Need to stop looking and start buying!!!!

Dave,

Be patient and go for a well sorted one at $50K and run from any 348 you find in the $30K area.

 

I spent 2 minutes searching and here's one on FerrariAds:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/showproduct.php?product=2235&sort=1&cat=11&page=2

And a silver one:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/showproduct.php?product=2070&sort=1&cat=11&page=5

And a black one, with a recent service by Eugenio here in California:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/showproduct.php?product=2046&sort=1&cat=11&page=5

Dean's right, a $30K 348 is going to be a heartache.

 

Just a quick additional note : 'Black Ferraris' are faster and are worth more too !!!

 

As others have said, trying to "cheap" your way into a 348 is a really bad idea - you'll end up paying more in the end and have a string of extended stays in mechanics' shops in lieu of actual seat time to show for it. Save up and buy a good one.

Also, if you can barely afford the purchase price, you really won't be able to swing the $3-5k in regular maintenance that these cars need.

Maybe a Mondial, 308 or 308GT4 would be a better fit for your financial situation?

 

Also, consider JoTec's car. It is higher mileage but has some nice things added that might save you some $$$ if you are planning on doing the same things and is in your price range also.
JoTec's member profile is here:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/member.php?u=3683
Try sending him a PM. it would not be a bad idea to buy from a race engineer.
BT

 

Yeah, JoTec's 348 has 355 wheels on it too!!!

 

Don't be afraid to buy a car with some miles on it! The "buy-a-perfect-car" guys have kept the values down on driven cars. These cars are relatively trouble-free and not that expensive to fix. Sure, if you take it to the guy who just spent $20k on a machine to adjust F1 clutches (which aren't needed for 348s), you're gonna pay big bucks for service and repair. The fact of the matter is that there is nothing mysterious about working on 348s, so a good mechanic with a knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of Italian cars can do the work. You don't need to pay $125/hr for shop time! Buy one that's had reasonable love with a few miles on it, drive it like ya stole it, and grin ear-to-ear!