360 vs F430

As I mentioned above, I had a 360 Spider, and now an F430 Spider.
In case you're interested in hearing my experience with my 360 Spider please see my post. Link below.

Summary:
Ferrari's are great cars. Havent talked to anyone yet that doesnt dream of owning one one day.
For me, my 1st Ferrari, a 360 Spider was a dream car come true. No regrets.
Everything I spent on her I consider money well spent.

Just be prepared for maintenance and repairs as they are not cheap...
Dealers are very expensive, Indi's are cheaper, do the work yourself and you save a ton of money, plus the joy of accomplishment.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/my-experience-owning-a-ferrari-360-spider-f1-after-7-months-of-ownership.463215/

Dan

 

All things be8ng equal (age, mileage, condition), I wouldn’t expect the 430 to be much more reliable than a 360.
The biggest difference is not having to do a belt change every 3-5 years.

 

Hi there,

So, I change cars every 2 - 4 years as I love cars. If I had more money I would buy more and more as I love driving high performance cars.

After I sold my 2003 360 Spider I purchased a brand new BMW M4. Great car but it was too perfect and I quickly got bored.
The double clutch on the M4 is so smooth it felt like driving and automatic transmission. Boring....
And I was so disappointed with the sound of the exhaust. And no matter what after market exhaust you put on the M4 it still sound like fart......

I dont understand how BMW designers spent money on Active Sound Design / piped in exhaust sound to the stereo system when they should have just improved the exhaust sound to begin with.. Anyway, after owning the M4 for 2 years I was ready for my next dream car and it can only be a Ferrari as once you own one you will always want one as nothing compares in my opinion.

The major difference on F430 vs 360 is the F430 has better TCU/Transmission control unit, hence much less clutch slip.
When I had my 360 I can smell clutch burning when I drive it hard and when going in reverse mode or uphill. Yikes!
The F430 has much much less clutch slip so clutch should last longer.
I quickly learned how to drive an F1 transmission to prolong the life of the clutch.

Before I sold my 360 I had the clutch replaced by the dealer. That was $9K. I posted the receipt here somewhere as others think its BS.

The F430 has no belts to change as it has chains.
The F430 also has a more aggressive look so I decided my next car to be an F430. I was happy to find mine.

I love my F430 and after all the upgrades I've done to it I love her more and more each day.
And I always drive my car the way its designed and meant to be driven, and it never disappoints.

I always go for my dreams, and I know life is too short and we cant take our money with us so I enjoy life each day to its fullest.

All the best to you.

Dan

 

OP is after a manual. A manual 360 is a bargain compared to a manual 430. Timing belt changes is the only real extra cost on the 360 which is hardly worth mentioning. 430 header problems cancel it out. My 360 F1 was very reliable as is my 430 manual. I did have some unexpected $$ costs with the F1 in my 360 but not any more. A good PPI with good clutch, good ball joints, good brakes, good tires and your good to go for many years with just scheduled servicing, which I have loved doing (and documenting) myself. The real difference is shifting the 430 at WOT throttle at redline is quite an event. The 360 is a little ho hum I found, but still fast. The more aggressive styling of the 430 matches the more aggressive performance.

 

Before buying my 2004 gated spider, I spent a ton of time researching here on FC as well as YouTube, etc. This site in particular is a godsend and the contributions of so many is a rich, unselfish resource. I too always lusted for a Ferrari, but feared the repair costs. And, I'm retirement age so buying a 488 is out of reach right now. I love analog vs today's cars, so settled on a manual 911-50 Porsche when launched. I loved that car, but a random test drive at Algar set the hook. I can't get my legs into a 308/328. The 360 is downright spacious, but fits like a glove, and is a dream to drive. Don't fear the belt change; it's not engine out. Focus on the reliability of 360s. I drive mine into downtown Philadelphia, weather permitting. As a wise friend said, "Don't be the richest man in the graveyard."

 

For me the gated 360 is the perfect car... of course it’s significantly slower, but if you’re not on a track or have some seriously wide open roads to work it out on, honestly driving a 360 at 80% or whatever is probably more fun than driving a 430 at 60%.

