348 BUYER ADVICE | FerrariChat

348 BUYER ADVICE

Discussion in '348/355' started by ROSSOFAN, Feb 20, 2020.

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  1. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

    Feb 20, 2020
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    TEODORO FRAGOSO BRAVO
    Good morning you all!;
    I´m new in this forum and I´d like to ask to you guys 348 owners, what advice would you give me in order to buy a 348. I think it´s a great looking car and a potential good value classic car in the future, but I´d like to know from experienced owners what´s it like to live with this car in real life.
    As we all know, many bad things have been said about the 348, specially performancewise: lacking of power and very twitchy in corners...I´d like to know what´s true and not true from your point of view regarding this motorcar.
    many thanks in advance
    kind regards
    Theo.
     
  2. Ferrarium

    Ferrarium F1 Veteran
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    You can start by running searches it is well covered and you can read questions and responses, you can learn a lot from this effort. The question is not a rare one. You can also read here http://www.my348.com/348PrePurchaseInspection.htm . If you can work on the cars your self and can xref parts it is not any worse than a Porsche to maintain. Dealer and indie shops labor rates will ill you if you need to go there, Lots and lots of 348's go 75K miles and more so they get used with little concern. Wheels spacers in the rear cure the nervousness but on the streets cruising it makes 0 difference.
    As far as 1990 goes it did not lack power. Most 348 I have seen have had front ends and steering racks in need to rebuild but to time. Once you do that the steering and driving experience is second to none in my opinion. I have many original magazines from the time on the 348 and most liked it and many picked it, it developed a reputation when the economy crashed and people lost money flipping them. When the economy recovered and the Spider came out rags gushed over it. Buy the best one you can afford is my feeling. Hoovie just had an editorial on the 348 the other day.

     
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  3. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

    Feb 20, 2020
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    TEODORO FRAGOSO BRAVO
    Hi there;
    Ok, thanks for that. I personally beleive that it is a very similar car to the 355, so I don´t quite understand why the 355 is so great and the 348 is not... the handling should be quite similar. I´ve driven a 355 and frankly, I did not like the power steering because, although more comfortable and easy to drive, it does not have enough feel. I prefer the old school unasisted steering feel.
    What do you think about the market values are going to go in the following years?
    many thanks
     
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  4. Ferrarium

    Ferrarium F1 Veteran
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    355 has more power and 5v engine and sounds better than every Ferrari ever made. It is more refined but lacks the 348 feel. Is that bad? Its subjective. Is it "better"? it depends on the definition of better. They are different is all it's owner preference. I love the 355 from afar and admire the the out it but I would not own one. Every one has their own reasons for picking what they did there is not truth only your truth. It is why they make chocolate and vanilla. Preference.

    Market values.... That's just a guess. One thing for certain, they are not investments. Super clean original low mile ones can end up in a collection perhaps but 99% of them, they are what they are. Younger folks want Tesla's and as more go electric including Ferrari the market will absolutely die.

    I bought one because I wanted one since I saw one pull up in 1990. Always wanted that car not another one not a newer one.... the 348.

    I spend a lot of money on it replacing everything simply due to age. When I'm done I plan on driving the hell out of it and never question reliability. Will I loose money... You bet but money is not the point. I refuse to look back in my final hours and say I wish I drove it more because in those final minutes they money simply wont matter, whether I smile or not will.

    There are no guarantees. If you want one buy one because you want one, Who cares about the market and this is NOT coming from a wealthy guy. If your concerned about the market you're best steer clear perhaps and that's with any car. They are cars fhat wear out, not mutual funds

    .

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  5. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
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    Mar 21, 2005
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    Bill Tracy
    I would say to buy a good, clean, lightly used 348 if the looks and driving experience wow you, or if you are just wanting the experience of owning a nearly classic Ferrari. I would not expect the values to change much up or down, so what you are buying is the ownership experience in exchange for the cost of maintenance and repair. That said, a car with somewhere between 15-50k miles would be the sweet spot for me. that would be a car with enough use to keep things working properly, but not where the finishes and mechanics are wearing out. The major service is a big ticket item (anywhere from $4,000-12,000), so if you get one with that recently done, you should be good for about 5 years without any big spending if the car is solid. Also, buy red!
     
  6. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

    Feb 20, 2020
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    TEODORO FRAGOSO BRAVO
    ok, certainly, but it´s always better if they keep their value. At the end of the day, when you pass on, these things are part of your wealth remaing for your kids, etc, it´s better if they hold their value. I agrre that electric cars might bring the end of this market but it could actually turn out the other way round: they will make them even more rare and special...
    Any advices concernng miles?...whether choosing perhaps a high mileage car with good interior and exterior conditions and maybe refurbish the engine? or the other way round?; looking for a lower mileage car always and paying more...what´s the real relevance of milage? Hoovie´s car seems to have hold up a lot of horsepower despite the number of miles....
    thanks a lot.
     
