Have we destroyed the 355?

For the record, there are several SoCal guys, myself included, who will vouch for FBB in that he has no malicious intent posting here in the 355 forum. I've hung out with FBB personally several times at local events including a track day. Carl (FBB) is more active now in the 456/550/575 forum nowadays because he has 2 of those cars. His post history provides enough explanation of his 348 ownership era. (Sorry Carl, don't know if you owned a 355 at one point.)

Carl is a friend of mine and we can agree or disagree on topics without it ever getting personal. It is just 2 car guys talking about cars, nothing else. If he were an enemy of the 355, he would have plenty of opportunities to tell me this to my face or tease me about my car. This is the difference between having a discussion face-to-face, and having an internet discussion where the personal touch is lost.

 

I'll second that. I met FBB at lasts years So Cal picnic and work party for the local 348/355 owner. He was nothing but knowledgeable and giving of his time to help others, especially the novices and new owners, with work on their cars. I would count him as one of the valued resources on this forum.

Peter (Verified 355 Owner)

 

FBB has been very valuable and helpful to me and to many others on this site. I am going to make it to the SoCal stooges day this year just to meet Carl.

Yelcab,
328, 348, and 355 owner.

 

That's great that you guys in SoCal have decided to vouch for FBB.

I know your names, Greg, Peter , Tim. I would suggest you start with suggesting FBb lose the silly icon and put his name on his profile just for starters. He may have bend on here for ten years and you all know him but many of us haven't and personalizing your profile goes a long ways to humanizing this experience. Dave helms posts as Dave helms, Brian Crall had his name in his profile FBB note how the people you respect on here conduct themselves.

I would also suggest you as his friends to read the couple things I most recently posted concerning how he chooses to respond to topics on this forum and maybe think about how he addresses topics on which he claims he is so knowledgeable on

I am willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt and for a year I have watched FBB aka now Carl talk like he is a professional on this forum and make inappropriate, inflammatory comments and posts which new owners or prospective owners may construe as coming from a professional and act on their purchase and or sales accordingly. FBB is not a professional and he does not own a 355

 

This thread needs a group hug.
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I agree with Bob. You SoCal guys know FBB personally and therefore that's what you judge. We can only judge posts from a nameless screen name. He has made some very offensive comments and claims to know how my car runs although we've never met nor has he seen or driven my car. That's pretty bold and not something a professional would ever do.

 

These threads are great, but then they go south when people start taking it personally and attacking other people for their opinions. I find most people on this forum offer some good viewpoints and whether you agree or disagree their opinions should be respected.

 

You can continue to say untrue things about me and it will still not make it true. Your efforts to discredit me or convince others I'm evil make you look silly. Why don't you read the post series again. Look what the Pro wrote. Look what I wrote. Our posts are similar. Your name is not mentioned nor inferred nor considered at all. It is your post which decided to make it personal and interject, to which I did not replied.

Next?

Page #15

 

If you are going to call me out.

Please post anything I have said about the 355 which is untrue.


Please site thread, and post number so we can all read the comments in full context. Soundbites are meaningless.

 

You saying "most have no clue" is not arrogant? What makes you the Ferrari expert? I'm being very serious with that statement. What are you qualifications? And if you don't have a 355, why do you continue to post in this section as the expert? Please enlighten me...

 

I guess a reaction to this comment can vary. I read it and agreed. I consider myself savvy around cars. I've rebuilt many motors and am very comfortable with the mechanics. Over the course of my 355 ownership I was educated by Dave Helms. I thought the car ran great, took it in for an engine out, he fiddled with cam timing and other things and it ran much better. In my case, I didn't know what good looked like with the car.

I also didn't know the pitfalls. The forum illuminating issues is more helpful than detrimental IMO. I think it helps people go in eyes wide open which helps keep more cars current.

 

Exactly. On the jellybean-360 section there is the disintegrating precat issue (mine is a 99 euro so I don't have to worry about it hehe). Many owners don't know about it until they get a CEL and fragments are discovered in the cylinder scoring it. When I bought mine, my mechanic asked me "how it sounded". If FBB has been around enough 355's, versus the new owners 1 or 2... yes, he could tell when a car just doesn't sound right compared to a new owner. There's nothing that he's said to insinuate that anyones car on this forum fits into that category. I guess there's always some "sensitive individual" that will take anything that is said personally though...

 

Nicely stated.

