355s - The last hand-built Ferrari? | FerrariChat

355s - The last hand-built Ferrari?

Discussion in '348/355' started by harrysdad, May 4, 2015.

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  1. harrysdad

    harrysdad Rookie

    Feb 3, 2006
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    Guys - I've heard it mentioned that the 355s were the last of the hand-assembled Ferraris and that the 360 were more an assembly line process? Does anyone know for sure?
     
  2. Robb

    Robb Moderator
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    Feb 28, 2004
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    Most would say the last hand built Ferrari was the 308/328. Hopefully Bullfighter can chime in on specifics.

    Robb
     
  3. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    I would agree that the 308/328 were than last. 348 on were basically unibody with the entire front end (denfers, hood, etc) bolt on.
     
  4. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
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    I wouldn't call the 355 a hand built car altough it still has a lot of handmade features and parts.

    I think the 360 is the first real "Production" car where Ferrari started pushing their marketing, image, etc...

    I'd say the 355 is the last of the "old school" models.
     
  5. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    Q. How big is a yacht?


    A. Your boat and everything bigger.




    The term "hand built" has no standard meaning and is manipulated to fit someones need.

    If you want your 355 to be the last hand built car, by all means apply it as needed.
     
  6. ferraripete

    ferraripete F1 World Champ

    lol.
     
  7. ferraripete

    ferraripete F1 World Champ

    I never once considered my 308 to be hand built. my boxer on the other hand...
     
  8. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    Most do not however they did still have some hand made panels pieced and welded together by hand in the old method. In my mind that does not equate hand built.

    They were built on the same assembly line as the 355 and the 360 so by the standard here maybe they were.....Or maybe none were.

    Depends on what makes you fell better about yourself I guess.
     
  9. Dr. Wynter

    Dr. Wynter Karting

    Apr 10, 2013
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    I think what is up for debate here is not which ferraris were "hand built," but the criteria by which we make the claim that a car is hand built. I don't really know of any ferraris that are truly hand built in the artisanal sense I think is being suggested here. If you really want to see what it means for a car to be hand built, find the youtube videos of the making of a bugatti veyron or a pagani zonda...now that's what I would call a hand built car.
     
  10. 4rePhill

    4rePhill F1 Veteran

    Oct 18, 2009
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    The last hand-built Ferrari?: Seb and Kimi drive them!
     
  11. AceMaster

    AceMaster Three Time F1 World Champ

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    LMAO
     
  12. Steve355F1

    Steve355F1 F1 World Champ
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    Well, Seb drives it fast and Kimi takes lots of $ for doing not much at all.
    My grandma can drive faster than him.
     
  13. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    #14 SoCal1, May 6, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    A hand made car starts with a buck

    These all have stamped panels, prefabbed frame rails and when you buy OEM parts they fit = mass produced

    Just like polishing a turd and calling it a diamond

    Not a hand built car in any way shape or form

    :)
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  14. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    Raining on parades again?
     
  15. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    Sorry I just don't like to lie to myself.

    Sunny and 75 here today
    :)
     
  16. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

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    I am certain some parts on the 348/355 are partially hand built (interior parts) ..... the welds on the rear chassis appear robotic ..... the monocoque panels look stamped with some hand massaging to achieve tight spot weld interfaces ....... and body panels are definitely stamped by a nice big machine ...... :eek:
     
  17. 4rePhill

    4rePhill F1 Veteran

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    I would say that you're confusing a "hand crafted" car with a "hand built" car.

    The difference is, a "hand crafted" car has all of it's panels and parts made by hand and is then assembled by hand.

    A "hand built" car is a car that is assembled by hand without the aid of any automated systems in the assembly process (note: the assembly process - Not the manufacturing process. Parts may be stamped out on presses or prefabricated elsewhere, but they assembled on the car by hand).


    Next we have partially hand built cars.

    These are cars that are assembled using a mixture of automated systems (robots) and hand assembly methods, and covers almost all cars made, including the production line Ferrari's.

    Based on these principles, I would say that the last "hand built" Ferrari would be the LaFerrari (and before that the Enzo, F50, F40, 288 GTO), and the last "hand crafted" Ferrari's are running round Barcelona this weekend!
     
  18. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    Yeah I know you can split and skew things to make anything fit your theme.
    As far as I am concerned my 355 is as hand made as a Ford mustang. Heck some of the new mustangs special editions are way more hands on then the new Ferraris.

    I'm old school :)
     
  19. INTMD8

    INTMD8 F1 Veteran
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    Probably a step above a Mustang (I don't think they have hand ported heads as an example), but they do both have a little horse on them :)
     
  20. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    The reason you see the hand ported heads is because they had so much flashing inside from the pour the darn thing would not get any air to flow. Along with a ton of other places they needed to trim. LOL


    :)
     
  21. ernie

    ernie Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I think the LACK of hand built Ferraris has made the quality go UP.

    Yeah I said it.

    The robots are WAY more precise and constistant. Sure there are things that have to be done by hand, but over all it's a good thing Ferraris are being built by computerized robots.
     
  22. INTMD8

    INTMD8 F1 Veteran
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    Well good thing they did it then! ;)
     
  23. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    Those are only as good as the person putting in the code and running the machine, more human error. In Ferraris case they still don't use a modern PLM, heck they could use off the shelf CATIA and get a near perfect product but then they could not throw a line of BS why something is not working and no one to blame but themselves.
    I just don't pickup the BS they are putting down.
    If they want a good ass kicking no holds bared I have 2 years available starting Jan 15.
    But I don't think they can handle the truth their ego's would crack like an egg :)

    Absolutly !!! need to keep those chunks from breaking loose getting into places they don't belong also LOL
     
  24. vracer

    vracer Formula 3

    Jun 23, 2014
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    Yup. Totally agree. A few years ago when I went through the Porsche factory they bragged that they only used one robot in the manufacture of the current version of the 911. Then they (kind of) admitted that was because that process was so delicate that only a robot could do it properly. (Fitted windshield)

    I've also been through the AMG engine assembly plant. There is nothing that one man does that a machine could not do at least as well.
     

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