Are 348's that bad?

A very informative insider's opinion. Thanks for sharing. I found it most interesting.
When I was looking to buy my Ferrari, I was considering 328/348/355 and preferred to buy from my local dealer as they offered a 12 mo./12K warranty on most all of the used Ferraris they sell. I was told, by many people there(both mechanics & suits), to steer clear of the 348s. Warranted opinion or not? Dunno. But I will tell you a 355 will be my next one.

 

I have driven 308 carb, 308 QV, 328, 348 and 355 and can only say from the seat of the pants that the 328 to 348 is the biggest noticeable gap in performance. Maybe the numbers don't back that up, but the "WHOA!" effect was there.

I also agree, that the 355 was more refined and as someone described it "silky".

 

Almost........ the 355 is like the girl you bring home to meet your mother, but the 348 is like the wild horny strumpet you go away for a wild weekend with

 

Now I just bet you could sell a bunch of those on ferrari ads. You know Halloween and all. That looks great!!

 

I've never owned a 348 - but I have talked first-hand with people who bought them new. RifleDriver's post is DEAD-ON, and should jostle the memory of some folks who have obviously forgotten how bad this car was when first introduced. Yes, many of the early maladies have been 'fixed' by follow-on owners, but recall that this was a car that sold for over $120,000 new. Many examples sell for 1/3 the purchase price today, and have few miles - there are reasons for that:

- ECUs fail, and when they do, the car is dead until a new ECU is installed
- Early alternators were JUNK, Ferrari went with a completely new unit in later models
- Handling was Squirrely at-speed with the earlier models, which was often 'fixed' with wheel spacers or a different suspension setup.
- problems with the car's shifter
- Plastic interior components - plastic in a $120,000 Ferrari? Yup, and the wear on these components was NOT good
- Engine computers were suseptible to water ingress/damage (washing the car/rain)
- value/performance ratio hurt when the 348 was compared to the Acura NSX or the GMC Cyclone. Getting beat by a factory, bone-stock turbo TRUCK didn't send 348s screaming off the dealer lots. This car did NOT sell well initially.
- early build quality was poor. I read somewhere that Ferrari Spa. brought in consultants from Lexus to advise them on Quality Control during the 348 production run.

I have been told by MANY in the Ferrari community that if you wanted a 'bulletproof' car, the 308/328 drivetrain was preferred over the 348 drivetrain. This came from owners as well as people in Dealership service departments who have worked on these cars.

Are 348s a great buy? They are NOW, but not then. There were many Factory 'updates' required of the earlier cars that should be researched first. Like I said, most of them have been done already, but you just want to check.....I love the car's styling, interior, engine power and its sound with aftermarket exhaust setups. I have driven a 348 Spyder (the 93-94 cars, I have heard, are the best of the bunch with everything well-sorted by the Factory) and would love to have one. But for the money, about $15K-$25K puts you in 355 territory, and the 355 is considered by many to be a BIG step up for not-much money.

 

### 93 AND 94 ARE BETTER 348'S WITH 2.7 ENGINES.EARLIER SORTED OUT CARS ARE GREAT TOO. BUT THERE ARE ISSUES WITH ALL FCARS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER...I THINK MOST OF THE 348 ISSUES ARE NOT BIG DEALS FINANCIALLY SPEAKING. PROBLEMS MENTIONED CAN BE FIXED FOR A FEW HUNDRED , NOT THOUSANDS LIKE VALVE GUIDE JOBS, ETC... NUFF SAID

 

If the 355 problems like valve guides and headers are for real, then the 348 isn't that bad. I found the 348 a lot snappier than the 328 - enough so that I went through the sofa cushions to get a late spider. I am happy - I love my color combo and sort of like the idea of how (relatively) few 348 spiders there are. I have spent money to fix stuff on mine - some "usual" 348 things, some specific to my car. It sounds great with the Tubi/Hyperflow combo - don't know if they all sound like mine but I have had compliments from a variety of other F-car owners including TRs and 355s with Tubi/test pipes. My experience, overall, has been great, and although I could see having other Ferraris at least at this point I would really struggle to part with my car.

YMMV

Cheers
Kevin

 

"snappier" is a good description of the difference. Fully agree.

I'm always stunned to see how few (if any) 348 there are at our events in Chicago. We can have hundred cars on Oak Street and maybe one 348. Or none. I guess it is true, they all went to Canada...

 

Great discussion, on both sides. I have nothing of real value to add other than that IMO the styling has aged very well.

It has the size and stance of the modern cars, but with a certain Italian flair that the newer cars lack, and even the softer more rounded 355 can't quite match. (IMO, the only styling advantage the 355 has flipped up tail) It looks more 1980s than 90s to me, but in a good way, similar to 1950-60s modern architecture is more timeless than most of what came later.

I can intellectualize all the things I like about the 360 (it's a work of art), but frankly in the flesh I find the 348 more exciting. Maybe it's the attainability of the car that makes it more alluring? Sort of like the girl-next-door compared to a supermodel.

I would also add that its "un-loved" status helps removed some of the stigma about modifing Ferraris so as an owner, I'd feel more free to fix it up how I see fit, rather than feeling some obligation to maintaining originality.