Why did you buy your F430 or 360

Firstly why did you choose to buy a Ferrari and more importantly your F430 or 360?

 

I wanted a fun sports car I could maintain myself that would hold its value over the long term. The gated Ferrari 360 Spider fit that description.

 

Needed a beater to run errands

Lol,
I simply liked the car

 

For me the 360 is my personal sweet spot on the 'analogue car vs modern car' scale.

 

I've always wanted a Ferrari as a small 3 yr old kid already, that dream never left my mind, every euro I earned or got for b-days etc went straight to the savings account for my Ferrari. Then at 18 I started buying other cars trying to trade my way up. Had multiple difficult situations pushing it away and away, recently been given the opportunity to own one together with my dad. For me it had to be a Mid engine Ferrari, he wanted a convertible, and the 360 or F430 were both in budget, preferred the F430 as I think it looks better, and due to it being the car that was around when I was a teenager.

 

I have always wanted a Ferrari. It was the cars I always had on my wall, it was always the best cars to have in top trumps!

The F430 was the best, newest, most up to date, value for money, lower maintenance Ferrari I could afford. It also happened to be super sexy and a dream to drive as well!

 

My dad was a Ferrari guy. I even learned to drive stick back in the 80's on his Mondial (when he was out of town).

I have been a Porsche guy most of my life. I got my 1st Porsche at 17 years old and even kept that car till I was almost 40. I still own multiple Porsche vehicles.

My dad didn't make it to 59 years old after a quick fight with lung cancer, I guess 3 packs of Marlboro a day might not be such a great idea, so when I was in the hospital recovering from my cancer surgery, I decided in honor of my dad and buy a Ferrari. I really thought long and hard about getting a Testarossa, a car my father wanted but couldn't justify to my mom over the "practical" Mondial, but the maintenance cost fear scared me away from that. Then I investigated an early 458 vs a late model F430. I wanted carbon ceramic brakes and I wanted to avoid the timing belt service. I picked the 430 even though at the time a 2010 458 with some miles was only 10 or 15k more than a 2009 F430 with relatively low miles. The main reason being the 430 felt more like a Ferrari of old and the 458 felt like a fast Mercedes or closer to a Porsche than the 430. Some of the magic of driving a Ferrari seemed missing from the newer cars. Everything felt so solid and German-like for an Italian car. So I got my 2009 430. Now I keep being tempted by a 488, I love the side intakes, but after driving one I am reminded even more of the refined and technology-focused feeling of a Mercedes or Porsche.

 

2002 360 Manual ... why ?
Its a Ferrari LOL
Manual !
Analog
Sound
Rear engine
Stunningly beautiful / presence / rarity
Continue to increase $$
Ride quality

VERY few cars have it all ...

Cheers
Steve

 

For me its the founding father and its history, every car company has its starting point for Enzo it was his passion for racing and being the best.!
Every Ferrari screams passion, their lines can be admired parked or passing you at speed not to mention the sound and the way it makes you feel.
I've been a "car guy" my entire life and always Loved Ferrari's, any car company that displays their engine with hoods closed tells you everything you need to know.
I own a F430 every time I take it out it puts a huge smile on my face and most of the time others the same.

 

I had 911s for years and years. My last one I had for almost 18 years. It was a 1995 993. I loved it because of the fact that it was still "analog" and a reliable fun and quick car to drive. It had appreciated significantly and was approaching 50K miles (albeit, well kept and in beautiful condition) and I knew it was time to consider either keeping it or letting it go for a price higher than what I had paid for it all those years ago.

I had always admired the GT 250 and 330-- and when I bought my 1995 993, you could still buy a driver quality (maybe needing some attention) for about the same price as the 993 I bought. So wanting to make a change, I started looking. Of course I was shocked to see that those Ferrari models had far outpaced the appreciation my 993 enjoyed! Yet still wanting to switch camps, I began checking into what other Ferrari models I would be interested in-- and could afford!

After lurking here on this forum for about 5 months I learned that the 360 or the 430 may be the car for me. The 430 never really appealed to me visually. Despite it's obvious "upgrades" from the the 360 the smoother flowing, non angular design of the 360 looked beautiful to me. To add I remember being at a car show years ago when a man came in with a 360 and I never forgot how incredibly cool it was that the whole engine was visible through the rear glass deck lid.

