355's in the mid 30's

Hi Tony,

I'm fairly new here, too, but after a lot of Ferrari research and shopping, I think I can probably answer your question pretty easily. If you find a 355 in the mid-30's, you probably don't want it. To get that low (and still be in good cosmetic condition) you're probably looking at a good amount of work, possibly including bad valve guides and bum manifolds.

There may be some higher mileage cars that are well kept that are approaching that number, but I haven't come across any. I'm sure someone will here direct you to such an example if there is one. Best of luck -- Ferrari shopping is kinda like a fun little scavenger hunt! I've found lots of rock and very few eggs, but I'm enjoying it.

 

The day you find a 355 for mid 30s price is the day it snows in Trinidad. If there was one around it would be trashed and you would be looking at 40K just to make it right. Good luck and happy dreams.

 

Even if you found one in the 30s I GUARANTEE it will need Major Service ($10k), possible clutch ($3-5k), etc....

 

+1.......ain't gonna happen!

 

Even a 348 in the mid 30's will probably be either cosmetically or mechanically a piece of poop. Finance the rest and get a good one, or just wait until you have more money. what I would do in your situation is buy a really cherry used 911. Way cheaper to maintain and purchase, and 10k miles a year is no problem. Unless, of course, you HAVE to have a Ferrari, which is understandable.

 

I agree as well, in my opinion you could perhaps look in to 348's, even if I doubt would be well maintained for that price, at least would be easier to fix. Remember that a major service run for 10K if you are lucky on those cars. Also, I doubt $2,500 would be enough to run 10.000 miles a year. Anyway, I wish you luck and who knows, you could find a good one instead ...

A good Berlinetta with major just done .... 60K +

 

Here you go.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/vbclassified.php?do=ad&id=1905

 

$65-75k, you'll get a good car that has had the known issues fixed and needs nothing.
$55-65k, many solid cars in this range, but might need some points tended too
$45-55k, still *some* decent cars out there, but more will have potential issues / need a major, haven't had guides and headers taken care of.

Under $45k...better off gambling in Vegas

 

+1, you get what you paid for. I spent over $15k on just keeping up the maint. in almost 5 years of ownership; fortunately, I only have to do annual fluid change until 2013.

 

Tony,

The cost of ownership of a boat exceeds that of a Ferrari. Trust me, I have both. Also, I think that you would be better off spending the extra cash on a 355 rather than buying a lesser model. Sometimes, you can pick up a 355 that has had some damage history for less money. There are some out there that have been fixed properly. I had bought a 355 a few years ago that was in a wreck. It was fixed properly, and there wasn't a soul that could tell that it every was wrecked. Good luck to you.

Craig

 

I have wondered why that car has not sold. Looks like it is a pretty good deal even if you had to put 10K into a major.

 

I have seen that too especially spyders. For some reason they are cheaper than B's or T's. My guess is that there are more spyders. If the dealers can sell these cars mid 40's+ and they are not selling by the way, you know the dealers got them for the 30's. So people are willing to sell them in the 30's. The 355 line is the only ferrari where the spyders are the cheapest. Does anyone really know why?

 

I don't think anyone really can say they know why Spyders are cheaper but I certainly noticed that too.

I like Spyders too but my opinion is that they add a LOT of complication to a complicated car and this is certainly the time frame when they can start to have additional problems surface. If it were a fully manual top it would be another story. Having said that, I don't think that most people attracted to the Spyder are going be thinking about the additional complication. That would be too rational. Ferraris are not about being rational

I'm sure there are Spyder owners out there that have not had problems with the top. Not picking on this version so need to defend your choice I like them too.

 

I know of a local car that was bought for high $30s and it is taking at least $20K to make it road worthy and safe. The old cliche of "There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Ferrari" definitely rings true. Buy the best you can afford and you will be happier in the long run.

 

Substitute ......... 'rollerblading' ....... for ....... '355 in the mid 30s'


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRVWuTlU_Tc

 

This is a good point, although I've had a Mercedes and they aren't exotic (I've ridden in many Mercedes taxis in Europe.) You can get the car serviced promptly, and every part seems to be available through every dealer.

Modern luxury cars can generate four-figure repair bills left and right. The first question people ask about my 328 is whether it's reliable enough to actually drive and whether the repairs have bankrupted me -- i.e., the usual Ferrari stereotypes. The truth is that the 328 is more expensive to maintain than a lot of other 1987 cars, but when you put it up against the complicated Intel-inside modern stuff it starts to look almost "normal" with regard to costs.

The 355 is a much more complicated car than a 328, and the parts can be far more expensive, but I think you make a fair point that when you consider the crap that can go wrong in a modern Merc/BMW/Porsche, then an older exotic doesn't look as bad as it might.

That said, I have seen an $18,000 major service + incidentals bill for a 355. Aside from a Testarossa, I don't know of any other modern-ish Ferrari that can bite you in the a$$ the way a needy 355 can.

I agree. Having been involved with Ferraris for some time, I wouldn't put a 355 Spider on my want list, and I would avoid the old F1 system. But I wouldn't turn down a drive in someone else's. They are probably the sexiest Ferrari after the 328.

 

I was gonna say "you have a snowball's chance in Ecuador"....

 

would have been a poor choice as Ecuador gets snow

 

Ok, let's stick with Trinidad then.

 

1 min search I see this:
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=267723594&dealer_id=64542069&car_year=1997&rdm=1253377190721&model=F355&num_records=25&systime=&make2=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=both&distance=0&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&make=FER&keywords_display=&color=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceASC&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceASC&address=90503&advanced=y&end_year=2010&doors=&transmission=&max_price=&cardist=2245&standard=false

1997 355 spy 25k miles $39k and not selling. So I bet you could show up with $35k cash and do the deal!

And there are a ton like this:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ctd/1378074971.html

for $10k more NOT selling and easily gotten for $5k less or maybe more.

So is it snowing in Trinidad?

 

Bottom line is you get what you pay for. After having owned all the Ferraris from 1980 on, I can say the 355 is the most reliable and practical one I have had, period. If you spend good money on the right car, you will be rewarded in the long run. The 355 is the best selling Ferrari of all time, there is a reason why. I say wait for the right one, and don't settle for less.