First Ferrari... à 348

a VERY good local mechanic

and a good shrink

Good luck!!!

 

I would say that you should not get too excited when you look at your first 348 and make a rash decision. keep calm and remember that there are many 348's out there in good shape so you do not need to buy someones headache. Look through the car inside and out. Under it, inside the engine bay, behind the seats, everywhere. It is common for 348's to have gooey sticky plastic parts on the console, steering column, air vents, door trim. This can be fixed (with some work). Does the a/c work? Does the engine idle smoothly? Does it start easily? Do the readings on the gauges look good? How are the tires, wheels? When was the last time it had a major service? A major service includes having the timing belts and tensioners changed. If not, then this could be a huge bargaining chip for a lower selling price if everything else is in good shape. A major service can run $6K to $10K plus. If all of these things look in good shape (except for the gooey stuff), then make sure to get a PPI from a reputable auto shop that has experience with Ferraris. If it passes and the price is right for you then go for it. Keep in mind that there is never a guarantee when buying a used Ferrari that there will not be problems (possibly expensive). So you need to be prepared to have $5K to $10K on hand to take care of the unknown. Also remember that a 348 needs to have a major service done every 5 years. It requires the engine to be removed to change the timing belts. That is the reason for the high service price. Good luck!


And welcome to FChat!!

 

This.

Kai

 

I'd reiterate the idea that you don't want to fall for the first one you see. It may be the one, but you've GOT to drive a few to know. Here's why... these cars all drive differently. I've driven four and every one felt different. More than any other model I've ever known, one 348 can be a totally different experience than another one. Very odd, but very true.

 

Congrats on your choice of a 348. They're very hardy cars. Don't be afraid. Just do it. You won't regret it!

 

Congratulations on a great choice. You will absolutely love a 348. They are fantastic cars to drive.
But I agree that you should take your time in looking for the right one. Read the threads about 348's on this forum, and ask the questions you might have.
Look for a full service history and a stamped service book. Don't look for a cheap Ferrari, because there are simply no such things. Buy the best Ferrari within your budget.
The car needs new belts every three years or every 30k km. This is an engine out procedure, so calculate this in your budget if you are looking for a 348.

I owned a 348 spider and I loved every bit of it.

Good luck!

T

 

All the above X 3. I'll also add to make sure all the engine warning lights light up when you turn the key to the first notch. There should be 2 "check engine" lights at the center bottom of the instrument pod' and a "slow down" light on both sides. Now once you start the engine, make sure they go out in a second or 2. Now make sure they don't come back on while driving. Also play around with the climate control system: check heat, A/C, and that the various vent buttons work

 

on second glance, who needs A/C in Sweden????? Better be sure that heat and defrost work...

 

Agree with everyone comments above. Before you start looking for a car, find a great mechanic. In my searches for a 348 almost 10 years ago, I can not tell you how many cars were described as perfect and were not. Out of the 10+ cars I looked at, I did a ppi on 3, and only one passed inspection. I purchased that car. Whole process was 6+ months. In the past 9 years of ownership, car has been amazing and bullet proof. Be patient, it will reward you in spades over the years. I am always amazed at the negative posts about the 348, as I only have had positive experiences.

 

All great points, all I would add...Buy the best one you can afford.

The cheapest ferrari's tend to be the most expensive.

 

Get a ppi and if you can't get to look at it yourself, find one of us anal retentive fchatters where the car is located to put our eyes on it for you.

Then use all that in your negotiations.

And have 10k handy. Decide what minor things with the car you can live with or the 10k for major services will be gone on the $50 and $100 stuff.

Mobilized reply by David

 

Indeed you will love every moment of it. The 348 still has a good amount of the old style raw ferrari feel about it and if you want a car that needs to be driven as opposed to just taking for a drive then the 348 is for you. The only thing I would add to all of the above is seek out as many 'buyers guides' off the net. They can be a source of allot of info on the do's and don't of buying a 348. particulalrly the years to target. Later models had allot of the early bugs ironed out. All of this can be found in the buyers guides.

GOOD LUCK !!!!

 

yeaps read as much as you can on whatever you can find here on the 348....also if you're able to, test drive a 355 while ure at it......ure fall in love with the 348 even more after that.....

 

Låt någon i Ferrariklubben göra en PPI.
Lycka till!!!

//B//

 

+!

watch out what you buy and you will be happy with a 348!

 

Don't forget the other main source of 348 information - spend a few hours at www.my348.com

 

Good post Jimmie. I was scanning to see if that info was passed along. That should help him out tremendously.

Welcome Patrik

No OBD. trouble codes read from flashing lights.

 

I would second all of the advice here and add this -- do not be afraid of distance when shopping. Maybe you aren't, I don't know, but I was a little freaked out by this whole internet car shopping thing (I'm pretty old school for my age It all turned out very well, though. The chances of finding a great car that checks all of your boxes nearby is slim to none. I almost gave in to the relative ease and false sense of security of a trade on a local car, and as it turns out, I would not have ended up with half as much car as I did.

It's all in the (very good) PPI!! Also, I had the good fortune of finding a car and previous owner that a lot of people here know, and they all vouched for the quality of the car. 2 years on, no big problems, just a LOT of fun!

 

It stands for Pre Purchase Inspection. This is when you have a mechanic inspect the car to see if there are any problems with it. This is usually done by a shop that is not connected with the seller of the car. It needs to be a mechanic that is familar with Ferraris. They usually inspect the car and run compression and leak down tests on the engine as well as check over the other important points on the car.

 

Depending on the money you have to spend I would shop for special models if you can. These would be road going Challenge cars, Competiziones, GTB's and spiders. Also buy the newest version you can find, generally 1994 or 1995. If money is tight, then go with a decent model and choose condition/mileage and service history. Try to pick a Motronic 2.7 engine management system and I'd go with the Berlineta because those are less common than the TS models (targa top).

But no matter what, let your mechanic's recommendation be the guiding influence on your purchase. By all means check here for repairs because we have done it all and can help out. Not me of course, but we have experts. You do not need Ferrari parts to keep these cars running - most of the time.

Good luck in your search and ask questions. There are no stupid ones when you are spending this kind of money.

 

I have a 348 Spider an absolutley love the car
Follow what the chatters say and you will be good