New Cheshire based enthusiast asks for advice.

Cheshire_Carper · Jun 14, 2004

Hi all,
Im a total newbie on here, having just registered today. I am a current owner of an S2000, which has brought me many years of fun - its a truly wonderful car for its money and has an excellent community in the form of www.s2ki.com. Im an active member of that site and go to meets throughout the year. As can be seen from my `handle` Im based in Cheshire.

Ive decided to start actively looking for a Ferrari. The S is wonderful, so much so that I feel a move to a completely different level will give me some more excitement.

What am I asking from you people? Firstly, I know very little about the Ferrari marque, I wanted a 348 and visited Statstone in Manchester on Saturday; they spent 15 mins telling me just how awful a personal ownership proposition that is. Warning me about servicing, maintenance, generally keeping the beast on the road.

I do not have `footballer` money, I`d say when I finally come to buy the car, Ill have about 40g to spend upon it. I also have a Passat as a `proper` car.

Questions:
Do you think 40g will get me a car of good quality?
Would anybody in my area with experience mind spending sometime helping me with this (to me) unknown quantity?
I notice there are some NW meets in the area; Id love to go see the odd car, maybe at a small one when the next pub type meet happens.
A long time forum colleague (fellow S owner) Zero_to60 over on s2ki owns a Testarossa and has given me a little advice on there to help.

Any help would be great. Do you think I`m peeing in the wind with a relatively minute amount of 40k, when it comes to this type of car?

Cheers all.

simon355 · Jun 14, 2004

Cheshire_Carper said:

Hi all,
Im a total newbie on here, having just registered today. I am a current owner of an S2000, which has brought me many years of fun - its a truly wonderful car for its money and has an excellent community in the form of www.s2ki.com. Im an active member of that site and go to meets throughout the year. As can be seen from my `handle` Im based in Cheshire.

Ive decided to start actively looking for a Ferrari. The S is wonderful, so much so that I feel a move to a completely different level will give me some more excitement.

What am I asking from you people? Firstly, I know very little about the Ferrari marque, I wanted a 348 and visited Statstone in Manchester on Saturday; they spent 15 mins telling me just how awful a personal ownership proposition that is. Warning me about servicing, maintenance, generally keeping the beast on the road.

I do not have `footballer` money, I`d say when I finally come to buy the car, Ill have about 40g to spend upon it. I also have a Passat as a `proper` car.

Questions:
Do you think 40g will get me a car of good quality?
Would anybody in my area with experience mind spending sometime helping me with this (to me) unknown quantity?
I notice there are some NW meets in the area; Id love to go see the odd car, maybe at a small one when the next pub type meet happens.
A long time forum colleague (fellow S owner) Zero_to60 over on s2ki owns a Testarossa and has given me a little advice on there to help.

Any help would be great. Do you think I`m peeing in the wind with a relatively minute amount of 40k, when it comes to this type of car?

Cheers all.
Click to expand...

Well, in my humble opinion you'll get a cracking F car for 40K. Would you consider a LHD? If so then a clean low mileage 355 Berlinetta/GTS is well within reach and what a fab car they are. Alternatively you would get a stunning 348 for that kind of money. Personally I would go for a LHD 355, the dealers do not like 348's as you have found but they have a strong enthusiast following. The 355's basically corrected a lot of the issues on the 348 and many people find them prettier. Having said that it really comes down to taste.Thinking about it you might find a 95 355 B in RHD for that money. And if you wait 2 months and can find another 8 grand you can have my 355 Spider!!

andrewg · Jun 14, 2004

For 40k your getting lots and lots of car for your money

The basic choice's are

cheap (no history etc) RHD355
LHD355 (cheapest was £34k but it had some repaired chassis damage)
348 spiders / tb's / ts's
early 456
Testarossa (and a good one at that)
328, 308, mondial, 412/400 etc etc

one thing to look out for is that there are an awfull lot of cars with "hidden" history, I can think of two 328's currently for sale that I looked at last year that are being advertised with 20-30 thousand less miles than 12 months ago (one with a well known dealer and one with a chester based convicted crook!)

