the car had to be a late 348 in rosso corsa with the cream leather, it had to be original and of course it had be the TS, as you still get the rigid feel of TB but you get the advantage of taking the roof off to enjoy the sound of that amazing Ferrari V8 even more! Out of the numerous cars I had seen only three were worth buying; one was LHD (Left hand drive) model although in mint condition, however it was LHD and I had no plans to drive in Europe so it would have been no good to me because I feel it's fairly nerve racking driving a LHD in the UK! The second car I had seen was a RHD (Right hand drive) this one was in concours condition but it was a early model, so a rear battery one therefore would have suffered from issues stated earlier and after some intensive research I found out that the previous owner had done few tracks days, which put me right off. Because I don't know about you but I personally wouldn't buy a car that's been on track days....yes I know these cars can take it and are designed for track days etc, etc. However I still prefer to buy a car that's never seen one! Before I even had the chance to refuse both the cars they both had sold within in a few days that shows that the good ones certainly don't hang around for long! So the search went on and after over a year of looking and sort of regretting not buying either of the two mentioned above because I couldn't find one that came close to them two, I nearly gave up! However I was on the Ferrari owners club website one night and I thought it would have been a bit of long shot but the only process I hadn't tried was putting a wanted advert on their website...advert read something like "348 TS RHD wanted, must be one of the late models with impeccable service history in rossa corsa with cream leather...." and I thought it was bit of long shot and thought nothing more about it. Couple of weeks later I got a phone call off a owner who just had put a order in for a F430 and was thinking about selling his 348, he didn't say much apart from the fact it met my criteria and when I asked him any questions he just said come and see for yourself! He was located about 350/400 miles from me but I thought to myself I'll go and see it and if this was not the one, I was going to consider an alternative! So the following weekend I set off with my buying check list on the long trek, after several hours I arrived at the given address and it was a private estate and had to check in before I was allowed in! Once in I was greeted by the owner and we walked up to his enormous temperature controlled garage and inside was parked this impeccable 348 and I thought to myself is this going be third time lucky! He also had parked in there a Ferrari 456, 360 spyder (clearly a huge Ferrari enthusiast I thought) and also parked was his misses Maserati 4200! The 348 was in its absolutely original and stunning condition, I started getting that excited feeling and thought this is hopefully going to be the one!! Also the 348 parked next to the other models looked the prettiest and shouted out super car from every angle you looked at it! The 348 was so original that it had the original black sills and roof, most others have been colour coded and this is the only one that I had seen where no one had played around with it and I believe and still feel that it looks even more prettier and also gives it that aggressive look that I still wouldn't change today! The car even had the original emblem on the back, it had the original exhaust in fact it is the same and original as Ferrari in tenanted when it left the Maranello factory! I went through my checklist and it all checked out with flying colours. The car started from cold was spot no excessive spoke, sounded spot on and all the gauges including oil pressure were spot on! Once the car warmed we went for a test drive and the gear changes are nice and smooth and the car felt tight and drove in an excellent manor! Speaking to the owner I established that he bought the car nine years ago and it was his first Ferrari, the car's always been garaged and he only used the car in the dry and it never seen the rain and he only used the car for weekend pleasure drive's to get away from it all, never been on the track! He said what is the point, when you can hire one if you are into that sort of thing, it would be cheaper and you won't run the risk of damaging your car! You can tell it's never been on a track because the car feels so 'tight'! After the test drive we came back and the next step was to go through the paper work and to my amazement this car had a Full Ferrari Main Dealer Service History done annually, with all the stamps in the service book and receipts to back them all up, this was unique. Most Ferrari's after the warranty period usually end been serviced at specialists! The car had all the MOT's that verify the mileage alongside the service history. The car had numerous Ferrari valuations from the main dealer for insurance purposes and all the HPI reports; in fact all the paper was intact! I started to get more and more excited! After a nice cup of tea we came to an agreed figure for the car on the condition of PPI (Pre Car Inspection) carried out by a Ferrari Specialist. I got home that night and carried out a HPI check on the car and it all come back clear. The next stage was to find a Ferrari Specialist within travelling distance for the current owner, so I chatted on the Internet to Ferrari owners and got their recommendations. I also