So I finally got my 348 . . .

Thanks for all the warm wishes. I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Unfortunately, ever since I received the car, I've been stuck at work supporting a new product release. Luckily, this weekend, I had one day free and took the vehicle out for a 400+ mile drive! It was great fun. Went to visit my parents and took the long way back! Car was perfect. Everything working as expected.

I had a chance to do two more mods since getting the car. The first was the passenger foot rest replacement from ultimate pedals. The 2nd was a Ferrari dedication plate I picked up on ebay. The dedication plate is nice and all, but lacking in finish. I ended up taking the plate to a machine shop and had them thin the plate by 1/2 the thickness of the original and smooth out the rough edges. Then I used double sided tape to stick it on the glove box. The metal plate added some contrast to a sea of leather.
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Thanks! Production date of this vehicle is: September 1992.

 

Thanks. I've always loved the 348 with a set of 355 wheels and a 355 rear end. As for the 355 wheels: If you look at the pictures carefully you will notice the wheels were re-finished to a brighter shade of silver than the stock 355 wheels. This added a visual 'pop' to the wheels without over doing it. When this car is parked next to a 355 with stock wheels, you can tell something is different about the wheels.

 

The finished car is a gem. This was exactly what I was looking to find initially, but could not find. The original car was rather neglected. The front lip spoiler was cracked, leather on carbon seats was cracking due to drying. Leather on the dash was shrinking (it was re-done). No service records or history. A lot of the electronics were not working. Steering wheel had a cut in the leather, as well as, the driver's side door. However, one thing going for it was the relatively low mileage, 5500, at the time. PPI inspection from Dave came back very positive in regards to the engine. He considered it a 'virgin' engine and said it was worth flying out to Denver to have a look at it. So the car was a diamond in the rough. However, Dave, my mechanic, was the real gem. In addition to the full engine out service and replacing/repairing everything known to be problematic, Dave also oversaw the restoration and modifications.

 

Those seats were found on the 348 Series Speciale. It is made of kevlar or carbon. It was a stock seat for the SS with owners having the option to forgo the those seats for the standard 348 seats. It is a good looking seat, however, not as comfortable as the standard 348 seats, especially, when going long distances.

 

Yes, I've known about the SR meet every Sat. I look at the pictures posted with envy. However, my job requires late Friday night systems maintenance and by the time I get home, it is early Sat. morning and I'm just exhausted to get back up in a few hours to meet up at SR. But yes, I will attend the SR meet soon. Unfortunately, our new product release is still in progress and the long days/nights continues.

The funny thing is I have an enclosed garage under SR that will house the 348. Right now the car is at my place in Milpitas, while my everyday driver is parked at SR.

I will be there soon enough and look forward to meeting you.

 

It is going to be a long night at work as we are preparing a database move, so I thought I'd post a picture or two while I wait.

Anyways, the 348 is running as expected, no problems to report about. It seems solid as a rock. In the last 4 months, I've driven it 3-4 thousand miles - with the expectation of something going wrong. eg, light busted/stuck, gas cap not working, windows/mirrors not working ,etc. However, everything seems to be working like its a new car! I mean everything is working in this car - clocks, all instrument panels, all lights, all buttons, etc.

In other areas, I have plans on installing a carbon fiber center console from Valance, but I've been waiting on them for the past 6 months to get one, with still a few more months to go! These guys are so back logged on orders, it is incredible.

I've also experimented with Griot's Garage cleaning products and I must say, it is pretty good. I'm sure there are better things out there for more/less money, but it is hard to beat their one stop shopping for all my cleaning needs. I've learned all about cleaning, polishing, use of clay bar, waxing, etc. in the last few months. Now my '92 348 looks newer than most new cars out there!

Anyways, below is the latest picture I have of my 348. It was taken on a secret stretch of highway where I was able to run the car for about 60 miles of non-stop twisty mountain roads! I brought along a GPS to see how accurate my speedo was. At one point, I was able to rev the car up to 150 mph (according to the GPS - the speedo was a bit faster) for about 4 miles of long stretches of straight roads. The car became less assured at that point and I slowed back down. At about 120 to 135, the car is solid as a rock.

Anways, this is a summary of my 1st quarterly report since purchasing the 348.

Happy driving everyone!
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