questions prior to purchasing 355

I drive mine 3-4 days a week. I would buy a late model car to put your mind at rest. I saw a 355 about a year ago that had 70k miles on it. Maintain it and it will drive forever. You can budget 2300-3500 per year in maintenance.

 

The answer depends on what your daily drives are made of.
There's nothing that prevents a 355 from being driven every day, but depending where you live, what kind of drives you make, it may prove to be a rather inadequate and impractical solution.
Cost of maintenance aside (which will not be that much higher than a recent 911), a 355 is not going to stand the wear of every day usage as well as a 911 will. Leather, electrical accessories, seals, I would not expect any of that stuff to hold as well as a 911.
Think also about the width of the car in parking lots, the front spoiler scrubbing on ramps, etc ...

IMO, a 911 is a true daily driver sports car, a 355 isn't.

 

I think Ferraris are not meant to be your only car as they are not that practical for daily drives so in this sense 996 would be more practical.
Buy a nice daily drive and then 355 for the weekends.

 

I have a 98 355F1 and I drive it everyday. I have a other 'normal' car that drives normal and parks normal, but I prefer to drive my 355 almost on any occasion. I think it all depends where you draw the line between practicality and pleasure. Yes, I also think the 911 is the best practical sports car there is but the amazing driving experience of riding a ferrari will easily make up for what you miss in the practical department.

355 was a big leap forward from the classics ferraris with major improvement not just on the performance figures but on the practicality and reliability wise, meaning it can finnaly function like a car rather than just a toy. It still can get quite uncomfortable getting in and out of my car sometimes, and yes I always have to look out for any road bumps when I drive but, man, that's a big and fun part of the whole ferrari experience. and tell you truly, I kind of like getting in and out of that low cabin of car. it becomes an exciting event of itself. And now I got so used to living with it, I almost feel no discomfort of what so ever anymore. for many people, 355 was bought as a second car and became the first car, only driving their comfortable mercedes on weekends (or when they really have to), like me.

 

You asked about repair or maintenance costs on a 355 and how driving it daily could effect those costs.there is no one answer to this question ,if you look through this boards archives you will find lots of stories about 355 problems and how driving ,instead of siting in the garage is the best thing to do with any Ferrari.there are guys who have no problems with there 355 just regular mainteance1 to 2 grand a year and every 5th year a engine out major 5to 6 grand.I could be a bit high but close.
Then you hear about Ferrari horror stories,like mine,,,,1995 355 one owner 11000 miles bought from Ferrari of ATLANTA for full money major just done buy FOA car was perfect ,I looked at lots of 355s and this car was ssssooooo much nicer it was a 20 out of a10.. 3 months go buy love the car it is great then the exhaust manifold went south ,replaced with tubi 6 grand I did the work.car seemed ok after that mid August and it goes to Ferrari of New England for it's 15000mi service and I want them to listen to a funny noise,,,,,,,,,,,,the 15000 service was around a grand ,,,,oh and that little noise ,,,they think its a cam pulley bearing a $8.00 part ,,,,but the motor needs to come out to fix it !!!!!12 grand later it is back home!!!Runs great the 12 grand included lots of little stuff while the motor was out and apart I wanted to check everything and replace water pump oil pump and chain ,,,you get the picture
My wife has a 95 911 cab bought it 4 years ago with 22000 miles on it it now has 58000 miles and we have had one service $600 and changed the oil thats it !!!! the car is perfect and it is trashed every time it comes out of the garage
thats my story and I am sticking to it
DAVID

 

Hi AK,

Just thought I'd give you my two pennies worth on a 355 as a daily drive. I've recently sold my Spider after 12 months of ownership. I did buy it as weekend toy but tried to use it now and then for commutes into work etc.

My personal opinion and i know most will probably disagree but the 355 is not a daily drive when you look at all the external factors. As far as the car goes it is quite easy drive in traffic so that really isn't the issue.

Firstly, I'm from the UK and live in London. When I took it in to work I'd have to take a different route to avoid speed bumps. Parking at work was also a nightmare simply because it wide and your always coming back to the car half expecting a dent from another drivers door.

Secondly, these cars attract attention. You can't really pop out with your friends for a drink after work because your always concious of where you going to park it and will it still be there when you come back. Some car parks are not front bumper freindly. Simple trips like going to the supermaket would be a nightmare.

Finally, maintenance is expensive and alot a higher than a 911.

Personally I'd buy 911 Turbo which will out do a 355 but also cost you less in the long run and can be enjoyed on a daily basis.

Rgds,

Kam

 

Dreamin, as stated very well by the above posts, I would not choose a 355 for a daily driver. I also have a porsche and agree with others this is a better choice, attracts way less attention and seems to require quite a bit less $ to keep on the road. I am comfortable leaving the Porsche parked in odd places that I would never consider leaving the 355 parked in. The car is very wide, and exiting without fully opening the door requires flexibility and is hard with hands full, as is often the case with a daily driver. Personally, I would choose a 550 over a 355 for daily driving under almost all conditions. Roomier, more comfortable and draws less attention. I went from a 550 to a 355 because I live in the coastal mountains and the 355 is better suited to smaller twisty roads. Hope that helps.

David, I feel for you, that is one nightmarish car owning experience. Hope its clear motoing for quite some time!!!
John

 

I can't really add to the good advice that others have given.

I will say that you should do a search on this topic because it's been widely discussed, and you'll find some additional useful information.

Just hit the search function on the top left and click "advanced search." Then search the titles of threads: type "355 AND buying" (don't actually type in the quotes, but do type all three words just as I've written them ). Several threads will appear that will be good reading.

 

perhaps you should consider a 550, as someone said it causes less attention then the 355 and is more roomy/comfortable. also it has 12 cylinders. unfortunatly i can't say i have any real exp with looking for one(check my profile)

 

The 550 is a wonderful car. It has the torque like a 911 TT, except it has a longer RPM range. They only came in 6 speed so if you have to have a F1 the 550 is out. You really need to drive one before you buy a 355. Two totally different cars.