Hi All, I just got my hands on my first F car. It's a clean 355 coupe with low miles and I live in Southern California and the car has been here it's whole life. Ok don't laugh, I am very capable mechanically but need some help fathoming out some simple questions and hope someone with a few minutes to spare can help me? 1, How aggressive with the clutch for long lifespan? I am matching the revs when shifting but not banging it in and out as witnessed on a few test drives with other cars I looked at. I went for a longish drive today with some slow traffic and have a faint smell of clutch or could be brake pad material. 2, Is there any adjustment of the footrest next to the clutch as it gets in the way if not careful? The offset driving position may just take some getting used to and wearing nike's didn't help either. 3, How do you wash the car without getting the engine soaked? 4, Have a sound coming from the engine bay when the ac is on. It's way louder than the ac clutch and sounds like a flap closing ivery 5 seconds or so with a clop type of noise? Thanks in advance Mark
first off on behalf of al of us here welcome to ferrari chat and congrats on becoming a owner. secondly there is no such thing as a newbie question. In response to your car washing question the best advice is to hire a pro to do it i would go to your local dealership and see if they know anyone, that is how i found my car washer.
Congrats and welcome to Fchat. Allow me to answer a couple of your questions from personal experience... Initially, due to being unused to the car and the "notchiness" of the shifter (especially when cold) I was a little hesitant to get on it and shift quickly and firmly. However, as time went on, I noticed that the 355 loved to be driven fast, it always shifted smoother when I was racing through the gears as opposssed to babying it...less clutch wear as well ,at least according to my nose-a-meter.... Just let the gearbox warm up first, especially noticeable in the 1-2 shift.After that, slam away, the 355 will love it...and so will you! Stangley enough, this worried me too, and I've read/heard of other newer 355 owners voicing this same concern. Actually, if you think about it, the car has to be able to withstand being rained on (ya, I know, a Ferrari in the RAIN?,lol) so, it shouldn't matter if some rainwater gets onto the serated areas over the engine bay. I asked my car wash guy about it, he said he made sure never to power spray directy onto the area and I never had a problem with it after a wash. Besides, after a 10 minute brisk drive, that baby will be nice and dry....and hot!! Be sure to wear gloves when removing the cap to check oil...it was "ouchy" my first time,lol! Enjoy!
The first time I washed my car while it was hot, I was VERY scared. Amazing snap, crackle and pop sounds coming from the engine when the water landed on it. I don't think it really hurts anything, but I always wash my car cold, then drive it immediatly afterwards to dry it and the brakes out.
To answer your washing issue, here is my method of washing my 355: I bought two bath towels, extra thick in cotton. After I warm the car up, pull out of my garage, let it cool for 10 mins. or so. Pull the towels over the engine bay, then just close the bonnet and begin to wash. The bath towels should absorb 90-99% of the water you spray onto the bonnet. I worked for me! My engine bay never got wet from water!
Congratulations Mark. The 355 is a beautiful, beautiful car. I should know - I had one. - The clutch on this car is very solid. Each car will vary in the engage point, and the amount of effort required to depress, but the clutch is built to last and, unless you inherited a worn-down clutch or are new to manual shifting, you shouldn't have a problem. As for washing, don't worry about it. The cars are built to accept water into the engine compartment. There are some electronics, but they are tucked away. I would agree that you shouldn't powerspray into the engine compartment (it was Italian build quality after all - ), but no need to cover it or anything. I used to get mine regularly washed, and never had any problem. Congratulations again, and post some pics! Best.
Yes I do the same but I always put the keys where I store the towels so that I can not start the engine with the towels in place .
re the washing, I use the towel thing as well,,, but even then, you still get water in the engine bay,, so I always give the engine bay a light spray with wd40 and then a wipe over,,, takes any water marks away, and can only help protect anything else.. re-changing gearsr,,, shift should be nothcy ?? between first and second when cold,, its to do with the thick viscosity of the oil,, after a couple of mile, this will go,,,, I'm told this is how it should be,,, and does not represent wear,, in fact,, if the car slips from 1st to 2nd from cold, the gear oil probably needs changing,,,, (ps sitting witht he car warming up before driving does nbot warm the gear oil)... cheers scott.. and congrats,,
Mark- unless you'll always be detailing your own car, I have a couple of mobile guys I could recommed that come to me in South Bay and that have good reps on this board- better than any car wash, that's for sure. And they know how to detail engine bay (but as other said, the 355 is fine in rain, and it's the same concept, just don't power wash directly). I live on a steep hill and my clutches have done pretty good, especially compared to the F-1 horror stories. Don't be afraid of it- these are of "race car heritage" and despite the expensiv horror stories, they love to be driven, and driven hard. If you want to detail yourself, there is a very well written document by "Sunny" - do a search. He was the best detailer until he got too busy with his "real" work. Regards, Eric
What F1 horror stories? The short clutch lifespan stories seems to be about abuse by the drivers more than anything else. Several people on this site, including myself, who drive their F1-equiped cars regularly don't seem to have this problem.
