converting from Porsche need help | FerrariChat

converting from Porsche need help

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by hockeyman1, Mar 6, 2004.

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  1. hockeyman1

    hockeyman1 Rookie

    Mar 6, 2004
    14
    I am thinking of leaving 911 family to go to 355. The great thing about Porsche you get in and drive them. Any insight on 355 ownership...are they cars you can drive regularly or is there always something wrong with them. I keep on hearing about the check engine lights, battery dying etc...need help deciding!!
     
  2. ghost

    ghost F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Dec 10, 2003
    10,043
    Singapore
    Yes and yes. :D As a new (as in second day) owner of a 355, and somebody that has done a fair bit of research on the car, I can tell that while it's head and shoulders above predecessor F-cars in terms of reliability and maintenance, it still will go to the shop a good amount, and it still will be expensive to maintain. I don't know which generation 911 you have, but the 355 will not be a 996-type car on the maintenance side (which I have owned). Assuming you buy a fully-serviced 355, and the car needs nothing except basic preventative maintenance during the year you should budget $1,000 - $2,000. For years when significant maintenance needs to be done you will need to budget anywhere from $3,000 (15K) - $8,000 (30K) for service. The fun part is guessing when in between these intervals something "unexpected" happens, and what the cost of that might be (generally fairly expensive).

    Of course a lot more can be said about the trials and tribulations of owning a 355...and a lot has. The best thing for you to do is to search the archives, where you will find a wealth of information. We have recently upgraded the software on this board, so make sure you search both the "new" threads and the threads on the "old" board as well. HTH.
     
  3. hockeyman1

    hockeyman1 Rookie

    Mar 6, 2004
    14
    thanks I did a search and found a wealth of information and noticed how the Porsche v F rivalry is alive and well on this board. It is somewhat confusing as it seems the opinions are varied. I guess I can conclude that they can be daily drivers but unreliable which seems like an oxymoron. My current P is 2001 and I have had no problems, just regular maintenance. I do not mind the additional maintenance cost, but I do want to know I can get in the car and go. I will keep tuned in on this issue....thanks and congrats.

     
  4. Auraraptor

    Auraraptor F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 25, 2002
    13,196
    MO
    I think the leaky manifold issue can be resolved with a set of tubis which cost only slightly more then OEM, making it a worth while swap. Anyone confirm this?
     
  5. hockeyman1

    hockeyman1 Rookie

    Mar 6, 2004
    14
    My understanding is Ferrari will not honor any emmission warranty with Tubi ? Is that true.

     
  6. Auraraptor

    Auraraptor F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 25, 2002
    13,196
    MO
    Then get a complete exhaust set, headers to tips with a straight pipe. Unless you have emissions, this will should be fine.
     
  7. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,485
    Grandview NY
    Full Name:
    Herr Prof.
    hockeyman: Where are you located? If you are in proximity to the Philadelphia area, go pay a visit to my friend Frank Donatoni, who used to manage Algar Ferrari and now runs a Porsche dealership about 15 minutes away. Frank knows both cars well, and you can trust his experience since his presumed bias-to sell you a Porsche- will not get in the way of his experience in living with, and selling the 355, from their inception, until the end. (I bought a very late 99 355 GTS F1 from him, so i know he was around for the full production run).
    My general understanding is that the 95 is preferred because it has slightly more power, but that the valve guides were a potential problem. But, that the latter was vastly exaggerated, and many cars were upgraded to eliminate the potential problem altogether. Obviously, a later production example is usually better, and given that the 355s are still depreciating, this may not make a late car that much more expensive than an early one.
    I believe Algar has a 95 355 that it sold to a friend which is now on consignment there; the guy enjoyed it, took pretty good care of it, and it still doesn't have ridiculous miles on it. (Most ferraris seem to average 2k miles a year, so a car with more miles is treated like its a high mileage specimen in the marketplace). Also, unless you have no patience and plan on going out and buying a car in the next week or two, its worth a six month subscription to the Ferrari Market Letter, which includes listings by dealers and privates for most ferraris in the US. While the pricing is sometimes a little fanciful, it gives you a sense of the inventory (large), the range of colors and options (more, as time went on), and you can start to get a sense of the market, if you discount the prices a little bit, take into account whether the car has been serviced, and where. Its not hard to get fluent pretty quickly, particularly if you are focused on a single model. BTW, after 6 ferraris in a row, i am currently driving a P car for my "performance" car, but it has little to do with reliability. Finally, make sure you find a good mechanic that you can rely on, for parts and service. It will make a huge difference in your experience, as will buying a straight no stories car at the outset.
     
