| Author | Message | ||
| Steven J. Solomon (Solly)
Member Username: Solly Post Number: 324 Registered: 6-2001 |
Just friggin' do it already and stop worrying. Any mechanical device can be repaired. Drive the p--ss out of it-that's why Enzo created them!! If you get a ding in the door-fix it, end of story. It's not flesh and blood, it's just a great, fantasticallly fun experience, both driving and social. I have NEVER had anyone make a negative comment to me, and the cars attract a huge amount of attention, which I love. I always stop and talk to people, put their kids/girlfriends/wives/husbands in the passenger seat, and i get a huge kick out of it. Last year all my daily drivers were out of action for one reason or another, and I used the Dino as my everyday ride for 2 months, after a gazillion dollar rebuild. NOTHING BAD HAPPENED!! I had a great time. However- I would not do a daily drive into Manhattan (or Chicago, L.A, Miami, etc.) with these cars. That is a parallel universe with it's own laws of physics, and you will have your car stolen immediately. | ||
| Christopher McCormick (92_348ts)
New member Username: 92_348ts Post Number: 9 Registered: 6-2002 |
Dave, Yes all 348 spyders have the 2.7 ignition. They changed to the 2.7 from the 2.5 at chassis number 86406. I can't speak for the Mondial, however I am very happy with my 348. Good luck with your Ferrari puchase. | ||
| BobD (Bobd)
Member Username: Bobd Post Number: 502 Registered: 3-2001 |
Regarding the topic, no you should not. I'd keep the Healy (100 Six or 3000), it's probably easier to work on and cheaper to repair. | ||
| Barry Wolinsky (308gtb)
Junior Member Username: 308gtb Post Number: 183 Registered: 2-2002 |
Right. You have to learn to defecate or get off the pot. | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 553 Registered: 7-2001 |
Hey Dave, do you agonize about all your decisions like this? I thought you were going to buy a Ferrari MONTHS ago! | ||
| Dave Wapinski (Davewapinski)
Member Username: Davewapinski Post Number: 259 Registered: 8-2001 |
Thanks for everyone's thoughts. If there are more thoughts, please post them. I will go with the 348 Spider unless I find a good deal on a 308 S. Will consider the car disposable, but still keep it looking sharp and well maintained. With use, how often should a 308 and a 348 need major service and approx. cost using good non-dealer shops? In between major service, I would figure $500 to $1,000 a year on service. Is this realistic? Did all the 348 Spiders have the 2.7 ignition? Martin in Miami: The company that you heard was good to set up off-shore corporations, what is their name and phone number again? Would like to talk to them today or Monday. Thanks. Thanks to everyone, Dave | ||
| William Huber (Solipsist)
Member Username: Solipsist Post Number: 297 Registered: 9-2001 |
LOL, Martin. you rule. Point well spoken. | ||
| Dave328GTB (Hardtop)
Junior Member Username: Hardtop Post Number: 187 Registered: 1-2002 |
DAve, Owning a Ferarri is not like any other and there are down sides. If you want to travel the country and mix with the locals, a Ford F150 is clearly the ticket. Even cheap Ferraris (cheaper even than an F150) attract a lot of attention, some of it not good. Just today, soneone in a beat up SUV yelled "you suck" at me. Having said this, I drive my F cars a lot and park them at stores, restuarants, etc. and never had a problem. I do know there is risk in this but no matter how special my car seems to me, it is still just rubber and steel. When I had my first Ferrari, I would obsess about it when I left it in a parking lot, but that passed. At first, I really hated the attention (that's not why I bought one), but learned to engage it, because you are going to get it, like it or not. Most people are really nice and happy to even see one. Sometimes people are really enthused and I will invite them to sit in it. This always gets a big smile and I am happy to give someone a great memory and a good impression of Ferrari owners. Relative to almost any other car, owning a Ferrari is a high risk, high emotion thing to do. It's not for everyone, that's for sure. Dave | ||
| Bill Steele (Glassman)
New member Username: Glassman Post Number: 50 Registered: 4-2002 |
Dave, don't buy a Ferrari. | ||
| Robert Jude Klein (Rjklein4470)
Junior Member Username: Rjklein4470 Post Number: 127 Registered: 3-2002 |
Dave, Get the 348, Man that is such a pretty car. I had a 993 TT, and the I really liked the car, but. This is what I found. Every body thought it was around $60k, and not $90k, with a ferrari a $30-60k car becomes well over $100k. They just look that good and there are not that many of them around. The Ferrari experience is different for every person, but I have yet to meet a owner that regreted his decision to own one. Rob | ||
| Terry Springer (Tspringer)
Junior Member Username: Tspringer Post Number: 130 Registered: 4-2002 |
