Prospective Buyer ... Need convincing

Hey Aaron...

just pulled the trigger myself on an 355 on Monday...so far i'm having a blast with my car...love it!!!

I did the same as what you're looking for...

- late model (mine is a 98) even though my mechanic preferres the 95's since he thinks they are less "controlled" by the newer ECUs, but i decided there would be less problems by buying the later models, even if i give up a small amount of performance...

- coupe ....I just like them better...look for stressing where the roof meets the rear quarter panels..I understand those can be common...i didn't have any on mine, but guess it happens.

- recent belt service .....a must but make sure the car hasn't just been sitting around since it's been done for years...that it's put some miles on to keep the belt moving...

- headers.....from what my mechanic told me...it was more of a problem in the early models...

- clutch....mine was done, but i guess it depends on who the previous owners were...

- 6 speed....again a personal preference for me, but i can see less problems with one..

- interior stuff....mine has the typical stickyness in places...guess there isn't much one can do about that from what i've read here...just what you take...but yes, get a good condition one inside...

somethings i'd add to your list:

-keys/remote....from what i've read here...try to get one that has the master (red) remote and see if you find the "pin" number written anywhere b/c from what i understand you're dead in the water and instore for an expensive service if you ever lose those...and if it doesn't come with those, you're one step closer to that...(do a search on this topic)

- make sure everything works and get a PPI from someone you trust

I'd probably have more to list later after I've owned it for a while, but sorry, i'm still a 355 newbie....

have fun!

 

The final thing that convinced me before I bought mine was.... if I die in a week and hadn't owned and driven one, well.... I just didn't want to have any regrets....

you can talk your self out of or justify anything, depends on how bad you really want one or are afraid to jump into the waters..... thousands of reason to and as many not to....


no one can give you the final reason, EXCEPT YOURSELF!!!!


JD

 

Though I went with a 348 spider I can tell you this JUST DO IT !!ASAP . I pondered it for well over a year and one night just emailed a deposit flew out and drove it home NO PPI not much of anything just sign and drive . I do suggest a PPI . I am in the car business so I felt comfortable without .Bottom line is for a toy car FERRARI is the way to go . buy a good one and you will not loose much if anything selling it . Try that with a VETTE or a STANG . ETC .

 

Ditto JD! I just got mine about a month ago and as I was diving home I thought to myself, what have I just done? I spent more than I did on one of my first properties, on a car.... about that time I down shifted into 3rd and punched it... I haven't looked back! Best investment I ever made in myself and my sanity!!!

You won't regret it and if you do it will only last about 15 minutes, at least that's how long I was stuck in traffic

 

Not that you're "wrong", but if a car has a good service history and is due for a major service (which is more than just replacing the timing belt, btw), you can negotiate a bit on the price and have the service done properly on your watch, by your mechanic. Then you have some recourse if the service requires follow-up work.

Also, you didn't mention it but it sounds like you've done the homework and probably know this: a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) can establish that the engine is making proper compression, and also provide some level of assurance the car hasn't been in a serious collision. A lot of Ferraris seem to get repaired on a cash basis - not something that shows up on Carfax.

EDIT: And, all the "just do it" comments are spot on. Ferraris aren't supposed to be rationalized. Get one.

 

Aaron: It sounds like you've thought this through..........now stop whining and go buy yourself a car..........you won't regret it.

If you really need convincing....you really don't want it. So quit over thinking and make it happen!!

 

I am not that sure either, but I am confident I can buy one and if for whatever reason it doesn't work out, I doubt I'll lose much in the process.

 

Just pays ya money and takes ya Fcar......don't think about, that time has finished. I'd been ummming and ahhing for 8 months and then last week, after seeing many 348's in May I went back and took the first one i looked at and drove it again, got out after, made an offer and shook on it......the most nervous handshake I've ever made. All the way home kept asking myself 'What have I done?!?!' But boy has it been the best decision I've ever made.......I still pinch myself to see if it's all real. Go get one, you'll love it.

 

Had alot a cars which I rarely drove so I decided this was nuts have forced myself to make a choice, the 355 was the choice and have never looked back. From what I know and of course what I'm sure has been written here many times, "HEAT" is a major bad thing and for me a Tubi, bypass tubes and rear grill have made my 96 a very happy camper.
Also no matter what you do get the car checked out!!!!!

 

Top problems?? No way. The only top problems are with cars that arent convertible.

Get a spider!!

 

Not much hardware out there that can pull on a TT Viper...Hope you're not disappointed with the 355...Don't get me wrong, fantastic car...But if modding is your gig, you pretty much reached the pinnacle...

 

Went through about 5 different cars before I found one I wanted. Spider is a must. I can't get enough of it. I have five other wonderful cars but this is it. I can't imagine not having it in a convertable, unless you're going to track it. If not, the sun is yours for the taking. Most important - find yourself a great mechanic who can cover your back. They are out there but you need to ask a lot of questions from other car owners to get the full picture. A good PPI is a must - compression and leakdown test a must. I found two vehicles that on paper and visual inspection looked perfect. Tests showed otherwise.

Good luck and choose wisely. Its better to take the time now than to waste it in the shop later.

Later, I'm off to the beach to drive the coastline.

 

I would say if you can find one with those qualifications in your price range you should definitely be good to go. Have fun in the search.

BT