FAQ: Shopping for a used 360

thank you camdon53 for the good advice
i,m finding it very helpfull on the servh for my 360

 

I bought on ebay from a top seller and BBB A+ rating(in may) 1999 360,,,i was told NO problems and recent service I did not know of PPI(DAMN) I received it with faulty ac,,faulty lock,,no books,records, seller is WRXIN17...ebay was absolutely NO HELP nor was BBB in helping me...I would avoid ebay,this seller and( COSTA MESA AL"S of Newport beach who wont provide prior work records) unless u have a PPI(learned) and don't have a certified Ferrari dealer in your area...a $4000 lesson

 

Sorry to hear your unfortunate experience. Sometimes wisdom comes with a high price.
Even with a PPI there are no guarantees. A number of shops are no longer doing them on cars they don't know because you can't catch everything and some folks think a good PPI means the car will never have issues and will come back angry if something unforeseeable goes south.

 

I didn't read all the posts, so I apologize if this is a repost. But Aldous Voice's blog has a wealth of information on 360s. He recently got a 430 and is likely to start posting about that car as well. Quite informative. Here is his post about 360 spider tops, for example.

Ferrari 360 Spider Roof | Aldous Voice

 

Hi there,
I'm planning to see a Ferrari 360 yellow convertible 2001 tomorrow. I had a chance took at the car last week and the sale guy told me that I have to put $1000 down and first finalize the deal and get the paper work done and sign on the dotted line before I am able to even test drive the car. If there's any problems with the car, they will fix it. They also have no problem taking it to get the PPI. BUT no test drive is performed unless the deal is finalized and signed. What's wrong with this picture??? I've been to four non-ferrari dealers and they all say the same thing. I understand they are trying to weed out the tire kickers and the free rides but this seems like a trap for serious drivers. Any insights? Thanks!

 

There's no way I'd buy a Ferrari under those circumstances.
Asking for a deposit is reasonable but only if its refundable.

 

I wouldn't buy a $5k BMW under those conditions.

I always lean towards caution on things like this, expect the worse (dealer decides not to repair issues after you purchase, PPI shop knows/works with that dealer etc..), and act accordingly.

 

Under what conditions would you buy a 5K BMW?

None occur to me.

 

Only give a deposit if it is clearly written and signed by both parties that it is refundable if you are not satisfied with the car.
Very very important, make sure that everything is fixed to your satisfaction BEFORE the check is handed over to the seller. Do not pay for the car before the stuff is fixed or else it may never get done. Don't ask me how I know.

 

Something that occurs to me is that the car may be on consignment and the dealer has told the owner that test drives are only permitted once a deposit has been placed. I know of a few dealerships that make such agreements with owners who bring in their cars. If this is the case, the deposit should be refundable (or use your AmEx for the deposit and dispute the charge if you elect not to buy and the dealership doesn't cancel the charge promptly). That said, to get signed paperwork is a new one on me; don't sign anything you haven't fully read, understood, and stand ready to honor. If you don't or aren't, look elsewhere.

 

Yeah, I have seen this sort of requirement at dealers that have exotics on consignment. They do it to prevent tire kickers joy riding or just trialing the make they are interested in. They only want a serious buyer that already knows they make/model and just needs to pick the car so they aren't getting a lot of wear and tear on a consigned vehicle.

 

Run! To much pressure for such an important purchase.

 

These guys are pretty cheap and make great little weekend auto-x cars

 

If its as nice as it looks 5K would be a bargin.
Enjoy.

 

With all my goodies (struts, springs, sway bars, wheels, slicks, intake, exhaust, chip, and bucket seats *not pictured*) I think I still had less than $4k into it total

 

Or as some here would put it. Less than a major service.

 

A good way to look at things in terms of cost

 

Here's their new slogan

"BMW, a simple pleasure".

 

Pre-purchase check list, credit to Mozella for posting:
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Good stuff as I am considering a 360 Spyder for a fun weekend car and they are a decent exotic car buy right now. Like aircraft, they are meant to be driven and enjoyed and not sitting!

 

Thanks for the great write up. As a prospective 360 buyer it answered a lot of questions for me.

 

I read the entire thread and it's very helpful for someone like me planning on owning a 360 spider in about a year or two.

To Mr. Camdon53 and everyone that has contributed to this great thread - a sincere thank you for a great write up.

I will continue to read and learn so that when I am ready and I find the right year, color and combo that suits my taste I will be very comfortable making my purchase as I've gained a lot of knowledge and information already from this great board.

For now, I will continue to enjoy my E64 M6 and continue to dream on owning my 1st Ferrari in 2 years.

Thanks again to the great members of this board.

Dan

 

I just turned 21,000 on my 360 f1 and still have 70% left on the original clutch. It has never really been driven in bumper to bumper traffic and I do drive it hard a lot of the time. I don't understand why everybody seems to think Ferrari clutches are made of butter.
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Excellent write up. I plan on buying a 360 in the next 30 days and this helped