Newbie, In search of my first ferrari, 355

Hi everyone, I am a previous owner of some pretty fum toys, 1991 lamno diablo, 2 dodne vipers both 1995's, rt10 supercharged by doug levin mortorsports in florida, and a 1996 FTB blue/white as well. I am ready for my next toy..Ferrari..thought as an entry level I would go with a 355 and wanted to know your toughts out there about what and why..like the spyder and wanted to know the do's and don'ts..any of your experience and wisdom would be appreciated as I have started my search..As a previous diablo owner I am aware of the major services involved and betting the right car..

thanks
Adam
Port washington, ny

 

I just traded in a beautiful 1999 355 Fiorano F1 to Ferrari LI. Red / beige. 11k mileage. Beautiful car never gave me a minute of trouble. Look at my album for a handful of pictures. PM me if you need more info.

 

Beautiful car, I was hoping for alittle more info about these cars..and of course some buying advise price ..and what would be a good deal..dealers are always overpriced but buying privatley could also be trouble if the car has hidden problems or bad history..

thanks
Adam

 

Adam-

Contact Dan at Bradan in Ronkonkoma- He has a line on a few very nice 355's that would be sold with fresh majors-

 

You will be surprised, True Ferrari dealers are not over priced at all. The 1999 355 Fiorano F1 listed here is on the FoLI site for $79k and I'm sure they will take less and that's a good deal for that car

 

Valve guides are the biggie, if they go you're looking at 10-12k to repair. There are some other weak links but they can mostly be addressed if/when they crop up without breaking the bank. I bought one with guides done, it's been a great car so far.

 

Spend hours looking thro' all the similar threads here - its the best way to learn - start with a search on something like '355 buying' and then take a look at any thread that looks interesting - there's recent pricing opinions too

 

Been researching and wanted input as to strengths or weekness or advantages to one year over the other and difference between 1997-1999 355's

thanks in advance guys
Adam

 

The only significant difference in all of the years was on the '95's which had 2.7 motronic, twin MAF's and a single o2 sensor per side vs. the later cars which had 5.2 motronic, single MAF and o2 sensors pre and post cat. This makes the 2.7 cars easier to ECU tune and modify the exhaust as on the 5.2 cars the ECU is encrypted and the post cat o2 sensors can throw CEL's if you run high flow cats or decat, where it's not an issue on the 2.7 cars.

 

I have a 96 F355 Yellow/black spyder 13k miles coming up for sale next week. We are doing a major,valve guides, headers, and reupholstering the dash.

 

I also have 2 very nice 355's for sale both listed in Ferrariads, 98 355 B f1 yellow black 14k miles, and a 98 red/tan 355 spider 6sp 8k miles

Wade

 

I must be blind coz I don't see the spider in the adds...

 

it may have expired ill relist

 

let me know when its finished so we can get together..adam

 

We have a 1998 Red/Black w/ 19k miles that just came in. We are doing a belt-service on the car currently. Price is $52,900

1998 Ferrari F355 Spider Carrollton, Texas | RAC Performance

Let us know what you think about it.

Spencer Heitman
RAC Performance
214-269-1579
[email protected]

 

However your number is high...if your flexible on price we can talk

 

$53k for a 19k mile, fresh major and you think that is high?

Best of luck if you think you can find a car like this for less. Price seems very reasonable to me.

 

BTW, this appears to be a Euro car, is that correct?

 

Agreed. If you have little knowledge of the cars, the best thing to do is go to someone trusted like Bradan and buy a well sorted car for a fair price. If you think you will just low-ball a good car, enjoy the ride.

 

+1

 

I'd have to agree, if you're after a spider that's quite a fair deal.

 

Dave, Yes this is a euro 355. Exceptionally nice car. No sticky buttons, no leather warping. Good compression numbers, we are currently performing the 30k major timing belt service in house. - Jared

 

The BIG issue with the 355s is the valve guides. They seem to give up the ghost along with the headers. Does one have to do with the other? Which is the chicken and which the egg? I don't know but if in the market I'd insist on having the guides already done along with the headers replaced with reputable aftermarket replacements. Somewhere in mid 1998-on the valve guides were made in stainless and are much less an issue. All 355s suffer with sticky dash and center console pieces. Many have spent 50k on properly rebuilding a 355 engine. The engine out service is needed every 3-5 years and usually runs in the 10k range. Lots of expensive cpu controls for the engine management system (2.7 or 5.2). The spiders have problems with the top mechanisms (pentometers sp?) and several threads on this and all issues. Slow down lights come on and are a mess sometimes to figure. Many insist on the gold connector kit to eliminate false slow down lights. Radiators, clutches, steering racks go too. Some have driven with very low maintenance cost but most I'd guess have the equivalent of the purchase price in recipients stored in a folder somewhere. I'd look for one with the valves and headers done and the sticky parts replaced or restored and a fresh major but your not gonna get it for 42k. Buying a good one is a bit like walking through a minefield.

 

+1000

Car looks like a great find w/ fresh major.

 

Not sure if you will find another with ALL service done/compression verified/Major 30K service just finished/ No stickies or leather pullback for anywhere close to that asking price. You will have a much happier Ferrari ownership experience if you buy a well serviced/maintained car, even if the cost is $10-15k more. Buying a low priced Ferrari can actually become a very expensive purchase/ownership experience, especially if neglected parts/systems start to fail/expire. Good luck in your search! I think the 355 at JakesMotorCars of San Diego looks very nice & could be a worthwhile car to purchase....