360 Reliability and Common Problems?

I have been thinking on getting a 360 Spider with manual transmission as a 20,000 miles/year car for 10 years or so. It would replace my boring Cayman S.

What are the known problems on these cars?

Thanks

 

they're pretty solid cars just do maintenance and you're good to go!

 

I've had mine for a year and no problems!!!

 

I'm sure you already know a lot about the car but a few things that would be on my check list would include.......

Make sure you get all three key fobs
Check for alarm LED staying lit when engine running, indicating siren backup battery shot
Check for wear on discs
Suggest buy high mileage (for better value) if you're going to clock 20k mile p.a. -also a low mileage car will probably throw a few problems at you if you start using it at that mileage level
Check for mechanical rattle from worn butterfly valves in the inlet manifold
I'd like a car with lots of service records but not necessarily all main dealer, good records = love by previous owner(s)
Naturally it would be nice to have one with a recent belt service and clutch renewal but both easily addressed
Check for ball joint and flanblock wear on suspension
Look for standard exhaust if you're going to have to live with it all day everyday
I suspect the headlights might prove disappointing to you (coming from more modern 430 probably with xeon) so do test drive in darkness if you do much motoring after dark on country roads

In overall terms I feel the 360 is a good, solid and reliable car.

 

I'm in the same boat as the OP; looking at 360s. Are there certain model years to stay away from?

Thanks,
-G.B.

 

My 2002 360 F1 Spider has been pretty trouble free. Some sensors have gone out but nothing major. Replaced the clutch at 18k. Had to replace the alarm siren about $500.

Drove the car today. What a joy Decided to keep it and not order a new 458 Spider tbd in ~3yrs. Can't see spending $200k or so. the 360 is fast enough for me. And it always draws attention.

The 360 is a heck of a buy at these prices.

 

I bought my '01 F1 360 almost two years ago with 22K on the clock. I have driven it almost 6K. It has been absolutely bulletproof. 2 oil changes and a brake fluid flush. I've got two more years before a major. I've had all different types of sports cars. I can't think of any other car that I would like to have. These cars will surpass all of your expectations. Mine has.

 

I've owned two Ferraris and never had all 3 key fobs. Never been an issue for me.

US model 360's have xenon lights.

 

Pm me and I will give you a list.

 

Leaving aside all the other threads asking the same questions does the buyers guide at the top of this section not provide some guidance ?

 

Hi There,

Maybe in the foreseeable future our family might get a sports car. We have looked at the 360 Modena Coupe, 911 Porsche, M4 BMW, Mustang Ford, Lotus (ANY). Saw a rlly nice 360 on autotrader so was interested, watched a few videos on YouTube about Ferrari’s and all of them said they where quite unreliable. Have read the forum on this page and it has said the 360’s aren’t. Pls can you give me an idea and come back if you have any more options or things to tell me about the 360 Modena F1.

Thanks
Harvey

 

In a nutshell...
As a former Porsche owner (six speed sticks only) the move to my F360 Modena F1 has been great. I believe it's probably the first car Ferrari made that turned the corner of limited use and finicky
to a car that you can take out and drive daily if you choose to.
--The early (1999) cars and up have gradually had the Transmission Electronic Control units updated in production and therefore I chose to look for a 2003-4. It's said later cars shift much nicer
up and down. I am amazed at the shifts in my car.
There is an upgrade you can have installed (TCU flashed) but that is also about $1500 as I understand it.
--Clutch in the F1 gets a little less miles than the stick cars since you really cannot control the slippage on take off like you can with a stick car.

The major maintenance issues:
--Clutch replacement can cost as much as $5000 at an qualified independent repair shop. Not at the dealer-- probably significantly more.
--Cam belts need replacing every 2 to 5 years depending on who you ask. Cost: about $2500 and again at an independent shop. But it can be done with the engine in the car unlike many of the
earlier models of Ferrari or even the 360's predecessor.
--There are "campaigns" initiated by Ferrari that address some issues that include "updates" like Cam Variators. Be sure that those have been done. Ferrari has done these for free but there are
still some cars out there that have never had it done.

You still need to do your homework on a 360 purchase. A well maintained car with records is the car to buy. Buying a "cheaper" car is not the way to go IMO. It's been said that buying a cheap Ferrari will be the most expensive car you will buy. Like most everything we buy these days it costs far more to repair than to buy a really nice example in the first place.

Read the forum here. Do some searches and just poke around. That's what I did as well as searching the internet for everything I could read on the 360. The guys here are all awfully knowledgeable and helpful. But you still need to do your own leg (research) work. Guys here have probably answered all the questions you have on the 360 more than once. So some may be reluctant to indulge your version of the same questions. But with that said, this is a terrific place for info on the 360 and the members here are top notch.

Probably most importantly, remember these cars are fast approaching 20 years old. Not a bad thing, but the neglected cars that sell cheap are probably not the best choice. But even when buying a really nice low mileage example, be prepared, they are used cars that have very expensive (as most exotic cars do) parts and labor charges.

Equally important is deciding what role your 360 will play. Will you buy a really nice car that is limited use to keep the mileage down? Will you care about resale more than driving and enjoying it?
Or will it be something in between?

Now, with that said, I can tell you that the move from my Porsche 911 to my current 360 has been more enjoyable than I could have imagined. I love the soul of the car, I love the timeless design of the body, and the driving experience is exhilarating.

