Considering purchase, newbie, need some advice. Thank You!

No offence intended, but Corvette and Viper owners are not usually up to living with a Ferrari. Totally different torque experience. Also totally different perspective and totally different shop/maintainence experience. Also, if your going to work on it yourself, Corvette/Viper experience would be "almost" useless, as the engineering is from a totally different approach.

All that said, listen to the pathfinders ahead of you and buy the absolute best car you can afford, and keep a decent wad on hand over and above the purchase price to sort the car out, at least $10K reserve. No matter who owned it before you, you are still going to need the car gone through for your own peice of mind. Just because is was worked on before does not mean its any less expensive to take it apart again.

Personally, and again no offence to 355 owners, but I would not want one. I would rather have a 348 that looks like one and sort it out from there. I dont know as what the 55 is worth that much more for the differences when the issues the car has are considered.

 

I'm not an owner, but, if you're concerned about depreciation, you may also want to look into the maintenance costs which can (for some owners) be substantial.

 

IMO, you should also consider a TR.

Pros:

Likely near bottom of depreciation curve.
Good power /torque. Since your coming from 'vette/viper you may prefer this

Cons:

Maint costs will be higher.


You may also want to consider a 550. IMO, 360 prices still have a long way to fall 355's and 550's are likely to come down a bit more but not too much more. TR's are likely at their bottom.

IMO, 355 / 360 / TR / 550 are all excellent choices. 348 is an option, at a lower entry price.

For me, I would go for a 550 vs TR.

Just more options to consider, and my $0.02

 

I'll second the observation about 360 prices. I wouldn't mind having a spider (understatement!), but there are many of them around and they have plenty of depreciation left as 430s are still not readily available.

I love the 355, but the maintenance cost-power-style equation didn't work for me, and I think those cars have further to fall in price as 360s flood (relatively speaking...) the used car market.

If your main concern really is depreciation, I think a TR is an excellent recommendation, especially if you can live without a convertible. These may even be on the upswing in a few years as they slip into classic status.

 

Since when does a 348 look like a 355 ?
Front View- Yes.
Side View - Not even close.
Rear View - Again, significantly different.
The 355 has 60+ HP,PS,Better looking Wheels & a Superior Gearbox.Yes, it is Worth the extra $.
Once the Garbage Headers & Cats have been replaced, you should have NO problems. Majors are Expensive on both Cars.

I have owned Vettes & Vipers.All F-Cars will cost you more to Maintain.Are they worth it ? You decide.

 

Sounds like you've driven enough to know, but the comparison between Corvettes/Vipers and exotics is a bit of a stretch. But I think you're doing this right by minimizing depreciation exposure and accepting the higher maintenance costs. Just know that it's a tradeoff.

I spent $4K this year on a major service for my 328, but depreciation is basically zero, so I'm fine with it and the car brings me a lot of joy. There's a pride in maintaining a Ferrari that is missing from watching a brand new Chevy or Dodge depreciating under warranty.

A TR may be on my list for my next car. Just get a really, REALLY well-sorted one.

 

I currently have a viper and a 355. I wasnt planning on keeping the viper but after a couple weeks with the 355 i realized i would miss the torque of the dodge too much to let it go, so i kept both. For my $.02, I find the viper is more fun to drive around town and the 355 is more fun on the highway.

The 355 ( most V8 f cars actually) have crap torque and if you like the feeling of being forced back in your seat you will be severely disappointed in a 355 or 360. I was.

The 355 ( not so much the 360) is a bit of a money pit. Once its all sorted out they're fine but even after a PPI you can end up with $10k worth of misc stuff popping up within a few months. The interior of the 355 is like a cheap kit car but the interior of the 360 is fantastic. I still think the 355 looks better on the outside.

If you cant keep the viper as well as the ferrari I agree with those who have suggested the TR...though i have no practical experience on maintainence costs for them. Grab a 512 if you can.

Not to be blasphemous but you might want to consider a 94+ Diablo for the best of both worlds. They are also cheaper to maintain.

J

 

I think to answer the question you did not ask, the 512TR or 512M is better from a modern / low depreciation standpoint, and are within the price range of a expensive 355 / inexpensive 360. Fromk the two you listed I would probably go for the 360 spider (an '01 or '02). I know of one 360 spider that was recently available for around $135k. It is a Euro car, but the depreciation can not be substantial at that price. Noel also has one for sale on Ferrariads.com that is a good price IMHO. The interior is very good on the 360 and the look has definitely grown on me in the past year or so.
Good luck in the search, and take your time!
BT

 

I may be in the market for a tr. I've never driven one.

What were your driving impressions?

-F

 

i have had my share of fcars and imho, the 360 is my favorite.

 

I will second that, including an almost 700hp Viper.
Heres my take on the 355/360 issue....
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55200&highlight=Riverflyer

 

Pretty much all models over 10 years old are fully depreciated, or close, including 550's. The 360 is hard to say. I have a couple of friends who are waiting for nice coupes to get to 100K. They thought they would have one by now, but 360 prices have been hanging pretty tough even with 430's out now 18 months. Since 430 production is going to end in a little over 2 years and the US is getting fewer than originally thought, 360 prices may hang in there better than originally believed. There are plenty for sale, but they keep selling evidently.

Service costs are highest with models that need to have the motor taken out for timing belt changes. These models include boxers, TR's, 348's and 355's. The 355's had additional issues with valve guides on some early cars, cracked headers, exhaust bypass valves and cats with short lives. I think that is the main reason for the big price gap between them and 360's which have built a good reputation for reliablility, especially the stick shift models.

For torque junkies, there is nothing like a Viper.

Dave