Really pretty 355 Available

Green, and a spider, two strikes.

 

I have a green bra available from my parts shelf for anyone who wants it and is willing to pay for shipping.

 

Quite often rare colours can command a real premium. I think at 1st glance the car looks beautiful.

 

The green is fantastic. Its two strikes really are that it's a Spider, that's the huge number one, and number two that godawful tan interior. But that green, yummy.

 

There are a lot of negatives about that car but being a green, 95, gated spider aren't some of them. But I doubt the car will come close to $100k.

 

Just curious as I'm getting more familiar with the 355s: Why the big issues with it being a spider?

 

The spider?

It's beautiful, sexy, svelte, and a magnet.

The power spider top design is extremely problematic and unreliable. The ramps don't align, the hydraulics leak, the integrated seat position sensors do not work, the drivers in the top controller ECU go bad, and most of those components are NLA. The seat position sensors require a SD1 for calibration and ... those are not around anymore. The body flexes a bit more than a Berlinetta and it weighs a little more too.

It's beautiful, sexy, svelte, and a magnet. The tube exhaust sound reverbs from behind your head with the top down is an experience all Ferrari owners must experience once.

 

thx. So overall, unsure whether to view this as + or - ?

I also heard from my local shop that you can convert it all manual to avoid all the potential issues. Thoughts?

 

You can convert it to manual to bypass all of the electronic nonsense… but you have to have a top structure that is aligned properly in the first place to have a manually operated top that ‘works’.

I considered it briefly, but the misalignment on our car is pretty bad, that our solution was to just get the top down and live with it that way…

 

In two words, FerrariChat bias.

 

The new Ferrari GTB F1 car. Roofs rock!

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So I'm looking at the market right now and I'm pretty convinced on a Spider, for several reasons:

1) I live in NorCal and I can drive it top down 10 months in the year. I would not even bother with closing the roof for long periods of time.
2) I'm only thinking of using it 2-3k miles a year, maybe 5k. My 458S still the go-to Ferrari.
3) After enjoying the 458, I really want to experience an old school (and my childhood poster) Ferrari
4) I have a local Ferrari mechanic who knows 355s really well. Fortunately I'm financially capable to deal with it too...
5) The PPI report (along wit service records) show no roof issues on the 18k-mile model I'm looking at
6) Nothing like the sound of the 355 Tubi with open top
7) last but certainly not least... Market is asking for >$250k for the berlinettas or GTSs. I paid $195k for my 458 almost 2 years ago. No F... way I'm paying that much for a 1999 car.

I'd greatly appreciate any additional feedback you guys may have for me. This chat makes the ownership experience soooo much better.

 

Something tells me that's a new Rosso color.

 

That's encouraging. Thx a lot. The model I'm looking at is a 1999 gated. I did hear about the differences with the 1995, but I also heard about the valve guides issues in the earlier models. I ultimately went for one that was in great shape, rel low mileage, well priced and good service records.

 

...and if it ain't broke, don't fix it (by converting it to manual).

Of course, routine maintenance helps preserve the roof. The manual advises not to leave it down for long periods (to protect the plastic window). Protect the fabric with Porsche products. Refill the hydraulic system from time to time with Mercedes top fluid.

 

Sounds good and makes sense. Thx. Yes same talk from my local mechanic. Without him I don't think I'd pull the trigger. His answer to going manual: Let's first see how bad (or good) it is...

 

I've had my 95 spider for 9 years. Dealer had a major done as part of the sale. Driven it 13,000 miles. I do all the minor maintenance myself; fluids, basically. Just finished a brake fluid flush today. Only major cost in those 9 years was a set of Tubi headers, which I installed, since the OEM one cracked at around 30k miles. Next most expensive thing was a new set of tires. Last time it was in a shop was before I bought it. No indication of any top problems since new. Maybe I'll have belts don't next year since it will be close to 15k miles since they were done. \

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Oh and that blue pozi + beige interior spec... AWESOME!

The experience you just described with your 355 is exactly what I want to replicate. Thx a lot!

 

That's Swaters Blue metallic. But yea, love it.

 

Good lord that’s gorgeous.

 

Who agrees?

https://jalopnik.com/here-s-why-you-should-never-buy-a-ferrari-f355-1706976075

 

We all own 355 here. Why would we agree with that piece of garbage of an article?