348 or NSX which should i buy?

Ferrari's then-new CEO Montezomolo made some comment when he came on board, to the effect that the 348 wasn't what he expected of a Ferrari in terms of quality (he had one). Early 348s suffered from more quality issues than the later ones, but the jury's out as to whether he was critiquing the current model to position himself to look more successful or whether he really was unimpressed with his 348.

There are tons of threads here about early 348 issues and how to deal with them.

 

I agree. There's nothing like a Ferrari. The only reason I recommended the NSX is because of the money issue.

 

1> Car split in 1/2, gutted interior, you know, the obvious stuff ;-)

2> Model Year change from Ferrari

3> Send your car to me, and I will do it for $7,500. (true answer is no)

4> Click here --> http://www.ricambiamerica.com

 

There are many many onions on what to look for in a used Ferrari. I’m going to alert you to some really serious things to watch out for. Examine the lower body pan in detail. It should be totally flat, with no arc upward or downward what so ever. If you see an arc or a slump in this pan the car has probably been in some sort of accident at some time. Most people rebuilding these cars overlook this in there reconstruction. It usually results in the cars wheel base actually being ½ inch or more, shorter than it should be.

Also if you drive it diagonally across any deep rain gutters the car shouldn’t have a lot of squeak laterally. There in fact shouldn’t be much squeak even in a TS, (Targa). The squeaking is usually a symptom of weak frame, (usually from serious abuse, racing or otherwise).

The thing to try to avoid is an automobile that has just been pounded in competition events, or by a young adult with to much mojo. Many of these cars have been seriously abused, especially in the price range you say you’re looking for. Believe me a totally thrashed car cleans up real nice, in most cases.

When I bought mine, I took delivery in Los Vegas, and drove it home to San Diego. On the road I caught a rock in the wind screen. It’s going to cost me about 4.5K to replace it.

Also when I purchased it, the air condition didn’t work, this is also going to cost me around 4.5K to get repaired.

The cars are loaded with quite a few gotya’s. Electric’s, Fuel pumps, engine out services, and little mystery boxes called ECU’s. If you have to pay a shop for everything you have fixed is can get real expensive.

The upside is the F-348, no matter what anyone tries to tell you, can be turned into a true super car, if that sort of thing really interests you. There a truly beautiful cars, and if you add a couple turbo’s, adjust the car just right, it will literally run toe to toe with just about anything on the road today. A stock one will impress the heck out of most people on a track or curvy road.

I leave the little things like the engine, transmission, etc for others to comment. There great cars, but they are in fact money pitts, money pitts of love, I wouldn’t trade mine for just about anything, (oh yea, I wouldn’t trade it for a 355 ether) maybe a 288GTO. I hope this helps.

 

Plenty of experience with both. We had a '90 348ts for a while and it was a nightmare. The car was purchased with 6,700 miles and sold 6 months later with about 11,800 miles. The car was a blast to drive.....when it ran. We had countless problems with it, and spent thousands of dollars just keeping it running....this does not count fixing things like the almost dead window motors and some other issues. This was on a car with full service records from Ferrari dealers from day one. Loved the sound of the car, loved the looks, hated that it was always breaking. Left me stranded on the side of the highway twice in a two week span during that 6 months. Oh, and nobody stops to help you on the side of the road in Indiana when you are in a Ferrari. They point, wave, smile, and take pictures....but never stop to help.

My NSX's (I have two) have been darn near bulletproof. Purchased them with low mileage and have driven them all over the place since then. I bought my first one in the late '90's and the second soon after because I loved the first one so much. I now have over 100,000 miles on both and would not sell them for the world. I thought about it not long ago, as my desire for either a 993TT or F355 was getting very strong, but decided to keep the NSX's because they have been so reliable and an absolute blast to drive. I will admit that the NSX does not have the bold styling of the Ferrari, but as a toal package I enjoy it more. Whenever I drove the 348 hard I was always afraid something was going to break....I do not worry about that in the NSX.

