Yes....she sure likes it rough So, to answer the question, "Are 348's that bad?" YES....they sure are......BAD TO THE BONE...positively wicked in fact Image Unavailable, Please Login
348's get bad press all the time. Yet few owners will say much bad about them. If the 328 is more reliable, that's great. But the 348 is the first modern Ferrari. And a great lookng car that people are constantly noticing in traffic and on the open road. They are the best value in Ferrari's today (except maybe for the 308 GT4). BT
I have owned a 1981 308gtsi, a 1987 328gts and now a 1991 348ts, I can only say that I have no major problems, regular service and its a blast to drive. When shopping for a replacement for my 328gts, I drove several 355 and 348, I personaly did not need the added power of a 355, nor did l like the feel of the power steering, completely felt un associated with the road. Drive a few 348, have a PPI done at a reputable place and you wont be dissapointed.
Pound for pound the 348 is the Best Ferrari for the money. I own the EVIL 89 model that people say stay away from, PLEASE! No Crazy seat belts here! No mechanical issues either! The only thing people say when they see and hear mine coming down the road with the TUBI and the RACE PIPES on, is OH my GOD did SEE and HEAR that car. Was that a Formula Indy car going down the road? NO it was a FERRAI! End of Story.
Ferrari didn't make a bad car....i think the 348 recieved some bad press because it was such a big change in so many years after the 308 and the 328 series. When the 348 came out i had a problem with the tailights because i was use to them being round. I prefer my 328 over the 348, but that's my choice and i know people with the 348 and it is a good car.
The 348 was the first non tube frame Ferrari and was the first Ferrari assembled with robots so they have some issues others didn't The biggest worry I would have with the 348 would be its single serpentine timing belt thats under alot of stress, it also powers the water pump so if the pump seizes you have a grenaded motor on both heads unlike the dual timing belts on the older models and separate water pump belts. Some are not crazy about the styling either and love it or hate it unlike other models.
Maybe you should sell your Fiero and get into one before you make such idiotic statements. The 348 is as much Ferrari as the Testarossa, how dare you compare it to your Fiero kit car, that is just absurd. Stephane Scaledetails
Not going to flame you, just wondering where you are basing your opinions from. Have you owned the car? Very few owners seem to say negative things, so if you are a 348 owner or previous owner....I welcome your negative comments. All sides of ownership should be presented, even the bad sides... If your not an owner, I would still like to know how you formed your opinion. I think if you are going to make such passionate comments as you have, you owe the people reading your comments, reasoning behind them. Otherwise, they will be dismissed with no merit. Please share with us the reasoning behind said opinions.
Does **spinning** your hat off count the same as having it blown off?! I've got the top down at the moment, so I think I'll go try that experiment. Perfect day outside, too.
I'll admit, there are plenty of things that can go wrong with the 348. When I first bought mine, I had to do some labor myself, but that I also enjoy. I had issues with electrical (like most) but that was easily resolved and of course the ECU issues too. The slow down light gave me a scare the first time I saw (and felt) it come on, but after removing the Thermos and changing out the cats I haven't had any issue at all. I drive my car very often, though it isn't my daily driver. Just last week I drove from Dallas to Austin AND back in the SAME day without any concern of the cars reliability. This is a 400+ mile trip, with some additional driving around Austin. I have complete trust in the car, and this is mostly because I have done my research on this forum and spoken to individuals and taken the time to really get to know my car. The 348 is a GREAT car.
LOL......I do think you've got me on a technicality there. Yes definitely spun off, rather than blown off Well, whoever maintains the page is more than welcome to use any of the pics Thanks for the comment though
MrScarFace hasn't done much for this forum. Just do a search for his name in the business forum, he's been known to troll in the past and I don't believe he has any experience with a 348 nor has he owned one.