spoke to gentleman that lived in Scotland and had bought a F355 not far from where the 348 was based; he actually bought the F355 from well respected and established dealer. The F355 was inspected from a specialist called Terry Hoyle Ferrari specialist and the inspection found few problems on his F355 that the dealer had to sort before he bought the car! Now this gentleman never had seen this F355 so purely was going on the specialists report, and once the dealer rectified the problem the F355 was taken in again and was given the all clear! The gentleman took delivery of the F355 and has been very pleased and confirmed the inspection report had been spot on! So on this evidence I decided to use Terry Hoyle and the 348 was booked in for a full Pre Purchase Inspection usually takes about eight hours that included a full compression and leak down test on the engine, full mechanical test including gearbox test, full electrical test bodywork inspection, chassis inspection, suspension inspection, test drive etc, etc. I remember the day that it was getting inspected and I was at work getting excited but at the same time getting a bit nervous, because I knew the disappointment I have had previously in the quest for buying a 348! That day seemed to drag and eight hours later I got a phone call from Terry his exact words "After the 348 appraisal I conclude this car is in excellent condition and in fact the only fault we picked up on it is a bit of wear on the door handle and that is it. This is one of the cleanest Ferrari's I have seen and if you don't buy this 348 you never will" After I got off the phone from Terry, I got onto the owner and said it's a deal I am buying this 348! The owner insisted much to my liking to pick the car up on a dry day. So a week or so later came the window of opportunity, a dry weekend and time to pick up my dream car. After a long journey I arrived back at the owners place and he was standing outside waiting for me to arrive and he came up to me and said I don't think I can sell you this car! He stated that he was sorry for wasting my time and will cover my travelling costs, the PPI and my time; he was planning to extend the garage so he can keep the 348 and still have room for the F430. I wasn't bothered about the money side of things but had this sinking feeling of not having the car; fortunately his miss's came out and made him see sense! Although at the time I started to panic, I am sort of glad it happened because it showed how much he cared and looked after the car! So deal, paperwork signed and sorted and finally I had the keys to my Ferrari; I can't describe the feeling it was just amazing! Next I had the four hour journey awaiting me that included town traffic, back of my mind I was a tad nervous because I just bought a super car and will it be reliable throughout the journey! My nervousness was false expectation, because the car was absolutely spot on throughout the journey it never missed a beat, all gauges spot on including temperature, oil pressure etc! It really shows you that you get what you paid for!My ownershipNow four years on and the 348 is still spot on! I only use it in dry conditions so mainly in the summer and I use it for pleasure get away from the world pressure on the roads, never been near a track and never will be! The car is so reliable and I have so much faith in it now that I even leave my mobile at home, so it's just me and the Ferrari....after a look stressful week everything seems fine when I and the car go for nice cruise! The only dilemma I had was shall I take the car to Ferrari main dealer or a specialist for servicing. In the end I decided I go for a local specialist called AT Ferrari, as I know the owner very well he gave me great advice when I was searching for one and he knows these cars inside and out. Also when he does the servicing I am always present (main dealer will never let you do this) and I learn more about the car and I also have full photo evidence of all the work getting carried out, all parts for the servicing are Ferrari genuine or Ferrari approved and are sourced from a Ferrari main dealer! The cam-belt serviced has just been carried out but this time I used GT Autos Ferrari/Maserati Specialist. Gary owns and runs GT Autos he use to be the Ferrari Servicing and Workshop Manager at the Stratstone Ferrari Main Dealer in Little Aston, the dealership moved to another area so Gary decided to setup on his own. The reason I used him for the Cam-Belt service is because he has all the Ferrari Diagnostics equipment the SD1, SD2 and the SD3 and I wanted the 348 to be checked to make sure everything is in working order using the diagnostic equipment. Again I got full photo evidence of the service taking place, it was a proper engine out job (unlike other specialists who don't take the engine, you must take the engine out for 348 for a cam-belt change no matter what others tell you)! Gary was again kind enough of allowing me to be present when the engine came out, again fantastic experience and wonderful knowledge gained! Gary works sorts of all sort of Ferrari's if you ever get the chance to go his workshop you never seen so many Ferrari's in one place he works on everything from a 348's, 355's, 360's, F40's and even had a Enzo the time I went to pick up my car! But he commented on my car and said that's the best 348 he has seen and driven in a long time, he said in fact it's lot cleaner and feels better to drive than some of the modern Ferrari's he