355 or 360

Since there are 2 different forums for the 355 and 360, I am asking for some input from my fellow Florida owners.

I currently own a 1985 308 GTS QV and seriously considering obtaining a 355 or a 360. What are the pros and cons of each model? My own research has shown the 355 is more fun to drive, but maintenance is more than the 360. 360s up to 2001 have transmissions problems. I do not want a spider model.
Any input would be much appreciated.

 

I had the same dilemma.
I would say test drive them both.
I did and helpt me to make a choice.

 

I have owned a 360, 430 and now a 4458. I never had a problem with any of the transmissions. I was told they had problems with the transmission mount breaking.

I had freinds who had a 355. They do not handle better but they do sound nice. My buddies say you live for the tunnels.

If your a driver type of person I think you may enjoy the 360 more. A wonderful car to look at and to drive. They can be expensive to maintain, from rubber belts to full fluids change.

Good luck to you.

Lee

 

I would LOVE to get a 355b over a 360 just for that sound.

BUT...

Every time I find one I think I might want to buy and get the itch I talk to an old friend who works for a dealer and he scares the living day lights out of me. If it does break its really, really expensive to set right.

However, if you can leave 10k - 15k aside for Murphy's Law than I wouldn't shy away from the 355 and would go for it.

 

The trailing-throttle burbling a Tubi-equiped 355 makes is a sound like nothing else, short of a Boxer with straight pipes. If you plan on keeping the 308, then the 355 is a good "book-end" that shows the design evolution of the two cars. Personally, I've never warmed-up to the 360/430 styling. But like the people suggest, you need to drive both. Stick with the 6-speeds for lower future maintenance costs. Good luck!

KevFla

 

355 sounds and looks amazing....

But, a 360 is an overall much better car.

My 2 cents...

 

Owned both and liked the 355 better. It has a lot better driver feedback but is not as fast. Overall a better looking car.

 

I'm not from Florida but bought my 355 in Miami (and drove it to VA).

my take on 360 vs. 355:

360 has a nicer interior, more interior room, and better ergonomics.
360 is a little faster
360 has less issues (that we know about, they aren't as old as the 355 and all issues are not known)

355 has a bigger trunk (it's surprising how big)
355 is better looking (imo)
355 sounds better
355 issues are mostly known and sorted at this point, it's a known quantity
355 is farther along it's depreciation curve

They are both very fast cars and within a couple of tenths in acceleration. Given same tires, the driver will determine which is faster on a road course, not the car. They are both comfortable, but the driving position is better for aggressive/track driving in the 360. Conversely, if you are comfortable driving a 328, the 355 driving position will not bother you. They are both Ferraris. To me, the main separation point is the styling. If you like one more than the other, get that one. If you don't, it depends what on the above list is important to you.

A sorted 355 should not cost more to maintain than a 360. A 355 that has not been sorted (read: valve guides) will be expensive to sort out. I have a receipt for $25k that included major service and valve guides on my car. You absolutely have to do your homework on a 355 purchase. Conversely, most 355's have been sorted at this point and all of their weak points are known with fixes. Since you are asking, I'm assuming you do not feel strongly one way or the other on styling, so drive both and if that doesn't make your mind up, look for the best condition of either car with the options you want in your budget and get that one.

Good luck!

 

Hmmm. Have to disagree there.

For one thing, a belt service on a 360 can be done with the engine in. On a 355 it comes out.

I was considering and comparing the two a while ago, and a very well respected Ferrari mechanic described the 355 as, and I quote, a "pain in the ass car." He went on to advise me that "I could swap out your belts on a 360 for $1000. On a 355 it will cost you $7000."

(That said, to my eye the 355 is by far the better looking of the two.)

 

Thanks for all the valuable information and opinions. To summarize, the 355 is more fun to drive, more expensive for repairs, may have recalls (if not already done) and expensive maintenance. The 360 is more refined, a better daily driver and less maintenance, since it is a newer model. My research and look for either continues.

 

Yep. I think you've nailed it. Enjoy the search!

 

i had a 355 Platynum at cavallino sold it after 4 years, maintenance is expensive as all ferraris are but the main thing is that you still have to do engine out for belts which is the most expensive service, On the 360 you do not have rot take the engine out just remove a cover behind the seats .... that alone makes a difference.
if you are a big guy the 360 might be just a bit more comfy ...
one the looks .... i am sure we could debate here endlessly ..... they are both great cars . just make sure they were well cared for.

