Thoughts? 355ch or 348ch?

I personally preffer the 355 over the 348 .I'm not a nostalgic type of person "usually" .I must admit though I wish the 355 came w/ the 348 doors "the 348's are way cool!!

The performance of the 355 is "far" superior IMO to the 348.
nimble drivability as well as dependability.This to me is well worth the additional "up-front" cost .My "day off" is worth thousands when that car starts 'every time" and I've NEVER been stuck on the side of the road in my 355.
I purchased my 99 355 w/ 30k on the ODO and now has almost 50k 1 and a half years later.
The 355's manual is "much" smoother vs's the 348 notorious "notchy" and difficult to shift precisely and quickly.Not to mention depedability issues w/ the 348.(I opted for the F-1) which is dead accurate ALL the time and a hell of a lot more enjoyable for me especially when driving agressively.PS... In support and dis-agreement w/ most F-cars opinions I still have the original clutch almost 50k on it and shifts "perfectly!"

Either way you go you'll surely enjoy the ride.Hope this helps and be safe!!

 

IMO 95 355CH, else go for 348 so you can atleast drive it around....unless you leave near a track.

 

First off, there's was no factory 348 Challenge car for '89 model year....It first appeared in '94. So this 348 car was converted to "Challenge" specs at some point (a negative in my opinion). Besides the '89 348 cars are the least desirable to own (first year production) and have well documented shortcomings with suspension, brakes and electronics....Ferrari made several upgrades to the later model 348s ('93, '94).

The 348CH is streetable and cheaper to buy (+)

The 355CH is a newer car with better technology and faster around the track vs 348CH in stock form (+)

A $15K price difference seems like a bargain when comparing these two Challenge cars....I would opt for the 355CH just because it's a newer and better car for only $15K more if both cars had service records available...

In most cases you can convert the 355CH to be steetable as well (for a few $$ more).

How about service records, maintenance, mileage, track time, engine rebuild records etc...The $15K price difference can turn into a nightmare without any records.

All the best - VK

 

You may be able to title a '95 355C or a 348C, depending on where you live, but how do you plan to get it past VA's inspection in order to keep it tagged? Neither car is street legal, by any means. As for desireability, the 348C is cheaper to maintain and lacks power steering (which is a good thin in my opinion), although 355Cs are pretty cheap these days and offer a lot of bang for the buck. Converting either car to street-legal form emasculates it, costs a bunch, and is of dubious legality anyway. Of course, in their Challenge spec they're real hair shirts (hot, noisy and rough-riding, with very little ground clearance and no amenities)- take my word for it.
Edit: I assume you're aware that nearly every Challenge car was wrecked (some often), so check carefully. I bought mine largely because it was the only one I'd found that had been only lightly raced (3 or 4 events in '94) without being crashed.

 

Scott, In 1995 the 355c came with a title and to my understanding that was the only year and to make anything later 'streetable" would be very expensive and difficult. There is one for sale that I know of, raced only a few times and in excellent condition. It is low miles and very well serviced. I have driven it on two occassions and the sound is the best I have ever heard. Nice handling and though very stiff, in the softer mode is ok for hiway travel and rough roads. Not a car to get the groceries in but a great canyon and track car. Pm me if you want more info. John

 

I get groceries in mine all the time! I drive it almost every weekend, last weekend 350 miles, the weekend before, 648 miles to Asheville NC and along the blueridge parkway.

The roughness, rawness if you will, is part of the experience or "charm". Open track exhaust, earplugs, no air...I love it!!

No problems so far, over 5000 miles in the last 5 months.

PS: there is a 355 carbon fiber wing for sell on ebay, now price is 2500. The seller said it cost over 16K. Could that be true? My 348c has one as well.

Incidently, the one I have supposivly is the 348c Jim Kenton won the 1996 348 Series with.

 

355 is so much nicer looking imho

355
shifts nicer
has 6 speeds
pwr steering
will hold its value better
has adj ride
bigger displacement

 

Whenever the question of buying ferraris comes up, the most common advice I read is to buy the newest one you can afford. I guess that applies to cars you want to track aswell.