| Author | Message | ||
| Frank K Lipinski (Kaz)
Junior Member Username: Kaz Post Number: 218 Registered: 11-2002 |
My budget permitted me to purchase either a 355 or 360. I drove both and preferred the 355 Spider. I know most say newer is better, but I prefer the design of the 355 (arguably one of the most beautiful cars Ferrari built) and the engine sounded better with stock exhaust. Suggest you drive both. Re: Pricing � The Spider is more, perhaps in part due to market demand, but includes more accessories, such as power seats, standard. Can�t comment on all Spiders, but I found mine to be amazingly quiet at high speeds with the top up and does not leak any water when washing � first class construction. The drawback of a Spider is that they weigh more, about 200 pounds I think� | ||
| Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Member Username: Dapper Post Number: 632 Registered: 4-2002 |
"And what's up with the wildly varying prices in general? For example, looking at recent 355 F1 Spider ads, they go between 78,000 and 99,000. The cheapest car is a '99 model with 48,000 kms, the most expensive is a '99 too, with 42,000 in the clock. Both are supposed to be in pristine condition." There are good ones and 'very' bad ones, they all tend to be advertised as pristine (bull), in this F cars are no different to any other. I looked at many 348's when looking to buy, I saw only ONE that I would touch with a barge pole, I bought it! Money, mileage and advertised description are just a few of the many factors. If the interior is tired you will soon add thousands of Euros getting it right (if you care, unfortunately the evidence is that many dont seem to), all of a sudden it doesn't look so reasonably priced at point of sale | ||
| stephen r chong (Ethans_dad)
Junior Member Username: Ethans_dad Post Number: 229 Registered: 3-2002 |
Kz, O M G !!!!! You lucky *^! PLEASE post us some pictures OK? Are you in CA? If so, NERO575 HAS to be your tag! ; ) Congratulations!!!!!!!!!! | ||
| Dan (Bobafett)
Member Username: Bobafett Post Number: 450 Registered: 9-2002 |
Awesome, Kz and Steve! And yes, the search for a car that's 'just right' takes some time. But it's well worth it, I'm sure. 456 should be SEXAY! Kz: What color interior? 6sp or F1? --Dan | ||
| Kz (Kzma)
New member Username: Kzma Post Number: 22 Registered: 3-2003 |
How about a Nero 575M? Mine arrives in 2 days! | ||
| stephen r chong (Ethans_dad)
Junior Member Username: Ethans_dad Post Number: 228 Registered: 3-2002 |
That is going to be an awesome sight Dan! We'll have to get a shot of the cars side by side. Hoping to have NERO456 in my garage by the end of this year ; ) Long and fun search though! | ||
| Dan (Bobafett)
Member Username: Bobafett Post Number: 447 Registered: 9-2002 |
Whatever you do, NERO550 is mine! Steve knows! (Sorry, Norm.  ). --Dan | ||
| stephen r chong (Ethans_dad)
Junior Member Username: Ethans_dad Post Number: 221 Registered: 3-2002 |
Marton: Don't even get me started on 550's... Before I die, I must own a proper front engined V12 Ferrari automobile. The 550/575 would be my absolute choice!!!!!! | ||
| stephen r chong (Ethans_dad)
Junior Member Username: Ethans_dad Post Number: 220 Registered: 3-2002 |
Marton, What a wonderful decision you are faced with! One thing to consider is your local climate. If you plan on all season motoring, the GTS and Spiders may have less appeal due to possible leaking issues. Personally, I favor the lines of the 355B. Simply stunning! From a performance standpoint, it is generally accepted that at the upper limits of their performance envelopes, the 360 is a superior car. I suspect that those limits would only be reached safely on the track. If you are not planning on participating in many track days, I'm sure the 355 will be more than satisfying. Especially the sound! As for aesthetics, that is a personel issue. I feel that the 360 is a return to the organic designs of the 70's, while the 355 might be the pinnacle of the 80's wedge. Both are drop dead gorgeous, but IMHO, the 360 presents rather large in person. Almost too large for a sports coupe. For comfort & ergonomics, both models are years ahead in creature comfort than their 80's era cars. Transmissions? Well, part of the mystique of the Ferrari marque has always been running thru that gated shifter. You really owe it to yourself to experience that joy. On the other hand, only Ferrari can offer you a F1 derived transmission system that is as close to a real F1 car for the road in the world. Thats a tough one! Cost Dependant Choice: 355B 6sp Cost Free Choice: 360F1 Coupe Best of luck with your decision! | ||
| Dan (Bobafett)
Member Username: Bobafett Post Number: 441 Registered: 9-2002 |
Marton, 550 prices are hitting the floor in Europe. I was just offered a 2001 50 with 2700 miles for 95k, titanium over black, fiorano package, quilted shelf, blah blah blah. The point is, they're cheap (relative to new), absolutely brilliant, and as Frank mentioned, worth considering. --Dan | ||
| David Stoeppelwerth (Racerdj)
Junior Member Username: Racerdj Post Number: 99 Registered: 1-2003 |
