348's in the 40K range?

nope - not one that you won't put 10-15k into the first year.

 

Rather than worry about the numbers, find the right car first. The general range in my opinion is high 40's to 60. Spiders always cost the most. It's best to let the car do the talking. With these cars, they all have an individual history. From celebrity owned to garage queens to daily drivers. If you want show quality you'll pay more for ultra low miles. If you want a daily driver, it may have some wear but recent service. I'll give you my example as a guide. After the research I did, I decided on the 348 (vs. 328 and Testa). My needs were for use as a regular driver. I can detail very well so appearance was only moderately important. Rather than look for prestine, I felt a paper history was needed to get an accurate pictuer of the affore mentioned car history. We all know we want the Major Service to have been recently completed, but how recent is relative to your needs. Knowing every 5 years regardless of age for the Major Service is needed, I choose to find a car with the Service being performed no more than 2 years ago. I also refuse to buy any car without a good paper history, period. I
looked for 2 years before I found the right one that met my specifications. I also turned down 4 in that time because something was not right. Ended up with a 348, major done 2 yrs ago- driven regularly - great service history - new clutch,starter,Tubi, chrome wheels and other extras and I only paid $40,500. The deals are out there. This guy needed too move it fast. Anyway, this is another way to purchase rather than starting with the number right away. Good luck. FYI - If I has known about the help available in this forum before I bought the car, I would not have stressed so much looking for all of the answers myself. The people here are great and passionate.

 

89, 90 and 91 models, yes, you could find yourself a driver in the 40s. 92 and 93 a bit higher and 94 95 low 50s mid 50s. Spiders are quite a bit more. Miles, service records and how recent the last service was done are all things that will impact price. Get a pre purchase inspection by a certified Ferrari mechanic before any purchase. Do not buy sight unseen. Be patient.

 

Hey MadMaxx, What kind of Lotus and year did you have? What kind of ownership experience did you have with them? I'm thinking of an Esprit maybe next year.
Oh, I think you can get a decent 348 in the mid 40's from what I've seen during the past year or so. Good luck!

 

I would say you can get a decent early 348 for the mid 40's. When I was considering selling my 348 I would have taken about $45k. I have since decided to keep the car. Search and you will find. But be patient. Apparently there are a lot of beaters around.

BT

 

I sold my near-perfect 1990 348 with 40K miles on it for $42K just a few months ago. Had 355 wheels, new tires, and fairly recent service on it. So those that say you can't find one in the low $40's don't exactly know what they are talking about.

As for a "price plateau", there is no such thing. 348s continue to move DOWN, as is the case with most other Ferraris. To avoid that, you'll need one of the Dinos or earlier, or an F40 or F50.

 

I think I looked at your car. Was it Red/tan w/rocker panels painted? I seem to remember you had a porsche as well. I ended-up buying a 91ts from Symbolic 2 weeks ago. I looks a lot like yours but has 512 wheels.

 

No, mine was red/black interior. The guy I sold it to had a Porsche.

 

There are def decent 348s out there at good prices but when they pop-up, you better be ready to buy cause they'll be gone to someone who is.

 

True. As I recall Husker's 348 was sold in a week or so.
BT

 

huh, i would have thought they'd be more than that....

 

Here are some sites to search... these are not specific dealer sites.
www.autotrader.com
www.collectorcartraderonline.com
www.hmn.com
www.automart.com
www.dupontregistry.com
www.craigslist.com
www.cars.com
www.autabuy.com
www.carsforsale.com
www.autoextra.com
Some sites are better than others. You will see some of the same cars on numerous sites. I'm sure there are other sites out there, these are the ones I know of. Happy hunting!

 

I think they will be in about two years.
BT

 

The prices of 348 have dropped and if your not in a hurry you will be able to find a nice car in the mid 40's. Don't know if you thought about it, but in my opinion a 328 would be a better buy in the long run. Good luck.

 

I'd be real careful about buying a "cheap" 348. The earlier models had a faulty fuel management system, and you don't want one of those. After 91, the system changed and got better, but there were still emissions problems. The 93 - 94s had better suspension, and handled quite a bit better. Some of the 92s have been updated with those mods (a little wider rear track is the major change, I believe). Before you buy, get "The Original Ferrari v8" book. It covers the 348 quite well, and you'll learn a bit from it.

I've owned both a 91 (TS), and a 94 (spyder). the spyder leaked so bad in the rain, that you could use it for a shower, the TS was almost water tight. The claimed that the 94 had a little more power, but I didn't notice any difference.

If you want a 348, get the latest one you can. If the cosmetics aren't exactly right, that can be fixed. Updating the emissions and suspension can't be fixed, so I'd get the latest one you can afford, and expect to pay 45+ for a good late model or 60+ for a sypder.

Art