355 Thought experiment for obtaining Unobtanium 355.

Understood.

My question to you is would you be ok with stripping it?


I ask because you wrote this earlier:


“My goal now would be seats and FHP swapped into my nice 20k mile F1 Berlinetta. I know how nice & solid my car is and don’t want to acquire somebody else’s worn out car that has lots of needs.”



I’ve only seen 1 LHD 355 (F1) with tan carbon sport seats & FHP and that car is in Japan. So practically speaking, unless that car in Japan ends up in a wreck AND you manage to be the first vulture, this is an unattainable goal. Somethings gotta give.

 

*2 cars in Japan. One is white/tan with red stitching. The other is RC/Tan.

 

This hypothetical isn’t actually for me . I’m in a good position currently with my car, but had the opportunity arose 2-3 years ago #1 would be the route I would take. Certainly far easier than searching FHP parts & carbon seats all over the planet, which requires a tremendous amount of luck and diligence and even then I don’t have a LHD quick rack, but I do have a RHD one, which I will need to create a LHD rack as I have no other choice.

 

What’s necessary or not is difficult to debate, but I do know alot of people aren’t satisfied with the feel of the current rack (even with a smaller diameter steering wheel).

Personally, I’m 90% complete with the FHP conversion, so finishing it off feels necessary to me . It can only be a better experience, not worse I assume. At the very least, I can say I experienced driving a manual FHP equipped 355, which I know not many can say they have experienced.

 

It would also be difficult for me to say it’s necessary or not if I haven’t tried it. Once I actually try it, I’ll be the first to let you guys know if it’s necessary or not . But to date, everyone’s who tried it says it’s a “must have.”

 

I created this thread mainly to see how people think or view the subject.


My choice would be #1 for a few reasons:

1. Unlike other Ferraris such as the 360/F430, Ferrari gave a new name with a new badge for 355’s equipped with F1 transmission. For example, “355 F1 Berlinetta.” The “F” is purposely left out of F355.

This name shows up on all your certificates for the car. It shows up on your Carfax. Ferrari felt it important enough that a 355 born with an F1 transmission would be called a different name. Almost like… “are you born a male or female?”

Ferrari didn’t have different names for 355’s with carbon seats, fhp, or roll bar. They were more seen as optional performance upgrades. In the case of seats and fhp, the parts were once sold separately by Ferrari, just extremely scarce and currently unobtanium and have been for at least 2 decades. The roll bar was bespoke of course and regional.



2. Having said that, because your certificates show born as an F1 car, it will always be considered an F1 to manual converted car. Option #1.. the car is considered a manual with OEM performance parts installed. Like installing a Ferrari factory sport exhaust on an F430.


3. Going option #1 insures the car at its core is a manual 355. It was born a manual. I don’t have to change badges on the car or my certificates (which you can’t do anyways). Shoot, the car would probably still pass Classiche. Classiche allows exterior and interior color changes! Will they allow a transmission change? You’ll need to ask them if that’s important to you, but my hunch is no.


4. I know where manual prices are going. I can’t say the same for an F1 car. I can always revert back to originality if the market doesn’t value the OE performance upgrades (which would be a mistake imo) and it wouldn’t be an intrusive reversal. The two cars would probably drive identically, but I know deep down the car is a genuine manual car going Option #1, which I believe is the most important spec the market is currently desires. If the market values F1 cars higher 10-20 years from now, then I simply bet on the wrong horse. That’s life . But at the very least, I enjoyed the driving experience.




Having said all that, there are certain cases where I might convert the F1 car. A numbered Serie Fiorano or an extremely hard for find color combo car, where I can’t find a manual equivalent.


Hence the reason I specifically picked Rosso Corsa/Nero example as a hypothetical because it’s an abundant color spec (at least in ROW cars).





I did not throw this out as an option, but going Option 1 allows me to pick the manual 355 of my liking. I could choose a 10k mi 355 to swap parts into. It doesn’t even have to be a red car. As long as the interior is black, matches, its all good.



This begs the question… those who picked Option 3, would you feel the same if the F1 car had 50-70k miles?

 

5800 mile car should be virgin. Miles too low .


You need something in the 15-30k mile range in a fantastic color. But like I mentioned before, maybe you shouldn’t touch the silver car at all as it has its place in 355 special spec history.


If I could only afford to have one 355, I would swap it out . If you could afford to have multiple 355’s, then perhaps best to leave it as is. Find another less impressive FHP car or something.

 

I can’t speak on future value, but swapping interior and FHP into TDF GTS would be epic . Spec doesn’t exist. Nothing even close. Not even in F1 form. Matching model years (1999) doesn’t hurt either.


Throw in pre-airbag wheel, some challenge wheels in white, silver, or gold…. Watch out!!








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Might even end up better looking than this car

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Not that I know of.

 

Handicap female’s car?

 

FHP was 98-99.


For LHD, Tan interior was classic in U.S. Wasn’t prevalent in Europe or Japan.


I’ve only seen maybe a handful of LHD euro 355’s with tan carbon seats and none of them had FHP.

 

@carnutdallas

There can only be one.


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What color is the car?

 

@carnutdallas

The matter is settled.

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