I was in your situation back in Jan. 2002. I was open to both the 355 and 360. I had to have a red/6 speed. The final decision was when I found a 360 Red/6 speed 2 months old. I have never looked back at my decision. The 355 is a very beautiful car. One positive is some on this site say the 355 sounds great with the OEM muffler while the 360 needs a Tubi. You might want to start a new thread concerning the F-1 clutch wear problems. | ||
| ross koller (Ross)
Intermediate Member Username: Ross Post Number: 1093 Registered: 3-2002 |
the gts is lower priced because it is not a convertible, and because the top never quite fits right and allows leaks and creates a lot of wind noise at speed. i would not trust the f1 system on an unknown 355 to work without issue for more than 5k. imho, the pick of the bunch you listed would be the 355 spider manual. it will be a relatively low cost entry into the world of ferrari (which is not for everybody), and the problems will be relatively few, then when you go to sell it, the depreciation will be less as well. | ||
| Fred (I Luv 4REs) (Iluv4res)
Member Username: Iluv4res Post Number: 370 Registered: 8-2002 |
It sounds like you've made your decision and are looking for confirmation. All of the cars you are looking at are beautiful and will put a smile on your face for sure. My advise and probably most people on this board would agree, buy the best example car you can afford (or your self imposed budget allows). A nice, well sorted, 355 would be a better car than a 360 with stories. Personally, I like spiders better than the GTS models. My 2 cents. | ||
| Jason Fraser (Jfraser)
Member Username: Jfraser Post Number: 309 Registered: 3-2001 |
Marton, If you can shell out the extra money, I really would try and go for the 360....I personally think the improvement over the 355 is worth the extra money. As for the F1 box, my 360 has it, and I love it. BUT, I have also suffered from premature clutch wear, and it wasn't driver skill related, but due to the nature of the system. You'll be looking at 4000 euros for a replacement clutch. If you go for a 360 with F1, its worth having the car hooked up to a dealer's diagnostic computer. They will be able to tell you the % wear on the clutch....the following will help you determine the results 0-40% Clutch in good shape...no problems 40-60% Clutch in middle of its life 70% and above the clutch will need to be replaced VERY soon (FYI, it won't make it to 100%, above 70%, and the F1 does strange things, such as dropping into neutral) | ||
| Marton Anka (Martona)
New member Username: Martona Post Number: 2 Registered: 4-2003 |
Thanks for the many responses everyone. I guess I was hoping for some 360-bashing: how the car is narrower and higher than the 355 (is this even true? it certainly appears so), how it's an inferior drive compared to the older brother. You know, something I could use as a real excuse to save 50,000 Euros. If there are no such arguments, I will accept that too. But if the newer car is not better than the 355 in many other aspects I'd much rather go for the cheaper vehicle. Why is the 355 GTS priced so low when compared to the other 355 models? And what's up with the wildly varying prices in general? For example, looking at recent 355 F1 Spider ads, they go between 78,000 and 99,000. The cheapest car is a '99 model with 48,000 kms, the most expensive is a '99 too, with 42,000 in the clock. Both are supposed to be in pristine condition. And the F1 shifter: If the only real drawback is clutch wear, and it is actually more comfortable, I think I should go for it. I live in a fairly big city and traffic is terrible during most daylight hours. The only reason I drive a BMW 7 and not an M5 is because you can't get the M5 with automatic transmission. So if the F1 transmission is anything like a normal automatic, it'll be a godsend. Frank: The 550 is a very, very sweet car, but it's completely out of my league. I'm looking for a convertible, and while you can get a 550 coupe for slightly more what you'd pay for a 355, the Barchetta does not even start until 200,000. Maybe when the economy recovers. | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Member Username: Whart Post Number: 930 Registered: 12-2001 |
I would suspect that a test drive of a 355 v a 360 will not tell you much unless you are able to push the limits, which is doubtful in a test drive scenario. Likewise, the stick v. f1 choice is hard to make on the basis of limited exposure. The f1 may be more appealing at first, particularly if you haven't been shifting, but you may grow tired of it for street driving. Both transmissions have their strong advocates. As to aesthetics, that's pretty subjective. I personally like the 355 targa (had one, with an f1, for a while), cause it preserves the line of the berlinetta shape, yet gives you open air motoring. Out of all the cars you mention, i'd take the 360 spider with a stick, but its always easier to spend somebody else's money.(Of course, all of this assumes comparable cars in terms of clean history, service, desirability of color combo, etc.) | ||
| Peter Sedlak (Peters)
Junior Member Username: Peters Post Number: 184 Registered: 1-2003 |
