Does the 348tb Make A Good First F Car

I love my 348! The styling on it gorgeous. One of the reasons I went for the 348 was because out of all the problems people mention about the 348 you never hear these:
1.Mainfolds cracking
2.Engine issues
3.Drivetrain problems

Those are the problems that scare me about a car.

Interiors, you can use Oops to clean off the sticky. There are interior parts on sale all the time on Ebay. People sell carbon fiber parts if you really want to never see the problem again. Is this really a reason not to buy the car?

Electrical gremlins....mine has none, but i seen some with them. Buy one that doesnt have them and your chance of them popping up is probably pretty small. So your clock might act screwing sometimes, is this the reason that you would pick a total different motor, body style..etc..

Shifting is tough sometimes when its cold, thats what...all of 3 mins? Let the car warm up..

Its much easing to own these cars nowadays because you have sites like this, with extensive information...You have a grey market for parts, where you can aquire parts on Ebay or other members from 50-90% off the dealer parts. You have mechanics out there that will work on the cars for half the labor rates as the dealer,

A suggestion that most people give on here which i tend to agree with is go with the latest model that you can afford.

I don't think 348's are as bad as people make them out to be, but that's cool with me. It keeps the price low on them and eventually the cat will get out of the bag and people will see that they are good Ferraris and then watch that price on them start to go up.

 

I'm a fan of the 348. However as a first car, it depends on what your wallet can handle, and that goes for any Ferrari. Yes the 328 has a reputation as a reliable car, but that doesn't make it immune to the retarded prices you pay for Ferrari parts and service. Just because it is a 328 doesn't mean that the dealer will lower the shop rate from $120/hr to $80/hr. You will get jack for parts and labor just the same as the owner of a 348, 355, 360, 550, et cetera. So just be aware. Of the different models out there the Mondial, 348, 355, and Testarossa, are the most expensive to maintain because of the need to remove the engine for the timing belts. I do all my own work on my 348, so that GREATLY reduces the cost of ownership. But as I said the parts are still priced rediculous here in the U.S. A well sorted out 348 will run just as good as a 328. The problem is when people don't want to put the time or money into maitaining the car. That is were you get the problems with any car, and as a result the bad press on a 348. NO Ferrari is cheap to maintain. Some maybe be just a little bit cheaper than others. But as compaired to a normal everyday car, any Ferrari will be more expensive. So to finish up, get what you like and can afford without breaking the bank.

 

It scared me quite a lot before I bought my 348 half years ago. There are too many people and too many "information" said it is a car with a bad reputation.
Even though, I can not resist the attraction of this car and I did buy it anyway.
Within these 6 months, I try as much as I can to drive it. It is already more than 5000Km added by now.
Guess what? I love this car even more!!! Those people in here who used to disgust it turn to shut their mouth up.
It is really a great car and like F-chat here said "Ferrari always make people smile". I do smile all the time.

Chenshan
PS. The front yellow one is mine. The rest of the 348 owner all satisfy about their car.

 

I asked about the carbon door sills from you months ago. I finally got it few days ago and they look so pretty. I ordered the carbon knob in the same time. It also look perfect. I will put some pictures here as soon as I finish the work. Thanks for your help.

Best wishes,

Chenshan

 

Chenshan -

It's great to see another happy 348 owner.

Those Speedline wheels are beautiful. They look so much lighter and more modern than stock wheels. When you bought your 348, were those wheels already on the car? They're great!

Pictures of the carbon fiber sills would be terrific. For installation, make sure to get some double-sided automotive grade sticky tape. In addition to the screws, the tape will hold the panels in place perfectly. Beware.... you'll probably destory the old metal panels when you remove them. Mine got totally bent and buckled when I pulled them out.

I look forward to seeing the pictures!

Best Regards,
Daniel

 

Daniel,

I am not the only happy 348 owner here in Taiwan cause rest of the other 3 348 owners - next to my car in the picture, also satisfy.

Those Speedline wheels are one of the reasons I wanted to buy this car. Another reason is the Tubi exhaust, that is the greatest sound I had ever heard. I compared the sound to 355, 360 and Dialbo with original exhausts
and the answer to me is - I like mine most!

One of the 348 gets MSR (made in Japan) also sound great but that one sound a little lighter. Tubi gets more racing sensation to me.

I bought the same carbon fiber sills like yours. André really did a good job for the sills. For sure, I will be very careful when insert they and you will see the result as soon as I finish it.

Sincerely yours

Chenshan

 

Hi there

Firstly let me say, I love the fCar experience. My first car was a 1990 ts, I now own a 1988 3.2 Mondial. My ownership experience with the 348 was very mixed. While driving it, it gave me what a Ferrari should....pure emotion and enjoyment. But unfortunately, too much went wrong with the car.

I would hate to spoil your first experience with a bad ownership nightmare. Trust me, avoid the 348 as your first car. Stick with the 3.2 Mondial or 328 (same engine). They cost less to run, they are more reliable and as in the case of the Mondial 3.2, you get more car than the 348, as every conceivable luxury is in the car, with 4 seats to boot!

I spent over 12k in 12 months keeping my 348 on the road. Ok, I was a sucker and bought the car in need of it's dreaded "Major Service", translation, remove the engine. The 3.2 does not need to have the engine removed. BTW, check out my thread, I am selling my 25k mile Mondial if you are interested.

