Does anyone park their car outside? (not in a garage)

Although I don't own a 355, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of leaving one outdoors 24/7/365 is the rear decklid...

 

Use a top notch car cover or rent a space somewhere.

 

I'll second that.

I suggest California Car Covers if you go the outdoor route and need a good one. They've been in the business a long time and can custom make anything you want. But, they already make multiple covers for the 355 or any other Ferrari for that matter.
http://www.calcarcover.com/cover_find2.aspx

 

while the car can withstand the elements just like any other car.....it would be a crime to leave a $100k car that you'll probably only use on weekends outside. At the very least there's a company called www.coverit.com that has a garage you can pop up in a weekend that I had at my old house that was great and protected from all the elements. Other than that how about a storage facility? Keeping it outside you have to deal with removeing wet car covers etc.

 

Cover-its are nice - I had a pair when I lived on the coast and they slowed the deterioration down somewhat. They didn't last in the mountains. The first good snow collapsed one on my old tractor.

-steve

 

ive spent last summer taking the car cover ON and OFF everyday for 3-4 months, and that's my Chevy! Sometimes those things that may seem tedious while you're doing them can really save you a lot of trouble/$$$ in the long run. And anyway, what's 2 minutes of your time to throw a cover over your baby? Just get a nice weatherproof (yeah right) car cover, and do like I did, cover the car from head to toe with soft blankets, throw a tarp on top of that, then throw the cover on to top it all off. A bit of trouble, but it keeps the car from getting wet in the rain, unlike car covers, and it keeps it warm(er) on those cold winter mornings!

 

Please don't leave an F355 outside. And please don't leave it out in the winter.

 

I live in Bangkok and it is damn hot here all year round with exception of this month as it is cooling down a bit.
Leaving your Ferrari exposed in the heat here is a no-no thing as you probably get interior leather bubling and all other problem with rubber seals etc.
Eventhough the parking is safe but the heat is the problem.
Get a garage is better than covers IMO a some covers do not withstand heat.

 

On this same note.....

I would have to an F-car park under my car port overhang. Also, mine would be a daily driver....life's to short.

I think the issue is water/ moisture entering the deck lid. Is that truly a concern? Truly, I would drive in the rain.

Placing a cover on and off a dirty car. Is that a concern?

 

Harbor Feight has a cover of about the same quality for $279 or so. i suggest IF you go this route to use rope to better connect the front-to-rear poles (one for each side and another for the top). A problem with these are that, as mentioned by another Fchat member, they can collape and you can forget it if you live where there are strong winds.

Still, if i lived where there was little wind and had no othet options it can make a pretty good alternative, yet a proper garage or more perminent storage facility would be better.

 

Another issue I ran into was with a 348 that sat outside during the winter. The snow melted and then the water ran down behind the cam belt cover...then refroze. When the guy started it up it jumped 4 or 5 teeth....not good!


Ciao'

Steve

www.sportauto.cc

 

An NSX is built by honda with the same durability as any honda. Ferraris have nicer leather interiors dashs etc, as a result they are far more delicate especialy the interioirs. I am also sure that while ferraris are mechanicaly very robust the other compoinents do not have nearly the same durability testing and development as say a honda. I would imagine a 10 year old ferrari parked outside in the NE is going to start getting pretty tatty within 6mos.

The NSX like a porche is meant to be the durable everyday car that alo hapens to be sportscar. A ferrari is a thing of beauty, and like a hot tempremental woman requires more consistant care, for a greater emotional reward. This is an issue of horeses for courses, a car to park and live outdoors is not a ferrari, unless you want to buy a new one every two years and are unconcerned with the depreciation.

 

Only thing I could think of is to get a house with garage and not fiddle with a car cover. If not a house then move to a building that has covered or underground parking. Would be a shame to leave it outside IMHO.

 

Amen.

 

Not trying to get too personal, but if you have $100K for a 355 wouldn't that at least be a down payment on a residence with a garage? I just know that when I hear "very nice gated community" I think brick monsters w/ 4+ car garages nicely spaced. But that's just me.

I wouldn't have either NSX or F-car without a garage.

 

You have a problem and it si one with which I have great empathy. Most European city dwellers have the same problem especially as their city managements are quite active in their efforts to discourage car use and ownership. Most of the answers you have had reflect the ones I heard when I was in your position. But they are all based on the premis that a Ferrari is something different, something special, something emotional and something of very little practical utility. If you want to use it differently then you have to accept the financial and physical constraints. For example you will have to forego dates on occasion (by Ferrari at least) if weather conditions make it tough. Something you would not hesitiate to risk in chebbie or a dorf. Which makes the success of the Porsche and NSX so different from that achieved by Ferrari.

Note however that for almost the same money you can get a front engine V12 Ferrari that you can treat like any other supercar. I am thinking of the 456 series and later. If that does not do it for you because the mid-engine thing is your wish, like I would with any owner of these cars in an exclusively urban environment, I would say to them, "its art, hang it in a museum, as you certainly cannot use it!" Too bad really.

 

If you have no other options, you should at the least look into renting a storage unit close to your home for the winter. It should be gated! If you go this route, keep a real low profile about it! A Ferrari deserves better than what you are thinking of doing, no offense.

 

I was in the same position when I lived in London, ended up buying a 911 instead. Now I am back in an area with a garage a Ferrari is much more practicle. Having said that if I had lots and lts of money I would park it outside and not give a damm anyway. In London a few months ago I saw 2 575s and one Vanquish stuck in the traffic in the rain on the daily comute.

 

I have never put my nicer cars outside. Between theft and the elements one of them will eventually get ya.

 

The 355 is a nice car to go from a NSX. Good linear HP all the way through. The new 996/997 Turbo's and especially the S generate their HP very quick and it dissipates very quick. If you are in a turn hard and goose it and hit the turbo...watch out. The Viper is a good bang for the buck if you buy it used but not a good "cornering" car.