Not at all, and in comparison to many other sports cars, including a number of other Ferraris, it stacks up quite well. First, its shortcomings- the early versions had some teething problems, including a suspension set up which was tricky. That, and most of the other gremlins got sorted out at least by 94, when the spider was introduced. The quality of some of the interior parts leaves something to be desired, but 355's have also had their durability problems with interior consoles, although they look better, and certainly look more expensive, inside the cockpit. (My biggest pet peeve, a small one to be honest, was the truly cheap digital clock mounted in the front of the center console). The car is small, has no power steering, is nimble, looks good in an eighties- testarossa kind of way- and is like driving a go cart. While all the commentators say the 355 is a huge improvement in every respect, the 355 feels like a much bigger car, has power steering and frankly, at least to me, was almost too refined. (I've owned both). Like all of these cars, there is no substitute for finding a pristine example with impeccable service history. That, more than anything, will support a positive ownership experience. And, if the market is any indication, I would expect the price of these cars to continue to sink, making the purchase of a convertible in the dead of winter a reasonable prospect. Good luck. If you buy a right car, you also won't have any trouble getting out of it. It's a fine way to start with Ferraris, and if you recognize that you don't have to be the fastest one out of the gate- that was the other big criticism in its day- the japanese, and others, were producing competitive cars for far less money- you'll have a blast. Only general bit of advice- get a fresh set of P Zero tires for the car, on top of making sure that it has been serviced properly and in timely fashion. enjoy~
The 348 issues remind me of an urban legend that has taken on a life of its own. How many people have called the 348 a ugly red head step child? The goal of the 348 was to incorporate the TR looks into a 328 package, to bring the TR's appearance to a lower priced vehicle. I feel the the 355, 360 and 430 all lack any distinct styling that screams Ferrari. It seems to me that after the 348 (and the continuation of the TR as the 512) the only Ferraris that are easy to distinguish as Ferraris are the F40, F50 and Enzo. Have you noticed everyone puts shields on their Ferraris nowadays? Have you ever considered that is because most modern Ferraris can be mistaken for other brands? Those sticker shields are a security blanket for those people with $250,000 automobiles, hoping no one asks "is that a.....?" and the ..... not being "Ferrari". If you've owned a 348 or a TR, has anyone said to you "nice Mustang dude"? No, because the door grates are a unique styling that everyone knows is Ferrari. I believe much of the 348 hatred is the direct result of owners of more modern, more expensive Ferraris having their cars mistaken for other brands, whilst deep down they know the 348 and TR owners enjoy the immediate status their door grates illuminate; similar to a Countach, a vehicle that is not mistaken for a Toyota. Let me be the first, tongue in cheek, to say out loud there is no such thing as a well built reliable Ferrari, regardless of model. If you want a trouble free, cheap to maintain vehicle, buy Japanese. Suppose a 348 has more maintence issues, instead of making the 348 less of a Ferrari, I would propose it makes more of a Ferrari. Outsiders looking in always think to themselves "too expensive to maintain", so any Ferrari that is cheap to run would be a disappointment!
Ok Lets comapair the 348 to the 355. 1. 355 uses the same brakes as the 348 2. control arms are the same aswell 3. Many interior components are a carry over into the 355 4. Almost every 355 body panel will bolt DIRECTLY to the 348 5. The chassis are basicly the same layout..except fot the rear engine section 6. 348 does not need manifold replacement every 4 years 7. 348 does not have valve guide issues 8. 348 does not have power roof issues 9. 348 does not have overly assisted steering. 10. 348 spider does not rattle a clang as much as a 355 spider does 11. 348 feels much tighter then a 355 Spider or coupe. 13. 348's do not have the 355's famous leather dash seperation/shinkage 14. 348 sounds better with a tubi and test pipes 15. Most issues with the 348's have now been fixed by previous owners. 16. Most 348 issues are cheap to fix.. 17. The instability in the car at high speeds can be corrected with spacers in the rear..cheap 18. 355's have just as crumbie interior as the 348. In fact I would venture to say its worse..minus the 348's crappy HVAC system..though not by much. 19. 348 does not have airbag lights to contend with..and its easy to change out the steering wheel if you so desire 20. There are no suspension warning lights to come on..and no expemsive usless actuators to replace. 21. Tires are cheaper. 22. more agressive appearance..to me anyway 24. Enzo was around when this car was designed 25. Biggest issue the 348 had when it was introduced..was the NSX. 26. I would buy a good clean 348 over a 355 anyday of the week. 355... 1. faster 2. 6 speed gearbox 3. More excepted styling 4. more features..eg suspesion upgrades, better functioning HVAC system, airbags, nicer wheels etc
