looking for my first f-car....

Miller Motorcars has a great 360CS w/o a stripe for sale. Its not a 355 but is a great Ferrari!

 

That 355 has been on sale for a few months. I think they're trying to get rid of it... Has been on ebay multiple times.

 

...and about 125,000 more expensive, I'm sure. A bunch of us on the baord started with 355s. Good cars. Fun. Sounds great. Look great. Not bad with maintenance. Not the fastest thing out there, but you're not buying a 355 for the speed, that's for sure.

No info on that 355 in question, but here are some general tips:

- 1995 cars have slightly more horsepower than other models. They also do not have OBDII so "troubleshooting" problems can be time consuming and expensive -- before you even get to the problem on hand.

- Spiders are still commanding a good price. Expect good ones to be in the $75 to $100+ range. No joke.

- Make sure that, if you get a high mileage car, that you have a RECEIPT FOR THE BELTS done during the major service. Lots of people say they had the service. Lots of books are stamped/signed but the only way I've seen that you can be excessively certain that a major has been done is by looking for a receipt for belts. I know a few guys on the WC that picked up high mileage cars on a discount -- seller swore service done. Book signed. BAM! Problem with the car, engine out, belts inspected... no service ever done...

- 'Off color cars', like the one you picked, will definately sell at a lower price. But they'll also sell at a lower price when you go to sell.

- There are a handful of things to look for in coupe's too, but you do not need to worry about them in the Spider.

The 'toy car market' is really soft at the moment. Really soft. Now's a good time to be making some acquisitions and a TERRIBLE time to be selling -- as I'm finding out.

 

Good comments by E. 355's are great cars. Love 'em, and still miss mine. Their prices, in particular, have fallen through the floor. Hard to say why, but I assume it's a function of a combination of factors, part of which includes higher availability of 360's, soft economy, increasing array of choices in the $70 - $100K space, and perhaps even the winter.

That being said, 355's are great cars, and have a lot of sex appeal. You can pick up a '95 Berlinetta in the $65K - $72K range, depending on service history / mileage / condition. But as Emil notes, cars with deferred maintenance - while cheaper to pickup - will bite you in the a$$ later on.

If you're truly into unique colors (and are willing to spend a little more for a later MY), check out this 1998 Azurro California. Talk about HOT-T!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ferrari_W0QQitemZ4585826570QQcategoryZ6212QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Good luck.

 

do it

 

That black 96 355 with the red interior has been listed and re listed a lot.. I dont care for the red interior and I believe it would hurt the resale if one ever intended in some day and age to sell the car.

I could have gotten a 355 as my first F-Car, but I have always wanted a 348. I know the 355 is more car, more technology, but im not looking for that. My opinion is you get what you want. When I finally had a moment of clarity and realized, "What am I waiting for" and made the decision to finally buy, I actually considered an NSX seriously because I felt I could drive it more and the maintainence would be easier/cheaper. I then found F-Chat and the bottom line is, An NSX isnt a Ferrari! Get what >> YOU << want! So here I am with my mint condition 348 Spider in my garage. Picked it up Thursday nite.

 

Sorry..Quick add to my post. I have reflected on my purchase in the last few days (and im sure I always will) and I can honestly say if i got an NSX, or even a 355--I wouldnt feel the same or be as content as I am.

 

I have watched this car for sometime as well. I thought the color combo was "interesting." Just wish that the steering wheel was not the color of the interior. Well good luck with the car. It has been on eBay quite a bit and I would say, negotiate the heck out of them.

 

I don't know that car but I do know the dealer. It's Mark Starr at HuntingRidge Motors. I just did a deal with Mark and he's a great guy. Several others on the board have also had good experiences with him. I would give him a call and go up and see the car (he's about an hour and a half away). If you are serious, its always better to negtiate in person.

 

I know this car pretty well... It was previously owned by Robert L. in Scarsdale, NY. He treated the car extremely well and serviced it through Autosport Deisgn. It was originally bought at Miller Motorcars. He sold this Ferrari and another car to buy a Red Porsche Carrera GT about 4 months ago. I think the color combo on this 355 Spider is sweet. Also it has this cool pin strip that totally sets the car off. Here are some pics of it at the Scarsdale Concours
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It is different and I must say it attracts me. I still would have to change the steering wheel though but that is just me.

 

that color combo is nice!

 

If you're interested in the car at Hunting Ridge Motors you can rest assured that Mark Starr will treat you right. If you're serious, feel free to drop me a PM and I'll call Mark and set you up.

I personally saw the car a few weeks ago and while I didn't do a thorough inspection, I can say that it looked like a nice example.

 

The winter months will also provide a temporary lull in demand and should be viewed as an attractive buying opportunity. I bought my 355B in Feb and got a more-than-fair price for it. Seller was desperate (ok, he was a 'motivated seller'), and the buyers were few in the cold winter months.

 

Agree with Vik. Hopefully you can get a nicer price now and it will be more than worth the wait. I can not wait to see this beauty in person!!

 

I like it, it would be even hotter if the interior was 2 tone with black

 

I like the color combo - the red interior is sweet.

After owning a 355 Spider for close to 5 years now, I can say it is an awesome car, but I would recommend one thing: get the car checked out properly with a PPI and leakdown test done on the car. You WANT to know if there are valve guide or other issues (although they might not surface on a car with theis few miles).

If the car was serviced at Auto Sport Designs, call them and ask about the car.

 

You can also PM if you want the previous owners number. He will probably be delighted to talk to you about it.

 

I'll chime in with the others and say I've seen that car for sale for some time (although the Ferrari market is strange- I see a lot of cars for sale for long periods of time- 6+ months). Anyway, I like some of the dark blue exterior colors in the 355 (swatter's blue, NART blue), when mixed with tan/dark tan or black interiors. This car seems nice in every way, except that interior color. I know it's personal taste, but it seems so odd to me- especilly the red steering wheel- one of the weirdest interiors I've ever seen on a Ferrari.

A shame- it's the only thing keeping this car on the market. Make sure you can live with .....no make that make sure you like or love the interior. You don't want to buy this then decide you really didn't want this color combo, then you'll be trying to sell it for a long time. Mechanically, I'd be willing to bet this car is prestine! If you like the interior, than I say this is the car for you, because the price is right.

My comments on the interior are strictly my personal opinion- please don't take offense. Be aware that this will always be a car that sells below market due to the color combo- many of us literally spend years dreaming, planning to buy, and then finally fufilling our dream. Because of that, people are very particular about the color combo in any prospective car that they are looking at- much more than the color combo of a buick daily driver/family hauler for example...

Good luck with your search and negotiations!

-Andrew

 

Not crazy about the color combination there is too much red in the interior of the car. Knowing how particular you are with detail i know you will not be happy unless you are 110% satisfied with everything. I would wait for the right car to come long than settle for something second best.

 

Then again, you could just buy the interior from a wrecked 355 Spider - there are way too many wrecked ones out there to choose from unfortunately.

Although I might change the steering wheel color, I love the red interior - really sets the car apart from many others I've seen.

 

almost as bad as me