Does the 348tb Make A Good First F Car

I was in similar situation about one & half year ago.

F dealer salesmen told me 328 is a good starter, and 355 will let me know what modern Ferrari can do. W/ my first budget of less than $60K, 348 was also available.

I contacted few more exotic car sales people, and some Ferrari mechanics. And 328 got more vote as a starter. 348 costs more for maintenance in long run, was what most mechanics told me, and some even said to stay away. Well after meeting local 348 owners, they are very happy for what they have.

If you really like the look of 348, I say go for it. Contact your local mechanics for some advise as they give you helpful information. (searching archive on 348 maintenance should give you more info, too, just in case you didn't know

Good luck hunting for your car. It's as much fun as driving it.

 

I looked at the 348 before I bought my 328. Mechanics said go w/ the 328. My artistic sense said go w/ the 328. What do you want from the car?

 

Karen-- How do you like it? I love the 328 GTB and am thinking about this as my first Fcar. From a owners standpoint , maintenace fairly expensive ? Or not as bad.

 

I'd say 308QV or 328.

Those that have the 348 LOVE them. But, they have had their problems. I've always loved the 348 styling. Some don't. If you do have to go with a 348 get the most recent model you can find. A lot of the problems were taken care of by the factory on the final production cars. The final year of production would be my choice. If you can't find one of those I'd say find one with an extensive (and I mean extensive) maintenance history. Search the board here for 348 problems and make sure there are receipts for the common problems being fixed. A higher mileage car would be better than a lower. More time for problems to have surfaced and been fixed. If you run into an owner who said "never had a problem with the car" I'd say it's suspect. Do your homework. And as always get a Pre-Purchase Investigation on the car by a good Ferrari mechanic.

Agree? Anyone... Bueller... Bueller...

 

B.S. Have the courage to really drive a 348.

If you're worried about the cost-of-ownership difference between a 328 and 348, you're probably stretching too much to buy the car anyway. If a 328 costs 1K a year to maintain, and a 348 costs 2K per year, are you suggesting that an extra thousand dollars will change your mind? If so, you're in the wrong place.

Come join the brotherhood of 348 drivers. We're scrappy, but we're fun.



-Daniel

 

I just bought my 348 (August 04). Have over 7000 miles on the car myself, including 2 track days. No problems except a new set of rear tires.
I drove a 308...too slow, a 365...to outdated and can't justify the price increase of a 355 and up. Am I happy with my choice?.....YUP!
It's the most car for the money! IMHO

 

A well sorted out 348 is a bargain; they are the first of the modern Ferraris.
I have a well-serviced 91 and I love the car, have I had a few problems, yap!
Mostly small electrical gremlins, all of which I fixed myself.
You shouldn’t have any problems researching the common problems areas
of the 348 series. Make sure potential problems have been addressed and you
got yourself one heck of a sports car for the money!

 

Good luck finding a 'well-sorted' 348.......the list of upgrades/mods needed to fix the car's initial poor development is substantial, and not-that-cheap. There's a reason why 348s, that originally sold in the neighborhood of $120,000 are going four about $50K now..... Don't get me wrong, I love the styling of the car, and would consider one if $$$ were no object. As a first Ferrari, however, I'd go with a car who's drivetrain is considered by many to be more robust - the 328. Yes, I have driven both.

 

Again, I call B.S. What year 348 do you owned (or perviously owned) M.James? Have you dug into the guts of a 348 before? Why? What kind of issues have you personally experienced?


Rather than just listen to some folks on an internet board, go drive some cars yourself, and YOU be the judge.

 

The 348 would make a great first Ferrari if really you want a v8? My first Ferrari was a 328GTS which almost turned me off to Ferraris as it was so S...L...O...W. I later owned a 348 Spider and the 348 is a much faster and better car. That being said, I would still opt for a 12 cylinder as my first, middle or last Ferrari. There are many V12s and flat-12s that you can buy for just a little more or even less that a 348 and they are much better IMHO. Remember, 12 is ALWAYS 1/3 more than 8!

 

Interesting observation... so if a person wanted their first Ferrari to be a 512BB -- (minus the "i"), what would you say? Personally, I think most folks (myself included) are rightfully afraid of carbs on their first Ferrari. That's one of the reasons I migrated to the 348.

