Just when I thought it was safe...

Figure an extra 5k for headers. yes they will fail, and your good to go. I've got 33k on mine and other than the headers(replaced by Ferrari) and a seal replaced on the clutch, it has been very reliable. I will need to replace the potentiometer for the seat(couple hundred bucks worth of Jag parts). Drive it and enjoy. Make sure the valve guids were actually replaced.

Darrell.

 

The two big issues on 355's are valve guides and headers. Of these two, the headers can be handled proactively with the engine still in the car. If you have no damage to them yet. A big if.

You can ceramic coat the headers for ~~ $1,000 and be good to go. Or you can buy aftermarket headers from $1,700 up to $5,000, depending on taste.

Or you can have sleeves welded to the outside of the areas that typically melt through for about $500 (not a great solution, by the way).

These are not large expenses for a Ferrari. You aren't buying a Honda. Look at the maintenance costs on aircraft (e.g. regular annuals).

People may tell you that you can drive a Ferrari for as little as $1 per mile, but that's the rare exception (Euro 308's seem to fall closer to that figure than most).

If the expenses unnerve you, please don't buy a Ferrari. It does no one any good to have an unhappy owner.

Buy below your means; drive above them.

 

If you buy a well-kept 355 with a recent Major Service and prior valve-guide upgrade to sintered steel, you are ahead of the game.

With good exhaust headers, you can jet-coat them and avoid painful expenses later on.

However, there are still some F1 issues if your intended 355 isn't a stick.

But outside of the above, you are clear of the major 355 "expected" expenses.

Still, it's not a Honda. You don't just gas it up and go. I say this because if you have Honda expectations, you may wind up unhappy.

If you've owned ***and used*** a high maintenance vehicle before (e.g. large powerboat, aircraft, exotic car, track/race vehicle) then buying a Ferrari with a little due diligence is no great stretch. By all means go for it. They're great. I recommend them. I drive one *every* day.

But...if you've never owned a vehicle that **requires** high levels of scheduled service, plus has a few tendancies for large unscheduled expenses, then you are quite likely to be unpleasantly surprised no matter your level of initial due diligence.

I could get more specific if I knew more about you. Finances. Past experience. Future expectations. Etc.

 

Really if the valve guides are done ,the only other big issue, are the headers. Other than that it is no different than any other high end car. Propper preventive maintaince is the key to enjoyment.


Darrell.

 

Spend $4k on some sweet aftermarket performance headers, or $60k more for a 360? Seriously?

 

Another factor to consider is depreciation - 360's are still coming down, 355's are close to bottomed out (my guess). I found a great deal on a '99 355 so there's no valve guide issue. And you can save quite a bit in maintenance by reading tips in this forum and turning a wrench or two.

 

Don't let an F1 car scare you---there is NO proof to the F1 gearbox always, constantly or ever going bad is most cars. VERY few people have suffered problems with them. One car out of 1000 has a pump failure and everyone is scared of them!!!

 

The only really expensive problem with the 355 IS the valve guides. And you state that the car in question has already had them replaced. Other than that, It requires normal maintaince like any other car. I'm not sure what other repairs you mean. A 360 is going to depreciate MUCH more than the service on a 355 will cost.

Darrell.

 

The F1 shouldn't scare anyone (sorry, I didn't mean to imply that above), but it's not issue-free (nor should that be expected).

The pump is expensive from Ferrari, but it can be sourced elsewhere for much less and it's failure can often be prevented/delayed by simply replacing a $50 relay.

The F1 clutch should also be set with the proper Ferrari digital tool to avoid premature clutch wear. Ditto for F1 owners/drivers making certain to not back an F1 car up an incline.

 

Get the 355 if u like it and don't worry about the header problem. Get the car PPIed and if the headers are broken, factor it into the price or have the seller replace them. QV London does a permanent repair on the stock pipes, if u want them for about $3K - forever. Or as ppl suggest, just replace them eventually. The header problem is a more severe turn in one pipe on each side that causes premature wear from the exhaust gas stream. QV London replaces those pipes with thicker ones and I believe lessens the bend slightly.

Personally, when I was looking for a 355, it was the guides that governed my choices. Of course, I bought another 348, so there's that.

 

$75K for a 355 with guides and belts?? Buy it!!!

 

very well put!!!!