Ok starting to decide which Ferrari to get... need help

I would definatly check out all the individual model forums. You can really gain a lot of info and find out what your prepared to take on by reading those. Good luck with the purchase and welcome!

 

You need a 328. Period.

 

Since you're looking for something that is reliable and this is your first Ferrari, you may want to consider a 328 GTS. It's a great car and maintenance is more reasonable in cost then most Ferraris. Look around and do your research. Good luck with your search.

 

F355

 

Agreed. Best combo of style, performance, value and lack of frustration!

 

I hope this was a joke.

As for which one to buy, make SURE you read as much as you can here about maintenance, as I've seen plenty of owners that spend 10-20K in the first few years on maintenance. If your funds are tight, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.

 

+1. If you are on a tight budget and are not interested in a Mondial 3.2, this is the best route.

You shouldn't be going anywhere near a 355 if you are on a tighter budget. They are among my favorite F-cars of all time, but they are among the most expensive modern Ferraris to own.

 

It's really nice to see this in your driveway.
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If only they were ALL so nice!

Finding really good 328's is getting tougher and tougher. A well sorted 348 is not a bad second choice but it will cost more to service. Bang for the buck, it's difficult to beat the 308/328.

 

okay fanboy posts aside you NEED to do your homework before you buy an older model Ferrari.

You are talking about a 10+ year old car that was hand made with longevity not necessarily being Job #1. You are also coming from a car that, at the time, was a torque monster. Ferraris are NOT torque monsters...and 10+ year old Ferraris are NOT fast compared to even $25k cars of today.

So if you are buying one because you think you are going to be blown away by the performance...you probably wont be and will be disappointed. They will also require amounts of maintenance that you might not be used to...even a well maintained 348 is 15+ years old and WILL require far more money to keep running than a Grand National (or most other cars of the era).

I bought my F355 and was honestly very disappointed having come from a Viper and a M3. It simply did not meet my expectations of what a Ferrari was. It took me a long time to understand and accept that the car wasnt at fault..I was.

Not saying you shouldnt get one...just saying go into it with realistic expectations and understand that a 328/248 are NOT going to be akin to a 430 or even a MY 2000 C5 corvette as far as performance...a F355 is close but comes with HUGE maintenance costs compared to most other cars.

 

My dad had an 87 Grand National. He drove it over 200,000 miles and I beat on it pretty good myself. You said you don't like Mondials so I won't expound on the virtues of the Mondial t. The 348 has the same driveline and I will say it is a sweet engine with good power. However, If you want your Ferrari to be faster than your GN (on a cold day) you will need a 355 or later.
Enjoy your search,
Dave

 

a really clean well maintained car is there for the right buyer.]]

Prestigue Autohaus


and no , it's not my car....

 

You aren't marrying these cars. Get your feet wet in a Mondial 3.2 coupe. The Mondial has some service advantages such as the hidden window/hatch to the engine bay just behind the rear seats. The 3.2 is a nice motor and it does not have a reputation for blowing up its transmission.

You'll learn the gated shifter in that car. You'll learn what tranny fluid makes 2nd gear smooth even when cold in that car. Both of those items translate into many newer Ferrari models even including the 360.

The performance won't be a lot, but hey, you want to get your feet wet first. Then refine what you want for your next Ferrari.

Well, you asked about keeping the maintenance down. That's the 3.2 (e.g. 328 or Mondial). The Mondial is easier to service than the 328 because of the rear seat hatch to the engine bay.

There are several Mondial models. The Mondial 8 is not as maintenance friendly because of its particular fuel injection system. The Mondial T has good performance from the 348's motor, but has luxury add-ons such as electronic-adjustable suspension (read: more to maintain) and some versions have the clutch-pedalless Valeo transmission (predecessor to the F1 tranny, again, more to maintain).

Put a Birdman fusebox and some Dave Helm's fuel hoses into your Mondial 3.2 coup and you'll laugh at the maintenance woes of most exotic car owners.

 

Best quote I've ever seen in response to a query about which car to buy.

The common wisdom for which car has the best "bang for the buck" is 328 or 360. Both have best reported reliability and comparatively lower total cost of ownership.

328, by virtue of being older, is further down on the depreciation curve and won't cost you as much if you flip it in a year or two.

360, by virtue of being younger, offers better performance, but may cost you more if you only hold for a short period and the markets continue to sag.

So there you have it....either way, you've got a great car!

 

regardless of what you get.. that will be a nice family reunion lol

 

You are asking about keeping maintenance down. TR's and 550's are 12 cylinder performance machines...the opposite of low maintenance. And the 355 V8 gets its name because each cylinder has 5 valves...the opposite of low maintenance.

Great cars! Just not in line with your initial query.


I'm *extremely* fond of 348s, but you will pull the engine out of them once every 5 years to do the belt and waterpump service. 348s are wonderful beasts with a minimum of electrics (manual top, manual seats, no airbags), yet pack the Ferrari F50's amazing engine computers (M2.7).

The Ferrari 3.2s are going to have a little less maintenance than 348s. Not much, but some less. More cockpit room in the Mondial 3.2 than in the 328, if size/width is an issue.

 

Whatever you do, get one inspected by someone who knows before you buy. Don't scrimpt the small stuff or it will bite you in the butt -- bigtime.

 

I think you should be looking at the top end of your budget plus a considerable war chest if you are really going to enjoy your car without stressing about repairs. Personally, I would keep a war chest of at least 10K aside, figure you will likely spend 2.5K a year on maintenance, sometimes much less and other times much more. Even if you do the maintenance yourself, Ferrari parts are very expensive...in some cases shockingly so. Go to a site like our sponsor Ricambi and start looking for prices on common parts. You'll get a taste real quick about what I am talking about. A budget as your suggesting, would require nothing to go wrong and just routine maintenance. Ferraris are much more maintenance intensive than that.

 

I'd say a 360 with manual gearbox, if the more spacious/luxurious cabin is important, or the 328 if you want old school driving (no power steering, no ABS on most, no traction control, no paddle shift, etc.) Obviously the 360 has modern power, whereas the 328 was one of the fastest production cars in the world, during the Reagan administration.

Those two seem to be the Ferraris least likely to drain your bank account, although you're still in for $4000-$6000 for a 30K major service on either assuming nothing goes wrong. This isn't a Buick...

As others have mentioned, an F355 has the potential to break your heart/wallet, and the 348 has a few weak spots by design (gearbox and single timing belt design being the most important), and the electronics can be a bit flaky. If you get a 348, I might try for a Spider, as those came toward the end and Ferrari had started to clean up its act.

That said, just be sure to buy a car that has been fanatically maintained. A neglected 328 or 360 can still burn you badly.

 

I think you should wait and save more money before doing the Ferrari thing.

I don't think you'll have a very positive experience if the occasional $2,000 repair bill is going to hurt. You may be too worried to drive the car. My two pence...

 

What's your uncle's opinion?

 

BF hit it on the nose. You'll spend $600 on the easy stuff, and it can be a few times a year.

These cars aren't cheap. I have a 'reliable' 328 and I'm well over $1/mile in maintenance and repairs. Don't kid yourself, they break and they have to be fixed. Regularly.