New guy here, with F355 questions

Bob Hatch is a great guy. His mainstay business is/was the restoration of vintage Mercedes for shows like Pebble Beach, etc. Most if not all of his Ferrari's are consignment cars so he may not have much room for negotiation. He will not sell you a lemon though.

 

HI
GUY

I FOUND 3 OF THEM,..RIGHT HERE IN FT.LAUDERDALE...FLORIDA
(1)...1997.YELLOW/BLACK...24K MILES...ASKING $60,000
ALL COUPES...MY BROTHER,A FRIEND,& MYSELF
ARE BUYING THEM ALL...
(1)...1995 RED/TAN...28K MILES..ASKING ...$55,000
(1)...1995 RED/TAN..35K MILES..ASKING...$50,000
THEY WERE ALL ASKING A LOT,LOT MORE...
BUT NO BUYERS...2 E-MAIL ME WITH OFFERS
1..CALL..WITH OFFER...YELLOW/BLACK
THESE GUYS ARE FINALLY SERIOUS TO SELL...BUT I AM STILL TRYING TO
GET THEM ALL CHEAPER...RIGHT NOW EVERY BODY IS PUTTING THEIR
MONEY IN REAL ESTATE..

I AM ALSO TRYING TO SELL MY..(GRAND BANKS 42') YACHT..NO CALLS
WHEN THAT SELLS,..I WILL BUY THE NEW ...M O D E N A...
MARKET NOW STINKS...
THANKS ALL YOU GUYS
MARK

 

Attention F-chat police, your services are needed ....

 

Here's one of the best 355 posts i 've read by Mitch Alsup. Also below is a link to a thread on valve guide issues, also superbly written. My' 95 build , 23k mile Spider is still on it's original clutch, manifolds and there have been NO valve guide issues to date- touching wood .
Good luck

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http://70.85.40.84/~ferrari/forum/showthread.php?t=5554&highlight=valve+guide+issues

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The Ferrari F355 has two different engine packages (OBDIO-I=95 and OBDIO-II=96-99), and three different brake packages (95, 96-97, and 98-99). In street braking, there is not much difference in the braking setup and response; and for track use all brake packages should have a set of pads that are more tollerent of heat.
When F1 became available in ?96 or 97? it arrived with an uprated slave cylinder in the clutch throwout system. Like the F348s the clutch (and associated parts) is easy to change even if the parts are expensive. If you have to change anything in the clutch, do the whole thing and use the uprated slave cylinder. Its smoother, lighter, and ever so slightly faster.

The 95 engine has a little more HP and TQ (5 HP and 2-3 lb-ft) from a slightly richer mixture allowed by the OBDIO-I emissions specification. All engines will have header issues if tracked regularly, and the 95 modle year is more affected than later. There is a uprated materials specification if/when header replacement is required. Even with the uprated materials, challenge cars replace the headers yearly. With indifferent street use headers have gone as far as 103,000 miles without failure. The hydraulic pump of the F1 cars saps some power from the engine but performance improves through the faster gear changes available through computer controlled timing of the events. The 360 F1 system is miles ahead in smoothness especially after 2001.

Engines up through the 98 model year can be affected by a valve guide issue detected in 95 based on the 94 348 Challenge cars where the factory changed the vavle guide specification from <some> bronze to sintered steel. In general, if the engine has not run into the valve guide issue by the time it has 20,000 miles it will likely not run into the issue.

The suspension system is excellent, with minor issues relating to the computer controlled shoch absorbers (connector corrosion). The oversteer/understeer relationship is easily manipulated with rear ride height (Google on: Ride couple distribution). The factory specs are just fine for street and even agressive track driving on street tires. I get 9 K miles on a set of max performance street tires where 1,500 of those miles occur on a race track with factory specs. Both front tires and both rear tires turn from treaded tires to slicks within 100 miles of each other. Adding camber speeds up the chassis but beware of making the car faster than the driver. Adding toe calms the car under steady state straight line operation and under braking. Running toe-out is only for track use. The suspension is easily dialed into the driver preference as long as the driver known which direction he want the cars response to move towards. If you lower the car be aware of a high speed heavy braking issue at the front suspension. Staying at the <already> factory ride heights (4.2" of ground clearance) is a good bet and prevents this high speed braking issue.

If you want to use r-compound tires or racing slicks, find the challenge specifications for alignment, but don't lower the car unless you also add the challenge spring and shock package. For noon-agressive track use, r-compounds and slicks work pretty well with the factory alignments.

The alignment system (shims) works so well that if you like agressive track driving and calm street driving, get the car sorted on the track first, and them get it aligned back to factory specs on an alignment gig. The difference between the shim thickness can be measured, and when you get to the trank, loosen a bolt, insert the required shims (8 times) and go to town. At the end of the day remove the shims, and presto you are back at street alignment. You will also get most of the toe change desired (out at track and in on the street) with this change as a side bonus.

I dislike the power assist for the steering and prefer the 348 feel of the steering wheel, but I rate this as a very minor issue.

Cars that are used hard over irregular surfaces will see minor paint spider webbing on the rear flying butress (C-piller) as evidence of hard use.