All right...........I've read this whole thread and now its time for probably the most experienced 348 owner to chime in. I own a very early 348 (32nd car of the production run). I have had the car almost 16 years and have had virtually no major problems. I got the cars handling sorted out pretty early on. I have had a couple of mild electrical issues....but nothing major. My ECU's have never had a problem. I don't have the mouse belts (thank God). During the course of the last 16 years there have been 308s, a TR, a Mondial t cab, aven an F40..........but the 348 has been the keeper. That says something (probably should have held the F40 though!) Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I never liked the looks of a 348 or TR and the louvers are the main reason. Despite that, I did buy a 348 some years ago and drove it 14K miles for 3 years. Every Ferrari I have owned or driven (FRom a 72 Dino to a 05 430) had a distinct feel to the steering and balance, except the 348. Perhaps the biggest surprise about owning a 430 the last two months is how many people DO recoginize it as a Ferrari. Like many, I always felt the public recognized 3X8's mostly, although I have noticed in recent years fewer people seem to notice them, maybe becasue Magnum is now a distant memory. As for Mustang comments, I heard those mostly with the 328's and 348, I guess becasue of the horse on the front grill. I don't care anyway, I normally tell people it is a special Mustang model! Of the 7 Ferraris I have owned, the 348 was the only one I never really warmed up to, never bonded with. The others that I sold, I was always a little sad, even the problem children. As far as the original poster's question goes, I would not say 348's are "that bad", they just aren't as good as they should have been. However, with the recent drop in price, the equation is tipping more in their favor. In the overall scheme of things, the "Dino" series (206-246-308-328) will always be popular because it is a closed set, the styling is pretty much univrsally admired and they are entertaining to drive despite being performance challenged. 348-355 series will be always considered a transition, with greatly improved performance but no real technology breakthroughs, controversial styling, and both have their sharre of design and build problems. With the 550 and 360, Ferrari really changed direction. Now 12 cylinders have become the traditional GT cars and the 8's have become the exotic technology showcases. I like to query young people about what they think about various models. While it's clear that they like the looks of the pre 348 cars, they are considered old. What really pulled their chains was the 360 and now the 430. 348's and 355's just don't seem to get the same reaction. Dave
I confess, I do wish my 348 had a 6th gear... feels like it could use it when we're blasting down the main straight at VIR.
No one is jealous of the 348 both new and old Ferrari owners. Its the styling of the car thats always been controversial and its main drawback, 308/328s are slower but more desireable, performance wise 348s are good but the look is not quite right and different from other Ferraris. When the 348 first came out I absolutely hated it, how could Ferrari make such an unattactive car to replace the 328 especially right after Enzo passed away? Granted the 328 was a very tough act to follow but they should have made a more original design than a baby TR. Forza did an artcle just a few months back on the 348 the unloved Ferrari for more info.
You know its a bad ass car when Jimmy likes it. He has great taste. If you need confirmation, just check out some of the chic pic's he has put up on this site!
And I'll chime in as one of the least experienced, and newest owners of a 348 on this forum. I've had her for 3 weeks and am truly enjoying what rain-free days we've had here in the Northeast. I had done a fair amount of research and came to a small, but for me, a significant conclusion. Most satisfied 348 owners are hands-on types. If you're willing (and capable) to do most of the trouble shooting and everyday maintenance yourself, it can be a rewarding f-car ownership. If every little problem starts you wringing your hands in despair and shipping the car off for service, it WILL get frustrating very quickly. My 92 (#92607) has 30K, major done last year, a great service history, worn bolsters, some rock chips, and sticky interior parts. So the first week I owned her (that week of rain-rain-rain up here 2 weeks ago) I took off all (and I mean all) the plastic parts, EZ-off'ed 'em, and sprayed 'em with PlastiDip, as has been descibed in length on this forum. It looks perfect - problem solved. I've had the ECU's and AC control out and apart, and Stabilant 22 put on all the connections for preventitive maintenance. Hidden AC fuse and oil tank ground - done - problems solved/averted. And as the fall continues into winter, I'll continue to do all the little things the "search button" has revealed for DIY maintenance on these cars. I see Mr. Scarface had not felt a simple answer to Dan's question of what his experience with a 348 has been. And his type of comment seems to be the basis for most of the 348 myth, or legend, or whatever you want to call it. You can have good or bad experiences with any type of vehicle - I'm thinking positive and awaiting the coming ownership trials and tribulations (oh yeah, there will be some of those!) with a sense of challenge, and a growing pride-of-ownership. Jimbo
