Are you saying the 360 has a big butt?!
Who doesn't like a big ass!... lol I'm just saying the overall "mass" of the car is different from the 355. Robb
All the regular production Ferraris follow the same long term price curve, they are heavily correlated with each other, especially the model before and after. The 348/355 are currently at the curve bottom. This means... Everything newer is still moving down and everything older will start having a wider margin between the best and worst examples. The best examples increasing in price. Not sure if 348/355 are at absolute bottom, but they don't have as far to drop as 360/430.
Oengus I'd be very curious to hear your detailed impressions of pros/cons from driving experience perspective on 360 coupe vs. 355B (not meaning to disparage either model as I like both, but I have only driven a 360 3-pedal with CS ECU/Exhaust/Intake so I'm curious to get 355 impressions from someone who has driven both as it isn't easy finding a sorted 355B to "test drive"). My summary of the 360 coupe with CS mods: Faster than I was expecting, very well balanced, brilliant chassis, e-throttle not as noticeable as I thought it would be, and generally feels like a 997.2 chassis with the engine in the proper place and an exotic engine at that. That 360 was one of the few cars I have fell in love with in the first 5 minutes of driving. I would put it in the same general category as a 997.2 GT3 in terms brilliance and the sort of feelings/emotion it generates while driving. It would be a hard choice between those two cars, Ferrari just the little bit more soul/special, 997.2 GT3 more pragmatic / lower operating costs / less afraid to drive it A to B (and thus would use it a bit more). Neither the 360 or GT3 stir my blood visually or audibly the way a 355 does though. So the question is does it deliver in the driving category?
It's the last of the classic lines and the first that looks modern with 18"wheels etc. I, personally, am not a big fan of the 360 styling except in challenge stradale form, which is why I never considered one. My choice was 512tr vs. 355, and I went 355 because it's more of a sports car and better suited to track/autox/backroad use while having the same performance. For that reason (the vastly different styling), I don't think your argument of 355 values being tied to the 360 makes sense, or the same would hold true for the dino vs.the 308, which we know are not tied together at all.
Great question td80 honestly I like the 355 better than the 360 all day long, however the Stradale vs the 355 (both coupes) is a hard comparison for me. Both are raw cars, the stradale obviously faster, but as far as shifting goes (paddles in both) its a toss up for a non track junky. Pros and cons....(my opinion) 355GTB vs 360 355 better size 360 more power but not hugely noticeable 355 way way better looking exterior 360 updated interior 355 5k for belt service 360 1500 355 best ^%^%&^* sound in the world hands down 360 not so much (no matter what 5k exhaust you put on it) 355 stock wheels are some of the best Ferrari have done 360 stock wheels (on eBay for $800 a set) 355 door panel vents are bad ass 360 not so much 355 on the throttle with the exhaust screaming hair stands on end 360 not gonna happen 355 when sitting in my garage theres a smell about it thats indescribable , sort of an oily, leathery,exhausty kinda smell (hard to explain) 360 smells like my wife Mercedes GLK As mentioned above Im not a track junky but Id rather drive a 355 than a 360 (excluding CS) * I went from a 355 to a 360 to a 360 Stradale and Im back to a 355 (nuff said) Pls no flames from the 355/360 lovers this is my honest opinion. (after 5 Coors lights)
I drove my friend's 360 and didn't want one. It just felt too damned big. (While it is a foot longer, it is only a fraction of an inch wider.) When my friend drives my 355, he gets a big grin and says it feels more like a sports car, and it makes his feel like a GT.
There it is... I could never quite put my finger on it after a day of driving and hanging out in the garage afterwards watching an F1 race on the TV. Only a 355 owner would know this state. Well described.
Epic post Oengus, thank you! The only problem is, this makes me want a 355B even more now Sounds like it smells like my Diablo. A mix of leather, oil, and "vintage car" smell. It assaults ALL the senses except taste, but I bet it has a unique taste too haha.
You could be right in the future if the 355 goes Dino exponential in price. There was a time when dinos and 308's were at parity pre-1985 or so then all of a sudden speculation hit the Ferrari market and there was an unreasonable explosion in values. We are closer to that parity point in 2015 where I think the price of the models are more linked like the dino and the 308 prior to '85. In time you could be right and 355's go dino. Interestingly, the elephant in every room, valve guides maintenance etc etc, might actually help 355 values. (I am not bashing 355's OK some of you) At this time it is possible to spend 1/2 the value of a driver 355 to rebuild the motor. That could actually take some 355's out of circulation and well cared for examples will even be more rare, harder to find, and push values up. So if a guy like Dave was a speculator and help values he might mothball his 10000 mile 355 and restore the other one into his driver, keeping 2 355's out of the marketplace.
It's far too early to know what I will do with the 95 B until it's done. What I do know is: 1) The 98 F1 GTS is going to the grave with me 2) I plan to spend whatever it costs (time and money) to bring the 95 back to life. It won't be a 10, but it will be very close 3) If I keep the 95, I'll be driving both
supply and demand.......somebody in another thread mentioned that the B's are getting very hard to find.
Oengus, I have to say that I agree with your assessment pretty much on my experience. I would add, that the very reasons you favor the 355 is why I favor the 348. It's almost as powerful, much more visceral and raw, plus not as intimidating mechanically to work on. 355's will, I think, end up standing alone in the used V-8 Ferrari market. 348's will enjoy from association. They provide the rest of the Ferrari sports car equation missing from the 355 model for us Luddites. Moreover few will cross shop a 355 and a 360. Two different design directions. If there was a choice between Porsche GT3 and 360, hands down for the GT3. The 996 GT3 is about as close to a Ferrari that Porsche ever came, or ever will, IMO. The 997 retracted a little bit from that. Still a great model - for a Porsche.
I agree with you Vince on all fronts. I had a 348 a few years back, it was a big step up from my 308.......then the addiction began.
I read this numerous time from 348 owners. But just what is it that you find makes the 348 easier to work on? There are mechanically more the same than different and the 348 has mechanical lifter which make it more work intensive to perform a major service.
We'll see, either way it would be a long play and I don't plan on selling my car anyway. I think it will be 15 years before we see significant upward movement if we do, but barring economic catastrophe, I don't see them getting any cheaper.
You know with all that snow (my company has an office in Williamsville so we are keenly aware) you have up there, I think you need to send that 95 down to me in the winter times. I can make sure she gets driven regularly and basks in the sun 300+ days a year. No corrosion worries either (I'm far away enough from the beach). I have been following your resto thread with much interest, keep up the good work
Thanks, Dave. This storm is sealing the deal that I need to be in CA. But, I'll never leave my family and friends so I'm stuck. Hopefully in my next life