drives! Show's that it's well cared for example and is the one to go for!To sum it up: -· Ferrari 348 late '93 TS (Front battery Model)· UK car supplied by Maranello Concess· Right Hand Drive· Red with Cream Leather· Mileage: 32k· HPI Clear· Full Pre Purchase Inspection Report by Ferrari Specialist prior purchase· I have owned the car for four yearso Previous owner owned the car for nine years· Full impeccable Ferrari Service History o Prior ownership all Ferrari Main Dealer Service done annually with all stamps and invoices of the details of the servicing in placeo Under my ownership all servicing carried out by specialist. All servicing carried out annually using Ferrari genuine or approved parts sourced from Ferrari Main Dealers. Full photographic evidence of servicing and all stamps and invoices in place.o Cam-belt service just been carried out (Full engine out job)· All MOT's present to back up mileage· Log book present· CAT 1 Alarm/Immobiliser· Just been MOT'd· Just been taxed for the yearSupplied to Mr Dean on 05/01/93 by Maranello Concess to supplying dealer Ferrari Evans HalshawDetails of the service History: -· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 998 miles - First service - Feb '93· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 2035 miles - Annual service - May '93· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 5998 miles - Annual service - May '94· Ferrari Tower Garage (Main Dealer): 10560 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - April'95· Ferrari Tower Garage (Main Dealer):15501 miles - Annual Service - May'96· HR Owen (Main Dealer): 21798 miles - Annual Service - May'97· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 26294 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - June '98· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 27535 miles - Annual Service - July'99· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 28369 miles - Annual Service - August'00· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 29012 miles - Cambelt +Annual Service - September '01· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 29376 miles - Annual Service - October '02· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 30045 miles - Annual Service - August '03· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 30158 miles - Annual Service - January '04· PJ Evans Ferrari (Main Dealer): 30977 miles - Cambelt +Annual Service - March '05· PJ Evans Ferrari (Main Dealer): 31158 miles - Annual Service - March '06o Service book all stamped and invoices presentDetail of service history in my ownership: -· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 31598 miles - Annual Service - March' 07· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 31810 miles - Annual Service - March'08· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 32021 miles - Annual Service - May'09· GT Autos (Ferrari Specialist): 32750 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - May'10o Full photographic evidence, service book stamped and invoices present. Both specialists can confirm the service work carried out.More details of the service just carried out by GT Autos Ferrari specialist: -Please note engine out job and all Ferrari genuine and approved parts used including shell productsØ Engine oil and oil filter renewed Ø Gearbox/Differential oil renewedØ Check clutchØ Gear linkage checkedØ Air filter renewedØ Spark plugs renewedØ Cooling system checked and coolant renewedØ All radiators checkedØ Brakes checked and brake fluid renewedØ Handbrake adjusted and lubricatedØ Suspension checked Ø Steering checkedØ Alignment setup checkedØ Electrics checked Ø Air conditioning checked - re-gassed and adaptors upgraded to meet current standards Ø Cam-belt renewed Ø Cam-belt tensioners renewedØ Cam seals renewedØ Valve clearance's checkedØ Air conditioning compressor belt renewedØ Alternator belt renewedØ Ferrari SD diagnostic check - no faultsØ Road TestØ MOT Also note because this example s had a full main dealer service history then serviced in my ownership from specialist. Specialists that service the car to the book and even exceed what Ferrari recommends. Therefore the car's always had the engine out for the cam-belt service and the engine mounts have never under stress like others examples possibly may have been with the engine still in-situ when the belts had been changed.MOT's: -· 1996 Mileage: 16285· 1997 Mileage: 21808· 1998 Mileage: 25927· 1999 Mileage: 27535· 2000 Mileage: 28375· 2001 Mileage: 28998· 2002 Mileage: 29159· 2003 Mileage: 29525· 2004 Mileage: 30426· 2006 Mileage: 31184· 2007 Mileage: 31347· 2008 Mileage: 31820· 2009 Mileage: 32087· May 2010 - May 2011 Mileage: 32755 (No Advisories)o MOT's Certificates presentSo finally why am I selling, well I certainly had no attention to I just have carried out the cam-belt service, just MOT'd the car and also put 12 months road tax on it! The reason being is I just bought my dream place that currently is being renovated and not so long ago I submitted a planning application for extension on the property. I thought this will take time but to my amazement the planning went through straight away and I have got consent for the planning permission. I know I got three years to start the extension but I have got the builders in at the moment and while they are in and everything is in a mess I guess it would be better to get the work carried out now for the extension rather than later! So I am following my head rather than my