The 360 looks way better too, the 430 is sort of a confused half-360 curves half-modern art design that doesn’t know what it wants to be. Unless you need the extra speed and modernity of the 430, for me the choice for the (gated) 360 is clear (I dunno about if you want F1).

 

There's a saying I remember from the miata.net forums:
"It's more fun to drive a slow car fast, than to drive a fast car slow".

I'm still quitter happy driving my 360 slow, and just listening to the burble of my Tubi

 

both great cars, can't lose with this decision, go with the one that makes you smile when you drive it.

 

Anyone else think the 360 looks more timeless than the F430?

 

Nope

 

Nope nope nope ...430 all the way


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

Yep, 360 is already holding up as timeless, clearly std vs std the 430 is a more capable car. The 430 needs more time to age - I think it will be a struggle though for any subsequent Ferrari to match the 360 and 355 - both of which look so special, classy and timeless.

All opinion though..


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yes, for sure. the back of the 360 is perfect - the back of the 430 looks like they tried too hard to make it different. that said, i own one 360 (a CS) and 2 430 spider F1s, and one day will have a 360 spider stick. in the 430 the f1 is better than the stick for me.

 

No

 

Yes.
360 Spider stick!

 

Yes.
I was never a fan of the air inlets on the front of the 430, look like huge nostrils or something.
The back was a copy of the Enzo and never matched up to me.

 

The 360 looks unfinished next to a 430. The back end and interior look unpleasant to me, but looks are so subjective.

 

I find both the 360 and the 430 very pleasing to look at and both are stunning examples of Ferrari heritage. I picked a gated 360 Spider because I wanted one of the last of the mostly analog cars Ferrari made. The 430 is more computerized and also a bit more complicated. The belt change issue with the 360 seems almost pointless to consider since it's a simple maintenance item I can do myself.

If I was going for an F1, I would have picked the 430 hands down. Since I wanted a stick, the 360 was the obvious choice. Maybe for my second F car, I'll get a 430 F1 Spider.

 

When I was looking, I liked the 430 better mostly because the interior is sooo much nicer than the 360. 360 interior looks like it’s from the 80’s, and I personally prefer the looks of the 430 so it was an easy decision for me.

 

yes, I do.

To me the 430 aesthetically is just a warmed over version of the 360. Nothing really changed for the better just change for the sake of change. IMO, I truly believe that the timeless design of the 360 will be more favorably viewed as a collectible than the 430. Especially since it is bracketed by the 458 -- and amazingly beautiful design that makes the 430 look very uninspired.

And to add, as I have said many times, I couldn't care less about my 360's resale value or collect-ability. Mine's probably not going anywhere outside of my garage without me in it (with a big smile) for some time to come.

 

The 360 is a modern classic that still retains some analog feel, you get into the interior and it feels a bit like a race car..the looks and interior have aged so well and will remain classic..the 430 is of course beautiful too, but to me personally, its too modern and won't age as nice as the 360

 

Love both but personally prefer the F430 for looks. Really want to add a manual 360 to the garage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I bought a 360 because it was easier getting into from my F355.
I still think the F355 in looks edges both the 360 and F430.
Pros 360
Dash. I think the dash in the F430 looks like something from a replica Ferrari. Sorry but I hate it.
5-valve sound. Like the F355 (though oddly not quite as good) it sounds epic.
Pros F430
Rear. I love the rear end of the F430, much more modern.
Engine - Chain driven cams.
Front. I prefer the slimmer lights on the F430 to the fatter MX5 (ish) lights on the 360

When the 360 came out I disliked it immensely. It grew on me as did the F430. Both the F355 and 458 are much prettier cars than both.
I had an F355 and realised I couldn't personally afford it. Not sure I'll ever bother upgrading my 360 to a 458 and so far the price difference for me is too great, I suspect the 360 will be my last Ferrari.

 

I agree that the 355 leaves both 360 and 430 behind it. I moved from a 355 to 430 - I had grown bored withe engine out belt routine. But leaving the 355 was like splitting with a temperamental supermodel. Getting the 430 was like meeting the same girl 10 years later - more mature, classy, still good looking but less maintenance