if you need a second opinion just ask (I've been asked to sell a very nice LHD 348 spider thats comming on the market in 6 weeks?)

steve f · Jun 14, 2004

if i had 40k i would be putting a little bit more too and getting a 355 they are alot better than a 348 if you want a spyder simons is very sensibley priced and it has a tubi on it as whatever you buy you will want a tubi on it so that saves you 2 grand

Cheshire_Carper · Jun 14, 2004

steve f said:

if i had 40k i would be putting a little bit more too and getting a 355 they are alot better than a 348 if you want a spyder simons is very sensibley priced and it has a tubi on it as whatever you buy you will want a tubi on it so that saves you 2 grand
Click to expand...

Cheers for all the excellent comment. The more I look, the more I think a 355 is the car for me now.

That Spider......oooooooh baby. I`d love it, not sure I`ll have 8k extra at the time though.

Don`t fancy a part-ex on a S2k do ya?

simon355 · Jun 14, 2004

Cheshire_Carper said:

Cheers for all the excellent comment. The more I look, the more I think a 355 is the car for me now.

That Spider......oooooooh baby. I`d love it, not sure I`ll have 8k extra at the time though.

Don`t fancy a part-ex on a S2k do ya?
Click to expand...

no offense but naaah!

Robertb · Jun 15, 2004

Welcome to FChat!-

I hope we are able to help you find that dream Fezza! I'm sure that you will find all the answers here somewhere...

Have you any preference on coupe (TB, GTB, berlinetta) targa (TS, GTS) or convertible (spider)? Will this be your "daily driver"?

Don't let anyone put you off 348s; they are in my view overlooked, and therefore represent good value. Try and get a later one if possible, as a number of useful mods were made for '93 model year on I think. £40k will buy you one of the best 348s, e.g. a '94 spider, or perhaps a Competitzione if you're really lucky.

£40k will buy you a reasonable lhd 355 or a higher mileage early rhd. 355s are more complex cars than 348s, and not without their probs (e.g. manifolds, cats, active suspension etc), and parts are more expensive than 348s.

Whatever you choose, get it inspected by a specialist for peace of mind and possible savings... and don't forget to set aside £1500+ for a Tubi sports exhaust!

I'd try both models and see what you think.

Some specialists to get you started; no personal recommendation given, etc
http://www.racecarnewmedia.co.uk/nickcartwright/stock.asp
http://www.racecar.co.uk/talacrest/
http://www.verdiferrari.biz/home.htm
http://www.rardleymotors.com/rardley/home.htm
And not forgetting
http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/sales/sales.asp

Good hunting!

Robert.

Cheshire_Carper · Jun 15, 2004

Cheers for the links, I was pointed to
http://www.verdiferrari.biz/home.htm

from a friend and had it in my paste buffer about to ask `are these ok?` then I notice you have commented on it. I`ll look at the others.

No, it will not be my daily driver - I have the train(!) and a VW Passat for that. You don`t get too many fishing rods in a Ferrari, as the handle suggests, my passion is carping - I may be ther only carp fishing Ferrari owner on here (when I purchase).

My preference, Spider - but I don`t think I have the funds for one. Hey, you know what's crazy, just as I typed that, a money spider crawled down my monitor (true!!) is that an omen for me to stretch that budget???

After the S (different class of course) but a firm soft top road racer, I`ll find it hard to make my plaything a hardtop so I may try my best to stretch to that elusive 355spider or if I rethink, the 348spider. That damned dealership told me such negatives about the 348s, it got me worried about the car I`ve held dear for years

Thanks again all - if you don`t mind a lowly S2000 turning up at a NW meet, I`d love to get some face to face views of the Fs.

cheers

Robertb said:

Have you any preference on coupe (TB, GTB, berlinetta) targa (TS, GTS) or convertible (spider)? Will this be your "daily driver"?

Don't let anyone put you off 348s; they are in my view overlooked, and therefore represent good value. Try and get a later one if possible, as a number of useful mods were made for '93 model year on I think. £40k will buy you one of the best 348s, e.g. a '94 spider, or perhaps a Competitzione if you're really lucky.