  8. st.tully

    st.tully Karting

    Jan 29, 2004
    246
    I am a long time Porsche owner who bought his first Ferrari last month, a 1987 328 GTS. I love everything about the Ferrari - and for the first few weeks thought I'd never want to drive the Porsche again. I put my Porsche up on ebay etc. but in the end decided that once the novelty of the Ferrari was past, there is room for both the F and the P cars in my garage.

    The 328 is a blast if you have the time to plan a little trip into the country - get the oil warmed-up and have a few streches of road to hit that redline and listen to the F car scream. This is the best. I'm looking forward to my first FCA track event and this should be even better.

    For daily driving or weekend errands, I have kept the Porsche (2004 C4S cab) - it is just so civilized compared to the Ferrari: power steering, etc. Plus sometimes it is better not to have all the folks gawking at your car. My Porsche costs twice as much as the 328 but no-one really notices the Porsche. The Ferrari brings out the extremes - good and bad.

    So, my advice is to have both - plus maybe a nice M5 to haul the inlaws or the kids!!!!

    Cheers, st.tully
     
  9. hockeyman1

    hockeyman1 Rookie

    Mar 6, 2004
    14
    Thanks, I am actually not far from Philly, I am in Baltimore. I actually have talked to the good folks at Algar. As a matter of fact they told me of a 99 F1 they were working to get from a Porsche dealership, apparantly some one getting into turbo cab. It turned out car was not cream puff and they passed on it, I bet it is with Frank they were dealing with...small world. What has your experience been ? Did you buy it new from these guys....I am actually rather impatient, I have been on wait list for 360 for 2.5 years and cannot wait anymore...my best friend just bought his wife used car identical to my Cab....I can't have that...a chick car!! I am not worried about maintenance but whether they need to be in shop every few weeks because of this or that, that would drive me crazy...I am more curious about the opinion of people who have them and actually drive them, I plan on putting 6-7k miles per year. I would love to talk to your bud...but your feed back is what I need...I keep on hearing about the check engine light comming on regularly and anoying stuff like that.

     
  10. st.tully

    st.tully Karting

    Jan 29, 2004
    246
    I am a long time Porsche owner who bought his first Ferrari last month, a 1987 328 GTS. I love everything about the Ferrari - and for the first few weeks thought I'd never want to drive the Porsche again. I put my Porsche up on ebay etc. but in the end decided that once the novelty of the Ferrari was past, there is room for both the F and the P cars in my garage.

    The 328 is a blast if you have the time to plan a little trip into the country - get the oil warmed-up and have a few streches of road to hit that redline and listen to the F car scream. This is the best. I'm looking forward to my first FCA track event and this should be even better.

    For daily driving or weekend errands, I have kept the Porsche (2004 C4S cab) - it is just so civilized compared to the Ferrari: power steering, etc. Plus sometimes it is better not to have all the folks gawking at your car. My Porsche costs twice as much as the 328 but no-one really notices the Porsche. The Ferrari brings out the extremes - good and bad.

    So, my advice is to have both - plus maybe a nice M5 to haul the inlaws or the kids!!!!

    Cheers, st.tully
     
  11. bustedknuckle1

    Feb 4, 2004
    32
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    Frank Mummolo
    Whart,

    How can I get in touch with Frank?

    Thanks.
     
  12. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,485
    Grandview NY
    Full Name:
    Herr Prof.
    610 886 1000. Tell him you got his name from me.
     
  13. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,485
    Grandview NY
    Full Name:
    Herr Prof.
    Hock: I dealt with Algar for a long time, they are a oldline dealership started by Al Gartwaithe (sp), who was one of the early Ferrari gentry in this country; he partnered with Chinetti to bring F cars into the East Coast in the early seventies. They have one of the best parts dep'ts for older models and run a very competent service shop (which is meant as high compliment).

