Hello on to all. After a long time deciding, just purchased a 348tb. I am quite convinced I got one the very best 348s left on the market. Its a 1992 coupe with 5100 original miles on it, major $7800 service performed at Ferrari less than two years ago, with all belts replaced and engine out. I found the car in San Diego almost by accident and new it had to be the one. It is showroom condition mint in and out. Not the smallest scratch outside, blemish on the leather or dash, no sticky parts, not a single rubber seal that has dried out or is cracked. Absolutely perfect. Drives like a dream. Paid 52K for it and, having gotten a car that is literally in showroom condition, I don't think it was a bad deal. If you'd like to see pics of the car, I'd be glad to post some The only thing I'd like to do to it is repair the open/close mechanism of the driver's side air vent (to the left of the instrument cluster) that has the butterfly mechanism jammed.. The only problem is I cannot get it out. I took the car to the Ferrari/Maserati service here in San Diego and they too had no idea how to remove the small air vent... screw driver from the bottom and/or up pushing it outwards, to the sides... we tried all tricks to the point of nearly breaking the thing. No one knows how this thing comes out. Does anyone know what the trick is to get the little plastic vent out? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Michael
Miltonian has an easy write-up to follow to remove it: http://webpages.charter.net/aircover/348/1994Ferrari348Spider.html#leftdashvent Image Unavailable, Please Login
Miltonian - hey, that's me! There is one tab on top of the vent, at 12:00 o'clock, and one tab on the right side of the vent, at about 4:00 o'clock. If you release those tabs with a small, flat screwdriver, the vent should pull out, but sometimes the "sticky part syndrome" makes the vent stick to the dash. There are no other tabs, and no screws to remove. You should be able to reassemble your vent so that it works like it's supposed to unless the little "t!ts" have been broken off the vanes. By the way, WELCOME to Ferrari Chat, and congratulations on your new 348 - sounds like a beauty!
We want pics!!We want pics!!We want pics!!We want pics!!We want pics!!We want pics!!We want pics!!We want pics!!We want pics!!We want pics!!
Sounds like a real bargain. Glad to hear you got a great car. Post some pics when you get a chance. BT
Thanks for all the replies first of all I will take some "real" pics later on but for now just ran outside real quick to snap these 3... note the factory protective plastic for the metal braket to the right of the accelerator pad that has yet to been taken out!!! Michael Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hello Liebkid, Car looks sweet. I've never seen one with the door thresholds painted in the body color. I've also never seen one with the little "ears" above the top back edge of the door painted the body color. Interior looks superb. Good luck and have fun!!
Beautiful car!! Welcome to the brotherhood! A few questions? Are your door sills also painted red? Looks cool. Also, your parking brake handle should flop down when the brake is engaged... it does that to allow ingress and egress. If it doesn't "flop" down, you might want to double-check that it disengages (or engages) before you go rippin' through the neighborhood. I'm sure it's absolutely nothing to be concerned about.
