360 questions - I am looking for a 360 or 348

Hello:

I want to purchase a Ferrari. I think I like the 348 and 360 and they are within my price range.

I am a mechanical engineer with a lot of experience at designing and making precision mechanisms and have worked on cars most of my life. Once I buy one, I have no intention of ever taking it back to the dealer.

Is the 360 possible to maintain without returning to the dealer?

I worry about the complexity of the electronics. I read earlier today a site that I can no longer find that said the 360 is to electrically complex and must be returned to the dealers.

Jeffrey

 

You may need to return for some stuff to hook up SD2/3 Ferrari computer for diagnosis and set-up. This is particularly true if you get an F1. If you get a 3-pedal you will have less of a need to return to the dealer for SD2/3.

 

360 is way cheaper to maintain and the parts are also cheaper.
I will say 360 hands down, but you will putting an extra 20k for a comparable car, why did you skip the 355? They are better than 348s and as maintenance expenses are comparable, and you will be spending 10k less than a 360
If you are an experienced mechanical engineer then I guess you can perform all by yourself (although you will need a SD2 or a Leonardo for some settings) bear in mind you will need something to pull the 348/355 engine out for maintenance.

 

The gated manual 360 "might" work for you, but you probably would need to avoid the F-1 models. The shifting computer needs some settings tweaked if you replace a clutch.

 

You will not be able to work on the transmission without a SD3 computer which costs about $30K. Everything else you should be OK to work on.

BTW I owned both a 1991 348 TS and currently have a 360. Depending on your size (I am 6ft 200 lbs) you may not be comfortable in the 348. I needed a shoe horn to get into the 348 which was a much less fun (for me) to drive. The 348 did not have power steering, used R12 in the air conditioning, had troublesome electrical connectors and did not feel that it drives on rails the 360. I am SOOO much happier with the 360.

 

Great comments!!

I should have mentioned 5/6 - speed manuals only for me. I am 6' 1" so would really like to drive a 348. I have not driven a Ferrari yet... Most places around here are not to keen to have people come in and drive one.

1st choice blue, 2nd choice red, no black interior.

My dad has a 10,000 lb lift in his garage. I would prefer to not have to remove the engine for a timing belt. Its my understanding the 430 has a timing chain, but is way out of my price range. I am a big fan of chains in BMWs and Porsches.

Is it practical to do the belt in the car or is that primarily theory?

 

360 belt in car is easy. Take seats out with four easy to access cap screws and remove it. Then you sit in carpeted interior and do your work in style! Very nice to work on. You should only have to do this every 3-5 years....depending. I believe this is also the access for water pump, alternator, accessory belts, heat exchanger. The other main thing that is simple but requires space is taking the rear bumper off and under-tray. Then you will have access to transmission & differential fluid drain and filter element, clutch, exhaust and cats and between these two you have all the access you need.

I should say that because of the hips on the car it can be a chore to spend a lot of time leaned over it. Tough on the knees and back! If I was going to spend time working over the top of the engine for a big job it might be a good thing to get one of those work platforms that you can lay on.

Just a thought but the black leather seems to look good longer if you care for it. IMO

 

My choice as well. 348 or 360. I didn't think I could afford a 360 at the time.. but the right one came along and after my 79' 928.. I wanted a more modern car.

You can do MOST things on the car. But, the airbag and suspension issues will need a computer to diagnose. It's not bad if you have a mechanic you can refer to for a scan.

You CAN do belts. Don't have to take the engine out, it's like a boxster with the access panel behind the rear seats. But if you mess it up you're looking at a very expensive bill to get it corrected. I could do the belts, but I just take it to my mechanic who's done them before to do the job. Costs under $1500-3k with a one year warranty. It's worth it IMHO.

Jobs on the 360 are actually easier than on the Porsche IMHO. The coils on my 997 were a PITA compared to the 360. Just undo two 10mm bolts and the coil comes out.

FYI my 360 was the first Ferrari I ever drove.

 

looks to me like there is a pretty large difference in price between those manual models at the moment.

 

You can do the belts in the car in the 360, for 348 and 355 you have to pull the engine out

 

i would say with a lift it will be easy to perform regular maintenance on the 360 , even without one. i installed my exhaust with jackstands. and you can search this forum for DIY's

 

Where are you located? Put your location on your profile and that will help you locate someone in your area that may allow you some seat time.

