Future 355 owner looking for advice...

+1 the weather was so nice I took the afternoon off to take the F355 out to go see my friend Derek at Ferrari of Denver and see what fantastic toys he has for sale. It had been a couple of months since I had the opportunity to get the F355 out, I love this car more every time I drive it! Nothing like 8,000 r.p.m.s through Tub headers, Hyperflow cats and Tubi exhaust to fall in love again.

Forza 355!

 

The 355 is a great car, one of the best when sorted and running as it should.

What I can't understand is why you are going from an S7 to a 355. The Ferrari has almost zero torque below 4000rpm..its a dog..mini vans will have you for lunch. The S7 is the total opposit in this regard.

The 355 has huge issues that are VERY pricey, and no real perminant solution has been found to correct these issues as of yet. Manifolds, valve guides, cat converters, airbag issues, electrical gremlins, some have gearbox problems, the F1 system is boarder line terriable, slow to shift, jerky,parking the thing is a hazard with the F1 if your not used to how it works.

Clutch wear is an issue if you don't have the "feel" of the engaugement point off a stop,interior shrinks,sticks, and over all sucks balls quality wise.

The sound is to die for, the look is like no other, the ride and handleing is awsome (i like it much better the the 360). BUT they are the most expensive modern Ferrari to own. Seeing as you have owned 1/2 million dollar cars in the past this should not be an issue. Go forth and spend..your economy needs it.

 

I decided against owning a $686,000 car again due to just that, its $686,000 that a single idiot driver on the road can hit and destroy in a split second. My first S7 only cost $510,000, but still. The S7's were fun, believe me REALLY FUN, but I don't need a 750hp car to go fast and enjoy it anymore. I am growing older, and it seems I am slowing down a bit. In my teens and 20's I built and drove the fastest Mustangs I could afford to build, but then I came into the funds to afford anything I wanted and an S7 was my first choice.

My main reason for such a drastic change is I am looking for something I can enjoy at any speed, and still get up and make the average Corvette or 1st Gen Viper owner look dumb when they rev at me at a red light.

 

I don't think a 355 will take a 1st gen Viper off a light, and probably not most new corvettes, even the base models. Drive a 355 before you buy, as it may be way too torque-deficient and underwhelming for you if you buy cross-country or something. It's all about using the power band properly in the turns, not easy to do. Some stats regarding straight line performance:

1995 F355 381 hp 268 ft lb torque 3200~ lbs 0-60 4.6 sec on a great day

1992 Dodge Viper 400 hp 465 ft lb torque 3200~lbs/ not sure of 1st gen 0-60, but you do the math

Then the turns come up, and the Viper will have a harder time. I've driven both! A 355 is a great car for a regular driver, and very civil in traffic for what it is. You can also fly under the radar somewhat, as most people think it's an old vette or something. I would love a Saleen, but the gawking would drive me crazy as it's enough of a pain in my 355. That said, you specifically can definitely drive a 355 with no worries of parking lot retards or cell phone soccer mommies, because it's a cheap car compared to what you're used to. Can we see some pics of your past two Saleens? Surely you must have some. We always devour the pics here...

PS Good luck in the hunt! One last note... A 12 cylinder Ferrari might be a better fit when coming from a Saleen.

 

Hey cuneo, I have a CD here somewhere with all the S7 photos I took. I will look around for it and see what I can upload.

I really desire the 355 V8 cars more so than having a V12. I know the power and feel of a 230mph car is there, but I don't need it anymore. I've driven a Murcielago LP 640, driven a Enzo and MC12, and also driven a 599 GTB, and after all that, I just don't desire a V12. If I felt the need, I'd just get an S7 again, but that truly made life hard whenever you drive it into town. You're spot on about the people gawking and bothering you when you park, or the crowd waiting for you to drive away when you come back. Even the ridiculousness of every kid in a rice burner or mommy's hand down 10 year old BMW revving at you continuously at every light. The only time a 355 would do that is if I drove into a small town of 100 people who have never seen a Ferrari.

 

I believe that Tubi manifolds, Hyperflow cats and the Scuderia Rampante gold kit are permanent solutions to the manifold, cat and electrical issues. As far as interiors, they all turn sticky after the 328. All Ferraris have their own issues and I have friends that have incurred 5 figure repair bills for 308, 328, 348, 360, 430, 456, 550 and 575 models. All of these cars can empty your bank account when they have a problem or you are fixing improper repairs done on the cheap by someone else.

Hopefully Dave Helms will chime in here and add what he thinks of the F355 and its reliability.

 

The 355 in stock form is going to have a hard time with a first gen viper from a stop light. It's not a muscle car. It's way better than a muscle car. It doesn't need to be faster in the 1/4 mile for me. If it is to anyone else there is definately a way to make it faster. Just look at Fabspeeds current threads. You can add 50+ hp at the crank with their power package (headers, sport cats, secondary pipe, muffler, ecu chip/flash, intake box, air filter). Add some nice light wheels and the Helms gold kit and you have a nicely updated (performance/reliablity wise) F355. A nice jump from 375 at the crank to 425+ and some weight reduction. Not to mention the biggest gains are in the midrange where it matters most.

If you have $15k to spend on parts, not a bad way to do it.

 

Ha! Was that you coming out of FoD in the red 355 as I was pulling in in the yellow one? I did exactly the same thing - ran it up Smoky Hill to warm her up - jumped on e470 and ran down to FoD to say hi to Mark, John and Derek, look around and schedule my minor and some leather work.

Was great to get her out on a nice January day and she loved the cool weather!

Cheers!

 

Your so right!

 

You have the exact same car as mine except I have test pipes. You should hear it screem at 9000rpm.

 

I live just 35 miles north of Salt Lake city Utah, when I drive my 355 people look at it like it cost $200k plus. I guess being in a small city has it's advantages.

 

You don't need a stereo or radio in a 355/348.

You get more excitement hearing the engine purr when you are driving.

 

That was me, good to see your car stay local, I know the previous owner and you have a fantastic 355!

 

I could not do straight pipes with our emmissions testing requirements, so I had to go with Hyperflows. Absolutely love the Tubi headers, glad I got them done in 2008, it is nice not having to worry about the stock ones failing or heat issues like so many of the non-insulated aftermarket headers. Is yours a 1994 build date as well?

 

Thanks - as do you sir! Cheers

 

DEAR SIR,
I THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH for these information!!!
I know that the sound of the F355 is the best aND Also the look is the best...but I want to buy a reliable Ferrari.
I sold my 208 Turbo because the engine has broken 2 times, and now I leave with a Carrera "4" 996 : a very solid car , never broken in 6 years !!! But few emotion for driving.
So I'm in the market for 2 Ferrari, one is a 328GTS, as an historical car ( here in Italy
20 years old it's enough) and a second Ferrari between F355 and 360 Modena (Spider)...
I have read 2 years ago about some problems to F355 to headers and guide valves...
but now your complete list of the problem HELPS me a lot in my choice !!!
I wish to spend for a good car UT I do not want to buy a debit = no F355, Possible 360 !
Many thanks
CIAO
ALEX