I have browsed the old threads, but didn't get a real clear answer. What do you view the maintenance cost differences between the 348 and 355. I prefer the 355 looks and additional power. But of course have heard the horror stories on them. All Ferrari's are expensive to maintain, but are there any differences in the 348, that might make it a little cheaper to maintain than the 355?
There is no "clear" answer. I have 1 of each. Buy one or both, and roll with it. A Ferrari "is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get". The pretty low mile one could be your worst enemy and the nice driver could be your best friend. Do you have specific physical car your looking at right now? Post it up and these guys will disect it for you, good or bad.
Above post is so true. Complete maintenance records can reveal future costs. Some owners spend very little, other's spend way to much .... And get pissed and frustrated quickly. Either car can be driven and maintained for a few 100 bucks a year, or you can be looking at some pretty expensive parts and labor in short order.
Did you read My Ferrari 348 ? Everything a car does not have, can't break. My Ferrari 348 "The costs are comparable, but keep in mind that the 355 is more complex. The F355 has driver-adjustable shocks...which means that compared to a 348 that you've got an extra F355 suspension ECU, 4 extra electric adjustment motors, adjustable shocks, etc. The 355 Spider also has power seats, so you've got extra motors there, too. The F355 Spider has a power top, so you've got a top ECU ($2,500), an extra motor, and hydraulics. Likewise, the 355 has power steering...so you've got an extra pump, extra pulley, more hydraulic lines, etc. Your 355 *will* have power steering problems eventually. And the F355 motor has 5 valves per cylinder instead of the 348's 4 valves per cylinder (which translates into different parts and labor costs when you are doing a top end job). 355 valve problems are known issues, and not inexpensive to repair. The F355 F1 cars have an entirely different transmission that has extraordinary maintenance costs (an F1 tranny pump can run $16,000 just for the part, not labor, to replace). What you are getting in the 355 is more refinement and more power and more luxury. This is not for free. In contrast, the 348 is a vastly less complex machine. It has none of the above, with the pros and cons that come with their absence."
Nor will you, because very few owners will post actual receipts. Its a weird Ferrari thing, almost like if you have to ask you can't afford it.
I would suggest that there are differences between the cars that can make either car a money pit... I feel that the 355 has a stronger transmission than the 348, but that's without any hard evidence, just anecdotal evidence from threads. I feel the 348 has the better sorted engine (valve guide issue on some 355's). The key is to find one that has been properly sorted out, and in that case, making higher mileage cars possibly a better deal in some respects. My F355, despite needing some expensive valve guide work in the future, has been relatively reliable. I have not had to sink a lot of money into it once I sorted out the exhaust system (buy one with aftermarket headers, cats, and exhaust already on it). I drive mine daily (most times) and am very happy with the car's reliability thus far (3 years of ownership in April). It is true as noted above, that the 348 is the simpler machine, but the 355 is so incredibly satisfying that I don't know if I would chose a 348 over the 355 for maintenance cost alone... I certainly would not buy an 355F1 car given the expense associated with the F1 system and the satisfaction provided by the 6 speed manual. Mark
I had a 348 for about 8 years, and I had $24k in service/maintenance. I echo the above post - who really knows which costs more. You can probably get a 355 and spend less and the other way around. I wouldn't let the cost difference between the factor into your decision on which to purchase.
Eventually, either will be expensive to maintain in it's own way even if all is well. If you can accept that, go with what you like the most and be as careful as possible in the selection process.
348 major service will run more because of more time needed for valve adjustment. 348 water pump cannot be rebuilt so that is cheaper on the F355 F355 has other items that can run more as stated above. So it can be a wash that both are the same. Early 348 clutch replacement vs F355. That one favors the F355. No clear winner overall. Both good cars. I would pick your favorite on other merits not Maint costs... Robb
I test drove a 348 with 58k miles on it, and the dealership had a receipt from the owner for a >$20k major service including a top end rebuild and a Tubi exhaust done at around 53k miles by a Monterey, CA indie Ferrari shop. My F355 top end rebuild/minor bottom-end refresh was a bit less than that but not much. However, I've had to do quite a few other things to the car to make everything work and appear perfectly (stickies, ac ecu, cat ecu, shifter rebuild, seatbelts, headers, stock cats for CA emissions, the list goes on and on and on).
