Greetings, all... I'm a new member and would love your help. I'm in the early stages of hunting for an F355 Spider. While nothing beats my 996TT as a daily driver, I want something sexier... I'd be appreciative to get any feedback on ownership experiences including the good, the bad, the ugly, along with any advice on what I should look for (and what not to look for) in an F355 Spider. Thanks for your time... SG
Hi, and welcome to the group. There is a lot of information here on a 355 purchase. I'd advise you to try out the "search" function on the page header. You're off to a good start though. Much due dilligence is the key here. It's a whole different game buying a used Ferrari than it is a Porche. Best of luck, and again, welcome!
A "gotcha" with the 355 Spider is the possible working (or not working) of the convertible top. Put a pot of coffee on and do a search for "355 top" or something to that effect and paw through the postings. The mechanical top has been discussed long and hard. Some owners (myself included) converted the top to a manual after recurring issues with the automatic process.
www.kipshewardmotorsports.com has a couple of beautiful 355. He just sold my 328 and won't screw you over.
The 355 spider is a great car, but in my mind it is one of the hardest to buy because of the many "gotchas" that can be insanely expensive (relative to worth of car) to fix. Do a lot of research, and I'd make sure you inspect car and do PPI (no "sight unseen" on this car). I've went down the path you are on; had the 996TT as daily driver, but also wanted something "sexier" and the look/sound of the 355 is intoxicating to me. Keep us posted on your search and your ultimate purchase- but beware the "gotchas" documented many times on this site for the 355. Regards, Eric
Same routine. I have the Twin Turbo and after a while decided to get the Ferrari I always wanted. Although there are issues with the 355's , I ended up getting a very late model 1999 355 Spider F1. -Full service record -30K service done (very costly otherwise) -had some added items such as Challenge Grill and Tubi exhaust And more importantly, I got it from official Ferrai dealer and purchased the Power 2 warranty for peace of mind. So far a very good experience. The only thing that bothers me occasionally is that the roof retracts and you have to cover it manually. Wish it was like the 360 spider's. You also cannot usually leave these cars anywhere you want vs a P - car due to the attention it gets. Certainly not a daily driver nor would I ever hand the keys over to the valet.
