D-cel- Sure, want to start at 140 mph and see what they will do? That should be a fun ride for you while the rest of us are just cruising up to top speed. I repeat, the Cobras, especially the replicas, are not real cars for everyday driving. They are weekend toys. Fun to drive and play with, but not something you would choose for a long trip. My Ferrari is my only car and daily driver (wife has a GL 550). Can any Cobra driver say that? Taz Terry Phillips
Although I am not a 355 guy....no hair gel, lol. I would like to chime in if I may. I have owned 3 Cobras. I have shown then, tracked them and built them from the frame up. I love the nostalgia and the sheer power. They are awe inspiring cars to hear and look at. That being said, the attraction will wear off fast, trust me on this. The handling is tricky and in most cases down right dangerous unless you have had the car for a long time and know its ticks. They are a wonder to listen too until you realize the side exhaust has made you almost deaf in your left ear after a few weeks. Driving in anything other than perfect weather conditions becomes unfavorable, especially if you care about the cars interior. You will start to miss A/C, CD player, windows and being able to see the road without your eyes vibrating out of your head. It will not appreciate in value no matter what they have told you, it's a replica. Its made to be driven anyway. Also, park your Ferrari next to a Cobra and see who the girls want to talk too . My point is this, your Ferrari may seem its getting dull, I get that, but I really do think in this case your will have sellers remorse. If you really want a Cobra, buy it as a second exotic you won't regret it. I personally would not trade my Ferrari for one although I could see getting my old car back in the future just to keep my Ferrari company. Just my .02 Image Unavailable, Please Login
I'll say it here - it's underpowered. Like Mark Donohue said - "If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." I work on these things every day, and I'm not cutting on them, I actually LOVE the 348's and 355's but when you do what I do for a living, too much is never enough. Hanging triple hair driers on a jellybean...... now THAT sounds like it would have just enough power! Right Dave?
I gotta admit. I HATED my 355 experience it's pretty funny how many PMs I've gotten behind the scenes from people that agree. Ernie's I've had it post kind of sums it up. Those of you that have had good luck, I'm happy for ya. Me on the other hand, well I had two in the garage at once so I feel I've earned the right to call it how it is. The car is beautiful, sounds good and that's it, just be happy with it for what it is-Art. As 355spider said "there is always someone faster" I'm tired of hearing " well just wait til we hit the twists " or " I'd smoke you from 40-140". The reality is no you won't, if you want to live in fantasy land so be it. There are better faster cars for less money available, this car suffers from serious design flaws, I am hopeful a 360 is much better. I believe it is....I love the marque but my patience is wearing thin. If the jelly bean is as bad as my 355s I'm done with them period...... My misery didn't even end during the sale process. The 355 attracts lowballers and deal shoppers, that further leaves a cheap taste in my mouth with this supposed "exotic" car. I used my speed lines as flower pots around the yard because everyone wanted to steal them. Boy I hope they don't corrode.
Well isnt Flyboy in a shlt stiring mood!! I think back to a Pickle Fork, flat bottom I helped a guy build a lifetime ago. A Panzer 962 blower atop a Jag 12 cylinder with no waste gate. We sat on my boat in the slip at the bar and just watched him idle through a channel and out of sight on its maiden voyage. Open, dry headers so there was no need to see it to monitor his progress. He was completely convinced a throttle pedal was appropriate for this creation of his..... WeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEE......BOOM! and silence. Threw him back in the seat so hard when it came on boost he used the steering wheel to pull himself back up and both feet planted to stabilize himself. Yupper, I do believe we could get his attention with just such a Gernade! The ultimate Smelly Jelly Bean. Only gripe I have with the plastic Cobra's is most spend EVERY penny on the engine, tires and wheels. When it comes to suspension and brakes...... Pinto. Only way I would play with one deep into a turn at speed was if I had the inside line into the next corner.