It is extremely unlikely that the cost of ownership of a 348 will exceed a 355 in similar starting condition. In fact a 360 is cheaper to own than a 355. The prettier the girl the more they cost.
You can always just be unlucky and get a dog, but that's life. But anyone who spent 20k on a 348 service either had a whole lot more work done than just "a service" or they were screwed. A 348 is considerable easier to work on because of it's simplicity. I look in my 348 engine bay - and think "yep that all makes sense", I look in a 355 engine bay and "loose the will to live". Half of what's in there is to meet some legislative restriction be it noise or emissions. eg the exhaust - as if 2 hot pipes wasn't enough they added a 3rd and a sodding flap ! Most race workshops will look inside a 348 and say that's it a typical GT race car of the 80/90's with carpets and will happily deal with it as such. The engines 308/328/348 are all tried and trust "old" tech and with a little help you can rebuild one on your own. Pick a 348, and don't think of it as a Ferrari, think of it as a early 90s race car. Steer clear of eBay and Ferrari dealerships for parts as they are nearly always a rip off. But having said all that, we all know you will buy a 355 and take it to your local F Dealer for service, but then you will never know what unassisted steering feels like in a road legal race car. Or buy a 360 with a decent body kit, again less hassle than a 355 and cheaper too.
It's not that bad inside the bay of a F355, but this comes from someone who gets electronics and felt abused by every engine with a carb he ever owned. I do agree and believe that simplifying the exhaust is one way to make the F355 so much easier to live with... I wouldn't have it any other way... Just keep the smog stuff around to appease the powers that be as needed.
I saw this and couldn't let it slide. The F1 cars DO NOT have different transmissions. Same exact transmission. It's obvious by now there are work around a to paying the ferrari tax and little yellow boxes to fix the pump and actuators. So having to shell out 16k for a $1,000 part is bull****. So please no fear mongering it's old and tiring.
You've got to factor in that some owners just don't know and pay the bill for some crazy items. One guy here said he paid $4,800 in PARTS alone for a fuel pump rebuild on his 355 when he could have fixed his problem for 3-4 hours of labor and maybe $20 in parts.....
There's no formula or any other analysis that will lead you in one direction or the other. It's all a crap shoot, none of these cars are new. A "simpler" 348 could cost you 2-3x as much in maintenance in year 1 as a more "complex" 355 - none of it makes any sense. If you want one of these cars, you buy for the joy of the experience - good and bad. If you don't want maintenance bills, buy a Honda Civic. You need to drive both, and decide which you prefer. Then when you get close to making a purchase, have someone with experience working on that specific model perform a PPI so you have a sense of what you're getting into. There's no guarantees, all a PPI will get you (assuming there no anomalies in the compression or leak down test) is a basic understanding of what might have been done to the car and what it might need going forward. Try to buy one from an active person on this board, you'll have a better sense of the car's background and how well it was cared for (or not). That said, I just got back from a 400 mile trip in my 355 and it'll take a month for the ear to ear grin I have to wear off - if you're into cars, the maintenance and parts cost is well worth the cost of admission to this world, no matter which model you fall in love with.
The costs are high and no way around it that I an familiar with. For me the rewards have been much much higher. Very simple decision. If the reward ever drops below the costs then I will let her go. Everyone's line is different I'm sure. Get one while you can. Just getting into a B car or GTS is going up and up. I can tell you there are so many intoxicating feeling that I get from my car.
The truth is that the cost of these cars (especially the sorted ones) will continue to climb as the economy continues to improve. We had a disturbance in the force which had allowed some models of Ferrari to become "affordable" in a way that I never imagined possible. That said, when things go wrong, they can go very wrong (read expensive). The post above really nails it. I'm keeping mine despite the expense (and I am going to be dropping a fair bit of coin due to a pretty bad situation) because I enjoy it.
"The key is to find one that has been properly sorted out" Best advice one can give. Also, have money on hand for the issues that will come up. Good luck in your quest.
Crap shoot between the 2. Buy either with documented maintenance. I'm at around $7k in parts for a 348 major. (Not all parts were required, but I have it all apart now so I hope to not have to do as much next time)