  7. AceMaster

    AceMaster Three Time F1 World Champ

    Feb 6, 2009
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    Mike
    If performance is what you are after, keep in mind that the 348 is over 25 years old now, so I hope you will be comparing the performance to vehicles from that era.

    As far as the bad mouthing of the 348, that is old news and all (if not most) will have nothing but positive things to say about it. They are easy to work on if you are mechanically inclined, and a lot of good advice/support comes right from this forum. There are several step by step DIY threads that are priceless, and anytime you have a question or an issue you can simply start a thread here and every one will chime in.
     
  8. Ferrarium

    Ferrarium F1 Veteran
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    Ohh yes we ALL agree. Don't plan on it is the point.

    Funny quirk, the more I make mine showroom new the less I want to drive it. Don't get me wrong I will drive the nuts off it. But there is something to be said for owning a driver as opposed to a garage queen.

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  9. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

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    TEODORO FRAGOSO BRAVO
    ok, thanks
     
  10. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

    Feb 20, 2020
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    TEODORO FRAGOSO BRAVO
    sure, I understand...normally I prefer driving a lot, but it is true that the harder you do, the more wear that is put on the car...
    I see the 348 more of a classic car now to be driven ocasionally, but from time to time I´d take it to the track...
    I´m also more of a DIY guy than anything else... I was more worried about the twitchy handling that so many people refer to...some say dangerous!...
    anyway
    Thank all for your imputs, really appreciate it.
     
  11. Ferrarium

    Ferrarium F1 Veteran
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    Post one if you get one. Update alignment specs to later spec and put spacers in the read problem solved. All they did was mainly change the wheel offset and alignment spec to solve it.

    Lots of guys track theirs as well as some who actually raced them.

    Good luck and enjoy.

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  12. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
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    The handling is not a big deal if you get either spacers on an early car, or a later car with revised geometry. Get some good modern tires (I like the Firestone Indy 500 for quality and value), and good driving skill / habits will be rewarded by this model car. In other words, don't be scared of the rumors about the handling. It is just an unassisted car that has the weight biased towards the back. Good habits and good tires, that is the key.
     
  13. vvassallo

    vvassallo F1 Veteran
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    Aug 4, 2006
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    For anyone considering a 348 purchase, you need to get in touch with your expectations and your budget. If you can, buy one of the best examples to begin with. In the US, that means a Spider, 348 Challenge or 348 Serie Speciale. This means you are likely to pay more than for a main stream model because of the on-going refinements through the series. Then you have to decide between a TS or TB, but this is personal. If you don't care, then just see what comes up in the market. Mileage is not so much of an issue for these cars as is the maintenance and care of the car. You can easily find a 50K mile car that is a better buy than a 10K mile car because the former was actually driven and maintained versus parked as a garage ornament. Next consider upgrades that have been done as well as those you may wish to do. There are lots of fun projects for the 348 that really improve the car's performance. We have a huge section here all about them. On a basic car, you could spend about $10K in the most popular mods to improve the car - exhaust system (headers, cats and muffler), wheels/tires, front lip spoiler. These transform the car. You can swap out the drop gears on an older car to match the Spider which improves your acceleration slightly. Remember that majors cost about $5K so watch out for scheduling on that - when was it last done?

    As far as driving feel, there is nothing like this car - ever - in my opinion. The 355 feels heavily insulated, and not in a good way, from the 348. Even a base car is a pretty neat ride. The twitchy handling is at speed especially in cross winds. Swapping in 355 or 360 wheels and tires alleviates this. The lip spoiler further keeps the front end stable. I look forward to hearing of your search and wish you well in finding the car that meets your desires.
     
  14. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

    Feb 20, 2020
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    TEODORO FRAGOSO BRAVO
    Hello;
    ok, first of all I´m impressed of so much feedback received, thank you very much. One thing insteresting guys is the general consensus that appears to me exists in the improvement coming from adding spacers to the rear wheels, I find this interesting...was that modification made to the later 348/355 somehow? wheels offset? you mention that changing the wheels alleviates this...maybe it is the tyre width the one that has to be increased? Also you mention the later cars having a revised geometry...from what date of manufacture should I be looking from to buy a later car?
    I did also find the 355 quite insulated, I realised it really needed an exhaust, which surprised me a lot...and talking about exhausts, what´s the general preference when it comes to a 348?
    I´ve seen capristo level 3, most recently on the video posted above (hoovie´s), sounds incredible, but, would it be too loud when normal cruising?
    thank you again everybody!
     
