This is "my" color combo and I absolutely *love* it! I have the "La Mans Blue" and it's just awesome. But: did you check the heating and the A/C? they are connected and spare parts are expensive and rare.
Red and Tan are my first choice, but all of my sports cars have been red. However, I think silver with red interior is fantastic and the only combination I would want a silver sports car with. Wishing you the best with that decision...
That color is beautiful IMO. One approach would be to buy the car and fix only the clutch and change the oil. If you could buy the car for 23-24k and just use it as a driver it'd be a relatively inexpensive way to drive a 355 without the worry. If the valve guides go and you don't wanna start the whole expensive process of engine out, valves, headers, cats, top problems, seats, etc just part it out and maybe get half or more of your money back. Just drive it and don't worry about the belts, headers, cats etc. If worse comes to worse your only out the amount of the purchase price which is less than the 40k it'd take to make this thing right. If it only ran a year or so you'd be out less than those who paid 100k for these cars just a few years ago.
Really? No offense, but are you mentally ill? 23-24k for a 355? Where on earth do you dream up these numbers?
That car will always have stories, so even if it was perfect tomorrow it would be a hard sell at $60k. IMO, the max it would be worth, despite having very low mileage, would be in the low $50k range. Work backwards at all the issues ($20k in repairs? New clutch, full service, headers, rubber parts, suspension bushings, interior restoration...). And you arrive at a value of $30k as it sits today. Even that may be a bit generous as there could be a few unusual trim pieces needed that are unobtainable today. this is probably a big project. Whether that makes it a parts car or a neglected machine in depserate need of TLC is up to the buyer.
Hello All. 14" of snow here today...not alot of driving going on. My 97 355 looks exactly like the one pictured. I purchased it in November for $59,500. Prior to the purchase, we did a PPI and found a compression problem which lead to new valve guides. Total bill, paid by the seller, was $15,000. All interior issues had been resolved. I know enough to sound dumb, but my thought is that a well sorted car with 20,000+- miles (my comfort zone) should be in the mid to upper $50's. I think I overpaid slightly for mine, but I love it...even the off color, which I'm growing to like very much. What are the chances the car pictured needs new valve guides?
I cant beleve some of the coments regarding buying the car cheep and then after its run down part it out. WTF! Realy?? Do peope acualy do this? Or even just buy one cheep just to part it out? Should these cars not atleast be given a chance to be sorted out in the future? A car like this can one day be some ones pride and joy.
Parts keep others dream cars just that. Where do you think the parts come from to replace bad parts on running cars? The 355 is my dream car and my next Ferrari BTW.
I'd go with low 30's myself.. Hope you get it Chris! I'd be nice car to tool around in.. Hope I see you in it out on the town!
With just 3,100 miles showing on the odometer I doubt that it would need valve guides...yet. IMHO the car just needs a good home and some TLC. I hope Chris ends up with the car also.
Yea i will tell you were replacement parts come from. They come from unrepairable wreaked cars/insurance jobs ect. Also exotic breakers like www.eurospares.co.uk & http://www.douglasvalley.co.uk/. None of the cars there are driven with the view to be deliberately parted out. Definitely not cars like the one that the OP posted up that's for sure. and there are many many businesses like the above two all over the world. Also eurospares remanufactured brand new almost all the parts needed for your ferrari at a fraction of the cost of a ferrari part. I would love to hear from anyone who has parted a 355 out that has not been crashed. IMO that's a ridiculous concept, in the my many many years of Ferrari ownership i have never known anyone do it in the Ferrari community i run in
My comments are made to encourage someone to DRIVE a 355 that's possibly on the fence about getting one. Someone who may want to take a calculated risk and own their dream car now that the market's precipitous drop combined with this car's storied past has brought that dream to a level never before seen. The parting out scenario is only a worst case one that would allow someone should they get in a position they couldn't afford to or thought it not viable to repair to cut some of their losses . I'm hoping that someone buys this car at a deal and enjoys it. So get on your finger waving soapbox all you want but like it or not the 355 market has opened the door for some to buy a car that could easily need repairs in excess of it's value. I'm suggesting that it might be viable to take a chance on a low price example and throw some seat covers over the torn up leather, change the oil and just drive the thing. For some who won't ever have the 50k needed for a nice 355 plus a 20k slush fund for repairs this car or a car like it could get them into their dream car. Maybe this example won't be one someone does this with but at this price others (and their will be others at this price) will. I'm just pointing that out.
Yes. Just because a car starts or drives to some degree doesn't keep it out of the junkyard. Plenty of 928's out there that fall into this category.At the 355's current value eurospares and others will have running cars used for parts. And yes those parts will help keep others cars going.
If your buying the car to drive and don't care about anything else, then parting a car would make no sense. But from a money standpoint it makes perfect sense. The cost to buy the car and make it right will far exceed the value you will ever get in return. If I wanted a 355 to drive and cared less about money or resell then parting it out would be crazy. If I wanted to make some money or was a tiny bit concerned about reselling the car and not loosing a fortune then parting it out is an smart option. May take a few years, but I could buy that car for $30k and double my money... If you buy it for $30k and spend $20K fixing it, in a few years you will have lost about $20K..... I'd rather make money then loose it, but that's just me...
Looks like I can get the car at the right price to put several thousand into her to make it nice again. Haved planned on 10K. I have planned for our shop to perform a major service and clutch replacement. Also I would have the leather on the seats replaced and the carpets replaced. I will keep you guys posted on what happends Thanks to all for your input and opinions.
Here are some interior pics of the rip on the pass seat, bad leather on console and broken plastic... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
That doesn't look like 3,000 miles of wear man, and if it is it's probably a flood/vandalism/cat pee type of situation. Could you maybe measure the brake pads/rotors thickness and see if the numbers jibe? Or some other method of checking mileage? Check the date on the tires, etc.
ouch....looks like she was pretty wet honestly, I would pass, there could be ALOT more issues lurking in there. Even doing work yourself, parts get expensive real quick...
