Test drove F355

Own a Ferrari before you get old and die....that's what to do!
Your grandchildren won't care if you had an Audi...but if you owned a Ferrari.....

 

6'5" is really pushing it with these cars . I heard guys at 6'3" saying they fit but it seems to be the limit. When you say "6 M", what do you mean?

Interesting how you liked my warmup thread, the group will certainly flame you for it ;-)

As for the sound, you are correct. Unless you go thru a tunnel or street with tall buildings on both sides, you will leave the sound behind you for others to enjoy ;-)

And as you said, the power is related to what you are used to. I find the car to be very fast (not the fastest), but the ride is amazing - far better than my BMW 335xi coupe and that was a shock to me.

Getting in and out of these cars can be a challenge if you want to keep the interior perfect. I'm 6' 0 and 225 and I have a method which reduced wear to the bolster but not my back ;-)

 

Ohh, as far as a sticky throttle....

That could actually be a problem such as a cable, pedal, or bell crank issue (I had a bad bellcrank bearing a few months ago)

However, so talk about this in terms of the throtte response. I can't relate since mine feels very free and responsive.

 

Great color combo, where is it for sale?

 

Nice car. Power in a 355 comes on at higher RPM. Below 4 or 5k they are pretty docile and feel pretty average to me. A sticky throttle can be pretty common on an F355. Particularly around 2 or 3k RPM and most sensitive in lower gears. At Dave noted this can be the cable or bell crank. It can also have to do with the balance of the throttle bodies. If the throttle works smoothly with the engine off it is most likely the balance of the throttle bodies.

As far as I can figure, if the throttles are not perfectly balance, when nearly closed (hence at low RPM) when you crack the throttle a couple of the cylinders open before the others. The RPM starts to rise. This increases the intake vacuum on the cylinders which are still closed, thus requiring a little more effort to open the remaining throttle bodies. I.E. a stick.

My understanding is that it also seems more prevalent on earlier cars. There was a change in the design of the linkage at some point to help the situation.

 

i have had a 911, it may as well have been wonder womans invisible jet, no one notices it or cares. not many ferrari's around where i live, the hardest part about driving the car, is the people with cell phones capturing videos, people racing up behind to snap a photo , and not being able to just leave a parking lot without some one wanting to talk about it. buy the 355 , its amazing the interest the car generates. i guess its the last ferrari that is styled the way most people associate with ferrari. if you want to be a real dick, whenever you see a 911 in a parking lot, park right next to it, with a 348/355 next to it you realize how ugly a 911 really is. good luck. btw , love the metallic red, go for it

 

I think that color is Rosso Fiorano (rare, same as my GTS). Never heard of Rosso Metallizatto (metallic red?). My throttle was sticky too when I first bought it but loosened up after I drove it a bunch.

 

I knew I had seen this car somewhere:

Classic Italian Cars For Sale » Blog Archive » 1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta

Rosso Metallizatto = FER 311

Rosso Metallico = FER 305/C

Rosso Fionano = FER 321

Who knows if they are the same (or similar) colors? What the heck, Rosso Corsa has several codes and about 20 different variations over the years.

 

Yup the 355 is not fast by any means but sure is quick when driven properly.

 

We had to make custom seat mounts for recaro racing seats for a customer that was right about 6'7" + a helmet! He ended up getting in there just fine after some modifications!

 

+1 and well said. Car people find beauty in all kinds of design no matter the maker of it.

 

As a 355 owner for 5 years, the throttles stick at part throttle on most car I imagine.
Shifting has been described as "stirring a wooden stick in a bowl of rocks" and sums up the experience fairly well. Once warm it gets better, but only slightly and I had my linkage completely rebuilt, bushings, etc. To hear the engine better you need a spider.

 

Rubbish
My 1995 does not stick.
Gear change is without fault...like a knife thru butter...when oil is warmed...you really think Ferrari can't build a transmission and linkage?
You do not know how to shift or your linkage is set up bad.

 

Ditto, had two 355's neither have sticky throttles and transmission after 10mins is very smooth, i keep the gate lubed with a little WD40 every now and then also,

cheers
scott.

 

Like I said, sticky throttle depends on throttle balance and whether or not the linkage was updated. Ferrari did not redesign the linkage because the original design worked perfectly. The issue is well documented. From the F355 Buyer's Guide:

As for the transmission, t's not that different than my 308. A little notchy when cold but fine when warm. It's as smooth as Porsche but you have the feeling you can put your total weight behind it without braking anything. What can you say, the F355 shifts like a Ferrari.

 

I have a spider in Giallo Modena that I love, but I must say that color is spectacular, in my opinion, especially on a GTB or GTS. I've been looking at Maserati Quattroportes in a similar, but slightly darker, color. I believe they call it Bordeaux. I've also been looking at late model Lotus Esprits - the problem is, I think the Esprit looks great in yellow, but there's no way I'd have two cars the same color.

 

^^^I believe he's referring to the Maserati color.

Better yet add an aftermarket exhaust (not Tubi, too similar to stock) and keep the gorgeous lines of the greenhouse.

 

+1 on the 911 and 355. If other people appreciate the car that is great, but I didn't buy the car for them, I bought it for myself.

 

Best of all - get a GTS.

 

i know the car very well if you want any info. pm me