Credit to all here for all the great information imparted, I began looking for a 360. I drove one (a stick car) and although I really didn't warm up to the stick; even after all the 911 cars I had were, I was hooked on the sound and the experience that was so different from my 993. The car was of course much faster than the 993 and it was a completely new experience that got me going.

Eventually I found my 360 in California. We struck a deal and the car was shipped to me. Six years later I couldn't be happier. I never intend to sell the car and I never looked back with regret parting ways with my mint 993.
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The look, the feel, the smell, the beeps...the entire experience. Plus I just can't stop looking at it, even just sitting in my garage. I went with the 430 because for me it's the perfect combo of analog and modern tech, and I can work on it myself. I also wanted an F1 trans vs a DCT. Just my opinion after owning plenty of DCT cars, but take away the need to actually drive the car and become stale. I drive our Tesla when I want to just point and press the throttle.

 

I'm a die hard Porsche GT fan. Have owned many. For that reason, I've always been attracted to the "limited" special models (CS, scud, Speciale, etc...), but they were all so far outside my financial comfort zone that I didn't think one of those would ever be a possibility. Not to sound like a snob, but the "normal" cars just are not as interesting to me (I love unique cars that you don't see often). So when the "well loved" clean title BAT former track rental Scud came up on BAT and it looked like it might sell for for a price similar to a nice f430, I didn't hesitate. Plus, I knew I could tackle 95% of the stuff the car might need on a DIY basis over time, which turned out to be pretty dang accurate. Its been a great car with very few issues (90% of what I have tackled so far was just to restore and maintain and refresh). Its still a work in process but boy is it pretty and cool and fun to drive, and is really, really impressive in so many ways. Even my loyal Porsche die-hard friends say things like "whoa" and "I get it now" when they drive it. And at the end of the day, its a freaking Scud and fits in my humble stable so well and scratches the "exotic" itch in a way that doesn't make me feel guilty driving it (like my old low mileage gated six speed gallardo did).

 

This I recognise aswell, few friend of mine that used to drive Porsches (mainly 911's). all are saying "they now get why we got a Ferrari", they all admit it has a extra dimension to theatre and spectacle that a 911 just doesn't give according to them. I wouldnt know, ive driven a 911 (997.2 C2S) once only and that was 5yrs+ ago so not that fresh anymore.

 

I bought a 360 because it’s on my bucket list of Ferrari’s to own. I always wanted a Testarossa, 360, 430 and F12. I doubt I will ever own a Testarossa but I will the others mentioned. The 360 sounds amazing to me. I think most should experience the first modern era introduction Ferrari which is clearly the 360.

 

Because my Corvette just wasn't breaking enough..

 

I owned a Lotus Esprit for 16 happy years and wanted the next step up. Also the side profile of the 360 looks stunning.

 

I never once thought about buying a Ferrari. Being a Porsche guy for the last 12 years, they just were not doing it for me anymore. Always wanted a Lotus Esprit V8, but could never fit in one. The 360 just fit me. Im 275lbs and about 6'2"

 

... because the F430 was my dream car since I saw Michael Schumacher developing the Scuderia , and then owing one...

One day I will own a F430 or Scud I told myself... Now I am punching myself for not getting the scud 3 years ago when prices were half of what they are today.

 

I had a 911 when I was younger and more recently I had a Boxster S, which I loved and should have kept.

My wife and I went to a dealership “to just go look.” That dealership had a lot of exotics for sale. I wanted a red F430, she wanted the Grigio Titanio F430. The red 430 was a gated spider that was out of my price range. We came home with the 2009 Grigio Titanio and I’ve had so many compliments on it because of the Cuoio interior.

So much for just going to look…


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The brand wasn't a factor for me I just wanted the best driver's car for my budget. It was between an AM DBS, Gallardo, and the F430.

The F430 won for the sharp handling and overall feedback.

 

I must be the oddball that has absolutely no desire to own the Scuderia. I feel like the front end of the standard F430 looks cleaner. The rear is a tossup. I'm a comfort guy though and the bare interior of the Scud just doesn't do it for me. I like long road trips. Plus, to me, one of the signatures of the Ferrari was leather everywhere in the interior. The base engine to me performs excellent and the shifting in my 08 is super smooth. Plus, I'm doing a manual conversion and I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that on a Scud.

As for what brought me here, I fell in love with the F430 when I saw the Novitec version shortly after the car launch. To me it was perfection...then. I don't care so much for the Novitec car anymore, but I feel like the F430 has aged very well just the way it was designed. I have a few interior tweaks I want to do, but that's because of my passion for interior design and not because I feel it was done poorly.

