348 vs 355 Article

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Exactly like that, looks like the 288gto and testarossa hooked up and had a pretty daughter.

 

reading page 40 (of the magazine article) it says "a host of changes to the geometry and dimensions of the double wishbone suspension"

is that correct? it was my understanding that the 348 and 355 shared the same basic suspension, with only geometry change being the upper rear inboard control arm points...and of course the power steering and shock absorbers

 

The pre-Specialé 348s had the upper A-arm chassis pick up points higher on the sub-frame than Specialé and later 348s and all F355s. My notes say that the change was a scant 0.25" and straight downward. There used to be a jig that could be used with the engine was out of the car to put the new geometry into an older 348.

Due to lack of power steering, caster is 5 degrees on the 348 and 7 degrees on the F355 with power steering.

 

hey Mitch, you've helped me in the alignment thread also

i'm aware of the alignment changes, and such, but am curious if the article is accurate (or not) claiming more dimensional / geometry changes, than just the rear UCAs? ...it suggests the control arms themselves differed??

so when you say the UCAs, you mean just the rears? or was there change to the fronts also?

 

As far as I know, the front did not change.
Also, as far as I know, the control arms are interchangible (early/late: 348/F355)--although the way the anti-roll bars attach (at one end) are slightly different.

 

Having owned two 348s (a Ts and a Spider) and one 355, I can say that the 355 is a superior car mechanically. The styling is an individual choice. What I noticed about the cars was that the 348 was relatively easy to throw around when driving hard. The 355 was more challenging to drive as hard, much more prone to get really loose when driving at the limit (which was higher in the 355, no question).

Having said that, I think that the 355 was a much better car, but the jury is still out on the styling difference between the two.

The 430 on the other hand is much, much faster, and a whole bunch harder to drive hard, because you are going so much faster.

Art

 

that's what i had thought, but the article raised this question, thank you

i'm still searching for a blueprint / technical diagram of the 348/355 front suspension cross-section, if anyone has one to post or email
thanks

 

I was following a 355 yesterday for quite some time (I guess I am used to being in front of 355's in the GTC ) and couldn't help but drag up this old thread to make a comment about the rear end of the car.

It is absolutely gorgeous...much nicer in my opinion than anything Ferrari have made subsequently and much nicer than the rear end of my GTC.

Not sure there exists a nicer rear end made on any car...bellisimo!!

 

Both are nice cars. It would be a luxury to own one of each.

The 355 color is absolutely Azurro California - the owner is here at F-chat.

Robb

 

Unfortunately, some people still give the 348 bad publicity...

Has the Ferrari F355 already become a classic? | Classic Driver Magazine

I realize that Tom Hartley Jr is just trying to sell a car...
Despite what it is said, I believe Enzo Ferrari had a direct influence as far as the 348 is concerned (Enzo died in 1988 and the car was launched in 1989...).

The difference between the 2 cars in my view is not as great as that between the 430 and the 458 for example. The 458 is a much better car in terms of performance and looks, imho.

It is simply not true that “Unlike the Testarossa and 348, you could invariably put one in for a routine service without being hit with an astronomical bill.”...

Having said that, I just hope that these cars are worth a quarter-of-a-million-pound car within the next 10 years.

 

I used to think that out of tradition, Ferrari's should all have round tail lights, but since buying My 348 I have to say that I love the factory tail lights! (and completely dislike the 355 style conversions! - They just don't sit naturally on a 348 as they do on a 355).

They give the car a very distinctive futuristic look - How can you not like this?:
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BWAHAHAHA:

“It was also the first truly reliable Ferrari,” adds Hartley Junior. “Unlike the Testarossa and 348, you could invariably put one in for a routine service without being hit with an astronomical bill.”

Really? So much less expensive than the 348 with an engine out? Guy is entitled to his opinion.. but not what I've lived through with friends cars. BTW I happen to like the 348's rear lighting. Its modern if a departure from the round lights.

We'll see what happens once interest rates rise... and the inevitable next recession. If the collector car phase continues I'll be surprised.

 

Couldn't agree more!
I hate all the 355 style conversions and love the 348 original tail lights.

 

Yeah, I'm in the camp of 355s are not as bad as people say on maintenance costs but that line just about made me spit coffee out my nose this morning.

