Help me pick a 360

NinjaMD, I am also looking for input on these same questions. For what its worth:

F1 vs 6 speed threads on this site seem to suggest that the F1 does not always work as you wish and that the control provided by the manual 6 speed might be better. There also seems to be much discusion about clutch life with the F1 seemingly needing earlier replacement than the manual.

Also, model year 2002 and later appear to be without the earlier model's cam variator problems, engine cradle cracks problems.

As I said, I'm not yet an owner - still looking for answers too. Good Luck!

 

As with many things in the automotive world, the newer you buy (or can afford), the better off you'll be. This is true in the 360 world as well, but the differences between the early 1999/2000/2001 as compared to the later years is not *that* noticeable.

The newer cars shift a bit faster and have some of the early-car issues resolved, but I think that's about it (others, please chime in here if I'm missing something obvious).

Yes, the early ones had a number of campaigns (Ferrari-speak for recall), especially the Variator issue which must be resolved if you buy 1999/2000 and very early 2001 cars. There were a number of other campaigns as well, but most of us get these taken care quickly and "Ferrari-net" at any factory dealer can tell you, based on VIN number, which of the campaigns on a particular car have been taken care of and which need attention.

If you find an early car and the variator work has not been done, you'll need to factor this into your price negotiation as the actual variator work is covered by Ferrari, but getting to the variators is not and is typically done with a major belt service.

Transmission choice. Try both and decide for yourself. I love the F1 tranny in my 360 and it works perfectly. I wish I had a similar transmission in all my cars. I know I'm going to use up my clutch sooner than a manual car, but I don't care. There are others on this forum who have the exact opposite opinion and that's fine. You choose based on what you think. That's all that matters.

Spider/Modena: Again, personal choice. Do you want a drop-top or not? If you don't, you'll be able to save enough money to buy a killer exhaust system (another discussion all together), awesome aftermarket wheels and tires and still have enough money left over to send your kid to a really great college for a year

Resale value: Popular opinion on this forum says expect a $10K/year drop in value of your car based on normal driving and no accidents etc.

Bottom line:

- Get a PPI (pre purchase inspection) done by someone other than the seller

- Have a body shop look the car over. Some repainting on the lower front bumper is common, but body work will depreciate the car's value.

- Research the car's outstanding campaigns to see if you'll end up footing the bill for something you didn't know about.

- Use the logical, not the emotional, side of your brain when you're buying one of these cars. There are a lot of 360s out there and they're getting more affordable every year.

I have a model year 2000 360 and it's an amazing car.

Hopefully this is helpful information. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

Frank

 

Frank has some great advise.

I am also in the market for a 360 and just this week drove my first F1. I never thought I would consider an F1 but after about 20 minutes of first learning to drive it, and then playing around with it, all I can say is WOW! Nothing like what I expected. If you haven't, go test drive one, then make up your mind. You may love it, may not, but you will know.