First a disclaimer. I am not recommending either car. Any F355 needs to be gone over by a pro who can do a good PPI which includes compression and leak down tests. That said, I personally think a 2 year old major isn't too bad provided there are no issues. You need to check all the mechanicals and the cosmetics. Some of the obvious ones, in no particular order, are sticky parts, shrinkage of the leather on the dash, do all the switched work, oil pressure, do both fans come on correctly, no CELs, do the windows work smoothly, lights (interior and exterior), gages, doors close correctly, locks work, hood and engine cover struts, are seams between body panels and doors even, check paint thickness around the car, wipers, are tires good, brakes, clutch, does trans shift properly, fluid leaks, car should start on first crank hot or cold, on GTBs look for stress crack where the flying buttress meets the rear quarter panels, engine bay should be clean with rain shields on both sides, check shocks for operation and leaks, torn CV boots, accident damage, ask to have the car emissions tested before purchase if possible (if it matters), also check the edges of the windshield as some start to delaminate as indicated by "bubbles" or fogging between the layers of the glass, condition of seats, hand brake, test drive, condition of spark plug wires and wiring harness, hoses, battery, seat belts, condition of under tray,.... Review service records. Get a car fax and an auto check. If the records aren't available ask the seller to contact a Ferrari dealer and have the vin run. It should pull up any service performed at a Ferrari dealer. If a private sale, look around. Is the house well maintained? Do the owner's other cars look well maintained? If a dealer do some research on his record from the BBB, local DMV, state department commerce, ask for references, ... and above all, look at several cars to get an idea of what they are and don't be in a rush. Oh, and one more thing, don't fall in love with an ugly girl. What I mean by that is you find the perfect car, come to an agreement on price, and the PPI reveals some problems. If the seller with fix them fine. If he wants to drop the price, don't be afraid to walk. better a broken heart than a bad marriage. There are plenty of cars for sale, particularly if you want red, yellow or black.
Originally Posted by tamf328 View Post 50K might buy you a nice 95 but everything I looked at was more than that. may be mileage and color make a difference as well a yr. this was about 1 1/2 ago. Check it out. Similar cars. Different mileage. Which would you want? 1995 Ferrari F355, $59,900 - Cars.com 1995 Ferrari F355, $42,888 - Cars.com I like the one with the tubi and the carbon fiber seats, less mileage, etc.
Looking and negotiating a deal are very different. Last summer I looked at a car that was at originally at $69.5k. I got interested when the price was dropped to $65.9k. By the time I walked away from it the dealer wanted to do it at $55k. And that was a 99 F1 spider with 6k miles on it, but it needed a minimum of $10k to $15k more (6 year old major, dry rotted tires, and some other things the dealer would not address and who knows what else would have popped up as the car had been parked for 6 years). Here's the link. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355/372606-search-has-ended.html It was a beautiful car and I still have mixed feeling about letting it go but I know I did the right thing for me.
It's the new and improved 7000xxx version of the 355 forum, where misinformation is just a click away...lol
I beg to differ. I can tell you for a fact that I've sold multiple 355s in the high 60K price range. If you have a 355 "museum piece with under 8000 miles" for $55K, drop me a line. I'm a cash buyer.
They do come up. Check my link above. Or here it is again. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355/372606-search-has-ended.html When this car first came on the market it wasactually listed in the mid 70's. Then dropped to $69.5k, then at $65.9. I had a signed contact summer of 2012 for $58k but reneged after the PPI. I was then offered the car for $55k but passed because I didn't want to buy a car that needed immediate attention and which I would not be able to drive until this summer. But left as the museum piece it was the number was $55k.
here's another question (like I said, this is going to be my first Ferrari) - found a 355 I like. yellow. 1995. mileage a bit high (over 46K) but I am ok with that for my first one. PPI revealed a few leaks (transmission shifter shaft seal, front of engine oil leaks, main oil line from oil tank to engine). belts were replaced on the 30k mile service but not since. the last service was at an official Ferrari dealership and was August 2011. is the above normal for a 20 yr old Ferrari? is this still considered good condition or will I have to put a lot of work into it right as I purchase?
If the rest of the engine has checked out ok then this is a good starting point - if the leaks are minor they can be dealt with when the engine is out for the belts next Autumn or whenever
I would have to say if you find something out there that you like and I checks out...then go for it! It is a Ferrari so you can worry about everything else later. Just like any other car (well some of them) you will always have things go wrong, the 355 parts may just be a little more in price. I just put my 355 up for sale, and the only reason for that is I found a killer deal on another Ferrari. I hate to do it but I cant have two Ferraris that i drive two-three times a week. Do what you feel is right! you only live once and your dead along time...Just pay what you think is a fair price and just make sure all the paper work is there in hand. You want to know as much as you can so you know what to expect down the road! Good luck
The shift shaft seal and oil line are easy fixes (though the oil line is not cheap). The leaks on the front of the engine could be difficult, but if minor (seepage) could wait until the next major where they'll be easy to address with the engine out. Oil leaks like that are normal for any 20 year old car, let alone a Ferrari. If the belts were done in August 2011, then you still have a couple of years to go. If they were done at 30k miles, then you will need to know the date they were changed as it's a time or mileage thing, so 5 years or 30k miles, whichever comes first. My yellow '95 has a tad over 50k miles and runs great. If all the ppi found were couple of minor leaks, it sure sounds good to me (depending on price). I would check the front spring perches carefully as that's not something that I think gets checked but can be an issue on '95's.
