Please help me decide on a F355

Few GTB and few GTS because people like those cars and they tend to keep them longer. In general speaking, get the devil you know versus the devil you don't know. Finally, if you love open air, buy the spider.

 

To answer your questions...
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No



By the way, pm me if you are looking for a GTS.

 

How can the answer to his first question be a "yes or "no" answer?

 

I went through the same problem of trying to decide what to buy. I started off thinking 308, then my wife tried to talk me into a TR. After reading the forms and going nuts it finally came time to actually buy something. Like everyone suggests, drive a few different Ferrari's first and you will find one you fall in love with. You can read everything written but your heart will tell you which one is for you. I did find that the money you spend to get a really nice car that has been loved and taken care of will be worth it. And you must have a PPI done on your pick. Good luck and I hope you end up as happy with your Ferrari as I am with my 355.

 

You are too technical

 

There are fewer for sale because they made fewer of them I had a GTS and it was a wonderfull combination of hard top and soft top. Chassis a bit stiffer than the spider if you want to do any track work. My car had the optional colour combination roof which I liked more than the black textured.

 

A GTB is the most desireable in my opinion and the most rare. Spiders are hot, loud, leak, and were produced in greater numbers. Hold out for what you really want. Lots of 355s for sale. Be patient my friend. Are you REALLY going to have the top off?

 

You have the opportunity to buy a fully serviced Spider with 29K miles at $55K? What are you waiting for? Pull the trigger and never look back. If you don't like the car, just turn around and sell it for what you paid. That's an excellent price for (based on your own description) a sorted car with a known history.

 

Like my women I prefer them top down just sayin

 

And the major on the dealer car is going to be ten grand - as above the spider feels a way better offer

 

+1

Seems like a no brainer. To replace the headers, valve job (if it needs it) and the major is going to be around $15K so now you've got $70K into the GTS and still aren't certain what else you may run into. The Spider appears to be a known quantity since you know the owner and the car. Only word of caution. Just because it hasn't had a valve job means that it needs it. There is no real 100% certain way of knowing if it got the good/bad valve guides so if it's gone to 29K miles without them. I assume they were either replaced before your friend bought the car or it has the good ones. My car has 37K miles and still on the original valve guides and we just did a thorough major last year at one of the top shops in the country which verified they were fine.

 

I agree with Monteman wholeheartedly. My spider passed a PPI but 4k miles later needed a valve job. Just finished a complete engine rebuild at $25k. With the new Tubi headers and exhaust I put in and new clutch I would not dream of selling it ($55k or otherwise). Nothing like the feeling of the wind tussling your hair or polishing your pate as is my case!!
Cheny

 

I strongly suggest you get some seat time in one of each- very different experiences.

Gtb is the driver's car- they are very, very tight and the handling is noticeably crisper but no top down sunny day fun- Gts a wonderful compromise but the tops can be noisy and leak and there is a noticeable lessening of body stiffness- Spyder even more so- tops can be noisy and leaky and have been known to jam- but of course nothing like a convertible in the nice weather!

I was 100% looking for a Spyder but wound up with a Gtb after driving a not very good one at FoNE, but was amazed at how tight and quiet the car was at speed - so I went out and found a decent one.

 

Just like all the others, my advice is buy the car you know and has been taken good care of. Spiders are great.

The cost of buying a 355 is part of the equation, the other part is the cost to get it up to snuff, or maintain it. And in the case of the GTS, that is an unknown.

R

 

Funny, I bought my GTS from Steve over there almost four years ago and I had a very good experience with those guys. Back then, his prices were a bit out there but nothing a little negotiating couldn't remedy.

Anyway, I'd echo what many of my peers here are saying. Get some driving time in each one then decide. I'd also tell you to take your time and find the right car for you. Other cars will come on the market down the road for sure and time is on your side so be patient. It took me several months to find the right car but it was definitely worth the wait.

As for the GTS/GTB/Spider question, I can't imagine owning anything but a GTS but I'm clearly biased. My top doesn't really make much noise and it has never leaked, though I've only driven it in the rain once. I love the optionality of the GTS and the looks are hard to beat both with and without the top on.

Best of luck with your search!

 

+1 for GTS, being biased, and not squeaking or leaking (the top, not me)

There were approximately only 2,500 GTS ever made. Berlinettas were about the same - maybe a couple hundred difference. Spiders were nearly 4,000, if memory serves. It's all on the wikipedia page if you care to dig it up (and trust the source!).

Agree with previous posts that B and GTS owners tend to hold their cars longer for whatever reason...making them even harder to find on the market.

The GTS is the perfect compromise between the B and the Spider. Then again, see, I don't even really consider it a compromise. I've tracked my GTS several times and never thought for a second that I'd rather have the B for 10% more structural rigidity (or whatever it is). The B does have the cleanest lines though - I'll concede that.

The GTS is a relatively unique design. How many "targa top" cars are there in the world? Not too many. It's just damn cool. Oh, and the sound...jaysuz. Right after "looks", that is why most people buy the car...so pop the top and listen to it in all its glory. Put the lid back on if you need to travel a little more incognito or face inclement weather.

 

140 seems a little low for a 355. But, we need to know the conditions under which the car is tested.

 

I personally would walk away from a 355 showing 140psi, anything below 160psi on a 355 is really too excessive to me. You also want to know the leakdown % on each cylinder.

Heres some excellent reading for you if youre looking to buy a 355.
http://www.the355.com/mambo/index.php
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5554

My mechanic has been working on Ferraris since the early 70s and isnt a big fan of the 5 valve heads except for all the money he says theyve brought him. He says the 355 has been one of his best sources of income. There are lots of arguments too and fro from owners that have had no problems and the second link is a good discussion on it.

Also make sure the car has good front engine mounts. There has been a problem with 355s catching fire and a recall was made twice for fuel fittings but another addition to that problem is a worn front engine mount causing problems for the fuel fittings. Read this link on that subject from a Ferrari race and road mechanic. (not my personal mechanic)
http://aussieexotics.com/forum/msg,131496/ferrari/1999-ferrari-f355-spider-2499km-8979.30.html

Hope that helps you learn some more for your search for the perfect car for you.

 

Variation is too great. Suggests one or more cylinders may have a problem.

 

that's a $30,000/355/ needs another strong engine

j

 

Ditto, my top never leaked and rarely made any squeaks. I kept it adjusted and every now and then used a rubber lube on it.It is the best of both worlds, rarer than a GTB and more functional than a spider

 

Definitely need a leak down. To me anything more than a 10% deviation is a red flag and this is well outside that parameter. I suspect the leak down is not going to be good and down on at least one cylinder. Most people think this just means that valve guides are bad but it can also indicate a worn cylinder liner. If it's still on stock headers and one of them leaks you end up with cylinder wash and then it gets real expensive real fast. A worn cylinder liner = engine rebuild = $25K.

 

Adding to what Monte said, I remember my compression numbers from my PPI/start of 30K service as I was standing at the back of the car watching the gauge to make sure it had reach max value after the engine was turned over at least 3 time for each cylinder. (Other conditions: engine warmed up prior, plugs out of course, no oil squirted into cylinder.) Mine were all reading 205 to 210. The 140-175psi spread could mean that they didn't get a full compression stroke in a couple of cylinders, but just move on to the leakdown test now to get to the end result.