First Time Buyer

PCA,

I was in your place a while back and landed on the 360. Don't know what your tech is talking about, the '99 had a cam-variator issue, but that was fixed for all cars under warranty. Further, the '99 360 does not have pre-cats and thus has a slightly higher hp than the rest of the 360's. The 355 with engine out majors was a real deal killer for me, that was money I could be spending on brakes and tires for the track!!

Do a search on this issue, its been covered about a bizzillion times and you will learn a lot about both cars from all the threads!

There are a couple of high mileage 360's, I know of one with over 100k miles, no real problems. Good luck!


Robert

 

Welcome to FChat.

I've had both Porsche (993) and Ferrari (328), and I think you need drive the 355 and 360 before making decisions about using either them as a daily driver - because they weren't designed for it. Any mid-engined Ferrari is going to be a hard-riding screamer of a car in comparison, with an appetite for maintenance, zero luggage capacity, minimal ground clearance, etc.

I realize it's normal to think that Porsches are expensive, and Ferraris are really expensive, and they have two seats, so that they must be kind of the same but to a different degree. Having owned both, I'd say having owned a Porsche is almost irrelevant, and I know quite a few guys who kept their P-car when they bought a Ferrari. I'm looking for an older Porsche now, but it wouldn't replace the 328.

I haven't driven a Carerra GT, but for the Boxster/Cayman/911 series, they really are much better designed for everyday driving than either of the Ferraris you mentioned. A Ferrari 550 would be a much better choice for in-town drives, IMHO. Comfy, has a good boot, doesn't beat up the driver as much.

The Porsches are durable, easy to service, have a great dealer network, with parts available instantly off the shelf, etc. With a Ferrari, when you take the car in for a wallet extraction, don't expect it back later that day. Unlike Porsche, which really does compete to some extent with BMW/Merc for upscale real-world customers with actual commutes, you'll find Ferrari is content to make uber-expensive toys, serviced through a sparse dealer network.

That said, from a maintenance/mechanical perspective, I would go with the 360 if you like how it looks. The 355 is a prettier car, but you will be spending more on service (in general... of course an abused 360 is going to drain your wallet faster than a good 355). I'd say keep your 911 as a daily driver and use the Ferrari for weekend runs.

 

Check this place out, http://emelbon.tripod.com/eugeniosferrariservice.html. They're the only guys I call whenever Im in Cali looking at a car. They might not give you a straight out definite answer but they are very helpful in explaining the pros and cons of different model F-Cars that I looked at. Oh and they'll provide you with "general maintenance/repair quotations" if you need to know more about maintaining the 355's and/or the 360's. Good luck and Happy Motoring!

 

Haven't there been threads in each section about highest mileage ?

My recollection is that there's a bunch of 360's around 80 000 but most 355's peak at 60 000

 

I drove a 1986 TR as a daily driver for about 9 months after I had sold my e34 M5 and was still waiting on an e39 M5 I had ordered. It really did well except for steep parking lot entrances and such. I even carried some PVC pipe sticking out the passenger window with a red flag home from Home Depot in it one time. I suspect if you do use it as a daily driver you will have far less maintenances issues than the people who hide them away in the garage most of time time. I say go for it...you only live once...

 

i have not owned either of the models you have in your sights, but i have owned a fair number of cars including porsches and other ferraris.
the experience is very different. porsches are like your best friend. ferraris are like a fantastic girlfriend. porsches never let you down, are built to last, and can take abuse. ferraris tend to be more exciting, are precocious, and can be sensitive.
i drive a 456mgt as a daily driver now. apart from the appalling gas mileage it does a pretty good job. i took it on a 2000 mile roadtrip last summer and it was faultless. but i dont manhandle it, i dont horse around in it, and i dont track it - all things i used to do with carefree abandon in any porsche.

the other major issue you have to get used to is the difference in perception people will immediately have of you, AND the different way the ferrari will worry you when you leave it parked somewhere. ferraris tend to bring out the best and worst in people. just beware.

if you can live with these issues, then ferraris will be a wonderful experience for you.

 

Welcome to F chat and good luck with your search but just keep in mind that ANY Ferrari can require "costly repairs"........