heart and decided to sell the car! To be honest I guess I have had my dream car now I need to have my dream place and also due to work commitments I don't get to use the car as much as I would like anyway! So it would nice to see the 348 go to a good home and get more use out of it then I do!No doubt I feel and many others do that this is one of the prettiest Ferrari's ever made and it is in stunning condition and has an impeccable service history! The car's just been serviced and had the cambelt renewed, been MOT'd and taxed, it's ready to go all you got to do is jump in and drive it and enjoy it! Any inspection is well come and use of ramp can be arranged.Please Note: Private Registration is not included in the saleADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Just spoken to Gary Tait the proprietor of GT AUTO's Ferrari/ Maserati Specialist and he said very kindly that he is willing to put a 12 MONTH WARRANTY on my car! Gary's just done the cam-belt and annual service on the car, because he's had the engine out and done all the service work and it's one of the best 348's his seen he said he is happy to put his name on the car. So there you go a 348 with a 12 month warranty from a Ferrari Specialist (not like you will need because this car is in excellent condition)! GT Autos/Gary's contact details are if you would like to speak to him:Website: www.gtautos.co.ukContact Numbers: 01543 682388 / 07877053671Any Pre Purchase Inspection from an independent Ferrari dealer or specialist is more then welcome! Any questions or queries please don't hesitate to contact me
Sorry just felt like quoting it.First of all I must apologise because I can have gone a bit but I felt when you are buying a car of such magnitude I'll give you as much information as I can. However if you don't want to read it all, if you scroll down to 'My Ownership' all the main details are there.After four years of owning this beautiful car I have finally made the decision to sell. If you are in the market for a 348 I am sure you know by now how many awful examples there are out there. It took me over a year to find this example, and believe you and me I went to up and down the country most weekends in search for one and this included visiting most specialists! I saw so many examples that I lost count of the number of cars I had seen, they all had issues! Some had missing service history or huge gaps in the service history (owners servicing the cars with accordance to the mileage rather than annually, these car performance/racing cars for the road and need servicing annually), others had engine problems, bodywork required, rust issues, electrical problems and just in a overall tatty condition that you would never expect with these sort of cars! Especially when you are spending this sort of money you expect the best, apart from the money these cars deserve to be kept in prime condition! I believe they should be a source of pride and passion! I had done loads of research and read many articles, buying guides and spoke to numerous owners about this model. I concluded that the model I wanted is a late 348 and a model that's been assembled after a certain assembly number as these models had number of revisions and improvements over the first production models. These changes included a upgraded ecu from 2.5 to 2.7 this upgrade phased out the niggles and made the car more reliable, upgraded and revised suspension setup to address the handling issues the early productions cars had (this car handles like a dream feels like it's glued to the road), relocation of the battery from the back to the front to give better weight distribution again addressing the handling issue the early cars had, single plate clutch made it more smoother, upgraded alternator single silencer on the exhaust system makes it sound amazing and finally, a revised gearbox is 100% more reliable compared to the earlier models. So the car had to be a late 348 in rosso corsa with the cream leather, it had to be original and of course it had be the TS, as you still get the rigid feel of TB but you get the advantage of taking the roof off to enjoy the sound of that amazing Ferrari V8 even more! Out of the numerous cars I had seen only three were worth buying; one was LHD (Left hand drive) model although in mint condition, however it was LHD and I had no plans to drive in Europe so it would have been no good to me because I feel it's fairly nerve racking driving a LHD in the UK! The second car I had seen was a RHD (Right hand drive) this one was in concours condition but it was a early model, so a rear battery one therefore would have suffered from issues stated earlier and after some intensive research I found out that the previous owner had done few tracks days, which put me right off. Because I don't know about you but I personally wouldn't buy a car that's been on track days....yes I know these cars can take it and are designed for track days etc, etc. However I still prefer to buy a car that's never seen one! Before I even had the chance to refuse both the cars they both had sold within in a few days that shows that the good ones certainly don't hang around for long! So the search went on and after over a year of looking and sort of regretting not buying either of the two mentioned above because I couldn't find one that came close to them two, I nearly gave up! However I was on the Ferrari owners club website one night and I thought it would have been a bit of long shot but the only process I