Honestly, I had completely forgotten about the F430 as cars like these have usually been out of reach so you're excited as a fan, but it quickly gets pushed to the back of your mind. Recently, I've been fortunate enough to indulge myself a bit. I wanted something new and was dead set on the new Z06. I even had an early spot at both of the big dealers. If I'm honest with myself though, I felt like I was settling. The looks were just too transformers for my taste and there were a number of questionable design decisions with that car. It hit the high notes though...Naturally aspirated V8, mid engine, convertible. With all the talk about how it was the "American Ferrari," I started thinking to myself. "You know, despite what I want this car to be, it will never be a Ferrari." There's just something special about the brand. Every Corvette owner that put Ferrari badges on or every Fiero owner that bought a conversion knows this deep down inside. The badge on the outside is their denial that whatever they have will never be a Ferrari. So, if I'm spending that much money for a "never going to be a real Ferrari," why don't I get a real Ferrari? That immediately brought me back to the F430. I might have been persuaded to go with a 458 but the $100k premium just wasn't worth it to me. The F430 had the better style in my opinion and seeing the engine was almost a must have, which you can't see with the 458 Spider.

To me, it was the high point of Ferrari before things got too digital. Quite frankly, I feel the early 2000's were the height of quality automotive in general. I feel like number crunching tainted too many things post 2010. I can't picture myself in any other Ferrari really. If I had room for one more, it would be a 308 because of the legend it is in mind. If I had money to burn, a 288 GTO or the 250 GT SWB California Spider.

 

Finally saw one 2023 Monterey car week. Best car there.

 

Nicely detailed explanation, and very VERY recognizable about the Novitec F430, i was also deeply in love with that car, and while i was searching the white coupe came up for sale that was their demo, made me want it so bad but not a spider sadly. and indeed i think you are one of the few that doesnt want a 16M or Scud, Id love to get a scud as they are more hardcore, then again i totally do not give 2shits about luxury (also depends on what some1 finds luxury in cars ofcorse) in cars, the only luxury i want in a car is cruise control for highway driving (which an F430 sadly doesnt have like a 599) and an A/C other than that no thx! All options that can give errors or break, the less thats able to break the better (for any car in my opinion), cars these days are expensive enough without stuff breaking/errors/malfunctioning...

My money no object Ferrari's would be a F50GT, FXX, and okok not really a Ferrari, but kinda, a MC12 Corsa all with a streetlegal conversion on it ofcorse.

 

A Ferrari was never really my dream car. I always wanted a viper. I had one for a year and grew to love how raw it was compared to the C5 I owned before it. I started becoming good friends with a guy who had a few Murcielagos. He kinda brought me into the world of project exotics. While a murci was out of my budget, especially manual ones like his, an E-Gear Gallardo in... questionable shape... was not. I was open to a 360, but it didn't appeal to me nearly as much as a Gallardo.

One day I was driving around and inadvertently passed what was the only Italian exotic dealership in the state at the time. They had a couple Gallardos parked up front, so I decided to see what was up. They asked what I was looking for and I told them I put an offer in on a Gallardo a week ago and still wanted one. I also mentioned that I wouldn't mind a 360. They mentioned that they had both and asked if I wanted to drive them. I'm not sure if that was supposed to be a rhetorical question.

The Gallardo felt like a let down to me. It felt more like the Corvette I had than the viper. It didn't feel very lively. I was kinda bummed. Then they brought out the 360. It felt nimble and raw, although a big part of that was the carbon seats and ultra low profile tires.

I asked what they wanted for it, and they told me a number far lower than any other clean title 360 in the country at the time due to needing belts and some other work. They had planned to use it as a winter project, but someone else brought in a wrecked 360 needing extensive work. I wanted it bad.

Unfortunately the dealership wouldn't let me trade in my viper because it was rebuilt, so I had to sell it which took months. I had to mentally accept that I probably wouldn't get that car. In the end I got it, with the rationalization that I would flip it and make some money. As you can tell, 6 years later, that was a lie.

Between how analog it is and how there isn't a corner on the smooth body lines, I can't really see any other vehicle I would rather have near it's price bracket. I plan on keeping it for life.

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Do you recall which year Gallardo? The 2004/05 have way tall gearing that was resolved 06+