    I bought the car new, it was my second ferrari; i didn't like the power steering or the greater size of the car, compared to the 348, even though in every other respect it was a better car (power, fit and finish). I probably only put 3500 miles on it before i got rid of it, so i can't speak to long term ownership of a 355. However, i have had a number of their cars, and also drive them-not as a daily, but here are some examples: '83 boxer, owned in 2000, put 10k miles in a year, including a drive to Florida from NYC. Not a hiccup. 97 Maranello- put close to 4k miles on it in 4 weeks! Nothing wrong with the car, but because some of the typical problems had not been sorted out before i took it (water hose under plenum, which always goes, went, etc), i had a few weeks of fettling-dealer paid all including the tows) until the car was right. Put 10k on that car in a year. New 550 after that, nary a problem, except for the stupid emergency roof, which was a bad Italian joke.
    The key is finding a properly fettled car; if they sit, they suck. So, you'll be torn between finding a low mileage queen (which will look better, but probably need attention) and a runner which may have a few aesthetic challenges, like paint nicks, wearing leather, etc. If you are inclined, you can buy the queen, then sink money into it to get it right. But, these are not fragile cars, and with the exception of some issues with the F1 tranny-documented elsewhere-and not universally a problem, the later 3 series cars have been reliable as far as i know. (I also owned a 328, and it was probably the best of the 3 series with one major shortcoming- it did not have enough power for me, but in every other respect, handling, size, looks, i liked it better than either the 348 or 355).
     
  14. FL 355

    FL 355 Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2002
    1,665
    Ft Laud
    Full Name:
    Frank Lipinski
    Hockeyman - Put your fears to rest.

    I have owned 5 911 Turbos's (and still own one) and purchased a 355 over a year ago.

    Like you, I was concerned with maintenance and reliability. Surprisingly the car has been bullet proof and no different than a P-Car.

    The key is to drive the car often and do not let them sit! You can do that with a P-Car, a chevy, or a boat. But F-Cars need to be driven often. I drive mine daily or every other day.

    If you researched the site you know about the belts. Every 5 years or 30K they need to be changed which is about $7500 at the dealer or about $4500 at an idependent. Price is high because you have to pull the motor.

    Find a clean car with service records and a fresh belt change and you will have a great car that is miles apart from the P Car.
     
  15. WCH

    WCH F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Mar 16, 2003
    5,180
    Hockeyman - I'm also a Porsche owner, I don't think you'll find many Porsche haters here.

    I assume you've looked at used 360s? Prices seem to be coming down; I know FoW has several in stock and I'm sure Algar does, too.
     
  16. sherpa23

    sherpa23 F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 28, 2003
    9,992
    Rocky Mountains
    Full Name:
    Bastuna
    I really like Porsches. After the lease on my Saab (which my wife is currently driving) expires, I would like to pick up a Carrera 4 for me to drive to work every day. Not that I can't drive the 355 every day, but it is such a special car, I like only to drive it for recreation (3 times a week or so).

    The more that you drive a 355, the more reliable it will be. You do have to maintain it, which isn't cheap, but is a small price to pay to own such a wonderful machine.
     
  17. atheyg

    atheyg Guest

     
  18. bustedknuckle1

    Feb 4, 2004
    32
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    Frank Mummolo
    Thanks!
     
  19. ZINGARA 250GTL

    ZINGARA 250GTL F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Jun 21, 2002
    17,499
    PA
    Full Name:
    Ken
    My dealer tells me tubi voids the warranry.
     
  20. madturk

    madturk Formula 3
    BANNED

    Nov 2, 2003
    1,508
    Williston, ND
    Full Name:
    Seyhan Kilincci
    I owned several Porsches in the past. I was happy with them all. The 355 is not much different from them if drive the car hard. Must go red line in a 355 for the car and yourself to stay happy.
    Good luck
     
  21. Ade

    Ade Formula 3

    Jan 31, 2004
    2,102
    UK
    I traded up from porsche boxster to F355 Spider. BEST move I ever made, yes it cost much more, but its worth every penny! My running costs for boxster(exclude insurance) 1000 pounds, for F355 4000 this year (only had it one year - should be less next year).

    You won't regret it! IMHO too many porsches around London to be really special now, but I still really like them :) :)

    Ade
     

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