At the time of my purchase, I thought a 512BBi was a stretch financially (in retrospect, it wouldn't have been), and I was deathly afraid of carbs in a car/marque that was so foreign to me.

Whatcha think?

-Daniel

 

Well, to tell you the truth, my info comes from Ferrari mechanics who have worked on 348s. Since they've actually had to FIX things wrong with these models, and others, there has been a consensus on this and other boards about 348 reliability and maintenance - its not the best. Your mileage may vary, but.....when a factory authorized mechanic at Ferrari of Washington steers me away from early 348s, I would value his expertise than yours, Jack. Chances are, they see more 348s in their garage than you will.

 

I have a 348. It's my first and I love it. Sure there were issues, but what Ferrari doesnt?

Any Ferrari is a good first Ferrari. I think you should be more concern on finding the best example of the model you like rather than what 1st Ferrari to get.

Good luck.

 

I have owned my 348 for a little over 2 years. 14,000 miles
I have done a major service, changed tires and oil. That's it.
I did I cross country road trip (3700 miles) with only a blown tire.
The best sports car I have ever owned.

 

M.James - I suspect your mechanics went through the process of sorting out the 348 as they broke. If your buying a 10-15 yr old car now and it is not yet sorted then someone isn't doing their job.

 

Daniel, while now have a BB512i which is injected, I have had a 330GTC and 400GT which were both muti-carb cars. I had no problems whatsoever with the carbs of either of those carbs. Carbs are much simpler than FI and should cause less problems to a first time owner, not more. The only part one must get used to is the starting/choke ritual and being carefeul not to drive at too low RPM such as to foul the plugs.

 

At the risk of upsetting ALL 348 owners...
I had a 328 and a 348

The 328 was a truly great car and I only wish I still had it. It was COMPLETELY reliable (did 20 000 miles in 2 yrs in it), was gorgeous and still is and will be in 20 years. It was fun to drive, amusing on track days and relatively inexpensive to run.....ahh, memories...

Now, the 348.... Well let's begin by telling the TRUTH: IT IS THE WORST PIECE OF JUNK THAT FERRARI EVER DARED PUT THEIR NAME TO. Without wanting to exaggerate, I have driven at least 10 348s other than my own and no 2 are alike. The fact that the car is dramatically unstable at high speed, that the rear frame cracked, that the dashboard (yup, the one so poorly covered in cheap vinyl) fell out and that the engine management system failed (for the first time) after 105 miles has nothing to do with my opinion. I kept the car for 2 1/2 years and did 20 000 miles in it - but never used it on 2 consecutive occasions without problems.

I am not alone here. I know of no one (in Europe anyway) who had a happy life with the 348.

A 328 will give you untold pleasure

A 348 will give you untold misery

That's why a 328 is worth more than a 348....

Go drive one and if you are not convinced by the horror of a gearbox(cable linkage) then go drive a 328 and you will see the difference.

For all you 348 owners that are getting ready to insult me, please do not waste your time, I won't answer you. You all know that I am right, you are all "stuck" with your cars, so you had better love them and let's give a new Ferrari owner the right advice so that his first time is memorable in the best way possible

 

My 348 Spider was not a bad car...if fact it was better than my 328GTS. And I have no bone to pick as I no longer own either. I now own a BB512i which I like much better than both. While I still recommend any 12 cylinder Ferrari over almost 8 cylinder one, IF I were in the market for a V8 Ferrari, I would chose a 348 Spider over a 328. But, I never owned a tb or ts 348s that were suppose to be so much trouble.

 

I will be buying a 348 as my first ferrari.....hopefully soon!

 

I think you'll be bringing all the 348ers out with your inquiry... the dogs are loose!

I bought a 348 tb in February 2004; it was my first Ferrari.

I love the car and have no desire to switch. My Dad has a 360 and I find the 348 much more fun to drive. The 348 involves the driver much more because its a no-nonsense racecar for the road. Its lack of power steering makes it a true sports car for there is excellent road communication and steering feel. And unlike the 328 (sorry 328ers), the 348 has plenty of power. And the sound! You can't imagine the sound if you haven't heard a 348 engine. Further, put a Tubi on there and take off the cats and you've got yourself an 120-piece orchestra behind you. Other Ferrari owners can't get over the way my car sounds.