Hi Marton Welcome aboard! Yes, this forum is full of God fearing, church going ladies and gentlemen! You will get great assistance here. Best of luck on your car purchase. To get a flavor for the technical expertise you can look forward to seeing on this forum, check out the post 'Tell me about driving around at high RPM' on the Gen Discussion board. | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Intermediate Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 2136 Registered: 9-2001 |
I would drive a 550 before I made up my mind. It is much more car than either the 355 or 360 at about the same cost. You just can't compete with a Ferrari 12 cylinder for the WOW factor. | ||
| philip (Fanatic1)
Junior Member Username: Fanatic1 Post Number: 114 Registered: 2-2003 |
Welcome Marton, Yes, you will find many intelligent banter here at F-Chat. Also, some incredible help and advice.... If it were me, and money wasn't a huge factor...definately go with the 360 Spyder...the F1 if you are concerenced about your skills with a stick, but some people have expressed a dislike for the F1 transmission....because of wear on the clutch and "purist" reasons..... However, almost everything I've ever read on this board and my personal feelings always point to the simple fact...Buy the newest and best car that you can afford. You'll enjoy it, the technology and the interior is constantly improving and the resale is better....Plus from a purely aesthetic view....the 360 is AWESOME...truly a WOW car....Beautiful Good Luck with your decision...once you take the plunge you won't be sorry. Get ready for many responses!!! | ||
| Jim Schad (Jim_schad)
Intermediate Member Username: Jim_schad Post Number: 1033 Registered: 7-2002 |
Stick around for a bit and you will see that we all lose our manners and intelligence quite frequently! As for the cars, I prefer the 355 over the 360. Most will tell you the 360 is much better than the 355 and I guess it is. But if you don't plan to really push the car then you may never notice the diffs. The 360 is pretty roomy compared to the older cars. The 355 is not terribly small inside though. As for the F1 vs Stick that is really a personal pref I think. Good luck and welcome to the board. | ||
| "The Don" (Mlemus)
Advanced Member Username: Mlemus Post Number: 3918 Registered: 8-2002 |
Marton, First off, Welcome You have a nice selection to choose from. I would take the 355 GTS for several reasons. Having a GTS now, I like the option to have a hard roof or not depending on the weather. I have never been a big fan of spiders. I also would get the 6-speed. I like the concept of the F-1 but there have been well documented issues with premature clutch wear (read:$$$$) on the 360's. I have not heard too much about the 355 F-1 which I guess is a good thing. Don't let the fact that you have not drivin a manual in a while deture you. It's just like riding a bike. My .02 cents Matt | ||
| TomD (Tifosi)
Advanced Member Username: Tifosi Post Number: 3321 Registered: 9-2001 |
with these cars, it is really up to what you like,not what other think - for me I probably get the 355 spider f-1 - I would think in europe the numbers you are quoting are on the high side. You should meet up with the europe group and get a ride in one of their cars. I know some have 360s and some have 355s. That would make your choice easier. BTW welcome and we do have some heated discussions here but they are not too bad | ||
| Marton Anka (Martona)
New member Username: Martona Post Number: 1 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hello everyone! First of all, what a nice surprise - an online car forum where people have manners and the posts are intelligent. This could be the only one in the world... I do not yet own a Ferrari, but I'm about to. And this is why I'd like to ask your advice. Please bear in mind that I have never driven an "F-Car". My current car is a BMW 7, and my only foray into the sportscar world was a 911 Carrera last summer, a ride I liked but was not fond of. I might write stupid things below, any and all advice is welcome! I'm looking at the following cars: F355 GTS Targa (~70,000 EUR) F355 Spider (~75,000 EUR) F355 Spider F1 (~80,000 EUR) F360 Spider or Spider F1 (~130,000 EUR) Yes, they are cheaper over here. The car is purely for fun purposes, I do not, at least not now, intend to take it to race tracks. I care a lot about power and handling, but also about "comfort" if you can call it that. It is meant to be something I enjoy driving. You know, put me in touch with my younger self. I am not an exhibitionist but nor do the onlookers attracted by the car bother me, so better looks and the "wow factor" are a slight plus, but my tastes are more important than the public's perception. That said, while the 360 is a drastic departure from the 355's looks, I have to say, I like the newer car a lot better - but that alone is not worth 50,000 Euros to me. I'd like to say money's not an issue, and to a certain extent it isn't, but I'm not effortlessly rich either. The reason I'm considering the F1 models is because I haven't driven a stick-shift in ages, except for the 911, and I expect the F1 gearbox to make things easier for me. Given the above cars, which one would you recommend to someone new to Ferraris, like me? And why? |