hadn't tried was putting a wanted advert on their website...advert read something like "348 TS RHD wanted, must be one of the late models with impeccable service history in rossa corsa with cream leather...." and I thought it was bit of long shot and thought nothing more about it. Couple of weeks later I got a phone call off a owner who just had put a order in for a F430 and was thinking about selling his 348, he didn't say much apart from the fact it met my criteria and when I asked him any questions he just said come and see for yourself! He was located about 350/400 miles from me but I thought to myself I'll go and see it and if this was not the one, I was going to consider an alternative! So the following weekend I set off with my buying check list on the long trek, after several hours I arrived at the given address and it was a private estate and had to check in before I was allowed in! Once in I was greeted by the owner and we walked up to his enormous temperature controlled garage and inside was parked this impeccable 348 and I thought to myself is this going be third time lucky! He also had parked in there a Ferrari 456, 360 spyder (clearly a huge Ferrari enthusiast I thought) and also parked was his misses Maserati 4200! The 348 was in its absolutely original and stunning condition, I started getting that excited feeling and thought this is hopefully going to be the one!! Also the 348 parked next to the other models looked the prettiest and shouted out super car from every angle you looked at it! The 348 was so original that it had the original black sills and roof, most others have been colour coded and this is the only one that I had seen where no one had played around with it and I believe and still feel that it looks even more prettier and also gives it that aggressive look that I still wouldn't change today! The car even had the original emblem on the back, it had the original exhaust in fact it is the same and original as Ferrari in tenanted when it left the Maranello factory! I went through my checklist and it all checked out with flying colours. The car started from cold was spot no excessive spoke, sounded spot on and all the gauges including oil pressure were spot on! Once the car warmed we went for a test drive and the gear changes are nice and smooth and the car felt tight and drove in an excellent manor! Speaking to the owner I established that he bought the car nine years ago and it was his first Ferrari, the car's always been garaged and he only used the car in the dry and it never seen the rain and he only used the car for weekend pleasure drive's to get away from it all, never been on the track! He said what is the point, when you can hire one if you are into that sort of thing, it would be cheaper and you won't run the risk of damaging your car! You can tell it's never been on a track because the car feels so 'tight'! After the test drive we came back and the next step was to go through the paper work and to my amazement this car had a Full Ferrari Main Dealer Service History done annually, with all the stamps in the service book and receipts to back them all up, this was unique. Most Ferrari's after the warranty period usually end been serviced at specialists! The car had all the MOT's that verify the mileage alongside the service history. The car had numerous Ferrari valuations from the main dealer for insurance purposes and all the HPI reports; in fact all the paper was intact! I started to get more and more excited! After a nice cup of tea we came to an agreed figure for the car on the condition of PPI (Pre Car Inspection) carried out by a Ferrari Specialist. I got home that night and carried out a HPI check on the car and it all come back clear. The next stage was to find a Ferrari Specialist within travelling distance for the current owner, so I chatted on the Internet to Ferrari owners and got their recommendations. I also spoke to gentleman that lived in Scotland and had bought a F355 not far from where the 348 was based; he actually bought the F355 from well respected and established dealer. The F355 was inspected from a specialist called Terry Hoyle Ferrari specialist and the inspection found few problems on his F355 that the dealer had to sort before he bought the car! Now this gentleman never had seen this F355 so purely was going on the specialists report, and once the dealer rectified the problem the F355 was taken in again and was given the all clear! The gentleman took delivery of the F355 and has been very pleased and confirmed the inspection report had been spot on! So on this evidence I decided to use Terry Hoyle and the 348 was booked in for a full Pre Purchase Inspection usually takes about eight hours that included a full compression and leak down test on the engine, full mechanical test including gearbox test, full electrical test bodywork inspection, chassis inspection, suspension inspection, test drive etc, etc. I remember the day that it was getting inspected and I was at work getting excited but at the same time getting a bit nervous, because I knew the disappointment I have had previously in the quest for buying a 348! That day seemed to drag and eight hours later I got a phone call from Terry his exact words "After the 348 appraisal I conclude this car is in excellent condition and in fact the only fault we picked up on it is a bit of wear on the door handle and that is it. This is one of the cleanest Ferrari's I have seen and if you don't buy this 348 you never