 

what did you decide?
(I just checked your garage photos........good choice) looks like mine.

 

+1 to everything Paul said here.

 

Can't comment on a 360 as I've never had the pleasure of owning / driving one (friend has owned several - Modena, Spider and CS)...

Traded my 308QV for a used 355GTB at the dealer. It was a big difference in both power delivery (loved the 6-speed) and drivability (power steering, better HVAC, etc.). Spent the first couple of weeks cleaning all the sticky bits and getting used to the car. Then, within a month, the brake system failed along with a faulty shock/strut sensor. Tow trip back to the dealer with an estimate of $2k minimum -- so I traded it on the spot for a new Maserati CC Coupe.

Looking back now, I should have simply kept the 308 and enjoyed life!

Keep in mind that the 355 requires a good deal of troubleshooting via OBDII diagnostics (as does the 360), and the 355's are also prone to OEM header failures.

 

I am very happy with my 308 QV. I have put alot of money into it, which I know I will never get back. I just wanted to "move up" the Ferrari line. I am starting to reconsider getting a 355 or 360. Thank you everyone for all the input.

 

I don't agree that the 360 is much lower cost in maintenance. It's about 24-30 hours of labor on the 355 for just the belts and 16ish on the 360. So the difference should be on the order of $1-2k every five years, or roughly $200-400 a year if you just do the belts. However, when the engine comes out on a 355, a lot of people do all of the 'might as wells' at the same time, so the cost goes up. That's not necessarily a bad thing for the car as things get addressed that wouldn't on other cars where the engine stays in, but it's not so nice for the wallet if you go that route. A typical 355 major service includes water pump rebuild, new cam seals, repainted valve covers and engine detailing on top of the belts. Typical 'might as wells' are belt tensioners, CV boots, motor mounts and coolant hoses. That stuff all adds up if you do it every 5 years, but you don't have to, especially if you put upgraded tensioners and silicon coolant hoses in. On the 360, when that stuff goes you don't have the engine sitting there right in front of you with unlimited access, so it's more difficult to address. It may be a little bit cheaper in the long run to just replace that stuff as they fail, but you'll have to deal with your car taking unexpected trips to the shop. Not a big deal for some, but for those that just want to get in and drive and not deal with any of that, it makes sense.

355 and 360's both have header issues, the problem is (imo) worse on the 360 with the integrated pre-cat. On the 355, you can replace the factory cats with high performance units or test pipes to reduce stress on the headers. You can't do that on the 360 as they're integrated, so when the cat or header goes bad, you're replacing the whole unit. Also, clutch change is about 4 hours on a 355, it's 2-3x that on a 360 (worse on a spider) and if you drive the car at all, you will be doing a clutch at some point. So, as I said, a properly sorted 355 should not cost much more than a 360 to maintain. More yes, but on the order of 20-30%, not 2-3x. A non-sorted 355 will eat you alive, but that goes for just about any Ferrari. 355's are on average 5 years older, so will have more needs. You have to do your homework on either of them.

I did my homework on my 355 and still had to do the clutch/to bearing after 1200 miles. Luckily it's fairly easy on a 355 (did it myself) and hasn't given me any problems since.

 

I just purchased it.
Will drive it end february, begin march.
There will be after market scuderia shields on there in a few months.
They also going to mount a tubi
Can't wait until winter is over

Do you have any pics of yours?

 

I was in the same camp back in 2004, until I drove the 360. Its much better technology in the 360 and in my humble opinion much "easier" to stare out for hours! The 360 shape is simply rolling art! As for tranny problems, mine is a 2000 and I have 33,700 fairly "hard" miles. Its been rock solid, no issues or problems and relatively speaking inexpensive vs. what I expected (my first Fcar). Get the 360 you will never regret it!

 

+360

 

I think both are beautiful cars as long as they have been well maintained and driven (not a garage queen that looks great but is drying up and rotting from the inside, this can happen if not stored properly).
I think too much emphasis is on looks, not function (like on women)....... A couple rock chips and dings (wrinkles and sagging) are a lot cheaper to fix and live with than a show car with mechanical issues (a trophy wife with mental problems)! ...lol