You are telling them their baby is ugly. Waste of breath. Only point to make here (and you make it too) is the 355 reputation was set in stone before the model went out of production, long before Fchat. Fchat has no more to do with the models reputation than it has to do with the TR reputation for being expensive to own. I was there, I lived it. People either waited for the 360 or traded 355 for 360 in droves because of the expense. Denial does not make reality. People who like the 355 ignore the well known reality in much the same way people turn a blind eye on politicians and vote for them anyway.
I have owned 10 Ferrari's so far, and will never buy a 348 or 355 as they have proven to be needy, and worse yet, Ferrari did not care to fix any of the issues when discovered early on. The 2002-2004 Maserati's are the same, as are the 2.7 Porsches with the bad engine and head stud issues. Some cars are great and have minor issues, some cars just have issues. The market speaks. Enjoy your 355's but I will spend my money elsewhere.
Let's hear more about that Countach. I think the 355 is the last beautiful car that Ferrari ever made. I continually look at them and consider buying another one. Here is the thing about them: they have so much 288 GTO DNA in them - the curve of the rear quarter panels, the gearbox peeking out from under the rear valence, the duck tail. It's also small, lithe, and stunning. They stopped making cars like that when they started with the 360. As far as I'm concerned, Ferrari decided to make cars for fat people at that point. Consequently, the 355 will always be the "right" Ferrari for many, many people. But they're not cheap to own, even in the best case. Any V8 Ferrari I buy, I'm buying for the long, long term with hopefully a lifetime of ownership in store for me. Measure out the costs of even a perfect 355 over that time. That's why the prices are where they are. Regardless, they are beautiful and spectacular cars, and you all should enjoy them to their fullest.
Hey Monte, sorry to see your 355 go...such a beautiful car but new toys and new joys await you around the next bend in the road, enjoy man
Are you an experienced mechanic? I jumped the F car ship when the 348 came out and didn't come back until the F430. My issue: Too much unreliability and too much maintenance costs vs earlier cars. Now I'm jumping ship again with the 458 spider. Will I come back? Only if they get the cars simpler, better, and more fun to drive for the money. I think I'll be waiting a while. As long as people line up to plunk down $350K for a car with known issues then sell them before the warranty runs out sticking the next guy with a 30 grand trans replacement, not much is going to change. The 355 isn't the only F car to fight it's reputation. Some people have some pretty thin skins.
Being a former 355 owner I would say the F1 cars are the ones driving up the repair costs. This is where most of the problems lie. I put $23k into mine with a good portion of that into diagnosing/repairing a quirky F1 system. I feel the three pedal 355's are far less expensive to maintain and if I ever went back to one I would only consider a gated shifter. Two models removed is the F430 which I now own. There is a world of difference in the F1 system, obviously being it is 9 years newer than my 355 was. I think since the F1 system was first introduced in 1998, it had it's growing pains. And it seems like Ferrari finally got it right in the F430. That being said, I loved my 355 and miss it's F1 sound. But I got absolutely hammered when I sold it. I got back none of the $23k I put into it. I'm taking the loss as buying a bad stock in my mind. What else can I do? Live and learn.
Well said. A good friend and an extremely well known man in the vintage Ferrari world, Ed Gilbertson (Google him if you are not familiar with him) would, I am sure agree. He has owned quite a few Ferraris over the years and currently owns a Fiorano. He loves it but is not blinded by his affection for it. People love them. People hate them. They are both right. But to deny they have a higher than normal for Ferrari operating cost, to deny they have not and will not continue to have issues, to deny that the reputation earned because of those is not a driving force in their market value is to deny the sun came up this morning.
Brian, do you see a lot of repeat failures if they're repaired properly? I don't think anyone here is debating that they had issues, I'm certainly not, but once the issues are addressed (properly) it seems they don't have them again. And, given that a huge amount of them would have had their issues addressed at 20 years old, do they still deserve the bad rep? Ie, is a car that has had the valve guides done, clutch done, exhaust upgraded and stickies done going to be a high maintenance car with potential 5 figure repair bills? It certainly doesn't seem so, and in my experience with one that has had those addressed, it has been pretty much a drive and enjoy car with the same issues you'd have on any 20 year old car (ie rubber bits wearing out, the occasional weeping seal etc.).
Simon. Stay with me here. I know this is a difficult concept to grasp. It's been way more than twenty years since I had basic arithmetic but if I'm doing something wrong here , please correct me My car was made in November 1996. It is currently for argument sake November 2013. Now if you subtract 1996 from 2013 I think you get 17. Let me check. Yep. That's correct. It is 17. If you add 20 to 1996 you get 2016. That is three years away. Nope. My car isn't 20 years old. It's not 19 either. It's 17 years old Image Unavailable, Please Login
Any of the cars built during the period that motor removal was required for servicing will forever have a stigma. That's the way it is. It does and will continue to effect their market value. We have a TR. Love the car but there is no denying that is a big issue for everyone's level of interest in the car. In the words of a close and respected friend who was a near lifer at FNA, improved valve guides were an improvement, not a fix, due to a variety of factors involved. I am not in complete agreement but there was at least some validity to it. The 5.2 engine management system was a product of legislation and was not Bosch's best work. It, in its implementation on 355 was very fussy. Whether you are an advocate of the gold connector kit or not, the harness had issues and they are not restricted to the connectors. That in combination with the 5.2 system will never stop being, or have the potential for being fussy. And the requirements relative to smog regulations for keeping the system and keeping it working within very narrow parameters will in my opinion and experience continue to get worse and not easier. Those in states not having that type of trouble will continue to get gradually swept up in it. If for some reason Texas and Alabama continue to avoid those troubles, can you imagine having a car where the only market to sell it is in those 2 states? That is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point. No one of us have ever suggested any Ferrari is a perfect car and that some level of increased patience is required to own any of them yet some models require more of that than others and 355 is one of those. 355 lovers and I suppose all Ferrari owners should get t shirts that borrow a saying from the Harley Davidson guys "If I have to explain, you can't understand".