 

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/142851745-post424.html

FBB you carefully edit my posts. I said that you regularly post inflammatory and negative comments in reference to 355s. Most of us who are on this forum and are informed know of the potential issues with these cars , and I reiterate potential issues. You seem to take particular pleasure in piling on negativity with regularity. You don't own a 355. I don't own a 430. I am not in the 430 forum regularly telling 430 owners that their cars have inherent issues. I don't know what your agenda is, be it just to be contrary or to make owners of these cars who have their hard dollars invested in them feel inferior to your vast wealth of knowledge.

The above post as an example. Exactly where did you get that picture FBB? From what car did those pipes come from? If it was a 355 that you can identify, what exactly were the circumstances leading to those pipes to end up in that condition? I replaced my headers this summer and they didn't look like that and I don't even have any pictures of them.

That post was in response to a link that was posted re: an obvious issue in 430 headers that can end up as catastrophic as any scenario a 355 header failure could cause. You find in your database a picture of some pipes, ostensibly from a 355, who knows for sure, in obvious trashed condition and say that 355s melt headers as opposed to break welds and brackets and that is not apples to apples. Inferring that the 355 header issue as demonstrated by your graphic photo is way more serious an issue than the 430 header issue.

Why is the 355 header issue so much more of a problem FBB than the 430 issue. Are you on the 430 forum posting pictures of their failed headers as well?

Just why do you have a picture of 355 header pipes so readily available anyway FBB when you are 1) not a pro repairing these cars and 2) don't even own one? I am really scratching my head here.

While we are doing datapoints and I will take this subject on personally , I am really curious why you do not use your name in your title? I have been around a lot of forums and online communities and have hosted a few as well. Interpersonal communication done behind a wall of anonymity usually allows the poster to say things and act in ways that they wouldn't if it was a direct communication. Personalizing this communication goes a long way to normalize dialog. I suggest as I did earlier that you might take this into consideration.

 

Again, I'm not defending anyone but my perspective would be different:

The 355 issue is maybe bigger because those are all out of warranty and can be a surprise if it hasn't been remediated. And, it's a bigger % of the value of the car. Hurts a little more?

The 430 issue has largely been dealt with in warranty so it's not as touchy although it soon will be if the most recent revision proves to not be a long term solution and warranties expire.

 

Omg . this thread is getting so hilarious i can't stop checking in on it. It also kind of gives me a headache!

Who cares what fbb's name is.So he wants to remain anonymous. Thats the beauty of the internet !!!!!

Now excuse me , i have to switch over to a dating site where I'm a very horny , very hot 18 year old female.

 

I don't think its funny at all. You have to look at the overall picture. Say a person bought a 355 for 50k. They drive it around. After a while, the car just doesn't feel "right" yet they are not sure what it is.

They take it in to have it checked. Turns out it needs 20k worth of work. All of a sudden in one big shot, almost 1/2 the entire value of the car is needed to be spent repairing it. That is a big hit to take no matter what kind of car you have.

The owner can sell it, because nobody is going to buy it as it is, so he is stuck with it. So either he fixes it, or parks it. And to top it off, the car hasn't hit the bottom of the depreciation curve quite yet either. That is not a fun problem to be faced with..at all.

 

That's the joy of car ownership. Same for a guy who owns a $500 taurus that needs a $2000 transmission.Only difference is he a poor working guy who has so much other crap going on trying to make ends meet that he's not whining on a forum about why posters won't give their full names and ownership creds to validate their posts.

 

Stop inciting a riot!

Re: Not on the bottom of the depreciation curve? -and- stating that these cars have potential problems... oh boy!

Boxsters are the same way. If the IMS blows your cars goes from a $7000-10000 car to a $2500-3000 paperweight.

 

I was thinking the same but wasn't going to post it but what the heck you have now so...
+1

 

The last Ford transmission I replace for a fellow who was hard up cost $450 from a wrecking yard..and I installed it for him for free.

 

These cars are nothing special to work on , anyone can do it.

Hell jethro, i 'll find that damn air filter yet !!!!!!!!!
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c'mon guys , stop worrying about a potential catastrophe, drive the cars , enjoy , and lighten up !

 

I haven't followed this whole thread, because its just too insane. (Honestly, I don't know why folks continue to endure some of the drama on FerrariChat. It does nothing but make us turn on one another, and lessen the brand in our own eyes -- let alone the non-owners and prospective owners.)

I don't know FBB personally, but I can verifiably confirm his photo of F355 pipes is not unusual. The bubbly/wrinkled appearance precedes the wholesale failure. We see these on a regular basis.

B.F.D.

The F355 is still a dream of a Ferrari. And always will be.
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Exactly Bob! That's the point I've been making all along. Fantastic post Bob, I could not have said it any better!