| Author | Message | ||
| Craig Williams (Craigw)
New member Username: Craigw Post Number: 22 Registered: 4-2002 |
Sam, I have a 94 348 GTS, I drive it every single day in and out of London and (touch wood) have never had a problem (apart from a flat battery)that caused the car not to function properly or start. It does leak a bit in heavy rain but nothing serious. | ||
| Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Junior Member Username: Dapper Post Number: 226 Registered: 4-2002 |
With nil miles you WILL suffer from failed driveshaft oil seals, my 1991 3K mile 348TS has just had this problem corrected. I'd still rather have the v'low miles problems and all other stuff as new thanks...old chestnut subject. | ||
| L.C.Plester (Lcplester)
Junior Member Username: Lcplester Post Number: 66 Registered: 2-2002 |
Roel, a friend of mine had a look on that "new" 348. He said it really was like a brand new car. Leathers etc. just like new. Of course it is best if the car is run regularly, I�m sure that this particular 348 has some problems if you start driving it regularly. I have had cars which have stood for a long, long time. Most of them had problems during the first weeks of ownership (most expensive job was a dead air conditioning), but after those weeks they were perfect. Like every mechanical instrument, cars usually suffer if garaged too long (it also depends what kind of garage you have, dry/cold/warm etc). But, its still very tempting... If I were looking for a 348, I would buy it immediately and take care of the problems. Hey, where can you find car like this? | ||
| Modified348ts (Modman)
Member Username: Modman Post Number: 339 Registered: 11-2001 |
I can see how some type of cars would need power steering depending on road and how wide the ft. tires are. On formula one cars I can see why they are needed as they have pretty wide tires in the front and driving almost non stop would wear your arms pretty fast and with off road rally with the rough roads I can see that it would need the power steering but for some cars like the 348 and 355 I like it without it although the 355 has power steering and I'm not comparing to any other cars but just these 2 from driving them. The 360 with more advancement and luxury I can see why it has the power steering. | ||
| Ricardo (Ricardo)
New member Username: Ricardo Post Number: 11 Registered: 9-2002 |
Andr�, No, unfortunatelly not. We had to sell it some years ago. | ||
| Roel de Fouw (Spawnz)
New member Username: Spawnz Post Number: 27 Registered: 6-2002 |
Plester: wont that brand new 348 be likely to suffer from problems concerning dried out hoses etc. ? If those kind of issues are always at stake when talking about low milage cars, this car prolly wont even be able to drive out of the showroom. ALso the leather seats, better hope they got taken care of too somewhere along this car's timeline. | ||
| Andr� Ferreira da Costa (Oporto328)
New member Username: Oporto328 Post Number: 11 Registered: 9-2002 |
Yes, I'm in Porto. Do you still have the 348 Ricardo? | ||
| Ricardo (Ricardo)
New member Username: Ricardo Post Number: 10 Registered: 9-2002 |
Modman, as you know, the allignment of the wheels and suspension geometry of the car can be made to make the cars steering lighter, which would render the car nervous at high speed. The reasoning about power steering is that you can stop making compromises in the geometry and still be able to drive the car. In world rally championship cars, the effects of lossing the power steering are huge since the car is setup with no compromise, and without it it is impossible to drive the car with such a heavy steering. | ||
| Ricardo (Ricardo)
New member Username: Ricardo Post Number: 9 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hello Andr�! I am in Lisboa, Parede. You are in Porto, right?... | ||
| Hubert Otlik (Hugh)
Junior Member Username: Hugh Post Number: 222 Registered: 1-2002 |
modman, F1 cars have power steering, and there not really wimpy. I find that w/ a well geared rack, there's no feeling lost through the wheel with some power assist. Personally, ABS, power steering, and mechanical limited slip differentials, on a street car, are elemental; especially on high performance or sports cars. Electronic aids like traction control, power windows, sunroofs, etc., in those I don't find any utility, but thats just my opinion. | ||
| Modified348ts (Modman)
Member Username: Modman Post Number: 329 Registered: 11-2001 |