Sorry this pic was supposed to be in my previous post. Which car strikes your fancy? Just returned from a 150 mile ride through the countryside of nj with 25 other ferraris. The car ran perfectly. Top down. New OEM headers doing their job in front of a Tubi exhaust just singing the whole way. The new calipers and and SS lines I installed myself performed flawlessly on a bunch of twisty, turnies and stop and goes. All the new fluids I changed myself did their job and kept the car cool, lubricated and hydraulics working great. Gated shifter is a blast to drive and shifts beautifully. The renewed paint correction I just did gleams with not a trace of a swirl in it. The car looks as magnificent as it drives and sounds. These cars are fabulous. They do not have to be money pits if you do your homework and learn how to do some things yourself plus you get the satisfaction of doing the work. I have out 3000 miles on mine in 9 months and all is well and I would do it again and would not dissuade anyone else from doing so Image Unavailable, Please Login
Silliest post ever on F chat. Ok... your car is 17 years old. We get it. We greatly apologize that the 355 started production in 1994 but yours didn't.
Wow. Mayor, coming from you as such a long time, voluminous poster on this board , I will wear the distinction of posting the "silliest post ever " as a badge of honor!! Thank you for the credential! FYI. The whole thing on the age is totally tongue in cheek from this end. Really...
I forgot the Spider top. Those problems will never end. Bad design Junk parts Even the guys at FNA and Spa just shook their heads.
Well said but as I have posted before: No,NO, NOOO Run away your car is an un-repairable rapidly depreciating money-pit! If it misfires, leaks, smokes, ticks, has sticky parts, or is due for a major or deferred repair issues you must run AWAY NOW...Please call me, I have a lowball offer for you...cash money Call Scuderia Guido's used 355 emporium right away or PM me here!
Stay with me here Dr Bob... I'm guessing with those high powered math skills that you insist on repeatedly showing you will get the reference... Q.E.D. Your need to argue this trivial point is making you seem a bit loony... And I'm being kind.
No doubt. 355 ownership is a passion and those that buy the cars because they are "cheap" are bound to be disappointed. I, like many other owners on this board, bought the car for the right reasons -- it's the last of the small, nimble V8's w/ the classic flying buttress design. Timeless looks, great engine sound, a great go kart feel. For that I was willing to pay a premium in the future -- every five years I will have to pay an extra $2k or so in labor when the belts are changed. I am willing to take the small risk that the upgraded valve guides and new headers will fail. It's a 3 pedal so no F1 concerns. And, in 9 months and 4k miles of ownership I have never had a cel. Of course the future is not guaranteed but I am willing to take that risk because the car stirs my soul unlike most others. My next project will be to replace the suspension bushings and have the shocks rebuilt. Does the car need to have it done? No, everything is working as it should. Will I get my money back for this upgrade when I sell the car someday? No. But I'm going to do it anyway because I want the car to be in the best shape that it can be (and I drive it!). And that my friends is passion
Did you really write that? Pot meet kettle! By the way... go back and re-read my post that offended you so terribly. Where do you think my tongue may have been? Good grief. Lighten up Francis.
I think he was joking. I have had 3 355's - all 95's. I love the car but I always sell them fast. The last one I looked at a 97 355B Black failed both Leakdown and Compression. I was quoted full top and bottom rebuild on motor - about 35-40k. I will never consider a 355 again, My Service rep at the local Ferrari Franchise store said he wouldn't take a 355 if u gave it to him. All facts, it's a great looking and driving car but to not acknowledge the facts that they can be a ticking time bomb (to the guys in the F car world that a 10-30k repair is a financial disaster) is simply not acknowledging truth. When a f40 owner gets a 30k bill he pays on his AMEX Black, when a 355 owner gets a 30k quote for work that needs to get done he has a stroke. Fact. It's a great car but it can be very expensive AND is often, not always and buying a sorted one can give you years of enjoyment for little money in the Ferrari world.
Guys, send me all of your plagued 355's, I'll take them all off your hands for $10k each. What can I say, I'm just a guy looking to generously help all of my Fchat friend with no desire to profit ;-)
Afreakenmen. They had issues from the factory. All ferraris do. Precats on 2000+MY 360s, headers on 430s, gearboxes on 458s. We could go on and on. Fact is. The 355 has been around for 20 years, (sorry Bob) and the needs are known and the fixes, when done properly, are relatively permanent. Perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment, but for me, it's the only car worth owning. Bobdzar nailed it. There's nothing like a good 355.
