Let me introduce myself, my name is Paul Waterloo and I live in Forest Park, IL, just outside the city limits of Chicago. Long time car guy, 48 years old, and have a new found love for working on different cars (learning about them, they are just nuts and bolts, long time Audi guy), and am thinking about a Ferrari. After doing my research, I think a F355 GTB could be the one. Modern enough to have fuel inject and maybe OBD-II, modern enough to get a high HP/liter, but old enough to have depreciated and be easy to work on. I would do 99% of the work myself, and after searching the internet and these forums, it sure seems easy to work on. Anyway, looks like there are some good posts here and some great stories. Saw a 95 F355 GTB in the suburbs of Chicago a few weeks ago, it's beat. Today I was traveling for work and saw this beauty, a 99 with 23K miles: Sienna Motors | For all your quality, pre-owned vehicle needs in South Florida! Sorry, I thought I could put some IMG tags here....but maybe I need to be member to do that? Anyways, beautiful car....but $60K, and I just started looking. I'm a DIY guy and need to figure out what I really want. I have to say that $60K is probably over my budget. I'm a cheap bastard! ;-) Anyways....just wanted to introduce myself, if somebody in the Chicago area has a 355 that would let me come by and look at it, pick your brain when the weather breaks, I would love it! My other cars are: 2007 Audi S8 1993 Porsche 968 1973 Alfa Romeo Spider Paul
Welcome Paul. That appears to be a very nice car. That color combination is rare, usually gray has black interior, having beige is really nice. From the photo's I'd guess that the sticky interior parts are just that and may need work. 355's under $60k are also rare, for good ones. Good luck
Paul: I'd like to second Dave's welcome. The F355 is a wonderful Ferrari. Make sure you spend the time/money required for a comprehensive PPI by a reputable shop with ACTUAL Ferrari experience. Once sorted, the F355 is pretty much bullet-proof with the requisite maintenance. Enjoy your search for the perfect car. Take your time and don't succumb to "Ferrari Fever".
Yes, the car just had carbon fiber put over the interior parts, I can't say that it was a great job, plus the leather on the instrument cluster pod and airbag needed replacement. Not that it is a big deal but it needs to be completed. And it didn't appear to be known when the last belt change was performed, so that would have to be performed also. However, it was beautiful and I wanted to drive it from FL back to Chicago! Just forgot my checkbook!
Very nice, and worth every penny. But you sound like a guy who could buy an unsorted 40k mile car for $45k and be very happy working on it and sorting it yourself. If you do all of your own work, you'll likely spend less than $10k on parts if you are indeed a cheap bastard! Good luck!
Getting an unsorted car kind of appeals to me. I want to take it apart, learn it, and put it back together. It keeps me away from my computer and out of the bars! I love learning new things and new cars. I wouldn't want a turn key car....or at least the initial cost that goes along with it.
It seems you have a good idea of what you want and with your experience and background with the cars you own and work on, you should do just fine with a a 355. Finding a fairly well cared for car that maybe needs a major service that you can get with that service discounted might be a good fit. By doing a new service you will have a baseline of that work and issues discovered and it will allow you to get to know the car well if you can participate or at least observe it. I wish I had done that. Valve guides and headers are the big ones and the rest is pretty much in your face at the sale so look over things carefully and adjust purchase price accordingly. CC and leak down on suspect cylinders will give you an idea of engine condition. Good luck and welcome.
Welcome, driving the 355 is definitely a joy, but make sure you go into the deal with the largest knowledge base you can, this means negotiating a sales price contingent upon a clean PPI, Leakdown and compression test. I would even suggest a quick smoke test in the exhaust manifolds. Also, use the tools on the internet, there is a 355 registry that you can cross reference details for the car you are targeting. For example, the vin search for this car yields a hit on the registry, noting that the original color combo for this car was green with tan interior. Could be wrong, but it sounds like the color is not original? Ferrari355registry.com You most likely can obtain information on places to obtain PPI's from local owners, but I have heard that Lake Forest Sportscars may still do PPI's. They are in Lake Bluff IL, and I have been in touch with them a number of times as they were where my beauty was first sold.
Thanks for the info. I would say if the car was originally green, it would not surprise me as the paint on the A pillars and above the door window seal at the roofline was suspect....not clean at all. Plus it had a little rust/corrosion on the passenger side rocker panel on the area where the flat under the door meets the rocker. Additionally, there was corrosion under the paint on the driver's side mirror assembly, the black triangle part that is attached to the door. And in the end, I'm not ready to buy just yet, I will have to learn a lot more and get to know the market. And I don't have 60K to spend either. But I am loving this forum! I think with patience, I might find the right one.
I think any car that has been driven and seen rain is going to have some corrosion in these spots. I have seen a few cars that show signs of corrosion in some areas. I see it as a simple removal treat the corrosion repaint done. But a car advertised at 60k shouldn't have thee issues at all. They should be handled.
I am very surprised to think a Ferrari forum would have this kind of insight.....thanks! I noticed this in the carfax initially, but didn't pick up on it. Thanks to ssnowball, it seems that it could be evident that the car was changed from green to grey recently. Not that this would totally surprise me, or turn me off from buying a car (at least now)....but it would have to be perfect or be a great deal to buy. See the first line in the image below. Were these cars galvanized originally? I didn't search......I know that's a no-no. I attached a picture that I took of the car too. The place had quite a few Ferrari's for sale. The gentlemen also told me that the wheels were OEM, but maybe a later version? He said they were more desirable wheels, along with the F1 transmission, which I am thinking I want a 6 speed manual....I guess I will have to research that and be the decision maker. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I like gray, this is a nice looking car! Is that what a paint job means in Carfax? My car has media blue on the rear hatch sticker and Carfax said color noted as blue. Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
They look like stock 355 wheels to me. The color change would explain the rare color combination. Under the engine bonnet should be a paint tag, ask for a photo of it. Also ask for the window sticker.
Paul, I am frequently in the area - family and friends in Chicago - Racine - Milwaukee - Michigan City, IN. I would welcome the opportunity to talk you into consiering a nice 348. Maybe a cool 348 Serie Speciale... My next trip will be in March.
A 348 especially a spider or a SS is a wonderful car and you should try one. The brake pads from a 968 will fit a 348 or 355 by the way. My Wife used to have a 1992 968 cab so I did notice that number in your user name
Here's a picture of my 968 and Alfa. People like pictures, even if they are not of Ferrari's, right? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