Great looking car! Someone here was looking for a 348 with a 'like new' interior about a month ago. Tell us where you found it so the other buyer can expand heir search. Read all about the 348 nuances here so you can avoid any mistakes in caring for your new car. And make sure you get out to drive it. BT
If you want to get any after market parts down the road, Ricambiamerica (Jackrusselracing above) is the way to go. Great prices and superb service. I got some drilled pedals, chrome shift knob, wheel spacers, and new floor mats from ricambi and am real happy with them. You could also definitely leave it stock to be more competitive in shows as the car appears to be ready for concours judging. BT
Hi Jack. Thanks for the tip on the parking brake thing. I am new to the 348 It does indeed "flop" down as it should though I think the cable might need to be adjusted as it grabs brake only fairly high. I have a red Enzo and my "daily driver" which is a red 2004 Modena Spider. I only buy red cars This 348 is the most "raw" fun of all Ferraris I have. I just love the way it rides and handles... old school Ferrari... there is nothing like it BT, as to how I found it... One in a million coincidences... I am good friends with all the personnel at San Diego Ferrari/Maserati Service. Though I live in Santa Barbara about 300 miles north, this is the only place I bring my cars to for service... the ride along the coast is worth it anyway I have had my Modena there for a few weeks getting worked on an nasty issue on the F1 tranny (now about to be completely replaced under warranty with a new one) and met a customer there who wanted advice on a used 360 he was thinking about buying for which he was going to make space on his garage by selling his 348 that he never used (original owner). When to his house, looked at the car, and bought it right there on the spot. I have for years been on and off with the idea of getting a 348 coupe... totally a "backburner" project. Every single one, I never found to be in the mint condition I always buy my cars, too many miles, too many issues, or some other reason. I tried dealers, privates, eBay, the works... I did find along the road a couple of very nice 94/95s Spiders but my mind was both set on a coupe plus I did not want to deal with all the issues surrounding keeping and using the soft top of the 348 series, a little too much old school Ferrari for me When I saw this 348 at the owners' garage, even before the doors got opened so I could see the inside (or taking it for a drive first), I knew I was buying this car. The owner showed me all the service paperwork on the car, and though everything one can imagine had been done, for argument's sake and a "second opinion" I drove it to the Ferrari/Maserati Service (with the owner as my passenger) where I showed it to the 2 mechanics that always work on my other two Ferraris. They were unanimous in telling me it was the cleanest and most perfect 348 they have ever seen, period. I paid for the car right there and drove it back home later in the day... under a heavy thunderstorm for most of the drive by the way... It got baptized indeed I intend to make it my second daily driver and cannot be more excited about it. I want to spare the Modena daily trips to the supermarket and the Enzo... well, its just impossible to drive it everyday plus the bumps and dips all over the main side streets in downtown Santa Barbara are a killer (I already head the motor assembly that raises the car's nose for such needs replaced once for too much use. It was a really nice bill for a little brushed DC motor that looks like the one's in my kid's battery operated toy cars... but oh well... so is life in the Ferrari world There are few things I want to do on the 348 like putting a new radio in (yes... original radio still in!!!), and a few other things. I will buy the service manuals somewhere so that I know what I am doing as needed. Gotta love these cars. I detest sounding cocky when I say this but hey, really... there is nothing like a Ferrari and that is the bottom line
Nice car!! I just sold a mint 1992 348TS red tan combo...one of my fav f-cars. You should also post some pics of your other F-cars aswell..NNO..(a memebr of this sight) will be breathless over your Enzo..
Will be glad to take and post pics of the Enzo. Since I am new to the forums I do not know if there is a limit for the amount of pics I can post or not (I know the max size is 800x800). If not, I'll just put post download links and upload them to my web server.
Welcome to the brotherhood. Since your in SB I live 45 minutes south of you. If you like we can meet up and I'll show you how to adjust your parking break. It's pretty easy. No sence in driving all the way down to SD to adjust something you can do for free.
Hello Liebkid That's a real fine 348 you found there. I've searching also for months to find mine, lot of bad examples around in the market. I've got a late 1993. Very strange to look at, your red thresholds. Never came from the factory like that, so the owner had them painted. Nice though. Damn, when I see your car in the shining sun with all those kinda exotic plants on the background... It is freezing here, unable to drive for over 3 months ! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sounds like your 348 has found a perfect home in the hands of a caring enthusiast. I am not convinced that the car is not stock from the factory. Maybe the original owner special ordered it with the painted sills, ears, etc... Anyway, thanks for sharing how you found the car. It seems like fate that you found it, and I think you will enjoy it tremendously. I know what you mean about the dealer installed radio. The Sony in my 348 is pretty bad, maybe I'll change it out this summer. Have fun! BT
