Greetings, I figured I would introduce myself to Ferrari community. Ive been a member for some time and recently acquired a Red on Tan 1999 360 F1 that had 2 prior owners with no engine or body mods. This is my first Ferrari and I figured I would share some of my initial experience for others, for I have learned quite a bit from others on this forum and feel compelled to share my experience to help others. The car I purchased was located in Dallas and I had my best friend (a long-time Ferrari owner who posts periodically on this site) check the car out. His attention to detail is impeccable; consequently, after he gave the green light, I purchased the car. I had not seen nor driven the car, but relied on my friends opinion to make the decision. For reference, he did the same for me with a NSX that I purchased years ago. That vehicle has been a gem and I couldnt be happier. So I will assume that this car will be no different. The 360 had just over 29K miles with a full set of records including completion of all campaigns. In finalizing the deal, I got to meet the owner who had owned multiple Ferraris in the past. He was incredibly kind, personable and demonstrated a true passion for these automobiles. Between the commentary from my friend and the sellers honesty, openness, I felt like the purchase went fairly well. Although, to some the mileage may seem a bit high, to me it wasnt an issue. After reviewing the service history and chatting with the prior owner, I got the sense that the car had been sorted out. He indeed spent a considerable amount of money addressing issues that had surfaced over the course of a few years, it seems that many common issues have been addressed (ie. Sticky parts, peeling dash, replaced variator, ECU issue etc). One key question I recall asking the prior owner was, Do you feel comfortable driving this car cross-country? His reply was a quick, unconditional, yes. Due to some logistical issues, I had my friend take delivery of the vehicle and keep it for a while (yes I trust him that much). Ultimately, I travelled to TX to finally see the car and do something that I havent read too much about .drive the car home. Now the later part may not seem too crazy except that the trip home is nearly 1K miles! There was some pending inclement weather and I had a narrow window to get the car home. I did the same exact trip years ago with my NSX and it was a great bonding experience. During that trip I learned a lot about the car and determined a number of components/systems that needed to be addressed. I figured that with the 360 it would be a similar experience, though, I must admit I did have some anxiety for I hadnt read too much about people doing such long treks in a Ferrari. So I embarked on nearly a 1000 mile journey that I completed in a day. Since I was unfamiliar with a 360, my friend spent a good part of the afternoon prior teaching me the nuances of Ferraris and the F1 transmission (my first also). After getting comfortable with it and spending the remainder of the evening drooling over the amazing lines of the car, I slept for a bit then began my journey early in the morning. In planning for my trip, one component that I could not find good information on was the true gas mileage of the 360 F1. I found a number of posts where people made mention but the general sense was that if you had to ask you couldnt afford it or merely dont worry about it. For me, I needed that information to plan my stops. I had assumed that if I drove the entire way in 6th that the car would do better than the EPA highway rating of 16MPG. Well, since there wasnt any definitive information, I planned on the 16MPG with a full tank of gas at each stop which worked out fine (a bit over 300 miles/tank). I had three stops and my gas mileage for each segment was 17, 18, 20 MPG. For reference, I did not hot foot it but will admit that I kept the speed around 80 MPH pretty much most of the way. Admittedly, I did find a few vacant stretches of road and took the car up to some higher speeds to evaluate for any possible chassis damage or suspension anomaly, which there wasnt . The trip was great! I got to bond with the car and literally spend an entire day with that fantastic sexy machine! I had always liked the Ferraris, but after the trip I truly fell in love with it. That little vixen performed so well, I have to say that it was unquestionably one of my most enjoyable solo long distance trips ever. The NSX was great, but the 360 was honestly better. The 360 simply has so much more power. The NSX feels planted and surefooted, the 360 is that much better. The sound of the luscious V8 is simply heavenly, heck, I didnt even listen to the radio much of the way...just the symphony from the engine. The seats felt great and I never felt fatigued. The one component that I was so anxious about was the potential for a mechanical failure. Fortunately, nothing. True to his word, the prior owner was indeed correct. The car could indeed make a cross country trip from TX to MN without difficulty. With my NSX, I had 9 fairly mechanical issues that needed addressing after the drive. Interestingly, after that lengthy trip, the only issue that I could see that needed to be addressed with the 360 was having the car washed. I drove the it some more the following day and gave it a good wash. So I am delighted by this car and now understand why so many owners of Ferraris are passionate about their cars. Not only are they visually intoxicating, the cars are capable of satisfying a multitude of senses in a way that in some states may be illegal. I look forward to the ownership experience and being part of the Ferrari community. It seems there is a lot to learn and appreciate about these cars for it seems I have merely skimmed the surface. Regards Image Unavailable, Please Login
What a great write up! Thanks for posting. Beautiful car... I hope you enjoy it for a long time to come. Mike
Welcome to the community! So far my 360 has been very reliable, much more so than my TR. In any case, you will find lots of good advice on this forum.
