buying my first Ferrari 360 help please

Hello Everyone, I am new to Ferrari and looking at buying a 2002 or higher 360 Spider. My background is SL Mercedes but I am bored with them and would like a new challenge. The problem being as a former Mercedes man I am useless in a manual so the 360 with the F1 auto and the TCU Challenge Stradale upgrade to address the clutch issue with the F1 box.

To start am I able to drive the 360 as an everyday auto? I am aware of the costs involved with ownership and this is not an issue at all. The goal is to start in a 360, learn about the car and then maybe move up through the models. This way if I break the 360 or blow up the box it will not hurt my bank.

I am looking at 2 cars both 2002 Spiders but having a hard time deciding which one. Both are looked after by the same mechanic.

1) Car 1 Red on Black, silver. 40,000klm (25,000miles)

$145,000 AUD (USD = $100,000) TCU and Capristo stage 3 exhaust completed, recent service and brake pads. this car is driven weekly.

2) Car 2 Red on Tan $175,000 (USD = $100,000) plus TCU and Capristo stage 3 as the current exhaust is stock as with the TCU. 22,000klm (14,000miles) Also needs major service and new clutch so approx. another $25,000AUD making $200,000 in total It is almost always garaged and not driven often.

So my dilemma is which I buy. I would save $50,000 buying the first car but if I decide to keep rather than trade is the red on tan the better long-term option? I do not want to buy the first one and then in 3 months kick myself as I can afford the extra 50K

Links to both cars below

Car 1

https://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Ferrari-360-2002/SSE-AD-4719426/?Cr=9

Car 2

https://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Ferrari-360-2002/SSE-AD-5590056/?Cr=23

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Welcome

Car 2 says just serviced as I read it (maybe more information is needed as to why you say major & clutch needed) but not sure what else the extra money is buying you in real terms - the TCU is nice not critical especially if you plan to drive in auto (look for previous threads on auto driveability) and maybe the standard exhaust is easier to live with

Others may view them differently

 

Thank you, he does a basic service every year on the second car but is telling me it needs the belts done. I hope I am not mixing this service up with the service on the 355 but I was under the impression it was done every 3 years and around 10,000AUD and belts, chains were included?. The exhaust s something I want to do but can add later and the TCU everything I read it is just hands down better and does not ride the clutch so much that is common with this model in auto mode. The extra money is not an issue but I am thinking an extra 50K and I am in a 430 or just take the first car, learn in it and have some fun and see where am in 12 months. At the end of the day is it worth the extra $50,000 for newly serviced, new belts, exhaust and TCU upgrade on the first car?

 

$10,000 AUD sounds high for a belt service on the 360. 355 possibly would get to 10k but the engine and transaxle get removed from the car for a major. Pending no major problems found a belt service on a 360 should be able to be completed in a day and run at 4-5k, and is recommended every 3 years on the service schedule.

If you can afford it, get whichever car you like the most. The following is what I found is when I was looking for my 360:

- Don't worry about mileage (within reason). Ferrari's work better when they are driven often so long as the servicing has been done. Mine now has 67,000km is driven most weeks and runs like clockwork. I made sure it had a book full of service stamps when I purchased it which seems to have been a good move.
- As a daily driver, yes it's totally possible however the F1 box is not well suited to traffic so expect to chew through a clutch pretty briskly if you do a lot of stop-start driving. Even with the CS TCU the clutch still slips a lot on take-off. Avoid slow crawling starts, put your foot down and go, get into 2nd gear as soon as possible, and avoid too much reversing especially up hill and you will prolong the clutch. People say auto mode can eat the clutch a bit faster but I think this is unproven. There seems to be people on here whose clutch last only 5,000k and some are at 50,000k and still going. The average for an F1 clutch seems to be about 30,000km. Driving style seems to have the biggest impact.
- You are very unlikely to blow a gearbox!
- I have the CS TCU fitted on my car which is great, however I wouldn't feel it's worth an extra 50k. It's hard to find as a spare part these days but should you find one it's nearly plug and play for a ferrari tech to fit - just needs 20-30 minutes on the scan tool to carry over your clutch settings. There is also a member on here who can re-program later model TCU's with the CS code which gives the same result. Not sure what he charges but it's likely to be small change in comparison to a new TCU.
- My clutch cost NZD$9,000 but I did literally everything in there down to the last nut, bolt and washer, including engine/gearbox mounts and a few other bits and pieces. At 67,000km I have just fitted the cars third clutch.
- The F1 box feels very different to anything else. Take your time to learn how to get the best from it. And enjoy the car
- Expect a few maintenance items after you buy. Engine mounts, fuel tank seals, small oil leaks etc are pretty common minor problems which are showing up on these cars now.

And those purchase prices in AU. Ouch. Considering what's available to us this side of the Tasman you guys look like you get a tough deal!

 

Wow, the 360 market is strong over there!

Car #1 would be my preference.
The only thing you like better about car number two is the interior color and the miles?

are you buying the car to enjoy it, or to resell it?

It's liberating if you go with the former option.

 

Thank you for the reply. That 2nd car the red on tan has only 14,000 miles and the 1st car 25,000 which is still very low. The TCU alone will not cost an extra $50,000 you can get it for $2300 AUD but the combination full service, belts, chain, TCU and Exhaust upgrade that is where I am looking at an extra 50K for the 2nd car as the list price is also a little higher. The 1st car on the other hand already has the recent full service with everything done belts, chain, has the TCU upgrade and Exhaust upgrade already done. The only difference is colour and 10,000 miles so this is why I am stuck spend the 50 or not. Both cars are also looked after by the same mechanic and I shortlisted these 2 from 9 cars available. The first car is used weekly and enjoyed whilst the second car is kept wrapped in a bubble and hardly used.