£40k will buy you a reasonable lhd 355 or a higher mileage early rhd. 355s are more complex cars than 348s, and not without their probs (e.g. manifolds, cats, active suspension etc), and parts are more expensive than 348s.

Whatever you choose, get it inspected by a specialist for peace of mind and possible savings... and don't forget to set aside £1500+ for a Tubi sports exhaust!

I'd try both models and see what you think.

Some specialists to get you started; no personal recommendation given, etc
http://www.racecarnewmedia.co.uk/nickcartwright/stock.asp
http://www.racecar.co.uk/talacrest/
http://www.verdiferrari.biz/home.htm
http://www.rardleymotors.com/rardley/home.htm
And not forgetting
http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/sales/sales.asp

Good hunting!

Robert.
Click to expand...

Robertb · Jun 15, 2004

This thread may help too; there are others if you search...

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8738&highlight=348s+bad

Robert.

EK3R · Jun 15, 2004

I would honestly try to do a deal with Karl at Verdi if I were to look at another car, from my dealings with him I find him very straight up, and not looking to fleece you for a quick buck. He could of lightened my wallet for a whole heap of cash whilst my car was in for work recently, but told me basically the bits and pieces that weren't absolutely necessary for the time being.

Cheshire_Carper · Jun 18, 2004

Hi again all,
spent the week thinking about it all. Now, I`ve come to this conclusion:

I would prefer the open top experience, having been an S owner. I believe the 355s is out of my budget. I also feel the later 348s will be less complicated for me as an ownership experience due to them having less electronic gear to fail, compared to the 355.

So, on that level, I think I`m aiming myself at a well kept late(ish) 348s, rossa.

What would people say about that conclusion? Good or bad? Remember, I don`t have limitless pots of cash - so that is a big factor,

cheers again people.

steve f · Jun 18, 2004

Cheshire_Carper said:

Hi again all,
spent the week thinking about it all. Now, I`ve come to this conclusion:

I would prefer the open top experience, having been an S owner. I believe the 355s is out of my budget. I also feel the later 348s will be less complicated for me as an ownership experience due to them having less electronic gear to fail, compared to the 355.

So, on that level, I think I`m aiming myself at a well kept late(ish) 348s, rossa.

What would people say about that conclusion? Good or bad? Remember, I don`t have limitless pots of cash - so that is a big factor,

cheers again people.
Click to expand...

hi i would say that a 355 is a lot better car than a 348 it also has power steering built for wimps [ footballers and there wives ] as for to many electronic gismos i think you have been thinking about the wrong car or got confussed i agree it also depends on your budget but i would have a word with simon355 as i dont think he wants silly money for his car compared to what others want

jeffQV · Jun 18, 2004

as several other people have already said, you gets lots of car for the money (you could even buy two Mondials and have change!!) Best advice I can give is decide what you want, find it and then get it really checked over by a specialist, I dont know of anyone in Cheshire but Phil at Rosneath Engineering in Kent would be my choice. Good luck!

964man · Jun 22, 2004

If the car you want checked over is miles away www.sportscarguides.com have a national pre-purchase inspection service provided by specialists who don't sell cars, so no vested interest, and also buyers guides for most modern Ferraris. Don't use the AA !

jrs · Jun 22, 2004

964man said:

If the car you want checked over is miles away www.sportscarguides.com have a national pre-purchase inspection service provided by specialists who don't sell cars, so no vested interest, and also buyers guides for most modern Ferraris. Don't use the AA !
Click to expand...

How about a profile ?

andrewg · Jun 22, 2004

if your after a decent mechanic to do an inspection try R&D in eccles (0161 789 3555) or JMH (01477534499)

have also just seen a very nice 348ts that should be about £31-32k if your interested I can pass on the details

Robertb · Jun 23, 2004

Cheshire_Carper said:

Hi again all,
spent the week thinking about it all. Now, I`ve come to this conclusion:

I would prefer the open top experience, having been an S owner. I believe the 355s is out of my budget. I also feel the later 348s will be less complicated for me as an ownership experience due to them having less electronic gear to fail, compared to the 355.

So, on that level, I think I`m aiming myself at a well kept late(ish) 348s, rossa.