Well... one does not compare cars really. They are what they are and their charm and specs is what it is. First of all for me there is an issue of both practicability and liability. Santa Barbara is a "low-impact" driving city. Its small, everything is fairly close, low traffic, very low crime and filled with people with good taste and older money. Its a great place to drive a Ferrari on a daily basis unlike let's say Los Angeles, where I have to commute to once in a while for work reasons. But, if driving the cars for me is not too much of an issue, parking is! Most headaches and "nasty surprises" I have had throughout the times with most of my cars where NEVER when the car was moving but always when it was publicly parked and I was not there. The Enzo can only be driven in special occasions where the safe parking situation at the end of the trip is positively guaranteed. It is impossible to park it on any public parking lot, leave it to the hands of ANY VALLET (God forbid) and, it cannot handle most dips and ramps in and out of most parking locations anyway. On the other hand, the 360, my daily driver, gets parked everywhere. I have had to date in 3 years of ownership, 18 (!) visits to my local body shop for minor damages (every single one parking related... mostly doors from other cars hitting it). No... not major things at all but a ding or scratch the size of a pee does make me loose my nights of sleep Now, the 348 can be an excellent every day driver with much less liability. Most of my trips in town are less than a mile long... Santa Barbara is a city where the business center is about 5 blocks away from everything else. Its perfect. You can go anywhere or drive most of the day and hardly put any miles on it. So, for short range driving in the city and occasional LA back and fourths on the Highway 1 coast line (always a pleasure), the 348 is a great complement driver no matter what else I have in the garage. Then there's the fact they are all inherently different cars and as a car enthusiast I appreciate what each vehicle brings to the board. I only buy (and drive) two types of automobiles; Ferraris and antique classic cars. Nothing else. New cars do not interest me at all whatever they are... Mercedes, BMWs, Porches, you name it. My favorite car in my small and humble collection is actually NOT a Ferrari but an all original fully restored 1935 Auburn Boattail Speedster with a supercharged V16 (same design later adapted for the early 40's limited run Cadillac V16 Speedster). Comparing the Auburn to just about anything else with 4 wheels would be impossible... and, I DO like it more than the Enzo if I had to choose just one to keep between the two. 1) because you can always find another Enzo (there are still 394 to choose from , and 2) because I'd be over 120 years old by the time the Enzo reaches the age-charm of my Auburn today. And I would give up all Ferraris I have for a single 48 or 49 Barchetta if only I could find one... Cars, really are like wine for most cases Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Wow, I like your 348. I have been debating if I should have the bottom spoliers painted red as on all 93s thru 95s... I really do like the look plus it makes the car look lower. As for California... the best thing about it besides the sun is that it is really dry for the most part so rusting is mostly kept away. I have a house in barcelona, Spain and always debate in bringuing some cars over there... but the winters are a killer! Congrats on your 348!!!
I believe the car is indeed stock like it is. The owner mentioned he had ordered it originally with specific paint options and waited quite some time for the car's delivery back then. He mentioned the hood was painted once about 5 years ago after some swirls got marked on it that could not be buffed out. Other than that, the car should be original... and, to be quite frankly, the paint job is so near-perfect that I would not care either way. My 360 has more oversprays and "hand-made" flaws that this car has... all adds to the charm... gotta love it
The lower valances are normally painted body color under the black pebble finish. I have read that you can just wet sand the black off and get to the paint underneath. I had my lower valances resprayed locally for about $1100 (including redoing both the front and rear bumpers). If your car came from the factory with the sills painted I would be tempted to keep it all original. But since you have many cars more valuable than the 348 do what suits ya! BT
Thanks for the tips! I will check with a couple of body shops and get some prices... A couple of other things I want to do is to place a prancing horse emblem on the front grill and replace the back black one on the rear grill with a silver one (the 89s thru 92 all came with license plates holders in the front instead of the emblem and black emblems on the back). I wonder what I should look for to place the emblem in the front, what size is it supposed to be and wow hard of a job is it... I was looking at the back emblem and have no clue how to get it off. I also would like to place Scuderia Shields on the sides and have no clue what size the stock shields were originally and what type of bend they have to have on them... I may need to get a service manual that covers body and chassis for all of this. I also realized a have a couple of burned bulbs on the dash and a couple switches not working too well on the center dash around and below the A/C area that I'd like to take out, clean and re-assemble... but of course... I have no clue how to remove the center console to access the back and removal of the switches... darn, I feel ignorant Image Unavailable, Please Login