Wow what a detailed and descriptive write up! Congrats she's beautiful and enjoy her in good health! As for miles 29k over 15 years is very low miles! I don't know why in the Ferrari world they think everything over 5k miles no matter how old the car is constitutes "omg worried because too many miles"! These are cars, well engineered and the engines are strong, I'd be more worried about the seals etc on a super low mile undriven car rather than a clean car with records and good honest miles on it!
Now that's an introduction! Great write up. You know, I also read about the so called high mileage cars, like 30K miles hahahaha. That's only just run in. There are plenty around with loads more mileage than that. And the other misconception about reliability. Mines has never let me down, and why should it? As long as it's well maintained (which yours is) it should be every bit as reliable as a Jap car. Well that's my opinion anyway. I am so glad you loved your first experience. That's awesome. Graham
I got a bit anxious as I was reading that you may have encountered issues during your 1k trip, until the final few paragraphs where everything went well. Phew! Great writeup.
Congrats. Enjoy it. If it doesn't have the CS TCU spend between $1,500 and $2,000. It's worth every penny.
++++ on that. Made my 99 so much more enjoyable. As you start to drive more on local roads (as opposed to a 1000 mile trip mostly in 6th) you will find that the TCU needs upgrading so plan on getting a CS TCU as Mike has suggested. Alan
Enjoy, just had a similar experience this past summer when i bought my 99 360. Nearly 3k miles into my ownership and not one issue. Driven 1-2 times a week. My one piece of advice (well two) is make sure you drive it weekly at a minimum and hook it up to a CTEK charger when you are not using it.
drove mine 1,100 miles home when I bought it, greatest trip ever ! The only thing I did different from you was fill up everytime I got below 1/2 tank of gas, just in case the gauge was not right as I had that happen once in other I bought. I had made a special CD of driving music, first song Miami Vice intro and some other driving songs, listened to maybe 5 minutes of it and drove the rest like you, listening to the music the motor makes. We got home and my wife suggested we just keep driving as neither of us were tired. It IS a incredible car, mine has double your mileage and it just keeps getting better.
OUMick, what is a CD TCU? Sorry for the dumb question but I am seriously looking at a 360 and am trying to learn all I can about them. Thank you in advance.
Hi everyone, I am relatively new to the Forum and having just read the post on another new owner thought I would add my own experience. I have been a Porsche owner in the past having owned a 911SC and latterly a 996 Carrera 2 which incidentally I bought over from the US. I enjoyed ownership of both these cars and modded the 996 with some nice upgrades like adjustable suspension, race exhausts and full aero kit and painted all the plastic interior in orange. It did look superb. At the same time I also owned an Alfa Romeo SZ Zagato in original trim and which at the time of sale (20 years after I bought it) only had 7000 miles on the clock. Anyway to the point. I had been looking for a Ferrari 360 for some time and a well-priced Modena F1 came up in, of all places, Romania. It had a slightly higher mileage than I wished but it was reputed in good order with FSH and was being sold on someone's behalf by a policeman! The car was delivered to Germany for my perusal. I saw it, drove it and immediately fell in love. It was all I could have wished for in my first Ferrari and it drew admiring looks wherever I drove it. As I live in France for half each year I drove the car back, some 894 kilometres. The first 4 hours were an absolute dream. Autobahns in Germany are speed limit free so I could stretch the car's legs. It was so responsive; so planted; so comfortable - I was mightily impressed. And the weather was fantastic too which made the driving a pleasure. However pulling off the autoroute in France into a filling station and I noticed the throttle pedal was sticking and placing the car into neutral caused the revs to rise dramatically. It was slightly embarrassing but I switched off and went to get a coffee hoping the car would cool down and the problem disappear. Starting it again and the same thing happened so I selected first gear and drove off with the car wanting to extend itself quicker than I wanted. I had found my way round the switches and instruments but as the light faded I discovered that the headlights were not as bright as I considered they should be. Perhaps I didn't flick the right switches but as the autoroutes turned into rural roads the problem got worse and I was now struggling to see and to stop the car!! Now I live in a very rural (read farming) community where the condition of the roads is not of paramount importance so the final leg of my trip was accomplished at a very pedestrian pace. (Anyone thinking of buying an exotic car and living in a rural area better think twice in my opinion.) Well the car is now safely housed in my garage, after a thorough clean, and ready for next summer. I took the advice of a fellow member and re-set the ECU and the car is now ticking over nicely. Next step is to get to grips with the headlights.
It's a Transmission control for the early F1 trans that has been flashed to match the Challenge Stradale TCU. The early F1's didn't shift nearly as fast and you couldn't adjust the clutch position. They also help with clutch life. The 1st time you change your clutch in an early model you will wish it could have waited a while.
Nice story on the purchase and first drive NSX. Love the April 2009 join date and the First post in November 2014. Impulsive you are not! ZipperK, if you replace the bulbs with the latest in technology you'll probably notice a significant improvement. The aim might also benefit from adjustment. They're not great by modern standards but can be made acceptable.
Congratulations on your first Ferrari. Beautiful car. I went the NSX to Ferrari (F430) route in May 2013 and never looked back. And last month traded the F430 for 458. NSX's are great cars but they don't compare to a Ferrari. Have fun and enjoy your car.
