Newbie to be 97 f355 spider

If you have not already done so respectfully suggest you read the 348/355 forum

 

Um....if all this^^^ is true.....then WHY are you "getting ready to purchase" one...???

 

Classic.

-F

 

Either we are all fools buying Ferraris, or they are actually ALL THAT!
Believe me, if it wasn't so special to me, I would have bought a brand new 2013 370Z (with warranty), saved $50,000 and called it a day! I wish I wasn't addicted to the car, you are correct.... it doesn't make sense (at least financial sense). There apparently is a reason that they are still sought after by everyone here....... why, you ask?......... because IT's ALL THAT!
Why are they so expensive to own and maintain? Because they're worth it! (not to everyone though, you have to decide which side you fall on before making the substantial purchase).
Good luck, and make sure you think with your head on this purchase. Put your heart away for a while, until the car arrives home. there is a lot of info to know, and learn before buying these cars (especially the ones older than a 430, the oldest model that I had the guts to go for, was the 360). Read everything on these forums before you purchase. If it scares you away, buy the 370Z. If you have the guts, welcome to Fchat!

 

.

 

There are countless threads on this subject. Search is your friend.

 

It's a bit like asking "Is meth really all that?"

What with the rotten teeth and so much to lose. You really have to spend time in the life to understand it. There are ups and downs.

If you are unwilling to take the risk and the bad with the good you'd be better off going in a different direction.

 

It all depends on you. For me, there is nothing like the sound of a the flat plane crank, its mythical to me. Then there is the handling and the history of the marque, oh yeah, they look good too.

If you are the sort of person that starts the car because you need to get to point B, then maybe a Ferrari is not the right car for you. I start the car for all the detours that I need to take to get to point B.

Yeah, they are expensive, I like to tell my friends they are cheap to buy, expensive to keep. But for some people they are worth it, for most they are not.

 

As other responders have said, the "why Ferrari" conversation is something you should be having long before plunking down 41,000 clams on a Ferrari - any Ferrari. It's a personal journey and a decision everyone, ultimately, makes alone and for their own idiosyncratic reasons.

There's a lot of work involved in owning one of these cars. Lots to read, lots to know. For me, it's a labor of love. Everything I learn about my quirky beast gets me closer to her and I respect her all the more. Even changing the oil is a "bonding" event.

There are great cars out there. Many will be faster and infinitely more reliable than a '97 Ferrari 355 Spider. But they are not a '97 Ferrari 355 Spider.

Reminds me of the famous Edward Lewis quote from Pretty Woman when discussing why he takes people to the Opera for the first time. " Watching people see an Opera for the first time is very moving. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don't, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never be part of their soul." No one NEEDS to see Opera. No one NEEDS to own a Ferrari. But for some of us, it's a part of our soul and owning one at least once in your life -- even briefly -- is a must-do.

Oh, and they are a heckuva lot cheaper than mistresses and ex-wives. There, I said it.

Enjoy it.

ketel

 

Its just another 15 year old HiPo car. Same s++t another day


Grab one and drive the snot out of it

 

Check out the355.com

It's the best place to start. You can read through the entire site in about 20-30 min and if you want a more detailed explanation of anything mentioned there you could search the ferrari chat forums.

 

Ferraris were built for maximum performance return at the time they were built. When comparing to a full race car that often has the engine completely rebuilt after each race, Ferraris don't require much maintenance.

These are more akin to race cars than a Honda Accord and require more than a set of spark plugs at 100K miles.

 

Yup.....perfectly written


To the OP:

If you are DIY guy like some of us...we own these for the knowledge and bonding that goes with caring for a piece of history. It requires LOTS of research and lots of work...and none of us would trade it for the world.

If you want to wax it and drive it, you better have found your new best friend mechanic long before you drive one home.

 

Exceptionally good example. And watching Julia Roberts drive that Lotus around at the beginning of the film just makes it that much more relevant. Well put sir.

 

"Why a Ferrari," is more like something you feel than think about. It is the feeling I get every morning when I go into my garage and see that red Ferrari there. That is my Ferrari, and it is in my garage, and I can get into it and drive it. The only other time I ever felt like that was the first time I walked out onto a flight line, climb into a plane, and took off with only me in the plane at the controls.

I'll give you the same advice my father gave me, and which finally got me going to buy the Ferrari I have.

"When you look back on your life you will probably regret the things you didn't do more than the things you did do."

Are Ferrari's expensive, yes. So when you find one take it to a Ferrari mechanic who can inspect it and tell you what you can expect when it is your car. I followed that advice and purchased a car that is not going to require a lot of expense for the near future.

Some how the expense diminishes when you turn the key and hear that sound behind you.

I could go on, but all the others who have posted here I think believe the way I do. They already know the answer to, "Why a Ferrari."

Good luck

ceb39

 

Buy a Honda