Thinking of taking the plunge soon!

430s require oil and brake fluid change every year. Differential and coolant every other. Change filters as needed. And stuff shoould be inspected. Service manual calls for new spark plugs at 30K. That's it. I pay about 400. for the smaller service and about 1000. for the bigger. Paddle cars may be a bit more. 360s require timing belts every 3 years. Owners will fill you in on the cost.

Dave

 

Dive in head first.....The water is awesome....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Luigi Chinetti! That's awesome!

The main difference between maintenance for 360s and 430s is that 430s have chain driven cams and 360s are belt driven. This means belt changes every 3yrs at a minimum for the 360s while the 430s pretty much need only fluid changes. The exhausts run near the transmissions on both cars so I would recommend all fluids changed every year. Prices vary by region (due to labor rates, mostly) but figure around $1k a year for fluid changes, and around $3k+ for the every 3 yrs. belt service. Fortunately, the belts on 360s can be changed with the engines in the car, unlike 355s, which require engine removal for the same job (so they often cost $4500 for belt services). These are only from what I read when researching to buy. I've not yet had to pay for these myself since I bought my car only recently.

 

Use the search function and prepare to devote some time to reading and learning about all things Ferrari here.

This question is asked often.

My .02. Go with the 430 with a 6 speed.

 

The 430 is a superior car. If you can afford it, go for the f430. But the 360 is a very fine car too.

I think maintenance costs are slightly less in the 430 in the long run. But, I don't think it's significant given the difference in the purchase price.

Good luck in your search. Find one you really like and don't let a good car get away for a few grand. It's not a game on who bought the cheapest car. It's a game of finding the best car FOR YOU that you can.

 

Good luck in your search.............you will never regret the plunge.

 

+1

 

I have a 360, i would spend the extra money and get a 430 if i had to do it all over again

 

+430 on skipping the 360 if you have the means....

 

I faced the same issues 6 months ago (as a first time F-car buyer) and decided to:

1) Purchase a 360 spider (IMO looks better than 430 (very subjective here) and found one with options I wanted).

2) Start to save for the 458 Spider.

Either one you will be thrilled. You should drive both before deciding.

Best of luck.

 

I recently bought a 2002 360. I love both the 360 and the 430 and I (like you) had the means to get either a 360 or a older 430. I decided on the 360 because I like the look better and while I know that the 430 has better performance than the 360, the fact is that the 360 is plently fast for me in city driving. I won't track the car so I won't benefit significantly in the performance difference with day to day and weekend driving. Lastly, despite the belts vs chains argument) I found the 360 to be a much better value given the depreciation aspect. I don't expect or intend on my Ferrari to be any sort of investment, it's just that the 360 (IMO) gives you the best bang for the buck.

 

+1. A few people also looked at selling their 360s and getting a 430, and most if not all came out thinking that the delta is just too great. For what it would cost to upgrade, you could almost buy another 360. Now that same math doesn't quite apply if you are just buying and not selling first. And a few months have gone by so I don't know if that delta is still quite that high but the difference in price between a top condition 360 and a lesser condition 430 I'm sure is still quite significant. Of course, if you can afford it, the 430 is a better car. Hopefully, they will make a 3 pedal 458 spider so some day....

 

TTDANG 123

+1

 

+2

-G.B.

 

+3