Bruno just smacked that nail a mighty blow... Get a 308. If you like open tops, get a GTS. I like the Carb car because I like to tinker, but an early injection is cheap these days too. Drive it all the time. Dont worry about it. Remember: Its just a car. Anything can be fixed. Dont worry so much. | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 2381 Registered: 5-2001 |
dave, so you decided to buy a $80,000 Porsche to go to the Supermarket. YOu park next to the old lady who is visiting from Florida and BANG here goes the door and leaves a ding the size of the Grand Canyon in your door panel. a. you look at it and think "this is why I did not buy a Ferrari" b. feel your blood boiling but say "okay, I will have that removed by the Dent Wizzard" c. yell some obscene profanities and being asked to leave the Supermarket parking lot by 5 SWAT cars from the local PD. If you answer a or b you may want to check out PorscheChat.com, if you answer C, call me and I will sell you a great 348.  | ||
| bruno bandaras (Originalsinner)
Junior Member Username: Originalsinner Post Number: 235 Registered: 5-2002 |
Get a 308 gtbi. mid $20k. Work out the kinks and drive it everyday. it will last and be dependable. Every 15k do a complete maintenance. If it cost 3-5k a year (depending on mileage) to upkeep. Who cares your in a Ferrari everwhere u go.It gets hit,stolen,rust out etc. Disposable at current price levels. | ||
| Daren L Adkins (Schumi)
New member Username: Schumi Post Number: 19 Registered: 6-2002 |
I had the same concerns you do, but I did took the plunge and have never regreted it. Do it, do it, do it - today if possible. | ||
| Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
Junior Member Username: Mitch_alsup Post Number: 76 Registered: 4-2002 |
What ross said | ||
| ross koller (Ross)
Junior Member Username: Ross Post Number: 183 Registered: 3-2002 |
you only live once and you could get hit by a truck tomorrow. pick the car you will enjoy and be proud to be seen driving. no matter how many people give you views on this board, you will not know what the story is really until you walk it yourself. get a decent 348 and see what its like. you can always re-sell into something more pedestrian. | ||
| David Prall (Davidpra)
Junior Member Username: Davidpra Post Number: 102 Registered: 2-2001 |
yes | ||
| Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Junior Member Username: Dapper Post Number: 118 Registered: 4-2002 |
Where I live (UK) and with personal and friends experiences of car parking v damage/theft sustained over 22yrs, unless you are 'very' relaxed about condition and loss, as a daily driver I wouldn't even dream of an F car (or indeed any other sports/convertible that could be percieved as being valuable). Boy would I love to be relaxed enough to just use my F as I do our daily driver, no sorry thats new and I'm not even relaxed about that wrt doors getting dents. IMO nothing worse than eyeing the flanks on a lovely car and spotting indentations, even minor ones! Daft really because it doesn't seem to make a jot of difference on the value when it comes to selling, salesmen seem to be conditioned to accepting it as a fact of driving. | ||
| Dave Wapinski (Davewapinski)
Member Username: Davewapinski Post Number: 257 Registered: 8-2001 |
First I want to thank everyone on the list for all the information. I have learned much, and not just about Ferraris. I think Ferraris are the most beautiful cars made, there is the fun of driving, and the prestigue. When Nika was saying if she had a 365, she would drive it everywhere for the pure fun of driving it. I feel the same way about Ferraris. I would use the Ferrari like I used the Healey. The Healey was almost a daily driver. I used to love to tear through the mountains on a nice fall day with the leaves sometimes blowing into the car. On a snowy day, sometimes a girlfriend and I bundled up, took the top down, put the heater on full, and went driving in the snow storm. Of course I spent many hours on maintenance on the Healey. I drove the Healey almost everywhere to include bad sections of town. Never had any problems. I take precautions, but if I want to stay over night in a nice bed and breakfast, I do not want to be worried about the car. Same with a resturant. If I have to go to someplace like Houston for 3 months, I want to have fun exploring the area with the car. At work, cannot always take special precautions, just normal ones. Also do not want many car hastles while traveling. Reading the thread about parking in Chicago made me start rethinking about Ferraris. Maybe a Mondial would meet my needs better, although I love the styling of the 348 much better. This lead me to thinking if another brand of convertible sports car would be better for my wants and needs. Right now I am on the fence. Love the beauty and thrill of driving a Ferrari, but will it go from love to hate due to the problems and the extra precautions? My goal is to have as much fun as possible with as few problems as possible, not any particular object. Any thoughts? |