What would people say about that conclusion? Good or bad? Remember, I don`t have limitless pots of cash - so that is a big factor,

cheers again people.
Click to expand...

I think this is a good plan- for your money, you would get an exceptional 348 rather than a potentially ropey 355, and I'm certain a 355 would cost more to run.

I'd echo other comments- get it inspected.

I'll keep an eye out for any potential candidates. Would you consider LHD?

Robert.

ferrari355gtb · Jun 23, 2004

Robert - just curious to why you think a 355 costs more to run than a 348 ? Touch wood - had really no problems with my 355.

Glad to see you're liking your Tubi - it transformed mine, listening to you talking about your made me want to go for a blast last night. Is it just just me or are the roads quieter while Euro2004 is on ?

Rick

Robertb · Jun 23, 2004

ferrari355gtb said:

Robert - just curious to why you think a 355 costs more to run than a 348 ? Touch wood - had really no problems with my 355.

Glad to see you're liking your Tubi - it transformed mine, listening to you talking about your made me want to go for a blast last night. Is it just just me or are the roads quieter while Euro2004 is on ?

Rick
Click to expand...

Re running costs, dunno really, just the impression I get from other owners. It is also based on the premise that the 348 is a less complex car than the 355, 348 parts are cheaper, and you don't seem to get the same bank-balance altering events such as manifold failures with a 348. how long've you had your 355 for? I'm cheered to hear that your experience has been trouble free as mine has been so far (but then I've only had it since october last year)

The roads are definitely quieter during the footy- if only it hadn't been raining I'd have been out in mine as I haven't heard the Tubi since Friday!

Rob.

jkuk · Jun 23, 2004

andrewg said:

if your after a decent mechanic to do an inspection try R&D in eccles (0161 789 3555) or JMH (01477534499)

have also just seen a very nice 348ts that should be about £31-32k if your interested I can pass on the details
Click to expand...

I second that.

I have heard good things about R&D, Jason at JMH (Holmes Chapel) serviced by 348 TS back in Feb. Excellent, very knowledgeable and kept me constantly informed of progress.

Cheshire_Carper · Jun 24, 2004

Great news.

I`m still getting some -ve 348 vibes from some people over on my site. I`m not sure why. It will either be a 348s or a 355(s). So thanks for the Holmes Chapp/Manc numbers.

Holmes Chappel is very close to me, I live in the Congleton area. I work in Manchester so both numbers are of great use. I`m still diggin` though folks - I`ll keep you posted.

(The S hasn`t been out for weeks now, I guess I`m preoccupied!).

ferrari355gtb · Jun 24, 2004

R&D are really handy if you work in Manchester - they're close to the trains straight to city centre. Used them a couple of times - no problems.

Kenyon aka Justin is selling his 348 - he lives on here.

Hope you get one soon and join us on our drive outs. Probably off to High Legh on Sunday if you want to see a load of Ferrari's.

Rick

Black Magic · Jun 24, 2004

If you want to know how much a F355 Spider really costs to run over 4 1/2 years of ownership, have a look at my article in the latest FOC Magazine. Can anyone scan and post it? Interestingly, I have just bought a replacement - not a 360M, as I thought I wanted, but a F355 Berlinetta with Fiorano handling pack. More interestingly (from what I read on this board), I bought it from one Mr Richard Lukins of Rosso Corsa.

ferrari355gtb · Jun 25, 2004

Interesting reading that article - but it was a bit of a joke "everytime I took it out something fell off it or I bumped it" - a guy with too much money. Anyone reading that article don't let it put you off a 355 or any Ferrari for that matter.

R

matkat · Jun 25, 2004

Black Magic said:

If you want to know how much a F355 Spider really costs to run over 4 1/2 years of ownership, have a look at my article in the latest FOC Magazine. Can anyone scan and post it? Interestingly, I have just bought a replacement - not a 360M, as I thought I wanted, but a F355 Berlinetta with Fiorano handling pack. More interestingly (from what I read on this board), I bought it from one Mr Richard Lukins of Rosso Corsa.
Click to expand...

It was an excellent article and thanks for sending it in.
Dave Mc

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