Like stated above, don't worry about the water when washing the car. I wash mine a couple of times a year. I use the wash to clean off the engine and do the same by spraying a little WD-40 to clean and protect the engine. It also gives it a more finished look. Enjoy the car, they are a real hoot! I've had four different models and the 355 is my favorite. I have been thinking about a 360 but each time I look at that beauty in my garage, I forget about the 360. Enjoy and welcome!
If you see a clean motor in a 355 it has likely been to the pressure washer. Go to one that has a low pressure "engine, tire" cleaner setting. Use that and then rinse with the low pressure "spot free rinse". The motor was made to get wet. After you wash it go for a drive and dry it off. Ken
I've only had my 355 for a little over a year...but here are my thoughts: THE CLUTCH; don't worry about it. I'm a fairly smooth shifter when it comes to driving stick, but the 355 had me feeling like a goober...I almost went with F1 just to avoid the shifting because I just couldn't quite get it right. Most people I let test-drive the car (including many experienced Porsche guys and other sportscar drivers) also have similar "issues" churning-out a smooth performance. BUT after a week I suddenly got it dialed-in and became "one" with the car.....now it's all smooth and silky. I can't explain it, but it just comes to you. When your shifts are smooth, there's minimal wear & tear on the clutch. And by smooth I mean shifting into the next gear with minimal rpm differentiation on account of timing & proper senses. Like another guy said, at high rpm's it just falls into place. The clutches are tough, the car likes it and is made to take it. Best of all, your clutch is hanging right off the back-end like a race-car readily accessible to change!!! Just drive it, you'll be fine. Nuff said. WASHING; again, don't worry about it. It was designed to account for water, at worst you'll have to deal with water spots on an otherwise show-ready engine. The area you should be concerned about is your door sills: you don't want water to get under those cause they'll rust....now this is an area to be concerned about. Here's what I do. I have one of those pressure washers from Costco (about $140). Use the lesser-pressure wand and you'll notice it really just uses a mist of water to do the job. Just trigger the shots where you need it and in the right direction to avoid putting water where you don't want it. You can be quite surgical with this thing, and when you're done you'll notice hardly any water on the ground. It's great for engine compartments, wheels and all sorts of other jobs around the house. A/C SYSTEM, your A/C system is the same as any other car. I had my re-charged for just $78, don't let anyone tell you that it's certified Ferrari-unique and requires special attention. I'd get someone to look at it...loud noises are only good when it comes to after-market exhaust systems Can't help ya with your peddle question. Check your tires, most performance tires get hard and are compromised in their performance & safety after 5 years. I've seen a LOT of 355's with tires that look brand spankin' new but are hard as concrete and have cracks between the tread! Buy your wife something nice and give it to her soon; you get a Ferrari and she has to get something as well. It's a rule, I didn't make it. AND....congrats, welcome and find your way out to ********** soon!
steve r, i really enjoy reading your reply's. they are always well thought out and written with great detail! cheers, kelly
Congrats on the car. I have a match to it and it's been a great car. I second the comments above on the clutches both F1 and manual. I have a 6 speed and the the engine is out for a major right now and had the clutch inspected. The clutch has >75% remaining with 11K on the car. I had the cats bore scoped and the headers inspected as well. Both as new. Ditto for the cylinders. I think the 355's hold up a lot better with large doses of common sense. Things like not slipping the clutch too much and just letting it out instead. I think if you are driving the car very hot on a track and bumping the rev. limiter it's very hard on the headers. Best of luck, I've had a blast with mine.
Willis, I'm sorry if I implied that F1 clutches are more fragile- it's just that many people don't drive them right and wear them fast. And the 360 F1 (which you have) is much better than 355 F1. Most people would not believe that driving the F1 hard nad making "snappy" shifts is easier on clutch than trying to pull away from stop lights slow, and reversing up hill (which I do to exit driveway) is hell on the F1 because it is always slipping. I've seen both F1 and stick clutches fail at 5K miles- there are a lot of bad drivers and "drag racers" that should drive their f-cars better... No disrespect from me on the F1- but thank goodness I do not have to try to solve the $16K F1 pump issue with my car. Regards, Eric
Big Kahuna, Likewise, I have always enjoyed your beautiful polynesian islands...the trade winds, chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and hula-girls with coconut-bra's have always proved to lure me back year after year to your tropical paradise. I consider it an honor that you read my rambling post...and actually enjoy them! Cheers....or as they say on the Island Onunuokliepdki Homu Nunu Okalaka Chattak Sum laka leiki ana hunnwaklakliki eeki otu
Thanks to all of the above on the response. I've had my F355 GTS since October (this is my first post since buying) and found all the posts helpful, particularly the ones about the change between 1st and 2nd gear - mine's pretty tough when cold. When warm, however, I'm astonished how slick this car is when driven hard, way, way better than I thought it would be - harder you drive it, better it gets. I only have one problem; when I put my foot down I get this really painful grin that takes hours to wear off.