Dave, Mike- I would love to have one too. Unfortunately, I am not rich, so no chance. Cannot even afford the bloody Ferrari I have. Taz Terry Phillips
Ive had many things changed including the main brains chipped back to when the car was designed by the guys who designed them for Ferrari in Italy. The place that has the connections to these guys are in Toronto. When you have things done by people who worked in Italy, on their F1 team and on challenge teams you only get the best. If you want more info pm me.
Been there done that. Actually had the Ferrari and the Cobra at the same time, Both Rossa Corsa Red of course. The Cobra is a kick in the ass hand full for a weekend car, tons of power that you must learn to appreciate, fly by the seat of your seat fun and crowd pleaser on the street and car shows. Loved mine but it's not a long term cruiser, I took it to Scottsdale from Manhattan Beach one weekend and nearly fried, even in California...the sun is relentless, it's ride just beats you up on a long cruise and there's no stereo you can hear over the exhaust, seats uncomfortable after awhile, wind noise and air relentless too...definatley not that much fun for long periods of time. Hey, if you can do both...cool! If you have to get it out of your system cool ! but the Ferrari is refined as the Cobra is 180 degrees in the raw direction. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I know a lot of you guys feel the market is depressed. While that was true but has anyone looked around at various dealer's inventory lately? There's a general rebound of cash and the exotic car dealers are turning over their inventory much quicker. I have seen several cars being listed and sold in matters of days. Personally, if you have a clean car with well documented records, you probably have seen the bottom. I know I paid fair money (it wasn't the cheapest by a long shot) for a well documented 355 Spider a few weeks ago.
If you just have to make the trade, a Superformance is a well built replica. $ wise, I'd say you are likely getting the short end of the stick. It IS easy to get discouraged with Ferrari's. Parts prices are simply outrageous - there is no good argument other than they can get the money. The 348's and 355's ARE underpowered. That said, I still love the cars, and I am hoping my new 360 is the "charm" and the "balance" I have been searching for. Oh, yeh and the mid-year corvettes, been there and done that - the big blocks run hot and are front end heavy -no thanks. Personally, I think you will be back........
Threads like this are always a bizarre meeting of two groups of folks who have almost no common ground. There is the "strap a jet engine to the back of a seat" crowd and the "speed isnt everything crowd" What I dont really get is why the former crowd bothers looking at/thinking about/talking about/ragging on cars that are clearly not designed, nor were ever marketed, to be setting world land speed records. "Fast enough" is a stupidly subjective thing like "hot enough" or "anything enough" Is the F355 "powerful enough"? It's an irrelevant question. If a 900HP Hennesey Viper or 1000HP 911 GT2 is "amost powerful enough", then no, the F355 won't be powerful enough for you. But its *really* odd why someone wouldnt, at that point, just ignore it. Chevy cranks out tens of thousands of Corvettes a year, every year, forever. You can get them two or three at a time. They can be brought up to 600HP+ with basically no money by a monkey. If the Vette is too boring, there is the Viper which is all of that, but cooler (sorry to say it... and I had a C5 for many years) So given that there are *lots* of *massively available* super fast and cheap cars, why is it that forums dedicated to cars that are *not* horsepower monsters always have threads like this come up over and over where fans of cheap 1000HP cars are basically ragging on a classic vehicle that was *never* meant to be that? Sorry... but this is definitely a pet peeve of mine And yes, Cobra's (replica or not) are awesome beasts and a great piece of automotive history. I can "get" why someone would go back and forth between one of those and a F355. I dont "get" why the F355 would *ever* be measured by the same yardstick as the Cobra though.
^ I heavily mod Corvettes and ANY car that crosses my path... Calling people a "monkey" is in poor taste when you probably couldn't tie that person's shoes in real life. THIS is the problem with forums like this... just like the Ford vs Chevy people that fight for no reason other than a badge loyalty. In the end, I'm a CAR FAN, including all the underpowered, overpriced, horribly engineered, and unreliable Ferarris. I can still appreciate the good about them without name calling like this was middle school. When I'm done with my 355 it will be closer to what the factory SHOULD have done. Forced Induction.
