Help me decide

I posted this over at the Corvette Forum as well.

I am in the market for a toy. A car i will drive probably 3-4 days a week, put about 100 miles a week on, and enjoy.

I have been over this 1000 times in my head. But i cant decide.

I am down to 2 cars.

2006 C6 Corvette - 6 Speed
1993(4) 348 Spider - 5 Speed

I realize the obvious differences, the corvette is new, faster, probably will last longer, and will have less maintenence. But i also realize that i have always loved Ferrari, i love the 348 and from what I have read around this forum, they are about the same price.

The 348 might be a little more for a good quality spider, as my vette is spec'd out right at 60K, and from what i gather around here a good quality spider is around 65-70K (correct me if I am wrong).

But i was wondering what you guys thought, the maintenence is no problem for me, as it is expected with such a car, being a Ferrari and coming up on 12-15 years old. I will keep a 10-15K security blanket for unexpected maintenence and good upkeep (for the Ferrari anyway).

So i was wondering what you guys thought, I have talked with numerous people on both sides of the story and i am just spent, and at a loss as to what to do.

I appreciate any advice or help you guys could lend me.

 

Nothing compares with the sounds and feel of driving a Ferrari.

 

It sounds like you've been doing some homework on it.

The traditional advice is to drive each -- I know that's not as easy as it sounds.

At this point, you probably need to forget about what anyone else says.

Go to your garage. Picture a new 'Vette there. Now picture a Ferrari there.

What do you think?

 

I have driven Both, ive driven a 1994 348, with the top up, down, windows up, windows down, slow, fast, every which way.

And the vette ive driven a few times.

It's not the money, I dont care about what other people think, i just wondered what you guys would say in my situation.

 

Do you want your toy car to be special?

Some will disagree, but to me... a corvette is an everyday car... not a special car.

Just my $0.02

 

The 348 Spider is just to beautiful and rare to pass .

 

A new corvette would be a lot less trouble with a warranty and being new. I like the cars but they are not a Ferrari. A 348 would definetely be a different ownership experience. If you didn't like the F car a resale could be done without much of a loss. The same is not true of the vette. I love the 355 and save up a little and go for one of those. It is in my mind a great car.

 

If you are a really hardcore track guy...I would say get the new Z06. If you want to pimp around and stand out...go for the F.

The base c6 doesn't do much for me.

 

See i dont want the Z06 though, im more of an open top guy, and while i wouldnt buy a Vert Vette, i like the Targa Top.

Now the 348 would definetley be a spider. Not even a question.

And it will only be Rosso Corsa with a Tan interior.

IMO they dont even have to make Ferrari's in any other color combo.

I will probably get the Ferrari, i just wondered if you guys had anything important to consider or think about before buying, thats why im still up in the air.

Because to be honest, i want the Ferrari so bad, but my girlfriend has talked to me about it as well, and she thought it might be a money pit.

But i think if i get a good inspection done before i buy (i think you guys call it a PPI) and i get a good car with complete records, i shouldnt have many things to worry about.

 

Well, the services are "15000 miles or three years, whichever comes first", so at 100 miles a week: 5000/year, 15000 in three years is just about opimum.

But figure five to eight kilobucks per service to get daily driver reliability. These are mid engine with imported parts (border tariff). It's going to cost more to service than a front engine Chevy. (Of course, you might get better quality service at a Ferrari shop than from the kid working at the Chevy dealer.)

I guess the big question is how quickly you get bored with your toys.

A new Vette will wear out like ... well, like a Chevy.

Properly maintained, a Ferrari will last until the frame rots or until a semi hits it. Most Ferraris don't wear out -- they're killed by driver error.

Over five or ten years, you'll put far less money into maintaining a Vette -- which will then be worth diddly. In ten years you could spend a bundle on the used Ferrari -- but it won't depreciate much over that time.

So, from a strictly financial basis, if you're only keeping the car for a couple of years, the Vette is probably the better option. If you go past the Vette's warranty, the Ferrari may be better.

 

If you want detailed information about the 348, try posting on the 348/355 board.

The two cars are completely different:

Vette Pros:
** new car with warranty
** relatively cheap maintenance at the local Chevy dealership; all parts are readily available leading to minimal time in the shop (you could actually drive it every day)
** Power everything and A/C that works
** insurance may be cheaper than the Ferrari
** cheap GMAC financing
** it's American (in certain parts of the country this may be a positive)

Vette Cons:
** as a new American car, it will depreciate like crazy - you'll likely lose 30-40% of the value in 2 years
** not as "special" as the Ferrari; perception is more of a blue collar hot rod than an Italian thoroughbred
** build quality still not the greatest - you may still have some maintenance headaches

Ferrari 348 Pros:
** The Ferrari sound and feel and the special feeling of knowing you own a Ferrari
** It's likely to be done depreciating - if you maintain it properly and don't pile on the mileage, you should be able to sell it for roughly what you paid for it in 2 years if you decide you want a change
** Even though it's an older Ferrari, with the right wheels (see the 348/355 board for more on this topic) it still looks modern

Ferrari 348 Cons:
** Requires engine-out major service ($7,500+) every 15k miles
** Electrical gremlins can drive you nuts
** You'll need to find a Ferrari-specific mechanic to maintain it and pay Ferrari service rates
** Parts are NOT always readily available - it's not unheard of to have to wait 1 month for parts to come from Italy (you really have to have another car)
** High-effort steering, brakes and shifter - can be tiresome if you're not really "in the mood" for the Ferrari experience
** May be harder/more expensive to insure
** May be difficult to get financing at advantageous rates for a 15 year old Ferrari;
** Since it's not the newest or best Ferrari (the 355 and 360 are generally considered by Ferrari folks to be superior), you may get some snubbing from Ferrari club folks
** The 348 has something of an "ugly duckling" reputation among recent Ferraris, positioned between the very well loved 328 and the equally desired 355; for what you'll pay for a nice 348 Spider, you can get a Testarossa
** Since it's a Ferrari, you may get some adverse reaction from locals - need to be careful about where you park it

At the end of the day, buying a Ferrari is never a completely rational decision. If you're not completely in love with the Ferrari, you should probably get the Vette.