will" After I got off the phone from Terry, I got onto the owner and said it's a deal I am buying this 348! The owner insisted much to my liking to pick the car up on a dry day. So a week or so later came the window of opportunity, a dry weekend and time to pick up my dream car. After a long journey I arrived back at the owners place and he was standing outside waiting for me to arrive and he came up to me and said I don't think I can sell you this car! He stated that he was sorry for wasting my time and will cover my travelling costs, the PPI and my time; he was planning to extend the garage so he can keep the 348 and still have room for the F430. I wasn't bothered about the money side of things but had this sinking feeling of not having the car; fortunately his miss's came out and made him see sense! Although at the time I started to panic, I am sort of glad it happened because it showed how much he cared and looked after the car! So deal, paperwork signed and sorted and finally I had the keys to my Ferrari; I can't describe the feeling it was just amazing! Next I had the four hour journey awaiting me that included town traffic, back of my mind I was a tad nervous because I just bought a super car and will it be reliable throughout the journey! My nervousness was false expectation, because the car was absolutely spot on throughout the journey it never missed a beat, all gauges spot on including temperature, oil pressure etc! It really shows you that you get what you paid for!My ownershipNow four years on and the 348 is still spot on! I only use it in dry conditions so mainly in the summer and I use it for pleasure get away from the world pressure on the roads, never been near a track and never will be! The car is so reliable and I have so much faith in it now that I even leave my mobile at home, so it's just me and the Ferrari....after a look stressful week everything seems fine when I and the car go for nice cruise! The only dilemma I had was shall I take the car to Ferrari main dealer or a specialist for servicing. In the end I decided I go for a local specialist called AT Ferrari, as I know the owner very well he gave me great advice when I was searching for one and he knows these cars inside and out. Also when he does the servicing I am always present (main dealer will never let you do this) and I learn more about the car and I also have full photo evidence of all the work getting carried out, all parts for the servicing are Ferrari genuine or Ferrari approved and are sourced from a Ferrari main dealer! The cam-belt serviced has just been carried out but this time I used GT Autos Ferrari/Maserati Specialist. Gary owns and runs GT Autos he use to be the Ferrari Servicing and Workshop Manager at the Stratstone Ferrari Main Dealer in Little Aston, the dealership moved to another area so Gary decided to setup on his own. The reason I used him for the Cam-Belt service is because he has all the Ferrari Diagnostics equipment the SD1, SD2 and the SD3 and I wanted the 348 to be checked to make sure everything is in working order using the diagnostic equipment. Again I got full photo evidence of the service taking place, it was a proper engine out job (unlike other specialists who don't take the engine, you must take the engine out for 348 for a cam-belt change no matter what others tell you)! Gary was again kind enough of allowing me to be present when the engine came out, again fantastic experience and wonderful knowledge gained! Gary works sorts of all sort of Ferrari's if you ever get the chance to go his workshop you never seen so many Ferrari's in one place he works on everything from a 348's, 355's, 360's, F40's and even had a Enzo the time I went to pick up my car! But he commented on my car and said that's the best 348 he has seen and driven in a long time, he said in fact it's lot cleaner and feels better to drive than some of the modern Ferrari's he drives! Show's that it's well cared for example and is the one to go for!To sum it up: -· Ferrari 348 late '93 TS (Front battery Model)· UK car supplied by Maranello Concess· Right Hand Drive· Red with Cream Leather· Mileage: 32k· HPI Clear· Full Pre Purchase Inspection Report by Ferrari Specialist prior purchase· I have owned the car for four yearso Previous owner owned the car for nine years· Full impeccable Ferrari Service History o Prior ownership all Ferrari Main Dealer Service done annually with all stamps and invoices of the details of the servicing in placeo Under my ownership all servicing carried out by specialist. All servicing carried out annually using Ferrari genuine or approved parts sourced from Ferrari Main Dealers. Full photographic evidence of servicing and all stamps and invoices in place.o Cam-belt service just been carried out (Full engine out job)· All MOT's present to back up mileage· Log book present· CAT 1 Alarm/Immobiliser· Just been MOT'd· Just been taxed for the yearSupplied to Mr Dean on 05/01/93 by Maranello Concess to supplying dealer Ferrari Evans HalshawDetails of the service History: -· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 998 miles - First service - Feb '93· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 2035 miles - Annual service - May '93· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 5998 miles - Annual service - May '94· Ferrari Tower Garage (Main Dealer): 10560 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - April'95· Ferrari Tower Garage (Main Dealer):15501 miles - Annual Service - May'96· HR