Just got my PPI info-help please

So my PPI has been completed and i have just been faxed the results, other than a few minor things like cd player and cigar lighter not going, all looks ok, EXCEPT the compression check:

The car is a 1997 355F1,

1) 180
2) 160
3) 170
4) 175
5) 170
6) 175
7) 170
8) 180

readings are in psi.
so, let me hear it, is number 2 a concern? we did not do a leak down at this stage but i can have one done if it will help and, not sure im happy with these figures, well happy with them except cyl 2, seems abnormally low. is there any point in getting a leak down done? or do i walk away from it?

also there was an error showing "thermo couple cat protection" all the minor issues have been taken care of already, so its really the compression that is my concern.

what is the ideal compression for the 355?

All help is appreciated.

 

Thanks, I had been following that thread but didn’t want to hijack it.

So 220-230 psi? this one is no where near that, to be honest I have never seen any compression tests on any car get that far over 200 psi.

Are the 220-230 psi readings what I should be looking for on a 355?

Once again, any help is much appreciated.

 

It is the ideal one in some ways, I do not want a red one (runs and hides in the corner) and I don't want spider, so in New Zealand that leaves me with the choice of about 6 cars. Out of these, one has had a bad accident (I took photos at the scene) and the one I am looking at is the only one on the market at the present time. It is at Ferrari NZ and the price is not cheap for a 355, I would go as far to say it is top dollar at $179k nzd. I have seen them as cheap as $159k nzd but that was about a year ago and I was not in the position to purchase at that point.

I spoke to the service manager at F-NZ he did not seem concerned about the compression at all, he said if the cylinder had a problem it would misfire and he would be able to hear it, well I guess that is correct but I think the low reading might be a sign of things to come maybe?

hmmm, I have also put a 10k deposit down on it, this is a hard decision, if I choose not to take it, there might be a long wait till the next one comes up, or I might have to shop for other models....and in NZ with my specific requirements (non red, gtb pref F1 etc) this wait might be never ending.

 

hmmmm, i love 328's too....

The dealer is giving me a 12 month warranty, and both the dealer and the service manager have promised to look after me and the car if any problems were to occur. When i speak to them they instill every bit of confidence in the car and in me, they always put my mind at ease.

I have always wanted to buy my first F car through F-NZ as they have never prejudged me even when i was a 7 y/o boy drooling over the cars, they still let me sit in a F40! and this is why i don't have a problem paying top dollar for the car, so long as it is a good one.

Some thoughts crossed my mind before, i own a compression tester and it is the type that has the rubber tapered end to fit into the spark plug hole, this probably would not give a spot on reading but for the purpose i use it for it is OK, if the ppi was done with a tool like this, there is a possibility that the reading was not as accurate as it would have been if the tool used had the spark plug thread on it and was screwed into the hole and seated on a seal, (boy am i clutching at straws or what!)

I cant remember the last time i was in a situation like this, i love the car, it fits my wants perfectly and is in my price bracket.

If it was to go wrong and it needed valve guides, what is the US cost of doing these, this will give me a ruff idea of the price in NZ, the service manager dose not know how much to do the guides as he has never had to replace them in any of the 22 355's in NZ.

160-180 psi compared to 220-230 pis is a massive sign of wear is it not?

should have put a poll at the top, if you looked at buying a 355 and the compression was 160-180 psi,(and at the high end of the price scale) would you:
1) walk away
2) just buy it
3) try to renegotiate the price to reflect the new found problems, or
4) what is the point in this poll, 160-180 psi is nothing to worry about.