 

My 360 F1 cost 8k over 4 years ownership to have the dealer do everything by the book. I was ok with that till I realised I did 4k miles in that time which was $2 per mile for maintenance!!! I now have a 430 manual and plan to do it all myself. I'm also an engineer and have my own lift. The only thing you (and me) should need the dealer for is the electronic diagnostic stuff. (assuming you go for the 360 or are prepared to do engine out for belts on a 348)

 

Imo the 348 and 360 are completely different cars ....

So: find someone to drive each one ... and don't go for the quick sale: there is no cheap Ferrari !

 

Get the 360. Best advice when buying cars like this (in general) is get the newest model that you can afford. However, a manual 360 will come at a cost...no issue like that with the 348 as the 355 was the first car with F1 transmission.

You can do a lot of your own work on the 360 and the electronics aren't terrible like when you get to a 458 on up.

As mentioned before, you can do a major on a 360 engine in, 348 engine out. I have had no issues with my 360 and consider it a reliable car (although I've only driven it about 3,000 since I've owned it)

348 had some issues you may want to look up here on the chat.

 

Maintenance should be a discussion after you drive both cars. The 348 and 360 are TOTALLY different cars. What good is saving money on maintenance if you don't like the car and how it drives?

 

Absolutely agree about driving each one, or at least sitting in them!

I was thinking the OP was just a guy that wanted to immerse into the car he chooses. It doesn't have to be about money. Sort of like which plane would you buy if you were going to move to the bush country or some remote land. I never considered a 348, something about the exterior styling didn't appeal to me. The 360 is all aluminum too which was a big deal for me since I hate rust. Aluminum chassis and body panels!

Funny thing about engine outs and fear of them. I could be wrong but; to me, once you are tooled up, it's an extra bit of work to get it out but then the amount of items you can stay up on increases. The guys that do this thing themselves must really have confidence that their car is up to snuff.

For our 360's we don't do engine outs but you will see threads on worn engine and trans mounts and we have to replace those. Its not a big deal, simple and cheap, but I don't think the 348 guys make threads about that because it's just something they would address when that engine comes out. Same for loose alternator cables and clogged differential screen filters, it's just something they would do when the engine is out. Heat exchangers? Clutch? well the engine is out next fall so I will hit it then. Detailed engine anyone? ;-) I know I break my back trying to keep mine clean.

If you are really confident in your abilities and fall in love in with a car that requires a periodic engine out it doesn't have to be a negative, just don't start with a problem or storied car. Buy the best maintained car you can find and enjoy.

It's less than 1/2 hour working very slowly to get to the major bits on a 360.
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Short answer: 360 Manual and don't look back.

Mine has been virtually trouble free, 28,000+ miles and original clutch (just did major service, replaced engine mounts, comparatively cheap repair).


Sent by incredibly fast electrons

 

This.

 

Curious, why is it a 348 or a 360? Usually the choice is between back-to-back models, like the 355 or 360.

Also note that the 348 is one of the least loved Ferraris. May help with purchase price though.

 

with Ferraris, its always about price, but, for me - I just do not like to take my car to a shop! Their purpose is to get you your car and make a profit doing it. Its NOT about whats best for the car. I guess I am pretty fussy and have the (mechanical) equipment, resources, experience to do it right and it doesn't matter if I can't drive it for a day, week, month.

The only time I have ever had to go back to the dealer was on my 2007 328i that the immobilizer failed and the car would not start. I could track it as far as that, but could never figure out how it worked.

I always liked the 348! It was the last 8-cylinder car to be developed when Enzo was alive.

This is the one I am going to look at and drive:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430-sponsored-yellow-compass-group/509836-360-red-tan-37k-miles.html

 

I've had both and they are too different cars. 348 is raw and targa is nice . For 6ft+ guys it can be tight.

360 modern In every way . It took a while to grow on me. Both are easy to work on

 

Btw, why not black interior ? I never understood obsession with tan . It shows dirt too easy . Mine is black with blood ox carpets

 

I have one of both. A 1990 348tb and a 2002 360 3 pedal.

2 very different cars! Even though they are only 10 years apart, the evolution is impressive. You have to try them both - my guess is that you will choose the 360.

And I agree - it's so easy to work on - and spare parts are considereble cheaper than 348 parts.

 

From the front compartment of the 360 there is acces to work on all component as well.
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