This iphone isn't fun typing on... fatt fingers lead to splelling issues. BTW, where is the OP? This is like a drive-by thread.
These 355 threads always degenerate into an Italian NASCAR arguement about how great thou art and poking fun at everyone else. I wouldn't sweat it, its just the way it goes. Just read the "speedlines up for grabs" thread. Lots o experts in that one too.....Unreal
Joshua- It is normal for OPs to disappear. Nobody called anybody a monkey. What Mark was hinting was that upgrades to performance on American V8s, especially small block Chevies, are relatively easy to obtain and install, even for amateur mechanics. I did a bumch of that myself 30+ years ago. About the only mods I made to my 2 C6 Z06s were the CAG bypass plug and pedals that helped with heel and toeing. Still have a set of pedals in the garage. Taz Terry Phillips
Agree, very different cars, and you're also comparing an actual Ferrari to a kit car "Cobra". Totally agree, until the part where you said replica Cobras are a piece of automotive history. I probably have food in my fridge that is more historic. But that aside... What's funny is that back in 1995 the 355 was regarded as a seriously fast car. Now that any AMG Mercedes is faster in a straight line, somehow the 355 is "too slow". Whatever it did when guys were paying $130,000+ for them 15 years, it still does.
Taz, thanks for moderating. Yes, the American V8s and their pushrod layouts are simple.... I like that. I like how you can look at them (in particualr the newer '97+ LSx series engines) cock-eyed and gain 100hp. I need to find a Ferrari shop here in the Atlanta area that will let me become a fly on the wall when major service is being done. Heck, I'd take vacation days from work and even pay the shop just to let me soak in the tips and tricks of the R&R and intermediate stuff. I guess I am a "monkey" in some ways... a hobbyist "grease monkey".
I have both right now. My 355 is in perfect health, so I cannot knock it. As stated it is very different from the 355. It is both faster and slower, both more and less useful, more and less reliable It is ridiculously fast at regular speeds, though at 120ish it starts to become a brick. the power and handling depend COMPLETELY on the setup, which varies completely from car to car. It is more usable because I will drive it anywhere. I will park it outside at work. I will take it to the grocery store. It is less so because it has no top, and I will not let my kids ride in it. It is an american motor with nothing to go wrong, and no timing belts. I was left stranded with a friend an hour from home with no cell phone coverage because a wire came loose. And the engine blew at VIR (a crate 331 from a respectable builder). I have certainly had to spend money on my 355, but I have never been stranded in a Ferrari x3 cars over 7 years. The point is - no matter what - there is chance involved. For me, the most important aspect is that my father and I built the car. This makes it priceless to me, despite being worthless to others. I am not a huge fan of the Superformance cars, only because I think it is just a kit that someone else built. Mine is a Factory Five. The suspension and steering is a full race kit from Levy racing (billet aluminum a-arms in front and a watts-link rear with koni double adjustables) and it is now powered by a new LS3. It weighs 2200 pounds wet and will spin the 315 R-compounds at virtually any speed and rpm. My best advice: drive several cars before you buy.
J- Did not know they made kits that use a live rear axle. Interesting, but then the new Mustang uses a live axle and it seems to work fine. Taz Terry Phillips
davehelms, I didnt see a pinto section of the Wilwood catalouge? Enginefxr, I think that makes you dam rare. I know a bunch of Ferrari guys, never know one to wash his own car let alone turn a wrench, Do you own one? Taz, I have had my plastic jelly bean was still pulling in 5th gear at 6100rpm (4.10 gear and a 325-50-15 tire) when I had to lift. The speedo (Smith lol) was bouncing over 180 but the calculated speed is nearer 173 mph. I freely admit, it is quiet harrowing. Flightly is the best word. But still pulling. With a little splitter on the front it would be a much better more comfortable deal. But it will run up in the clouds with your Italian car. I find most people, run out of balls before I run out of pedal. Jason
