Best Used Ferrari Value in today's market

Wait.

You have an MV Brutale?

If I had 5 thumbs, they would all be WAY UP!

 

I have a few friends with 355s and I have spoken to F-car mechanics about them. Here is the deal, they have two potential boogiemen-- valve guides and headers. Other than that they are about as reliable and as expensive to maintain as other engine out Ferraris. There are lots of 355s on the market that have had these problems addressed. IMHO, the 355 has the most glorious engine sound EVER. The car is also quick, handles wonderfully well and has an absolutely timeless shape. In short, it is sublime. Don't believe everything you read on this site. Most Ferraris have potential grenades-- TR's have the exploding diffs, 360's have variators, 430's have header issues and the fun goes on and on. However, none of the problems are as prevalent as this board would have you believe. Only people who have problems tend to post, the vast majority who enjoy their cars without trouble aren't taking time out of their day to post. Yes the 355 is expensive to maintain, but pick your poison-- you can spend your money on maintenance or lose it to depreciation on a newer F-car. If I had listened to all the naysayers I never would have bought my Mondial or my Testarossa...that would have been a tragic mistake.

Stop being so analytical. There is nothing rational about owning a Ferrari. If you can afford it, buy the one you've dreamed about and let fate take care of the rest. Worrying about maintenance costs, reliability, etc, is the best way to find yourself driving.................. a Porsche.

Ferraris are about passion. Drink the kool aid, get lost in the red mist and pull the trigger.

Life is short! Get moving!

 

Being on the outside, the solution for me seems simple. It's been a much repeated statement, but it will hold true. Buying a Ferrari, ideally should be purely an emotional reaction. You should buy the model (or the specific car) that really "lights a fire" inside of you. Based on your statement,"the F430 is the car-the one you enjoyed the most driving." You should buy an F430 immediately (IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT). Any other car that you get, you will eventually tell yourself, that you should've gotten the F430. This will hold true, if this is truly how you feel. You have mentioned that you also have an emotional affinity with the F355. If you can't afford the F430, you should then buy an F355, that "preferably" has great documentation of service history and has been upgraded with fixes to headers, Cats, Valve Guides. However, if you truly feel so strongly about the F430, the F355 may not satisfy you in the long run.

In my personal situation, when I was in the market for a Ferrari, I wanted a mid-engine V8 and could not afford to buy an F430, so did not consider it, and did not even drive it. I considered 308, 328, 348. However, I drove 360 and F355's and COMPLETELY fell for the F355. If you read everything there is on F-chat about the F355, most people conventionally and practically would never buy one. THIS IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH A SITE SUCH AS F-CHAT. In my search for a car, I drove many different versions of the 355, including Berlinetta, GTS, Spider, and Serie Fiorano. I ended up rewarding myself with a 1997 F355 Berlinetta Christmas of 2008. I have had an F355 Berlinetta for almost 3 years, and do not feel any regrets. Regular yearly services with only some minor/moderate issues here and there. With everything this car has done and all the people I have met and befriended because of having this car, I can say that these have been the best 4 years of my life.

 

I had a 355 spider and a Brutale "R" and I would only buy one of them again and it aint the 355. The few bucks more for a 360 is definately worth it. The 355 looks great but the car is a time bomb of things that can and do go wrong and cost major bucks to fix. If you are so worried about the resale value I would say 360 or 550 and maybe throw a Gallardo in to try!

 

Wow, great bike you have there!

My friend has the MV Agusta I'd like to buy some day: a Tamburini.
Here is a pic of it.
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+1000

 

I know the barchetta is a little pricier and sort of a niche car, but as for a front engine v12 convertible, it seems like the prices have slowly crept lower and lower. Does anyone think that down the road, with their limited production and good looks, that the prices today will be considered "bargains."

 

I know the barchetta is a little pricier and sort of a niche car, but as for a front engine v12 convertible, it seems like the prices have slowly crept lower and lower. Does anyone think that down the road, with their limited production and good looks, that the prices today will be considered "bargains."

