Hey guys - I usually post in the 355 forums, but lately, after looking for a 355, I'd rather give the 360 a shot. This would be my first Ferrari and after doing extensive research for a few years on the 355, I think the better first experience would be the 360. A few things that do concern me after doing a little research on the 360: 1) Spider top - if it is faulty it costs quite a bit of money to fix. 2) Cam Variator 3) Pre-Cat Materials in header - causing eventual rebuild for engine. I understand the 355 compared to the 360 has ridiculous maintenance/problems; however, I'd like my first experience with the F-Car to be smooth. Thanks for your help guys.
If you've dreamt about the 355 your entire life than by god get the car. Any Ferrari is going to give you issues. Loving it will get you past them. The 355 is also a different driving feel than the 360. Bear that in mind as well. Cam Variators failure isn't that common an issue and most cars will have them upgraded by now. Precat: get a 99' if that bothers you. Or, pay attention to your coils and how the engine runs so you don't get the disintegration. Spider top: ensure it works right when you buy it. And buy a good car. Or, buy a coupe. I always chuckle inside when my friend who had a 355 asks me "how's the Ferrari". When I tell him "I open the garage and start it, drive it for the weekend and put it away. Repeat each weekend.." No problems? "No." Its a nice first ferrari but if you really want a 355 and that car sets your heart ablaze, don't compromise.
I have to agree and disagree with Curt, the 355 was my choice. Not because I liked it that much just because it sounds so awesome, drives great and I could work on it. Heck while looking for a 355 I even purchased a 2-post lift so I could do the engine outs. 3 weeks after I installed the lift, I purchased a 360. So if you want the 355 because to you it looks awesome and is the very best Ferrari ever made, then GET IT, don't even think about the 360 or any other model. If you are thinking of the 355 only because its less expensive to purchase, remember that unless you can do the engine out yourself, the cost will quickly climb up. And the 360 is in theory less expensive to maintain. The variators I would not be concerned about since by now they have likely been fixed (confirm that before purchase). The top issues exist, so check that out very well, for me I got a coupe, its my very first hardtop car in my life (mid-50s and never drove anything but a convertible).
Hahahaha! I gotta pass on that one. I think Tristram knows I'm not serious about his car after posting a few cat pics
I wanted a 355 for the longest time. I thought (and still think) that the 355 is one of the most gorgeous Ferraris ever made. However, after doing much research, I purchased a 360 instead. I am SO happy that I did.
I thought I'd chime in here. My mechanic tells me that the 355 spider top is a real nightmare to work on / repair. The 360 spider top is no picnic, but it's supposed to be a lot better than the 355. My mechanic also tells me that there's no "official" Ferrari Service Bulletin on spider top maintenance, so he and his team invented one. Basically, they call it the "top lubrication and alignment" service. It's exactly what is implied. They check all alignments, lubricate all joints, service the hydraulic fluid, and cycle the damn thing a whole bunch. I had this service done on my 360 spider top in prep for this spring, and it functioned great... in the mechanic's shop. Later, when I got it home, the top refused to go down all the way. So, I took it back to the mechanic with my problem. He cited "extra slack" in some of the elastic straps in the middle section of the top. The mechanic proceeded to sew (literally, a needle and thread) a new seam / anchor point for these straps on both sides of the car. Voila, works great now, no extra charge. IMO, the spider top is worth the hassle. You get a more exhilarating driving experience with the top down. That said, I always say a silent prayer every single time I hit my spider top switch. The cam-variators are mostly a dead issue now - from my understanding, this campaign was pretty widely completed, and it's REALLY EASY to have a Ferrari dealer look up your VIN to determine if your subject car has had this completed. I had the dealership pull up the entire campaign listing for my car - all campaigns were performed in a timely manner. Yeah, the precats kinda suck. If you want a spider, basically, they're gonna be a problem. My precats / headers were showing signs of failure when I had my PPI done. I bought the car anyway and replaced the headers and cats with better aftermarket parts. So, it wasn't cheap, but it's not a problem anymore. Good luck. The 360 is an amazing car!
1999 could solve that problem as noted Lower mileage cars (under what - 30k?) should have pre-cats that are in good condition for at least awhile Can always put on some aftermarket, euro, or cs headers... which is pretty easy to do. I have a lower mileage car, and went the aftermarket header route as a precaution (the excuse), and it made the car snarly (the side effect), and potentially gave me a bit of a power bump (the real reason). Pretty minor issue, which shouldn't worry you too much.
I think I'm gonna do it. If I don't like it, I'll sell it and get the 355. I wanna have a MOSTLY problem free first experience.
Yellow over navy blue. Please post pics of that car, I'd be curious to see what that looks like. I've never seen that combo before, it sure sounds interesting though.
I was in the same quandary. Just before Christmas my wife and I went down to Stuart, FL to see my Mom. I had located an F355 spider nearby in Palm Beach that I wanted to check out. We get to the dealer's warehouse and began to give the F355 the look over. It needed some things and had sketchy history. Parked next to it was a red 2005 F430 coupe. My wife gravitated towards it right away. She looked at me and pointed to the F430 and said "Chains?" and pointed to the F355 and said "Belts?" I nodded yes and so after driving the F430 and then visiting my Mom we went back home to crunch numbers. It turns out we were in better shape than we thought and two months later brought home this 2007 F430 coupe. We could not work a deal with the red one. Image Unavailable, Please Login
You want smooth...buy a Corvette..LOL..Just kidding..I am on my third 360 without a problem at all...bulletproof cars..almost as reliable as a 911...
I hear you guys. I wanted to pull the trigger on the 355 this June.... But I decided to go with the 360 first. Prices are going up slightly due to summertime coming up so I'll likely be looking around October or November. You know what else? After taking a closer look at both the 360 and the 355.... I hate to say it.... The 355 looks so dated. Even tho overall I like the looks of the 355 better. Maybe my heart is slowly gravitating towards the 360's looks now.