 

It depends on what you want to do with the car, and the image you want to project.
Drive down the freeway for 15 minutes and count the newer model vettes you see, and count Any Ferrari’s you see during the ride.
348 are nice, but seem prone to electrical issues (read the tech section here), but a good one that has been well cared for should have most of these issues resolved.
An honest and thorough PPI is a must for Any Ferrari!
If you have any concerns about keeping up with the new C6 vettes, save up a little more money and go for a late 355 6 speed. Faster, better looking, more technologically advanced than a 348, and should easily keep up with a C6, and will handle much better doing it. These have their own set of issues, but again a good well kept one should have had these already resolved.
In the end, either a 348 or 355 is going to cost more to run than a new vette, but the fun and enjoyment of driving your Ferrari more than makes up for the extra costs.
And if in the end you decide it isn’t the car for you, you can get back out of it with little or no loss, and put your money into the chevy.

 

man the best car is the new one and the second best car is the ferrari(any)!!!

 

What is your auto history?

I ask because sportscar ownership works best (imo) using a progressive approach. Going from a Nissan Sentra to a Ferrari will just cause problems you can't imagine. I went from Mustangs to Corvettes and I thought last Fall jumping from a C5 to a 355 was just too great, so I bought a Porsche TT. Great decision.

So I would recommend the Corvette.

 

I have had both, bought a ferrari, then an C5 vette, then a C6 (sold it before I drove it)
becuase at the end of the day, everytime I drove the vette no matter how fun and easy it was it still wasn't a ferrari.

look at it this way, ALOT more of us went from vettes/porsches to ferraris, VERY few have gone from a ferrari to a vette and stayed there.

If you don't get the ferrari 6 months from now you still want one
trust me I know............

 

I know, thats why i think i have made up my mind.

I feel a scream behind me....and it sounds like a ferrari.

 

EASILY the Ferrari.

Why ?

Because I see Corvettes on every street corner, and they don't turn heads anymore, why be like everyone else ?
And get a Scion for the 'everyday shopping to the Mall and grocery store' trips.

 

If you can deal with the big maintenance bill (every 3 years) on a 348, and -- this is important -- you're tolerant of on occasional week of downtime while the car is in the shop getting some expensive parts replaced, then a 348 may be your car.

One thing I deal with in my 328, and which you'd have in a 348, is that there are many modern sports cars that will outrun them. On the other hand, gorgeous, exotic and loud compensate for a lot. IMO, most modern cars feel about the same. There's a mechanical intimacy with a 3x8 Ferrari that you don't get anywhere else. Whether you like that is up to you. Drive one!

PerryJ is right, there really is no substitute.

Of course you're posting this on FerrariChat, so you already know the correct answer.

 

I completley understand that this is going to be a fairly bias opinion.

Thats why i posted it on a Corvette Forum as well, whats funny, is most of those guys are saying "if you have the $$$ for the Ferrari, go that route"

The service bill doesnt bother me, i spend 10-15K a year modifying my cars as it is, the Ferrari i will most likely leave stock and keep that money for the Major Service, and/or unexpected repairs.

Man, im pretty much decided, do you guys know good places to start looking for used Ferrari's?

 

http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/ is a starting point.

Another factor I keep harping on is that you should find the repair shop before you buy. If you can't find a good honest service shop for the marque, any car will wind up being a pain (unless you have time to DIY).

It also gets you another source of information about what to look (out) for, etc., establishes a relationship with a shop you might have do a PPI on a local car, and a good mechanic might be able to point you to a car he already knows that's for sale. (The first service tends to be higher than routine, because your mechanic doesn't know what all might be wrong with the car until he's been all over it.)

 

That is not a problem, sorry i forgot to respond to that earlier when you posted it, i have a mechanic that literally has spent his life working on every kind of automobile known to man.

He used to be a mechanic for a nascar team, and has raced NHRA drag forever, he has clients with cars from Honda's to Bently's.

I trust him with all my cars, and my girlfriend cars, including my Range Rover, M3, and her BMW X5. He has a couple of guys with Ferrari's around here.

I think one of them is actually a member here in the Dallas area.

 

Vette has MUCH better performance and less expensive to repair/maintain. i'd go for the Vette in a heartbeat.

 

I get this question every now and then;

Why didn't you get a new Vett'?

Reason is simple. Even in the small town like Blowing Rock, if I sit on main street over the course of the day I will see about four or five Vetts. (And unless you are an expert, I can tell one from the other except when they have major body changes.)

But I only see one Ferrari.


People then say, "Well, in South Beach you see them every two miles."

And that is great. But I don’t live in South Beach.

 

www.ferrariads.com
www.sportauto.cc
www.cars.com
www.ferraribuy.com
www.ebaymotors.com
www.hemmings.com
www.autotrader.com
www.drautos.com (DuPont registry)
www.collectorcartrader.com

also google these
steve harris imports
symbolic motos
motorcars International
alger ferrari
cavallino motors
ferrari north america, then hit marketplace

those should keep you busy