Dare I test drive?

I say take him up on his offer. Make sure you make a verbal, better yet, written agreement that if anything goes wrong with the car, you are not held responsible...barring any major damage that could be incurred by excessively hard driving on your part or a crash. Drive the 355 for a day, driving normally...maybe stepping on it a few times, but nothing you wouldn't want done to your car.

Something like belt failure (etc) is most likely not going to be your fault unless you are roasting the tires and cause enough stress to snap the belt or something.

 

I think you should test drive. I understand the hesitation, though. I think you should drive the car WITH its owner, and agree with him before hand that, of course, unless and until you buy the car, you're not responsible for any mechanical failure that isn't caused directly by your own negligence or actions. If you get in the car and wreck it, that's one thing. But if you're driving "normally" (which probably doesn't include tracking it, but certainly should include, at least for short periods, driving at Ferrari speeds because that's part of the point) and a belt blows or something, well, that shows the car has probably not been properly maintained and you wouldn't want to buy it. Since this is a colleague, he should understand this. ESPECIALLY since you'd be buying a car with no service history.

Also, I assume you would be getting a thorough PPI done, too...

Good luck!!

 

Wish I had your problem. Even if his car doesn't feel "right" for you. At least you'll find out if it'll "touch your soul". I think your only problem is having the sell your Carrera and hunting down the right F355 afterwards, if this one is not for you.

 

I agree, drive it with the owner in the car and be respectful of it.

But, buying any Ferrari with no service history -- and the 355 is hardly the cheapest one on which to play "maintenance catch-up" -- sounds like a bad idea. You can run up a five-figure service bill pretty easily on a neglected 355.

Also, you may be obligating yourself, in some sense, to buy his car if you adopt it for a day. At the very least there may be some hard feelings. I'd be more worried about that. I don't know that I'd lend my Ferrari to anyone for a day, but if I did, and then that person bought someone else's, I might feel a bit put upon.

 

AGREED !

NO RECORDS = NO SALE !!! It will a Tuff 1 to resell.

Take your time & keep searching. Your 355 awaits.

 

If you can get it for $60k, do the major service, hyperflow cats, NAP manifolds, and clutch you're already well over $70k. Just understand what you're getting yourself into buying an undocumented F355.

 

Get a PPI and agree that the seller will fix anything over $500 and you can buy it for $60k. If the exhaust manifold goes bad, buy an aftermarket for around $4k. Or buy one with all the issues already addressed. This will give you better sleep at night.
BT

 

I would not drive it for a day. I don't need to drive a car for a day to know if its a good car or not. And I dont think most on here got to drive for a day to figure out if they wanted a Ferrari or not. Its the engine that we all want in our ear, and without that it could be any old car. Might just as well be a Honda grocery getter then. No, we all want that motor and that sound and that heritage. That uniqueness, and the thrill we get when we open our garage and there is a freakin Ferrari out there.

Telling the guy you dont want to responsible if it blows? This car is right now the proverbial time bomb. Its not a question any longer of if, its WHEN. And if your driving it when it unravells, no matter what, he could say it was how you drove, how you shifted, etc... Your leaving yourself to wide open. Nope, don't even drive it. Ride in it, have him take for a ppi, and let the mechanic drive it. Let those guys take the risk. If it passes, have the belts service done immediately should you decide you want the car. Don't drive it once before the belts are done, have it flat bedded. $60K and then to overhaul a motor with 40 bent valves will really make your day.