Maintenance costs of 355

30,000 mile major belt service is due. This will cost between $8000 and $12,000 depending on whats needed.

 

This sounds too high. My experience on my F355 for a 30K was approx. $6,600 at an authorized dealer (Continental Autosports).

 

5 years or 15K miles not 3 years. Dude, just make sure you have a PPI done and have all the records. If the car checks out you will love it...I can't see ever selling mine...an absolute blast of a car...no problems.

 

Ask the seller to lend you the maintenance booklet for an hour, and stick to the prescribed intervals i.e.
- 4y or 40'000km for cam belts and tensioner bearings
- yearly or 10'000km oil change
- air filter, spark plugs etc ... every other year

Nothing prevents you from getting hyper and servicing your car more frequently.
For US costs, search the archives, but the amounts you mention seem breathtakingly high for a belt change, even if you throw in brakes, tires, and a clutch ...

 

I don't want to scare you off of a really fun car..but do yourself a favor and do as much history tracing as you can with the car. Also do a search in the archives on the 355. You will find all you need to know, and you can then make your decision from there.

 

Some Excellent advice & info here

http://70.85.40.84/~ferrari/forum/showthread.php?t=46566

I favor the Fly Yellow too.

Keep us informed. It's a Tuff decision. Lack of Warranty worries me also.

 

It is good that you are worried about maintenance costs, this should scare
you into doing a PPI and a thorough search of the history. Spend some time here searching the archives and that will give you an idea of the "little" things that you need to know about . Here is a list off the top of my head:
leather shrinkage
alarm siren battery goes dead
center console bubbling
cats go bad all model years
valve guides
exhaust headers
gear lever rattle
And this is for the "no stories cars"

If you plan on the routine maintenance costs, and do the maintenance the
355 can be very reliable. So it really comes down to knowing the car you are thinking about buying, if it checks out, just plan on the maintenance costs.
--tony

 

On another level...when you tell the average person that you plan to buy a Ferrari, you'll typically get back "Oh man, the maintainance will kill you and they are not reliable cars, and the parts are hard to get and expensive, etc."

Okay....THAT is a bunch of generalization that many people used to have about foreign cars long ago. Today the average Corvette owner may still push that sentiment, largely because they want to rationalize the fact that they don't have a Ferrari.

Yes, long ago MG's, Fiat's and the early Ferrari's were a bit of a headache...but it's just not true today. I mean, sure...lemons come from all brands and I'm not about to suggest that the 355 can stand right next to a Toyota Camry in terms of maintainance....but I will say this: The 355 is far more of a daily-driver capable vehicle then most imagine.

Bottom-line, the 30k service will set ya back about $6k and maybe a few more thousand depending on what they find wrong with it. Beyond that, it's pretty much a sound car with just a few querks. The hype about a Ferrari being a maintainance nightmare is FAR over-blown.

The other thing to consider is that most owners of typical cars will live with a few noises, querks or oddities...but the Ferrari owner wants to think his car is PERFECT....which may be why they chase every little detail. Trust me: I know the paint-job & finish of my 355 BETTER then I know the back of my own hand!

Don't believe the hype: the 355 is one of the best Ferrari's ever built. Many regard the engine & tranny as bullet-proof. In the end, the smiles FAR outweigh the frowns. I don't think you'll be sorry. Now stop thinking and go buy that car!!!

 

I agree with Steve R. Do a complete PPI then decide what to do.I've had my 355 going on 3 years now,and have no regrets whatsoever.Drive it and enjoy it,thats what it's for.It's tough to put a price tag on the enjoyment derived from something like this kind of purchase.Logic and reason have nothing to do with it. It's all about passion and love for the car. As long as you do a thorough check,you'll shouldn't have any regrets.
It's a big deal and a large purchase , no doubt. The enjoyment makes it all worth it.

 

Well said Steve R! I have owned one for over a year now, I have friends with
355's and none of us have real head aches. We all have our pet peaves, like
chasing down every rattle or obessed with leather or the paint, engine ,etc.. but in the end the the smiles really do far outweigh the frowns! --tony

 

Exceedingly well said. I agree 100%. I've had my 355B for a year, and despite having an open wallet each of the four times its been up on a rack for regular oil changes, I've hardly been required to spend any money on it. Buy a good vehicle, and the engine is bulletproof. The smiles never stop.

 

The MY96+ onwards had a power-assisted clutch, which made it significantly easier to depress than the MY95's.

 

Gee guys....thanks for the compliments on my reply!!!

Cats go bad from time to time...it just happens. They get really hot and it takes a toll on them. I wouldn't worry about it: the seller is obligated to have the car smogged and as such you'll know they are working when you get 'em!

Valves are a way over-blown issue, you can read all about it by doing a search. Again, your PPI will detect these sorta problems...and your not going to buy a car without a PPI..right???

As for your clutch question, no idea there. I would expect that's a function of the springs. Here again, the PPI should give you the feedback you're looking for.

In the end, no car is perfect...just take your time and wait for the right car to come to you. I had to go through several cars and even a few costly PPI's before I found mine. Be patient, the market is in your favor....lotta guys looking to find some new novelty in dropping 360 prices, a solid supply of 355's are flowing....the future is only brighter and FASTER!!!

I'm sure a 360 is somewhere in my future, but I'm lovin' the 355 for now: what a fun car!!!! Not sure I can part with it down the line?
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Nice looking F355!

 

Do the necessities that all the good folks have advised ....then go out and buy it!!!

 

Have fun!

And, GOOD LUCK!

 

*jellous*

 

Husky

Very good choice for first FCar - reliable daily driver.

Regarding big things that can hurt:

1. Make sure PPI includes leakdown for valve guides - the 95 soft guides were still used in inventory until the supply was depleted. My 97 had bad guides. I bought it from the dealer and had the guides and fresh 30K as part of the sale price.

2. The belts are done at 5 year or 30K (not 15K). Fee's vary by region, but a dealer will charge around $7500 and independents around $4500. There may be other items while the engine is out (ie water pump). Make sure you have records of the belts being changed or work it into the price of this car. Every 355 should have had it done by now and your 96 will be due again in 06.

3. Headers go bad (Ferrari considers them a "servicable" item). Problem is thin walls. If they go bad you can get some rebuilds from QV in the UK and they will be good for life (1/3 the price of stock ones from the dealer)

That's about it for the "major" things. Great car. Very well balanced and reliable. Good Luck.

 

Excellent summary Frank, 100% agree.