All prices AUD and everything here is expensive (plus backwards)

 

That is a good question and thankyou. This is my first so I thought to grab a 360 and if I screw anything up no great loss rather than staring in a 430 or higher where I would be too scared to have fun. With a 360 I do not have to worry and can just go and have fun. Down the track, if I decide to keep great but yes if I want to resell and trade up should I spend extra now?
I

 

I see where you come from on the 50K extra investment. Note there's no chain on these cars, that was introduced on the 430 onwards.

If you're using it as a daily driver putting some reasonable miles on it then re-sale of either will be similar and will be in line with a well respected but used car. Red/tan and red/black both hold similar resale value and are safe colour choices, at least in this part of the world. Your depreciation risk on the higher cost car will be much more as it sounds like you're "converting" it from investment grade to daily driver grade. I would save the 50k, drive the car and enjoy it without fear, and keep 50k aside for the next purchase. Also get due diligence done on the car you decide to purchase from an independent ferrari mechanic (not the guy who has always looked after it).

 

Thank you I think you are correct and I am starting to think this way. The positive with both sellers is that they are not in any hurry to sell. With the mechanic that was a pure coincidence and a good one. I live in another state and both cars are located in the same city. I started doing my due diligence on the best mechanics in that city and from my research, they both spend a little more and use the person with the best reputation when working with their cars.

 

My $0.02

Both cars are Spiders so also give a little attention to the operation of the roof as well.
Repairs can be as costly or more than engine component replacement. Just saying!
Make sure the roof opens or closes smoothly without any external intervention

 

Yeah, but unless "every day" means you're an ecom/digital marketing/other work-from-home profession, I would get a high mileage Bentley or Aston Martin instead. Unless you live in a mega wealthy area, you will find people sitting on it, touching it, sitting in it (!) If the top is down, etc. every time you get groceries or shop or go out to eat. It gets old really fast. Sad as it is, Ferraris can't really be "only" cars in most areas.

If you are going to drive it every day, I'd get a mega miles or title issue F430 instead. IMO they don't look or sound as good as 360's, but they have much more forgiving maintenence, and the high miles F1 models can be had for like $85,000 or less now. That's a TON of car for the money.

 

When I read every day you are correct, I should have put maybe weekly. My daily driver is an ML63 and I also have an SL55 and E350 Mercedes so we are covered there. My issue is that the SL55 has just become so boring and as much as I love it I need a new challenge. I believe I might actually learn how to drive in the Ferrari. With the price of the cars, I am in Australia so everything is almost double than in the USA, UK and Europe. A good 02 and above 360 Spider here is around $150,000AUD (105USD) The first car here it is low mile and has the exact specs I want with the Capristo stage 3 exhaust TCU upgrade, recent full service, brake pads. He did say the cam belt is due and a $2,500 fee but otherwise exactly what I want. Still, my dilemma is to buy that car or the 2nd car with the tan on red. The 2nd car such low miles and 100% original but the extra $50K is it worth it?

 

And this, right here, is why I got rid of my 360. People these days have ZERO respect for others' property, especially if it is an exotic car. I've had the above happen as well as the pleasure of coming out to a Ferrari covered in ice cream from someone throwing it on it. After a while the anxiety of driving, and especially parking it somewhere, overcomes the joys of ownership. Just my 2¢...

 

People do not want to work hard they want everything now and then are jealous of others who do the extra in life. This is why the weight loss industry is huge give people the chance to do some hard work or swallow a pill and they take the pill every time. I own a medical cannabis company and people ask me if cannabis will cure their cancer. I tell them it can help but you need to go through a major lifestyle change and combine with other supplements and procedures. I lose that many sales by being honest and they end up going with someone who tells them yes you only need cannabis nothing else. This lazy, what about me attitude drives me crazy and I cant understand why people sit around feeling sorry for themselves and being jealous of others. Time for a cup of tea

 

in my opinion as a 42 year old its a tough car to daily drive. at 32 i wld have said sure why not but the f1 isnt very comfortable in that car. its a pain getting in and out of it and it has big blind spots. i think the 458 is the first truly daily drive-able mid engine car. obviously also depends on your commute. ie if you have 20 miles of winding backroads with no cops then its a hell of a choice. if you are stop and go and mostly town driving i think you will want to shoot urself once the novelty wears off. especially coming from a MB - you might wanna consider an FF if its your first rodeo

 

If anything, the F1 transmission is more reliable and certainly easier to drive on the 430 compare to the 360. FWIW.

 

Good summary. I made my car my DD but I did work from home a lot shortly after that decision. It was challenging for driveways and parking. And as noted, getting in and out is difficult with it that low and the LONG doors that require space next to you. I don't regret the choice but probably wouldn't do it now that I am 13 years older.

 

I would go car 1 if your going to drive it a bit, it’s been for sale for some time and i can only assume seller is not budging on price.

As far as 25k for clutch and service that’s crazy. Major in aus should be between 3-5k depending who is doing the work and clutch well depends what else your doing in there.

 

I would pass on both until you are ready for a 430.

 

The 360 is a great first Ferrari. It was mine, albeit a manual, and I enjoy them so much I’m currently on my 3rd! Have owned a 458 and 550 as well. All great cars but somehow the 360 keeps pulling me back in . They are extremely reliable. Definitely can use as a daily driver without concern. Anybody that actually drives these cars know they run better when they’re driven. They’re like people, they dry out if you don’t use them. Best of luck!

 

Or sell a Mercedes for the extra cash.
Mercedes is nice.
But not a Ferrari.

Lifes too short not to have a Ferrari.

Of the two you are looking at get the red tan lower mileage.