thanks guys, very helpful! I will look into the PPI report to see about the front springs. as for the belts - PPI said they are in ok condition, wear is as can be expected form a 16K miles old belts but he said no need to replace for now. I assume I will have to within 2 yrs or so, depends on how much I drive it. is that a fair assumption?
From my experience in the 355 community (yes we're a community) Every $45K 355 turns into a $70K 355... cause we fall in love and love is messy... leather, stickies, tires, majors, headers, tubis, stereos, paint and more paint and more paint. (Can't have a scratched Ferrari) Every $70K 4,000 mile 355 turns into a $$90K 355 cause when Ferraris sit... they get angry. Every owner who makes a spreadsheet of his expenses and can tell you, to the penny, what his maintenance costs.... is ALWAYS checking prices.... what's my car worth? Did I pay too much? Can I get my money back? Can I do my own Major? It's a toy. Find one. Buy it. Enjoy it. Never total your receipts. ALWAYS let little kids sit in the driver's seat. A good 355 is a wonderful thing. Still a great combination of balance and power (almost just enough power) and craftsmanship and lunacy and incompetence and brilliance. These kinds of threads drive me crazy though... It's just a car, and trying to predict your outcome to the penny is a worthless exercise.
So were the belts changed in 2011 then and had 16k miles put on it in that time? If so, yes, you have 2-3 years left. If not, you need to know the date they were changed.
My thoughts exactly Dave! Heres my experience for right/wrong I own a 1997 F355 Gated Blk/Saddle with 31,000 miles (net of my 4k so far) *This is a less than common order build out, and you will find rosso/saddle are plentiful *Tour de France Blu/Saddle is also a less than common combo and you will find that it may take a while to find the example you want with the historical care you SHOULD WANT It took me nearly a year to find mine as i didn't want rosso/saddle, or blk/blk So all told, here's my financial breakdown I'm into the car in total for $77,000 this includes the following A complete valve guide job, race quality valves, and guides 30k service with 3 new piston liners, new rings, all new bearings & belts thoughout, & clutch service Completely refurbished rims, new Michelin PS2s Paint on Rockers & Bumper (rock chips on a black car) A comprehensive paint correction, leather reconditioning & engine bay detail A tubi exhaust Essentially when i undertook this "project" i disregarded any and all of the opinions you will get here on whats the market, heres what to pay, etc and just said they dont make this car anymore, its probably my favorite ferrari of all time and i dont want to guess what will break next.. I basically wanted a "zero mile motor" completely sorted and a truly refinished int/ext... If you're having to count pennies to get into this car, don't buy it you'll hate every $500 bill you get, and it'll destroy the experience I will probabaly never see what i'm into mine for and quite honestly i don't care, i would wager there isn't a finer looking, more mechanically sound example of this car on the road now than mine, but its not garage art, and i'm not gonna freak out if it gets the occasional scratch, i bought it to drive it.. I've spared no expense in "sorting" this car, and i have driven it 4000 miles since June 15th, (basically any day that it isnt gonna rain).. I have NO care in the world for mechanical unknowns, i know what i have and thats it.. My personal advice for you is to buy the exact color combo you want, with strong maintenance records for major recalls, services, absolutely get a compression/leakdown test, work throught the sticky issues with the vents, and ensure no dashboard shrinkage. And more than paying top dollar for a "represented" perfect example, bring it to someone who truly knows the car and will sort throught it with fine tooth comb, you will have less headaches in the future, and not be worrying about if this 8900 rpm blast in 3rd gear will be your manifolds undoing. It is hands down the most on on four wheels i've ever had and i've driven alot of different cars.. It literally has a soul.. She tells you if you're going too fast around a turn or, don't rev me this high i'm not warm yet lol.. Truly an iconic example of a forgotten type of truly special automobiles. I budget about $800/yr in maintenace, knickknacks, detailing etc. and i'm budgeting about $5000.00 for a 5 yr lift the hood major review. The shear fact your in the market is half the fun, enjoy it and worry less about the money and enjoy the experience, i mean you are buying a FERRARI Cheers, Chris~ Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
my 5p worth (or 5c worth). Mine cost about £1500 a year and I don't do spanners. Cars: We All Fall in Love With Our Models: Why I bought a Ferrari 355 Cars: We All Fall in Love With Our Models: Finding the Right Ferrari
checked. belts replaced in 2008. since the car put on 16k miles. PPI (by Ferrari) said belts are still in ok condition and can go another year or two. ?