The plastic parts in the interior need to be kept away from Armoural and similar plastic protectants--it turns the plastic parts into a gooy mess.

The leather <especially> needs to be protected from drying out. Feeding the leather once every couple of months or every time you drive for any distance with the windows down; and avoiding letting the car sit in sunlight help a lot. The leather is higher in quality than <say> a C5 Vette, but less tollerant of lack of care.

Overall, the engine internals, the transmission, suspensions and brakes are basically unbreakable. There are no long term issues with the paint and exterior materials.

With the age of these cars approaching 10 years (95) and only the 98s and 99s still under the 8-year emissions warentee, the potential buyer is ever more dependent upon a high quality PPI than before. These are wonderful high performance machines that can take a lot of abuse (or designed for use) without fail. The engine has a big broad torque curve that is readily accessible and the sound at RedLine is simply out of this world. When the tail drifts out in a 100 MPH sweeper, you dial in a touch of steering and add throttle, and grin all the way to the next braking zone. However, like an Italian mistress, they are demanding upon your time and wallet. Choose Wisely.

 

TonyH,

Your exceptional dissertation on the 355 is exactly what makes the info on this site so incredibly valuable. Great job.

Now here's the question nagging at me.

You said that they are "demanding on your wallet". Dave_Car_Guy said he figures $4K per year. This is nuts to a guy used to exceptionally reliable cars-SL500, CL500, etc.

So, what's the real deal with the 355. What makes it a maintenance hog? Is the 360 the same?

Am I better off with a 997 Carrera S?

I am about to make a purchase on either a 355 spider or a 360 coupe, but I am thinking that I could buy another pieces of real estate for what the claimed yearly expenses are based upon the comments I have read on this site!

So, great white father, another detailed dissertation please as well as from others as eloquent!

That 997 Carrera S is looking better all the time eventhough I does not sound the same!!

 

Greg,
thanks for the praise, tho' i can can't claim credit for the article. It was written by Mitch Alsup. I think Dave has been particularily unlucky with everything major going wrong that could go wrong. Maybe i'm tempting fate but my experience with the 355 has been very painless to date. The car is on orig clutch, manifold and compression test reveals no guide problems. Aside from belt services i haven't paid more than £800 [£1500] pa for maintenance. Tyres, insurance is NOT included .
With regard to the 997, the 355 will look and feel quite dated - it's 10 yrs old after all. The 355 interior build quality is somewhat of a let down and the hood mechanism is frustrating to operate and fragile .However, these are very minor niggles when viewd in context of the driving experience.Ditch the cats for straight thru pipes and put on a Tubi/Capristo exhaust and you have one of the best sounding V8s of all time.
Hope this helps
Tony

 

Tony,

Your honesty is commendable for certain with respect to the originator of the 355 articles. However, it is certainly a credit to all on this site for the fabulous comments and contributions that are certainly invaluable.

I can take the dated feel of the car, as I have found that ferrari's are more functional than cosmetic. It's the potential service $'s that concern me.

The cost of tires and insurance are immaterial to me. With all the cars I have I am paying over $6K per year in insurance, and I don't drive any of the cars enough to warrant tire replacements. My CL500 is 1.5 years old, and I just passed 4,100 miles!

It's the uncertainty of large expenditures.

It's a big if, and every time I look at a 355/360 and then the 997S, I tend to favor the 997S-practical side. I sit in a 355/360 smeel it and drive it, and my heart says this is the car-emotional side.

Since I tend to be practical (look to long-term value from investments), the thought of big service dollars is a genuine concern for something that could end up being a short-term investment.

And to boot, I have the best Ferrari mechanic-Brian Crall AKA Rifledriver- 2 miles from me!

I notice Brian always has a smile on his face, and I wonder if he is happy or just received a check for the last person's service! Now I'll hear it from Brian
for sure!

I am think that some things are better done emotionally for enjoyment.

Thanks for all the help.

regards

 

Greg,
no problem . I honestly think if you buy well, the 355 will thrill you and won't leave a big hole in your wallet. Maybe Brian can help source a car? As for the 997S, think of the depreciation ! The 355 has more or less bottomed out, give or take $7k and to my eyes is a true classic. Here's Autocar's original 1994 test on the 355GTB to help with your decision

http://www.autocarmag.com/RoadTest_Summary.asp?RT=200080

Rgds
Tony

 

Tony,

I don't care what anyone says, you are all right!

In all honesty, I am not having any trouble finding cars. I have found a few beautiful ones both 355's and 360's. I like the lines of the 355 spider better than the 360 spider, but I do love the lines of the 360 coupe. I will, however, speak with Brian again. Dave_Car_Guy was very nice to have contacted me and has offered to share his experiences both with his 355 and his repair costs for which I am grateful.

I am in no immediate hurry (but can I show up at Consorso without a Ferrari? Is that allowed?). I have nice rides now that are staying in the fold, but having sold my beautiful SL500 last weekend, my interest in a spider with the beautiful California weather has arisen. Thus, my interest in the 355.

If I decide upon a coupe, it would be a 360, and I have contact on a few very beautiful 360's.

I'll let you know.

many thanks again.