Just bought a 97 F355 from Brumos Porsche in FL....hoping not a mistake

700 Miles in 2 Years is somewhat rare, but possible in F-Cars. Was it in Storage?
Did you run a Carfax ? It will show the yearly Mileage @ Smog/DMV.
Do you have ALL Service Records ? Annual Service- Oil Changes,Tires etc.
Hopefully everything Checks out OK.Welcome to the 355 Brotherhood

 

Just looking at the pics of the car, the condition (etc.) certainly appears to be consistent with the mileage shown on the odometer. My previous 355 was a '97 also w/ manual tranny that had 24k miles on it when I purchased the car.

The important thing to look into at this point is when the last major service was performed, and what exactly was done at that service interval. Ferrari recommends the major to be done every 3 to 5 years / 30k miles with a minor service at 15k (per the owner's manual). Are you local here in the Jacksonville area? If so, then I'd recommend having Steve at Omega Motorsports (right next door to Brumos) give it a good look over.

With regards to the mileage...I don't think that 700 miles in 2 years is much to worry about, other than how that may impact the mechanical condition of the car at present. Personally, I put very minimal amounts of mileage on all my past F-cars as they were weekend toys. For comparison sake, to date, my wife has only put 540 miles on her '05 C6 Vette that I bought for her last year in May.

Congratulations on your 355 -- enjoy it -- they are fabulous machines!

 

Did you do any type of PPI?, leakdown or compression tests? And like the others said...validation that the 30K major has been recently done? There are many buyers guides for the 355 and if certain items such as exhaust manifolds, valve guides, and the 30K major haven't been covered...repairs to fix / complete those few items can quickly yield a $10K-15K+ repair bill.

Each Ferrari model has it's own gotchas & things you must look for...I've got a comprehensive buyers guide if you now want to perform a "post-purchase inspection".

 

I say welcome to Ferrari ownership. Paranoia seems to be a healthy trait most of us share. Why else do we give someone $20-$50 for NOT parking a car??? I think 700 miles in two years is pretty common. HAve any Exhaust manifold / valve guide work been done to the car? That is the only big repairs that seem to be common with the 355. The pictures look great and the car seems to be in top condition cosmetically. At least you can make up for thse years of stagnation with a few years of vigorous driving!
Good luck.

BT

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of blue Ferraris! Looks fabulous and more than consistent with mileage, pics weren't very sharp but driver's seat looks very firm, no cracks. Bubbly center panel which you'll do something about I'm sure. Still amazing to me they used that material. Do try to check about leakdown, valve guide work etc. Mine had both done in 3/05 along with new timing belt (after the actual 30k was done shortly before..if you're in there, replace it was the thinking). You will love the understated elegance of the blue.

 

Congratulations! Buying your first Ferrari is a big step! (backwards or forwards is up for debate ). If you got yourself a good car, with all its maintenance done on time, and not deferred to the new unsuspecting owner (you), you will have many, many happy miles ahead of you.

 

Best purchase at a Porsche dealership!

Congrats. One of the best-looking modern Ferraris and a great color. Some people also say it's the best-SOUNDING Ferrari V8.

Following the comments above, just make sure the major service (timing belt) is up to date before you take a long drive anywhere. You can check Carfax if the deal isn't done, but Ferraris are usually part of a 'stable' where other cars get more mileage, so 700 miles over 2 years isn't unheard of. Not sure how it works in Florida, but I think it's universal to get an odometer disclosure statement with any car where the dealer indicates that the mileage is 'real' or 'unknown.'

Paranoia is normal. But there really is no other car like a Ferrari. Period.

 

Sure it will all work out. Sounds like a great car, congrats!

 

700 miles in 2 years is not bad for F-car. My '94 had 13,000 miles on it when I bought it last year. Do a carfax. Florida has good laws about reporting. Not only for accidents, but I think dealers usually report when cars are in for service to carfax. You can usually verify miles that way. Even after the fact will let you sleep better at night.

 

Why a mistake?

Looks like a very nice car, and if serviced and comes out clean you'll have a winner.


Brumos has been around a long time, and they frequently have Ferrari's for sale.

Check the Carfax, have the car inspected, and drive and enjoy it.

Beautiful color combo as well.

 

My older brother bought a P 356B from Brumos...when he was in college in 1966!!

 

Tom Bungay at Brumos is excellent. He'll give you the straight scoop!

-Peter

 

What do you do when you go out for a weekend drive and need to park your cars at a shopping mall, restaurant or heaven forbid staying overnight in a hotel parking lot? Having owned a couple expensive sports cars, I've always found it unnerving to leave a car unattended or undefended. I'm close to making an F-Car purchase and this thought keeps running through my mind.

It doesn't seem right to worry, but you must all have some idea as to what you can do to eliminate door dings, keyed paint or theft.

 

That is why we like to travel in groups. Then only one car has to be exposed to potential door dings in most cases. About a month ago we had 4 or 5 meet up at a diner before going to a car show in south Florida. We parked away from the crowd and next to an island. Then the others parked along side so we were not worried. When we came out there was some Buick SUV type thing parked about a foot away from the last car in our line (a nice silver 360). It is sooooo annoying, but at least there were no door dings.

BT