Feel free to PM me if you want more information. Both are fun cars, it just depends on what you want out of them.

 

I struggled with the sound issue as well....until I bought a new exhaust for my NSX. Problem solved.

 

not really sure what all the fuss is over sound. are you guys referring to the creaking and rattles??

stock for stock... the ferrari is louder. if louder is better than go with the ferrari. there are aftermarket exhausts available for both that will make them sing.

i went from an nsx... to an nsx... to an nsx.. to a 328... to now a 355. i will be the first to admit that it's the styling and name that drew me to ferrari. take those 2 away and you dont' have much. nothing under $100k will touch an nsx of any year when it comes to overall score... porsche 997 is close.

if you feel compelled to use words like heritage, soul, automotive dna, you are just fooling yourself into thinking you bought a ferrari for reasons other than pretension. face it. all ferrari owners, to some extent, are show offs and brand conscious (at least for cars).

All this, of course, is my subjective opinion so don't get your panties in a knot.

 

well said.

 

To all of the people who said that you cannot compare an NSX to a 348: that's exactly what many major magazine comparos and enthusiasts did back in 1991, since the NSX ("a Ferrari, but engineered by people who went to college") was made to be a rival.

And while many ppl have posted honest and useful information and guidance (ie. get the NSX if under a tight budget), many posts on this thread are so dripping with Ferrari ego overflow it is sickening.

 

I've owned Ferraris and NSXs.
As an Aircraft inspector and "machine lover" for ever; heres the scoop.
If you take the Badges off the cars and examine each for what it is.
The NSX wins the day. Completely.
If you wish to drive a fashion statement get the Ferrari.
To me the NSX is the automotive equivelent of Camelot.
It broke so much new ground it took Ferrari 10+ years to catch up technologically in the 360.
The next "rule breaker" was the McClaren. Yes the two, for their days, can be compared. But the NSX was designed for mortals.
When I read the comments about how the NSX cant measure up to a Ferrari it just shows the ignorance of the poster.
For lack of 2 stinking cylinders this car gets nowhere near the respect it deserves.

 

Well I considered an NSX before my F355. I liked the idea of an all aluminum body and the aftermarket for them is great.

The idea of having the engine "sideways" was so UNracecar to me. That configuration reminded me of a fiero. I know they are nowhere near each other in performance and quality but that is what it reminded me of .

Now that new Acura HSC sounds alot more interesting......

 

I owned a 1997 355tb and a 1997 NSX-T. The Ferrari spent 6 of the 13 months I owned it in the shop, the NSX was completely trouble-free mechanically and my only major cost was tires every 8K miles.

**** that horsesh1t about passion. How much passion are you going to feel shelling out 5K in repair work on the Ferrari? I suspect that most of the posters here debating "passion" have never actually owned a Ferrari. The reality can fall far short of the expectations when you deal with the service issues related to Ferrari ownership. Yes, I loved my 355, it had an engine sound that would give you a hard-on but I still have my repair receipts for that car and thinking about the experience still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Get the NSX, it is an outstanding sports car that is completely and totally reliable, and it is an absolute blast to drive.

 

Those comparos are based on price and engine layout. You don't buy an Alfa Spider over a Miata, or a 348 over an NSX, for practical reasons. Call it ego, passion, whatever. I don't have a 348, but when I see one it's a special treat because I know some said "to hell with common sense," and bought something loud and sexy instead.

Maybe I want a car built by engineers who went out once in a while, had sex and drank some vino.

It's not a Ferrari-only thing. I feel the same way about the guy who buys an orange metallic Range Rover Sport instead of the safe choice, the beige Lexus. It's putting aesthetics and romance first, which is very cool.

I paid $4K in January for the belt service on my 328. Expensive, yes -- and I'm not rich -- but again, stirring the gears in the Ferrari , hearing the engine, and studying the car's curves when I walk away from it are enough. I'm OK trading away some level of carefree motoring for all of that.