 

Really it is pretty simple. Large production relates to a large and increasingly larger variation in price from the original market price for quite a few years. In the last 20 years there have been 3 - 4 supercars, of which the 288, F40 & now more so F50 are accepted as collectibles, that have some upside in the foreseeable future. Forget most of the other models except the 360 Scag and 550 Barchetta. The last car probably being the best sleeper in that period.

 

Maserati Boras are now selling for the same price as Boxers.
The train is leaving the station.
Last call.

 

Not because I own one, but I think the 550 Barchetta will appreciate in value over the long term.
It is such a fun and exciting car to drive (for me), and impractical (no roof); that I think it will make it a desirable car in the future.
I have a lot more fun, smiles and satisfaction with the Barchetta compared with any car I have driven.

 

LENCAP. Not sure if we have met, but there is a wealth of local info here in Raleigh. Go to the North carolina section of F Chat. Usually at the monthly Cars n Coffee at brier Creek we have 308, 328, 348, 355, 360,430, 458, Mondi, TRs.. The owners will be happy to tell you as much as possible. We also have two good resources nearby: FCI in greensboro (there is usually someone with a car at C+C) and also Apex Vintage and theose guys are straight shooters who see a lot of cars. There is such a thing as paralysis by analysis so I encourage you to find the best sorted and documented car you can find, drive it and buy it and whatever happens to depreciation/appreciation/market value SCREW IT.

 

I own an F355 Spider for over a year and really love it. When I bought it, the major needed to be done and I bought it for a good price.
A friend of mine, a very good mechanic, did the major and we changed some other parts as well in the process. It now has Tubi manifolds, Tubi cat replacement pipes and a Capristo Stage 3 exhaust. I did about 1500 miles with it since, and it really is a great car to drive. It isn't that fast, but it sounds amazing and it really is my dreamcar. Everytime I take her out, I enjoy driving her;
I also read all the horror stories about the F355. As mine is a 96 model with about 30 000 miles I thought the manifolds would have been shot, so I bought the Tubi ones. Upon inspection though, they were still ok.
Bottom line is that you probably don't need to believe all these horror stories, but just buy the best you can afford.

 

a 355 with Capristo is the sweetest sound ever. Well done.

 

Nothing rational about these cars so you should get what makes you the happiest.

 

That is some of the best advise I have read regarding the purchase of a Ferrari. Bravo

 

To the OP: There you go you are right back where you started from as you've been advised to buy a 308, 328, 348, 355, 360, 430, 456, 550 etc. lol. My advice would be to follow this forum over a period of time and listen to the different stories about them all.

 

Drew,
To read all of those stories, he'd have to retire. And then he'd have to use his retirement savings to buy the car.

 

You either need to just buy a car....... or forget it.

For Heavens sakes, how many years have you been at this with nothing in the garage.

I have several friends that have been professing their desire for a Ferrari and are 'shopping'...... for years, but for one reason or another they NEVER pull the trigger. Not for not finding a great car, but they just can't seem to make the step. Maybe they just like to look? After all it's free. If that's the case, admit it and enjoy the shopping. That can be fun as well. Not as much as driving, but fun.

Too much information leads to constipation.

You've driven. You've studied. You've asked questions, ad nauseum. I've had Ferraris since my 20's and I've never regretted one purchase. Some were better than others, but at the end of the day they are just cars....... cool cars. Fun cars. But cars, nonetheless. None gave a religious experience (all right, maybe the F40 has some connection to a higher power!)

I've been there and done that with pretty much everything on your list. They are all different. They have strong and weak points. None are perfect. All were fun.

At this point, it is my experience that if you don't stop procrastinating, you will always be a shopper and never an owner, and as you said, you aren't getting younger.

As your parents probably said, "xxxx or get off the pot"! I'm being blunt, but every day that you keep this up is one less day that you could be on the inside, driving and enjoying the experience. If you do actually step up and buy, you will undoubtably be kicking yourself and say, "Why didn't I do this earlier"?

So stop the nonsense, pick something, check it over and write the check. There is no time like the present!

 

You guys know that someone for God knows why revived this thread from 2011, right? The op already bought and sold a Ferrari. Also, most of the advice in the thread is already outdated. Cheers

 

This guy needs to buy a car and this thread needs to stop!