Owen (Main Dealer): 21798 miles - Annual Service - May'97· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 26294 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - June '98· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 27535 miles - Annual Service - July'99· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 28369 miles - Annual Service - August'00· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 29012 miles - Cambelt +Annual Service - September '01· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 29376 miles - Annual Service - October '02· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 30045 miles - Annual Service - August '03· Ferrari Evans Halshaw (Main Dealer): 30158 miles - Annual Service - January '04· PJ Evans Ferrari (Main Dealer): 30977 miles - Cambelt +Annual Service - March '05· PJ Evans Ferrari (Main Dealer): 31158 miles - Annual Service - March '06o Service book all stamped and invoices presentDetail of service history in my ownership: -· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 31598 miles - Annual Service - March' 07· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 31810 miles - Annual Service - March'08· AT Ferrari (Ferrari Specialist): 32021 miles - Annual Service - May'09· GT Autos (Ferrari Specialist): 32750 miles - Cambelt + Annual Service - May'10o Full photographic evidence, service book stamped and invoices present. Both specialists can confirm the service work carried out.More details of the service just carried out by GT Autos Ferrari specialist: -Please note engine out job and all Ferrari genuine and approved parts used including shell productsØ Engine oil and oil filter renewed Ø Gearbox/Differential oil renewedØ Check clutchØ Gear linkage checkedØ Air filter renewedØ Spark plugs renewedØ Cooling system checked and coolant renewedØ All radiators checkedØ Brakes checked and brake fluid renewedØ Handbrake adjusted and lubricatedØ Suspension checked Ø Steering checkedØ Alignment setup checkedØ Electrics checked Ø Air conditioning checked - re-gassed and adaptors upgraded to meet current standards Ø Cam-belt renewed Ø Cam-belt tensioners renewedØ Cam seals renewedØ Valve clearance's checkedØ Air conditioning compressor belt renewedØ Alternator belt renewedØ Ferrari SD diagnostic check - no faultsØ Road TestØ MOT Also note because this example s had a full main dealer service history then serviced in my ownership from specialist. Specialists that service the car to the book and even exceed what Ferrari recommends. Therefore the car's always had the engine out for the cam-belt service and the engine mounts have never under stress like others examples possibly may have been with the engine still in-situ when the belts had been changed.MOT's: -· 1996 Mileage: 16285· 1997 Mileage: 21808· 1998 Mileage: 25927· 1999 Mileage: 27535· 2000 Mileage: 28375· 2001 Mileage: 28998· 2002 Mileage: 29159· 2003 Mileage: 29525· 2004 Mileage: 30426· 2006 Mileage: 31184· 2007 Mileage: 31347· 2008 Mileage: 31820· 2009 Mileage: 32087· May 2010 - May 2011 Mileage: 32755 (No Advisories)o MOT's Certificates presentSo finally why am I selling, well I certainly had no attention to I just have carried out the cam-belt service, just MOT'd the car and also put 12 months road tax on it! The reason being is I just bought my dream place that currently is being renovated and not so long ago I submitted a planning application for extension on the property. I thought this will take time but to my amazement the planning went through straight away and I have got consent for the planning permission. I know I got three years to start the extension but I have got the builders in at the moment and while they are in and everything is in a mess I guess it would be better to get the work carried out now for the extension rather than later! So I am following my head rather than my heart and decided to sell the car! To be honest I guess I have had my dream car now I need to have my dream place and also due to work commitments I don't get to use the car as much as I would like anyway! So it would nice to see the 348 go to a good home and get more use out of it then I do!No doubt I feel and many others do that this is one of the prettiest Ferrari's ever made and it is in stunning condition and has an impeccable service history! The car's just been serviced and had the cambelt renewed, been MOT'd and taxed, it's ready to go all you got to do is jump in and drive it and enjoy it! Any inspection is well come and use of ramp can be arranged.Please Note: Private Registration is not included in the saleADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Just spoken to Gary Tait the proprietor of GT AUTO's Ferrari/ Maserati Specialist and he said very kindly that he is willing to put a 12 MONTH WARRANTY on my car! Gary's just done the cam-belt and annual service on the car, because he's had the engine out and done all the service work and it's one of the best 348's his seen he said he is happy to put his name on the car. So there you go a 348 with a 12 month warranty from a Ferrari Specialist (not like you will need because this car is in excellent condition)! GT Autos/Gary's contact details are if you would like to speak to him:Website: www.gtautos.co.ukContact Numbers: 01543 682388 / 07877053671Any Pre Purchase Inspection from an independent Ferrari dealer or specialist is more then welcome! Any questions or queries please don't hesitate to contact me
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