I don't understand why Ferrari started to putting power steering from the 355's and up, kinda like putting wimp into the car. I wouldn't mind the 355 if it came with the option of not having power steering, you can feel the road better. Power steering is for luxury cars, next thing you know there will be dual cup holders. There should never be cigarette lighters and ash trays in them either but just power outlets and leave it at that. | ||
| Ben Cannon (Artherd)
Junior Member Username: Artherd Post Number: 71 Registered: 6-2002 |
F-cars love being daily-driven* *= in good weather  Buy a bimmer for the rain. (no, the F-car won't melt, but it's just a pity not to be able to open it up, and open the top up :D) a 348 targa or Spyder, WILL leak, count on it. As long as you have another car for when you *have* to get to work, dailying an F-car will actually increase it's life. Best! Ben. | ||
| Andr� Ferreira da Costa (Oporto328)
New member Username: Oporto328 Post Number: 8 Registered: 9-2002 |
I have my 328 since 1998. For the last 2 years it was my daily driver. The thing that I may comolain more is confort in heavy traffic situations. Or if it is raining. The wipers aren't very good. But it can handle very well the daily use. No big problems. Just small things that I think are normal. Where are you from Ricardo? | ||
| Ricardo Silva (Ricardo)
New member Username: Ricardo Post Number: 6 Registered: 9-2002 |
Also, be carefull with the wheel alignement when drivingin the wet, as well as the wear on the rear tyres. You could have a really nasty surprise if you are not carefull with this. Our dealer did not listen to our complaints about a misallignemt of the car, and one rainy night on the higway, way bellow the speed limiit the car just aquaplaned the rear wheels and snapped into the wall...The dealer fully paid for the reparation of the car due to this problem. | ||
| Ricardo Silva (Ricardo)
New member Username: Ricardo Post Number: 5 Registered: 9-2002 |
Well, our car�s gearshift was really tough to get into 1st gear. Anyway, the leaking problem was never solved by our dealer. I am glad all you guys had better experiences, since I loved it with all of these troubles anyway. | ||
| Najib Amanullah (Najib)
Junior Member Username: Najib Post Number: 195 Registered: 4-2001 |
Ricardo, I agree with you that unassisted steering wheels are not very friendly around town but as recently as the mid 80's most German manufacturers charged extra for power steering in Europe. As for engaging first with two hands, that must mean there is something wrong with the tranny of that particular car. I can shift into 1st or 2nd first thing in the morning (even when oil is still cold) without any problem, provided I'm not going too fast. | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Advanced Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 2847 Registered: 5-2001 |
I would caution also for the leaking. I drive my 348 daily. No problems whatsoever. Can highjly recommed you do use your car daily. Mine actually got better from daily use. As for living on the Channel Islands I woudl opt for a 348TB instead of a TS. There is only ONE non-leaking 348 and that is Franks. All other non-leaking Ferraris are Fieros made by GM. Just my opinion. As for the daily driver. Go for it. I love the car. The great thing about the 348 is it has a fully protected frame against rust, so no worries there like with a 328. 348 technically a much better car than a 328 but the styling is everybodys own opinion. | ||
| Sam (Samg)
New member Username: Samg Post Number: 3 Registered: 9-2002 |
Have lived with open tops for many years and leaks are a minor annoyance. Obviously depends how leaky I guess. The worst bit I find is getting in and out when it's raining or the car is still wet. But it's worth the hassle for the open top driving in dry weather (however cold). | ||
| Stanley DiGuiseppi (Standig)
Junior Member Username: Standig Post Number: 59 Registered: 5-2002 |
I drive my 348ts every day the sun shines. I take it to work which is about 20 miles from home. I see no reason not to use it every day. The more you drive these cars the better they run. I don't drive it in the rain because I don't want to clean it.... I think the 348 market is low right now..and 355's will come down more.... I am very satisfied with my 348 and the price I paid for it.... good hunting. | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Intermediate Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 1367 Registered: 9-2001 |