My 348 hasn't given me any major problems. Yes, there are a few "little" things that will come up, but if you are smart when you buy, you can avoid them. No, I wasn't as smart as I could have been when I purchased, and so I've spent a few hundred bucks on little things a few times. But I did find an excellent example nonetheless. If you spend about 55K for an excellent 348 coupe (that's the market price), you are buying a Ferrari. No--you are STEALING a Ferrari! A Ferrari like a 348 for 55K is the biggest bargain in the world. So put away about $5,000 extra dollars and plan on spending it on the car during the next year or two. I promise you that, if you buy smart, the car will give you no trouble. Don't believe the 348 naysayers out there.

Search the archives on this topic because it's been discussed time and again, and you might find more information.

What's a good 348? A fully serviced car that's had some money on it already spent so that YOU don't have to spend the money. They are out there and I'm happy to help you find one. I am a 348 market watcher and overall lunatic.

I invite you to contact me personally for my advice. Just send me a private message.

Regards,
David

 

I was shopping for 328s and nearly bought one - I had only driven a 355 before and that wasn't in the cards due to budget, so I didn't expect the 328 to be like my 355 experience. Didn't even consider a 348 (they do have a reputation as the poor stepchild) until I drove a ts with Tubi and test pipes, liked it so much I stepped up to a '94 spider. I have had some of the standard 348 issues and some non-standard issues as well but the driving experience in my spider I enjoy so much more than the 328s I drove. I'm not "stuck" with my car at all and even with the various things that have been breaking I still love it.

Having said that, you've got to be able to get past some of this stuff and I can certainly see where the 328 as a first Ferrari makes a helluva lot of sense compared to a 348. But go drive them both before you make your decision and think about what it is that you want out of your ownership experience. Fortunately I have other cars (a) to use when the F-car is in the shop and (b) that have expensive things break on them so the 348 isn't that much different!!

Cheers
Kevin

 

Oh, and just to show you what an impact my 348 has had on me... not showing off but showing you the experience:

I've been a daily driver of the following: Acura NSX, Porsche 911 [996] Turbo X50, BMW Z8, BMW M3, M5, Mercedes SL55 AMG, and Ferrari 360 Modena.

These are all excellent cars. I've been lucky to have experienced them.

That said...

I will NEVER ever own any one of them or anything like them again. My lust for the newest, latest sports car has been extinguished. My next sports car? A Ferrari. The one after that? A different Ferrari. There are so many models to choose from! And all the while, I'll have a lot more money in my pocket than the typical sports car buyer because pre-owned Ferraris are cheaper. And to boot, good pre-owned Ferraris HOLD THEIR VALUE LIKE GOLD.

Good luck

 

I will kick in my 2 cents in this argument (which seems to come up once a month). I have owned an 87 GTS and a 94 TB challenge and currently an 89 328 GTB.

The only benefits of a 348 more power and better brakes, but my Subaru STI (and a number of other cheap new cars) can clean it's clock in every way for 30 grand, so why worry about it?

I put 14K miles on the 348 including many track events. On the track, I found out they really don't handle as well as people think and my 94 was the best model to leave the factory. I easily reeled in earlier 348's with it in track events, but struggled against many "lesser" cars from other marques. I have since matched lap times at a twisty short track with my 328 GTB. I didn't have any trouble with the 348 (had 1500 miles when I bought it) but the new owner has had to spend a lot.

328's are slow by current standards, but they are quick enough to be entertaining and I find the handling/steering more enjoyable than the 348 which can be a real handful. The ride is also considerably more compliant.

328's are the last of the classicly beautiful mid engine cars that began with the 206. 348's look like turtles with louvers.

Cost of ownership is much lower on the 328. They don't break and maintenance is much less then 348/355. They wear very well. 348 interiors are cheap, poorly finished and wear rapidly. Add to this the crappy shifter, rough ride and abominable motorized seatbelts and you can begin to understand why I soon lusted after my old 328 which I sold to buy the 348.

328's are fully depreciated now and because many people actually prefer them to 348's, they will hold value, whereas just about no one would prefer a 348 to a 355, so prices will continue to fall on 348's as 355's continue to depreciate.

Not only are 328's great 1st Ferraris, but are great last ones as well which is why when my 430 comes, I will keep the 328. It is a joy to look at and a joy to drive.

Dave