  15. Ferrarium

    Ferrarium F1 Veteran
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    #16 Ferrarium, Feb 21, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2020

    Exactly yes the later cars have a different offset and a different wheel part number. For the longest time folks thought the track was different as in the control arms or hubs were different (even out here) but in fact it was just the wheel offset. They did lower the rear pick up point a few mm, its actually just a bracket but in the end the difference is wheels with less offset. Spacers on older wheels from Hill engineering give you the same thing. I have 360 wheels I am going to machine to my offset spec. As far as the year it happend with the Spiders. Again just put spacers on.

    All covered to death, there is nothing about the car you can't fins out here including step by step instructions for just about everything by running run some searches. Also check out the stickies up top.:)

    The Capristo drones from what I read, again while searching out here. Capristo for 355 Tubi for 348 but I like the Kreissieg the best on the 348 by far. Too many of them sound like a boat when idling. I like quiet then opens up.
    Google this "ferrari 348 exhaust site:ferrarichat.com" :)
     
  16. Ferrarium

    Ferrarium F1 Veteran
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    Also Google
    "ferrari 348 buying site:ferrarichat.com"
    "ferrari 348 advice site:ferrarichat.com"
    "ferrari 348 new owner site:ferrarichat.com"
    "ferrari 348 issues site:ferrarichat.com"
    "ferrari 348 offset site:ferrarichat.com"

    you get the idea...
     
  17. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

    Feb 20, 2020
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    TEODORO FRAGOSO BRAVO
    OK, many thks.
     
  18. Ferrarium

    Ferrarium F1 Veteran
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    Early offset
    Front 7.5J X 17 ET 49 mm
    Rear 9J X 17 ET 68 mm

    Later offset
    Front 7.5J X 17 ET 49 mm
    Rear 9J X 17 ET 43.05 mm

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  19. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

    Feb 20, 2020
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    Hi There;
    Ok, thanks. So it seems the rear wheels are sitting more outwards in 25 mm??
    There´s one 348 which I have asked a dealer about and they have come back to me saying that apparently the gearbox is very stiff, second gear but also first and even 3rd, but they say it could be consequence of the lack of use...They seem to improve as the gearbox warms up...
    What do you think guys?...Is this something that one could expect or should I look for another car?
    thanks.
     
  20. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    When they brought out the 348 Specialé the upper rear A-arm was lowered about 3/4" at the chassis pick up point. For a while there was a Jig circulating that allowed the rear suspension to be disassembled and new pick up points drilled so that early 348s could have the new suspension geometry. The geometry change lowers the roll center at the back and was preserved in the F355 models. If you do this you will need to use F355 suspension alignments (except for caster up front stays at 5º instead of growing to 7º due to higher top speeds and power steering).

    As far as I can tell, the wheel 'track' is essentially the same (with the F355 having wider rubber on the road).

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    1 shows the lowering of the chassis side pick up point
    2 shows the 348 original roll center
    3 shows the new roll center
     
  21. ghardt

    ghardt Formula 3

    Apr 18, 2004
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    Theo, your statement “A potential good value classic car in the future”

    I’ve owned multiple Ferraris for 18 years. Please realize that Ferrari ownership will most likely never involve a profit from a car. At best, you will be able to sell your Ferrari for what you paid for it, less your maintenance costs. And, this assumes you will own the car for many years. Good luck.

    PS - If you factor in the time value of money, there is never a “good value” with sport/collector cars. Realize it’s a passion that requires money to be burned.
     
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  22. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

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    ok, thanks for that. Interesting; so they changed the rear suspension geometry still on the 348 and then they increased the tyre width on the 355. This could show that the increase in width was introduced because of the increase in power in the 355 and not for pure cornering grip, whilst the change in geometry was introduced already in the 348 to possibly provide more grip to the rear...
    If I understand correctly there´s no change in track between the 348 Speciale and the 355 but there is a change in track due to change in offset between the first and the last 348´s due to the change of rear wheels/offset??
     
  23. ROSSOFAN

    ROSSOFAN Rookie

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    ok, I understand. Not loosing money is a great deal for an "asset" that you can enjoy, so I guess that´s enough...
     
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  24. Ferrarium

    Ferrarium F1 Veteran
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    They changed the pickup point, it is a lower a arm bracket mount according to parts diagram, it looks like it can be switched. Again looking at parts diagram it bolts on, maybe there is more to it I'm no expert but the rest is the same part numbers. I would describe it as a tweak. No track change no.


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