I have a 1994 348 Spider that doesn't leak believe it or not ! And I drove it in the pouring rain this past Saturday. The only time rain gets inside is when you open the door after it has been raining and water pours off the top over the side of the top . As far as depreciation is concerned, I think the 348 is much closer to bottoming out than the 355 at this time. For example, when I bought my 348 Spider in Dec 2000, 355 Spiders were going for $130k or so. I thought that was too much so I bought my 348 pider for $74k. You can now buy a 355 Spider for $100k or so where 348 Spiders are still from $69k to $75k. If I would have went for the 355 I would have lost almost $30k in value in less than two years where with the 348 I have lost less than $5k. While the 355 may be a better car, its not $30k better IMHO. | ||
| Ricardo Silva (Ricardo)
New member Username: Ricardo Post Number: 2 Registered: 9-2002 |
We owned a 348 ts and I can testify to the leak problem. Once, the car was up for service and while there 3 windshiels were misteriously broken... Later we discovered that, in order to stop the leaks, pressure was applied to the windshield, sometimes by someone just sitting on the frame, causing them to break. The leaks also managed to infiltrate to the fusebox, making the car stop in the rain...Also, the side window motors don�t seem to work for very long.... As a daily driver take into account that the steering is unassisted, so it is very heavy and engaging first gear is a two handed affair... Maybe a 355 would be a better choice. From what I have heard it is much more reliable and practical. Maybe you would end up saving money in the long run with servicing costs, as well as lower depreciation. | ||
| David Albright (Dalbright)
Member Username: Dalbright Post Number: 403 Registered: 2-2001 |
Goodluck with your search for a 348. I had mine for 2 years and recently sold her. The 348 is an awesome machine. The 328's are nice as well, but if you put them side by side you definiely think they come from a different era styling wise. People will actually think you have a newer car as opposed to a 10-12 yr old car. BTW - Would that 348 from Auto Salon Singen come with a factory warranty if it's NEVER been registered? | ||
| Harlan Mott (Hmott3)
Junior Member Username: Hmott3 Post Number: 197 Registered: 12-2001 |
I just want to toss out a bit of caution for an "Open Top" (gts) daily driver 348 or 328, they tend to leak. If you want a daily driver you better test any gts's with a hose before you purchase or stick with a tb/gtb. | ||
| Sam (Samg)
New member Username: Samg Post Number: 2 Registered: 9-2002 |
RHD and is a must (well, almost). So far, I've not seen (close up) a 348 even though per head of poulation there are lots of Ferraris in the island. There's a Mondial T coupe for sale (at the Ferrari dealer) at �19,999 which doesn't seem that bad. However, I'm not going to look at it as the Ferrari "wow" factor may cloud my judgement before I've seem a 348 (or 328). Apart from that, I want an open top. Sam | ||
| L.C.Plester (Lcplester)
Junior Member Username: Lcplester Post Number: 64 Registered: 2-2002 |
Welcome Sam! I�m sure you can use 348 everyday. I drove my Testarossa everywhere (even to shopping malls!) and had no major problems. Well, no one liked to sit next to me because TR really made me drive like crazy (sometimes) . 348 is better all rounder than TR, so I�m sure you�ll have no problems with it. I�d guess the color combo you are looking for is easy to find. If you are from Channel Islands I�d guess you like your 348 in RHD format? If you accept LHD, then Auto Salon Singen in Germany has 348 which is brand new (=never driven)! Price is around �35k! Visit http://www.auto-salon-singen.de/ferrari_348tb_rot_neuw_1140_01_80_e.htm if you are interested (interior is black). LC Finland/UK | ||
| Sam (Samg)
New member Username: Samg Post Number: 1 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hello all. Just joined this forum as I've been given financial approval from the holder-of-the-purse (my wife) to upgrade to a Ferrari. I've had this in mind for some time and know my budget will stretch to a 348ts although I may consider a late, good condition 328ts. I'm used to running an "impractical" car on daily basis (am I allowed to mention Lotus on here?) and was wondering if anyone used their 348 or 328 (or any Ferrari I guess) as their main car. Any comments from drivers would be appreciated. I expect my search for the right car (red, cream leather) to take some time and am looking to buy within 6-9 months - is this realistic? Sam |