Hello FChat NE

As a member of the "Ferrari Fix It Club" Let me say welcome. There is a group of us on the board that work on cars. To date we have done MANY 308's services as well as work on 348's and a 355. I think we are set to do a TR this winter.

We will all be happy to help you work on / fix your 355 when you need.

Cheers!

Scott

 

Welcome! There are a number of threads here about local service in MA and NE in general. If you look up the top right of the page when your on the NE region thread list you'll see a "search this forum" button.

However a good start is:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93433&highlight=IFS

Essentially the 3 most obvious (in no particular order) are Independent Ferrari Service, Boston Sports Car, Ferrari of New England in MA. There are more in CT, and some up in VT also. Most everyone from ME or NH brings cars down to MA.

 

I had the privilege of meeting Mr. "caz-nsx" and Mrs caz-nsx , they will be a nice addition to our New England F-chat club.

Good luck with your search my friend.

Chris

 

The 355 wins on old school looks, a la 348, and 3x8 series with popup lights. The 360 is said to be more reliable (ha) than the 355, but majors are costly still. Much more performance, futuristic look and value in the 360.

Unless you find some rare 355 that is a late Fiorano or F1/GTS, buying a red 355 is not something I would do. A local F Chatter traded a red 360 F1 for a Ford GT, and I think it was a huge step upwards. Base model Ferraris are everywhere, I would just supercharge your NSX to add some excitement to it!!

 

Yes, i just placed the order. He said 10-14 days. Can't wait.

 

Agreed, avoid the 355. As for the Ford GT, i know where a new one in red is at a dealer. Who knows, with sales being so low you could probably get it at X% off sticker.

 

what about a f430 maybe or 348

 

I admit that a Ford GT is not as practical or comfortable as a 355/360, but it wins on being a statement. I also know that a 360 is priced well below a Ford GT. But I still prefer it over a 430, even though the 430 can supposedly outperform an F40 (and maybe an F50?)

 

OBDII cars, Ferraris built after 1996, are a little trickier to work on unless you have an SDII computer. (Systema Diagnosti series 2). The average asking price for one of these if you can find it is abou $12K.
Most manufacturers are attempting to eliminate independent repair shops and do it yourselfers by limiting tools and repair information available to the public. Please keep this in mind when making a decision.

 

Geez you guys, the guy asks for opinions between a 355 and a 360 and he gets everything from "keep the NSX" to "buy a Ford." Come on you guys, how about a team spirit for Fcars? Base model Ferraris are not "everywhere." Please. BMW 3 series cars are everywhere. You could go a year on public roads in MA and not see a half dozen Ferraris. I have seen just as many Ford GTs on the roads as Ferraris. In fact, I have seen more GTs than F430s.

A 355 with a reasonable amount of miles and good service history should be fine because it will have had the two major issues addressed (valve guides, headers). These are the trouble areas on a 355. If they have been properly addressed, the 355 is a great car with lots of power and killer looks. Don't buy a garage queen. Buy one that was driven.

The 360 has a bit more power and a more modern look, but looks are subjective. Many prefer the signature Ferrari grille on the 355 to the very non-traditional dual grilles of the 360. (I like them both). The 360 is known to be a very trouble-free car, like the 328. I believe the belts can be done with the engine in the car.

Birdman

 

You are right, just that a 355 had better have those updates. Was amazed my local(ish) Ford dealer has a red GT40 in stock and he seems to be willing to make a deal on it. Between a 355 and 360 i feel the 360 may be a better long-term for reliability. The 360 will probably bottom out years from now and he'll lose more $$$ than a 355, which still has a bit of room to bottom but perhaps not as much.

Of course only a fool buys a normal production Ferrari that has been superceded thinking of it as an investment. OUCH that sounded harsh My apologies my friend and NOT directed towards you or anyone here.

 

I agree. They are both on their way down, with a long way to go, but the 355 (being older) is further down the depreciation slope and you will not lose as much on it as you will on a 360. But then again, you are going to lose money on 99% of the cars out there, so you might as well just buy the one that you like and that you can afford.

I think 95% of the decision on an Fcar is based on looks. We buy the one that we like the looks of, and not much else. There can be no other explanation for people like me that have 308s, because we sure didn't buy them for the horsepower!

Birdman

 

So very true... and this includes the car i am about to procure this weekend. Looks sexy as heck but only has 150HP/135TQ. Then again the car with me in it only weights 1175 lbs. (think power-to-weight ratio ).
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Good on ya guys, lets see some fcar Ra-Ra.

Its easy to rationalize the purchase of a Ford GT, but its not a Ferrari. It does sound special, the interior is funky but pretty cheap, and (sad to admit this last point) it has essentially zero luggage space. And there are 5000 of them essentially all in the US market. With 300 odd CSes in the US, even that isn't an investment, so I look forward to the days of a 100K Ford GT with pleasure. Although the new supercharged Z07 or whatever they're going to call it is probably more of an "all-american" choice for your muscle car.

Both a 360 or a 355 are practical cars for a good road trip. My brother and I did 10 days in the CS and 3000 miles and it was faultless.

Either a 355 or a 360 will have masses more character than you NSX.

 

You have all made good points about the 355 & 360. I like both cars and agree with you.
I think we are having two conversations, though. Are they good cars and and they easy for do it yourself guys. I say yes to the first part and no to the second.
Why did Steve have to go and get all religous on us?

David

 

Had an awakening... Praise the Lord

DARK HELMET No, no, no, light speed is too slow.

SANDURZ Light speed, too slow?

DARK HELMET Yes, we're gonna have to go right to ludicrous
speed.

<<ALL gasp>>

SANDURZ (gasp) Ludicrous speed? Sir, we've never
gone that fast before. I don't know if this ship can take it.

DARK HELMET What's the matter, Colonel Sandurz, chicken?

 

Spaceballs.

Oh wait, "Who is Spaceballs"?


YEESSS. What did i win??

 

caz-nsx, I don't know if you have driven the cars in question. For me, the driving experience comes first. Resale value, reliability, rarety etc don't matter if I don't like how the car gets down the road.

Kirk

 

Can I get an Amen?

 

Agreed he should drive the cars in questions before making a descision. Reliability SHOULD matter as will the ability to finance the upkeep, which can vary depending on usage. Makes no sense owning a car you can not afford to fix/upkeep.

 

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