 

Ok, I'll add my $0.02.

I think it might be kind of pointless to compare a 348 to 355.

Like what many have already said here, it's 100% preference at this point. Yes the 355 is faster, because it's newer, just like the F430 is faster than the 360 - and the 458 will be slower than the next version. It's not a mystery that the car platform goes through 1 major iteration.

308 improved to a 328, same platform.
348 improved to a 355, same platform.
360 improved to a 430, same platform.

I do think however, that the differences between the platforms are further apart in the 348 vs 355 argument. The biggest issue with the 348 was it's competition at the time. It was never revered by the automotive press as a great car. Just a good car, but hard to argue that you should buy it over a Nissan 300zx. Moreover, Acura came out with a car that is some ways was ahead of the 348. This just doomed the 348. Why pay a premium when you got better build quality, better reliability, better performance, and exotic styling in a NSX.

Sadly, that was overblown, but that's the reality. I way prefer the 348 over an NSX. It's a more rewarding experience perfecting how to drive the 348, and I think it looks and sounds so, so much better.

When Ferrari came out with the 355, it remedied all complaints against the 348, and proved to be a better car than the NSX, with many in the press labeling it as the best car in the world.

As Ferrari owners, we all know that the 355 being the best car in the world, and the 348 being ho-hum isn't realistic. You can't polish a turd, and the 348 certainly wasn't a turd. It was very, very close to being the best car in the world in the late 80's and early 90's, but it wasn't - and that is the expectation put on Ferrari. They have to produce the best. The 348 missed the mark. A Ferrari that misses the mark a little, is still a great, great car.

I owned a 348 for 7 years. I loved my time with that car. It was a fantastic car.

25 years later, what does it really matter? Cars from the 90's are not the best in the world. Buy what you like. At the end of the day a 348 or a 355 will leave a huge smile on your face.

 

Well said! +100

 

When i drive my 348 it gives me a huge smile like no car before ( i think about 45 of them).
I was close to buying a 355, was it worth the extra cash? To me no. And i like the more raw driving experince the 348 seems to give.
It's a nice little mix of old Ferrari, and new Ferrari

 

I offer my correction to the Classic Driver article:

“It was also the first truly reliable Ferrari,” said NOBODY EVER. I don't think anyone will disagree that the 348 is generally more reliable--it was less highly tuned and had far less electronics.

Not quite a direct relation, but here's me and yelcab at Ferrari of Silicon Valley to fix a bad fuel distribution design that could "potentially burn the car down."
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This article is a bit harsh on the 348!

Has the Ferrari F355 already become a classic? | Classic Driver Magazine

"It’s fair to say that the 348 wasn’t Ferrari’s finest hour; it was perhaps the most tangible evidence of Il Commendatore’s direct influence on the road machines, and just how much it was missed when he departed. At Geneva 1994, its replacement finally arrived in the form of the F355..."

 

Subheading in the article "Minor changes, maximum effect" -

I think that proves what I said earlier. The 348 cannot be total crap and the 355 be the best thing ever. There are differences between the cars and those differences made the 355 the best car in the world - meaning the 348 was what the 3rd or 4th best car available at the time? At least according to automotive journalist.

 

I was under the impression all Ferraris were relatively hand built. What does he mean when he says 360s onward were mass produced?

 

It's also fair to say, this writer doesn't know anything regarding Ferrari.

20 yrs later, the 348 is pricing to be less expensive and more reliable than the 355 ... And service costs of the 355 are less than the Testarossa ...LOL

He read that off the 1995 Ferrari brochure ...LOL

 

Using your theory of explanation we can say the same today with the corvette Zl1 and Nissan GTR over the 458 for a 1/3 of the price.

The issue is , majority of these people are jealous nobodies that can't afford a tooth pick, let alone a Nissan 300zx back then.

I would bet ever dollar I had, every single one of those naysayers would have picked the 348 over an nsx or Nissan 300z if given the choice.

Btw ....where is that nsx, and Nissan 300z or king of the hill zr1 corvette 20 yrs later ? Anyone even seen one , does anyone even aspire to own one and wax it ? .....LOL ...well, maybe the zr1 .....

The on going debate of bad journalism

 

360s have headers failures as well...valve guides not an issue in 99..