Found this rare bird today. Sorry if posted already... Used F355 Spider 1999 for sale in HINSDALE DUPAGE | Ferrari Dealer (ferraridealers.com)
I like spiders and miss my old 348 spider terribly but personally I think it's sad Ferrari wasted 104 FHP kits on them
It is a manual Red/Tan Serie Fiorano. There's only about 25 of them in the world. I probably would've rejected the offer as well.
Indeed there are only 25 available fiorano 6 speed world wide, and one with salvege title, and out of the 25 only few were made in Red/Tan. There is a big difference between the 6 speed spider and fiorano 6 speed in mechanical and cosmetic look. At the end Fiorano 6 speed is the holy grail of all 355.
Analyzing the 355 Registry, there are 186 Non-U.S 98-99 manual Berlinettas and GTS’ including RHD models (48 RHD cars). The Registry has roughly 43% of 355’s listed. Extrapolating, that puts us at an estimated 430 non-U.S cars worldwide. I estimate less than 5% of those cars were equipped with FHP. Most were late 98’s and 99’s. For example, there are only 2 RHD manual GTB’s with FHP in the world. No GTS’. One TDF and one Rosso Corsa. Both with cream interiors. That’s roughly 2 out of 100 RHD manual GTB/S’. It was an expensive option at the time. So guestimating an optimistic 5%, we arrive at 21 cars worldwide. If 3% that’s only 13 cars. I know of 5. 2 RHD. 3 LHD. The RHD TDF Berlinetta luckily was able to source matching cream carbon seats. 1 LHD in Europe had carbon seats. 1 Red LHD and 1 Yellow RHD in Japan. IMO, these are the true holy grails of the 355. The best handling OE street 355’s Ferrari ever produced. It would be hard to argue an FHP Spider would out handle a standard Berlinetta or GTS. Someone was able to pinpoint all 26 manual Serie Fioranos. Can anyone here locate ONE manual GTB/S with FHP outside of the ones I mentioned? I’ll wait .
Nope. For that coin I’d go in a different direction. I’d rather install carbon seats and FHP on my 98 F1 Berlinetta. Anyone have tan carbon seats for sale ?
Hold tight for a few more years (to import). F1 cars with carbon seats and FHP aren't easy to find either, but possible. @tres55 has been on the hunt for one worldwide for a good while. I'd definitely consider one in a few years if the prices are under market.
There’s about 300 355 owners who want the exact same thing . I’ve never seen them come up for sale and I rarely see 355’s with them in tan. I’d say 2-3x rarer than black. Image Unavailable, Please Login
You should’ve picked up that Rosso manual 550 with tan carbon seats for $250k. That was a gorgeous car.
These black ones were for sale in France for US$20k back in April. How much more would tan ones be 50%? 100%? https://www.ebay.com/itm/194929505475?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=0aTADbMKTuC&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=U1-VYpNCR8e&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336838664&toolid=10001&customid=l62rqzxwfk000k3x00004
I do respect your opinion, those are awesome cars., However, I do love that the fact that the Fiorano has an official numbered plaque showing it's exclusivity from the factory. Not just ordered options.
Philip, I see that you've been doing a ton of homework since you purchased the car . I believe that particular seller in France also purchased those seats in the second-hand market and put them in his 95 Silver GTB, which actually had a dark blue interior. It was close, but wasn't quite a perfect match. He was looking to sell his car, which is why he even bothered posting the seats for sale. They were still in his car when he put that ad up. He never sent me detailed pics. I just wanted to keep track of it, not purchase it. I'm thinking he decided to keep his car and pulled the seats off the market, but I'm not certain. Point being, if one has a good 355 that came equipped with carbon seats, how much would you be willing to let go of the seats for knowing that you are easily de-valuing the car $20-50k? One would need to get lucky finding a set off a crashed car or someone who purchased the seats new from Ferrari, but didn't have a 355 spec'd with them. They don't make these seats anymore. The composite company who built these seats (TIR) disappeared in the 90's. What they're worth is how much someone who loves their 355 is willing to pay and how much someone who loves his 355 is willing to let them go for. I've seen Ferrari Schedoni luggage go for $25k on BAT. All I know is, the opportunity has never presented itself as long as I've been looking into 355's and studying past posts dating back to 2002, when Fchat started. The thing with the 355, special parts are extremely difficult to find. Most people try to make sense of prices, but unless you've looked as hard as I have for them will you truly have a sense of what they're really worth. Since I'm in the middle of building my dream spec F355, $100k offer for my seats couldn't take it off my hands. I wouldn't sell them unless I knew for certain there was another way to get my hands on them... which is basically buying a whole other 355... most likely from another country. Your seats are very special Philip. They are late 99 model style in narrow size and plain weave carbon fiber, which matches modern day Ferrari bits and OE Ferrari 355 interior carbon bits. It also has contrast stitching. Ultra rare. I have the same, but without contrast stitching. Take good care of them. I highly recommend you get the OE style carbon door sills that came as options in the Scaglietti program. I will send you a PM if interested.
I can respect that angle . There are a few Serie Fioranos that share the same # plate. Not sure how much that matters .
Ferrari produced 104 Serie Fioranos, however, they are only numbered to 100, meaning there is no #101, #102, #103, #104. By logic, 4 cars must then share the same plaque numbers. I found one. https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/1999-ferrari-355-fiorano-factory-gated-manual-only.652929/page-4#post-148361953 There are two #28's. I might have found another, but I need to check my records.
Thanks for all the insight and info Ken. Maybe I need to look for another dream…. I passed a black spider this evening in my small, NC mountain, vacation town. Sure looked pretty. How hard is it to find a Berlinetta with carbon seats and FHP Worldwide ?