For the original post'er, an NSX or 911 is probably the right answer, but most decision are a compromise and he should know what trade-offs he's making.

 

in the end, ferrari owners must romanticize the experience of ownership using poetry and delusions. how else can we justify such an idiotic purchase?

 

and buy both:

http://www.cardomain.com/id/dgoodman

D

 

Car owners must romanticize the experience of ownership using poetry and delusions isn’t just for Ferrari Owners, NSX Owners do there fair share. I don’t care what kind of exaust you put on an NSX, it will never compare to the sound of the high winding V8 or V12 of a Ferrari. This is just a statement of fact. Second the performance potential of most Ferraris is almost limitless,(But not Cheap) as historical evidence shows by the world land speed record holding Norwood F-288. If I owned an NSX, or was considering buying one, I would have to wonder why Honda has never mounted a serious challenge for this very public historical record.

Anyone that would say the drive train and suspension of a NSX is superior to that of a Ferrari, has never really driven a Ferrari when it’s right. My car has a number of issues, but the drive train is rock solid, as with most Ferraris. Ferraris just see the worst abuse possible by many of there previous owners, I’m sure this is there really serious problem. I looked at one when I was purchasing mine that had about 8K miles on it. The one I’m talking about had been on a hard core race circuit for about 8 years. Like I said even thrashed ones clean up real nice, as with this one.

 

i have had both nsx and ferrari's

draw back of nsx is its best performance is over 5,000 rpms and you have to hold it there...under 5k rpm it drives like a civic.

the fcar has THE feel through all the rpm ranges...

 

This is correct, they can be rabid too.

No, this is a subjective opinion. While I agree, it is not a fact they don't compare.

Chevy engine?

Two points: Honda wouldn't care like Ferrari didn't - it was a privateer (Norwood) going after that on his own. Second, it is publicly accessible on the internet but I wouldn't say very public, only one person in 50,000 in America is going to know who Norwood's are and about their Bonneville exploits, if not fewer.

That's like saying your girlfriend is a supermodel when she's not 40lbs overweight and pimply. Part of the point made by the others is that the NSXs aren't breaking.

I concede that patina is cool. I wouldn't want to pay for fixing it up, but I appreciate it!

 

No, that is a statement of your opinion. Not fact.

Maybe Honda did not care. I know I did not when I bought my NSX. But to each his own.

I guess I would ask for your definition of 'right'. I have driven stock suspension Ferraris, which I assumed were right from the factory, on the track and did not feel they were superior to the NSXs handling. The Ferraris were very good, do not get me wrong, but I felt the NSX was more fun and better balanced. I would guess this is heavily subjective as well, so I will not begrudge you your opinion here, I just politely disagree.

 

Wow has this post been entertaining. I just dont understand all the what the pro nsx group is doing on this forum. What did you expect? It is FerrariChat

 

The 206, 246, 308GT4, 308, and 328's all had transversely mounted engines too. Miura, Silhouette, and Jalpa too.

 

i think its more like many F-car owners were/are NSX owners and so are
able to give a good opinion.

 

Now Mr raylex, please understand me clearly, I honestly think the NSX is a really great car. probably because it was built in the true spirit of a formula race car. I actually like these cars a lot.

I wish I could actually get every one in the forum to come to a personal test sounding, of you trying different pipes and such on an NSX in an effort to make it sound just like an F-car. I sure we would all have a good laugh, meaning you and I laughing together, not everyone else laughing at you.

Were all proud of our cars, I fully intend to make mine into a true super Ferrari some day.

You’re just going have to accept one true fact however. Like I said NSX’s are great cars, but just try easing up on the F-car bashing. After all this is an F-car forum. I respect your opinion, but don’t respect the bashing. Ferrari’s are phenomenal cars, so are NSX’s.

Oh just in case you didn’t know, the Norwood F-288 employed a twin turbocharged Flat twelve Ferrari engine, not a Chevy Engine.