 

Bumped a 7 year old thread when there are MANY on this subject. Start with the buyers guide at the top. It has most of the answers of what to look out for. You can search for any of the 1000 threads on maintenance costs as well. Those will get you the rest of the way on things that can/have gone wrong.

 

I'm with PhilNotHill on this... About 10 years ago, I bought a 2000 360 with F1 tranny, had it for about 5 years and drove it about 16k miles in that time. Loved everything about the car but the transmission, had to get a new clutch, it was installed but not calibrated correctly by an independent shop and wore out prematurely. Even when it was eventually replaced with new flywheel, I always thought it was the weakest link in an otherwise amazing car. I sold it in a hurry during a cash crunch and regretted it.

A year later, I decided to lease a 458. I had it for a year. In my opinion it was way more power than ever useable for a street car and even on the track I didn't have the skills or confidence to turn off traction control all the way. It was an amazing vehicle but I live in the SF Bay Area and could never really find places to drive it full blast without being totally irresponsible to other road users due to amount of traffic and bicyclists we have around here.

I spent 3 years after that with an Alfa 4C Spider, which was a fun and very nimble car but flawed by its lurching dual clutch transmission and uninspiring engine noise.

A month ago I bought a 2000 Ferrari 360 with a 6 speed and I'm thrilled. I did a pre-purchase inspection and had to spend an additional $7700 in maintenance after purchase but now I have a solid driver that may even appreciate in value (bonus). In my opinion, its got enough power to be thrilling but not so much that you can't wind it out in 2nd & 3rd gear on regular roads. The engine at 7k rpms brings a smile to my face every time and the 6 speed gated shifter solves the one thing I didn't love with my first one.

My advice is as long as you can afford an average of $5k/year in maintenance, you will be thrilled!

 

This ^^^^^^

 

After 7 years of 360 2003 Spider ownership.
(Mileage from 3500 to 14,500).

1. Roll over valves
2. Fuel pumps (both sides)
3. Spider top mechanism (main pump seals, 2 slave pump seals, elastic folding tensioner).
4. Siren for alarm.
5. Engine mounts (not needed!)
6. Cap for coolant reservoir.

Total cost ~ $6000...rough estimate without routine service which included:

7. Annual oil change.
8. Coolant change every 2 years.
9. Brake fluid change every 2 years.
10. Belts every 4-5 years (no tracking, gently driven with the occasional Italian tune up).
11. Using leather and rubber/plastic treatment every weekly wash.

Kept in air conditioned garage.

In summary, a very solid car. Bought it sight unseen after being checked out by a close friend and Ferrari expert. No PPI on any of my 3 Ferrari’s. Dumb you might say, but I reckon 1/2 the PPI’s are almost a waste of $ IF you have car ‘experience’ and know what to look for. If you drive the car and there are no oil pressure/over heating issues and no CEL’s...It feels solid, no slipping clutch or gear crunching, and when you jack it up the wheels don’t fall off, it’s probably ok. You NEVER really know when a problem will occur with a ~ 13-15 year old car. My car (not my ‘baby’... it will happily squash me if it slips off the jack...or take my last $) is now coming up on 16 years so need to address trim aging issues.

IMHO.

 

I have a manual Spider and very happy with it. The manual box is one of the best I’ve driven. Later model 360s had xenon headlights as standard and they throw a very good clear white light. A couple of weakness to watch out for.

- Original front end ball joints and bushes don’t last long, anywhere from 10 to 20k kms. After that your doing well if they are still original. Replacement parts have been updated and far more durable.

- The hydrolic fluid splitter block mounted on the gearbox. The original is soft aluminium and prone to split and leak. Hills has a nice more robust replacement part for this. Its not expensive and an easy fix as long as you give yourself enough room under the car to remove the floor pan. You can’t do it from above, just not quite enough room to move the spanners

- If going for a Spider thoroughly check for leaks or sus movement with the soft top opening/closing. It can be problematic if your unlucky and expensive to fix


Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

I'm very curious if he ever actually bought a car, and if he put (no one has ever done it that I have read about) 20,000 miles per year on it. That was 8 years ago, and if he bought a 10,000 mile example it would possibly now have 170,000 miles on it... how many engine rebuilds to get to 170,000 miles?

 

What "forum" did you read? I don't recall reading a "forum" on this page that said they weren't reliable... ? Sounds like your family needs to read the sticky on the top of this page and stop watching YouTube videos...

 

Not true! My 2003 F1 Modena other than routine maintenance was not at all problematic!

 

Why would it need a rebuild before that? I know of cars with about 1o0K and they run fine.

 

Did we just revived a thread that was opened 7 years ago and no activities since then? Ok that didn't answer any questions.

My only gripe were F1 dramas, that's why I ditched it. Everything else is pretty solid the past 4 years. It's been great since I ditched that system.

 

I noticed no one mentioned header precat failure...is that still a concern? My mechanic thinks it’s a must do, to replace with aftermarket headers as a precaution.
Is this fear substantiated?

Reason I ask, is I’m thinking of doing some exhaust mods, so will have to factor in that expense and noise in my overall plan.

 

At 24K miles both headers cracked and I replaced them with fabspeed headers and left the stock cats and muffler. It throws a O2 sensor code so I’m gonna try Fabspeed O2 sensor extensions to see if they fix it. After 14 years the hydraulic cylinders in the convertible top needed rebuilding. Every thing else just normal maintenance.

 

Thanks for this. Can I ask, how did your exhaust sound afterwards ie tone and volume?