 

At the risk of upsetting Mondial owners - they are no oil painting to look at. They are a lot cheaper - but ....

The 348 is really good to look at - especially the later models with colour-coded lower body-work.

 

Just to chirp in on the 348 maintenance costs.


I have sunk nearly £4K into my 348 since buying it - predominately due to a full 30K service and new clutch. I bought it knowing it needed the service and this was factored into the purchase price.

Having said that, major services are expensive for any F car and let's face it only occurs every few years,

As for the clutch, these can go on any car, whatever the model, but its easy to install yourself.

For me, I chose the 348 for its looks, I love it, and get many comments from the fact it looks far more exotic than the earlier V8s.

Its all down to personal choice, but I would not consider maintenance costs to be a deciding factor in choosing a particular model.


John

 

Hahahahaaa, oh that was funny. I actually think that the Mondial is a nice looking car. They can be made to look better with a nice set of rims. However yes the 348 is better looking.

 

Daniel,

I finially put them on. It is more difficult than I thought but this is worth. Luckily, they look so pretty in the end.

Chenshan

 

They look terrific! Congratulations on the upgrade and enjoy the new look.

(BTW: mine have held up really well so far.. just a few tiny scratches, but nothing noticable to a casual observer)

 

I owned a 328 GTS and currently have a 348ts. The 328 was a great car but was less comfortable to me to drive as it seemed smaller inside (my knees hit the steering wheel) and the chassis seemed less rigid when driven hard. I like the looks of the 348 better, am more comfortable driving it, and love the sound (a-la-Tubi) - to each his own. As far as maintenance, all exotics are relatively more expensive to maintain than "regular" cars. That said - I have spent way less maintaining my 348 than I did the 328 - go figure. As many of you know, I did a major on the 348 earlier this year ($1,200) also re-built flywheel ($75) rebuilt starter ($75), new clutch slave cylinder ($400) then oil and gear lube changes and that's about all the big stuff I had to do maintenance-wise. Not too many surprises compared to my 328 after a year of ownership.

In the end only YOU can decide what's right for you and what you'll be happy driving/maintaining. Better still, invest in some tools and learn about car repair and the onwership experience will be even more enjoyable with fewer surprises. A good set of tools & manuals can take the mystery out of the car's mechanicals. Good luck!

 

I've just joined this board and am amazed at the number of comments on the 348.

I decided I would buy my 1st Ferrari at the beginning of the year and had enough money to buy a 246, 308/328, 348 or at a stretch get a 355. Its a tough choice because they're all Ferraris! I watched the programs, took the usual advice - you know, 355 owners claiming they're the best cars, 328 owners normally more respectful and of course the experts who've never owned a Ferrari, but are so say qualified enough to advise you on the 348 problems (yawn again).

Originally I wanted a Dino, but realised that perhaps they didn't have the raw power and sound associated with my imaginary Ferrari, got hooked on old re-runs of The Persuaders! - they are also 30 years old. Then after a few months of looking at many Ferraris, it was obvious that the 348 is clearly the most stunning Ferrari Pinninfarina has designed. I can even live with the rear lights, and in some way they look quite cool - you won't see them again!

I've now had my Red TS for 6 months. Its done 11,000 miles and I've just spent £1,000 upgrading the alternator and battery - now I can live wit that because it's expected. It has an excellent history, on its second clutch but above all its immaculate and makes me smile everytime I drive it.

I'm not going to track it, and thus not drive it at 170mph, so I guess I shouldn't get the so called handling problems. But each weekend, it will get a blast through some good British country lanes. So it suits me.

The 328 just looked decades older, and the 355, not unique enough (don't like the side intakes). I take on board everyones comments about reliability and cost, but those arguments are for your A to B weekday work transport, and that's not what Ferraris are. If you like the look of a 348 - get one for the right reason and start enjoying your spare time!

 

Hey Tommo, spoken like a true 348 enthusiast!

The trash people say about the 348 amazes me. Its all about opinions and i'm with you, its the most beautiful car ever.

And an owner from Gloucester, can't be that far from me. Fancy a meet sometime for a spin??

ps. only if its dry!!!

 

Steve

fantastic! just joined the chat room and heh presto a local 348 owner!

where abouts are you? i'm in gloucester but so you must be pretty local

 

Chris,

You can find a tb. Yes, a tb is rarer than a ts, but don't let that deter you! consult me if you can't find any tb's in the marketplace. I've seen plenty.

 

Tommo,

You have a PM

 

yeh, seen the movie TOP GUN?. 348 drivers are "maverick", a bit daring, push the edge of the envelope but keep it real.

 

if you do end up getting one be sure to post us some pics. 348 is affordable entry into modern looking mid engined ferraris. 355 will stretch your dollars a hell of a lot more and can be a bit girlie. testarossa a bit dated. 355 has power steering, gearshift feels like a toyota, clutch is light - (355 owners will all give me hell now no doubt) yeh, but cmon guys, ive driven both and i bought the 348 because i can feel the tyres biting the road as i drive, the gearbox is notchy as enzo himself intended as the clutch is heavy as hell. you know thats what you miss. a real drivers car. truth - id love a 355 as well, with as well being the operative word. make me choose one to drive/own/maintain, ill pick the 348 any day. cheers

 

yeh, seen the movie TOP GUN?. 348 drivers are "maverick", a bit daring, push the edge of the envelope but keep it real.