Hey everyone, I'm new here and just three weeks ago I've finally bought my first Ferrari: a one-owner F430 with just 25k kilometers and a super clean record (photo below). Two weeks later, a F355 popped up in my city that is for sale and that I got to check out via a mutual contact. I already have "my" Ferrari, but I also can't resist if a REALLY good deal pops up - but I'm not sure if this actually is one of these: 1998 F355 GTS, Manual 45k kilometers Rosso Corsa / Nero combination 3 owners and all located in Germany (like me) Service history matches, so the 45k should be real (services done on-time at 10k, 20k, 30k) Accident-free All original paint with all the paint chips at the front that you'd expect with that mileage Engine runs smoothly, no smoke or weird noises or anything Now the downsides: It was stored for the last 7 years, and was only driven rarely in the 5 years before that The last service was 7 years ago as well The sticky buttons problem is quite heavy, with all air vents and buttons giving you black fingertips... Tires are 10 years old The asking price is 100k €, which is obviously rather inexpensive for a manual 355. BUT: With all the services I know about already (belt service, new "big" service, new tires, clean up the sticky interior) I'm expecting 10-15k € additionally. Plus - as the car was stored, I do anticipate additional work that might need to be done (which can also add up to >10k € in the worst case). My question now is: is that still a good price, or how would you estimate such a car right now? I've checked Mobile.de and BAT, but prices vary heavily. But with the "unknown" costs to get everything in shape again it does feel way less attractive than I initially thought. Cheers from Germany! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Don't really understand the German market for these, but understand the car. You seem to understand what you're getting into. If the engine fired up and ran recently, then you're in a somewhat known starting position, and that's good. Things to do: 1. Major service (likely this alone will cost over 10k). Do some of the add ons. - test compression, leak down, smoke test exhaust, run a bore scope to check for cylinder scoring, check your water / oil separator for leaks - replace water pump - replace motor and trans mounts - replace your sensor - replace your hoses 2. While the car is in pieces, take care of your stickies if it bothers you 3. Replace tires (you mentioned this, just do it) 4. Replace battery The unknowns that can cost you 1. The seals in your dampers are going to be old. New dampers are 1k a piece, can be rebuilt for less. The servos on top of the dampers are also quite expensive to replace, you'll know if these don't work if the shock light stays on after startup. 2. If your headers are cracked, you're going to want replacements. Can be expensive if you go with a premium version like Tubi's. 3. Any leaks means new parts (radiators) or rebuilds (power steering rack) If you can smoke test the exhaust and can run the car and check for any drips afterwards, that should raise your confidence a lot on the car. I think you're pretty realistic with your estimates for major and incidentals. Good luck!
Servicing costs in Europe are much more reasonable than the US - an engine-out major service would cost about ¼ to ⅓ of the number quoted above. @Newsted I recently brought my 355 out of storage after 6 years not turning a wheel. The recommissioning cost was £16k (€19k), including engine out, cam belts, fuel pump, lots of gaskets, new springs all round, damper rebuild all round, a wheel bearing, drop links, plus a ton of small stuff that had stopped working. It was 150 hours of work all in, however the labour rate was heavily discounted as I wasn't in a rush to get the car back and the garage worked on it during quiet periods over winter. I didn't get any of the cosmetic issues sorted (buttress cracks, wheel refurb, small bubbles) but that would have added another £4-5k. I would get an inspection done on the GTS you're looking at and take it from there. I think your estimate of €20-25k as a worst-case estimate of the work required to get the car back on the road is reasonable, but you could easily spend more if you want the car to be perfect.
Assume any materials made of rubber compounds will need immediate attention, as they probably dry rotted. Just me, but doesn't seem like much of a deal.
My car, also a '98 (GTB), had about 30k miles put on it from 1998 to 2002, and then it had about 2k miles put on it in almost 20 years before I bought it. It was fine. Great car, great shape. I wouldn't worry about it not being driven. People always predict big problems but as long as it was stored indoors, you should be fine. Sounds like a good deal. Do the major and enjoy.
In the UK, a reputable indie will do the job for < £2k, and a Ferrari dealer isn't hugely more expensive as they offer discounted rates on older tipos. When I was in Bologna buying replacement tyres at a Ferrari dealer (that's where the breakdown service towed me to), it was even less expensive there.
