Talk me out of getting a 355?

I agree with almost everything that has been said 100%. My brother owned a 996, and several friends have owned 996tts, and I have driven them on many occasions. I have even thought about buying a 996tt many times, and for a few seconds, I thought about trading it in for a 996tt. Fact is that I have my 355 Spider for 7.5 years now, because every time I want to sell it or get another car, I get in the 355 and drive it and I immediately realize why I can't sell it.

Answer these questions and you have made your decision:

Buy the Porsche if:
- You want a more reliable car
- You want AWD
- You want to drive the car in inclement weather

Buy the 355 if:
- You want a toy
- You want an awesome driving experience
- You want to put a smile on your face every time you drive your car
- You don't mind the occasional expensive repair bill

My suggestion: Go to a dealer and drive a 355 and a 996tt - if the experience of driving the 355 isn't that special, drive another one, but if it is still not amazingly better than driving the 996tt, get the Porsche.

Best of luck
David

 

Some of the posts here say it all already, and many say it better than I can. Get a Ferrari.

The only question now is how passionate about Ferrari are you? Can you spend money on the car to keep it in top shape, using the reasoning "it's my Ferrari". Not a decision made with your head, it’s made with your heart and soul.

 

All these guys who posted there feelings about the 355 have done a great job. The only thing I could add is this. Know matter how bad my day goes all I have to do is go in my garage and just look at my 355, the smile on my face just doesn't come off. Good luck.

If God needed a car it would be a ferrari.

 

Don't let them have the seatbelt pads Demetri!!

 

having traded my 996tt for a 355, my biggest impression is that the 355 is slow in comparison to the turbo. so if off the line speed is what you like, then i would go with the turbo.

 

Simple really, in my opinion...........It's a FEERRRRARRII! I don't even place Porsches in the same league at all. Having owned both (still do if you count the family truckster Cayenne S) there is no mystique with a Porsche, Corvette, or Viper. Granted, I like all the cars just mentioned but the title "no substitute" belongs with the 355.

All I can say is that in my Porsches I felt as though I sat ON the car instead of IN the car. I liked the 911 but always had that slight feel of being in a VW beetle on steroids. In Ferraris you sit IN the car, fits like a glove and MAN the sound alone....WOW


Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear on BBC said at one time "It was the best car in the world ever" referencing the 355.....He has driven many cars I do believe


Get a 355 you'll love it. Won't part with it. And you'll feel unique after passing 40 Porsches a day on your way to work without seeing a single 355.

My 2 cents

 

As a fellow 6Speeder, former Porsche owner, and recent 355 buyer, I can only say this: If you can be talked out of it, don't do it.

But if you are bent on having it and can't be reasoned with, get it. You'll love it and find a way to deal with the kind of misgivings you definitely won't have with the TT.

$0.02

 

Ive got both a 996 tt and a 355 (430 and e36 m3 also). The M3 doesn't do anything particularly well, but it is such a great package i will never sell that car. The 95 F355 is nirvana. Just tonight i let my brother drive it on the way to the restaurant cuz Ive never really heard it (tubi test pipes and exhaust) from outside the drivers seat. I found myself drooling over the sound and looks, forgetting that it was my car and i own it. Its the most balanced car Ive ever driven and after all these years it still gives me a chill, from seeing it in my garage to putting it away for the winter, it is just the most amazing machine ever. The 996TT is insanely fast and stops and handles like crazy, but i wouldn't miss it at all if i had to get rid of it. In my area they're a dime a dozen. Mods can achieve some insane HP numbers but for me the spirit, or the passion, or whatever u want to call it just isn't there.

For me the 996TT has been a good daily driver, although my gripes are road noise is insane, to the point where its impossible to carry on a cell phone conversation and its not the most comfortable car in the world. It maintains a place in my stable because it looks great, performs, and will be my mod car.

Every car enthusiast should own a Ferrari, and in my opinion a 355, before they die.

I just got the 430 this month and so far it is an amazing piece of technology. Ill probably fall in love with it too. But it will never take the place of the F355.

 

Holy crap. Get rid of the Passat.

Yup. Sometimes I think about other cars it would be nice to have, and then I take the 328 out for a drive and I realize a garage without a Ferrari would just be a storage room.

I'd agree (although I like pre-348/355 models more). If you're a car enthusiast, you can either spend your life buying car magazines and posters, or you can get behind the wheel. With the stupid prices of generic new cars now ($40K++ for a BMW 3 series that looks like other 206 BMWs in the parking lot...), the '80s/'90s Ferraris are the painfully obvious choice.

 

RickyN F355,
Nice write up

 

thnx bro!

 

You asked to be talked out of it, not if it was a good decision. Decisions are made from logic and passion. The Porsche is a logic decision, the Ferrari a passionate one. If the passion doesn't grab you by the throat (AKA the Red Mist) then be logical.

The F355 is a ten year old, hand made Italian exotic. When it's good, it's spectacular, but when it's bad - the numbers on the repair bill go up faster than the tach in first gear ). Headers, valve guides, service costs... but oh, that sound!

I'm not at all sure that you can get a fully sorted (headers and valve guides fixed, recent 30k) F355 for $70s. I used to think so, but don't anymore...

But if your heart beats a little faster when it sees a prancing horse, succumb to the charms of the F355 and LIVE!

Remember (when you pay the bills) - a Ferrari will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no Ferrari!!

 

i have a fully sorted 95 355, and i wouldnt let it go for 70, no way.

 

Ditto!

I've spent way too much money sorting my car to sell it for the $70k that it is now worth, but I have seen many very well sorted cars out there in the 70s, so if you look, you will find a good car for that money or less.

 

That is one of the best lines i have ever read! I am yet to put that too the test and i hope i never have to, but if you think about it, it makes sense.

 

I have a 355ch that I have driven on a daily basis for the past year and a half clocking up 25,000 kms. This consists of track and raod work. (play)

The thing that stands out to me about the 355 is a sequence of emotions that no other car can provide,

1 the emotion when seeing the car for the first time each day.
2 sitting in and smelling the 355.
3 starting that engine.
4 putting into 1st gear and off for a fang, that sound is to die for!

When you own and drive a 355 and you notice the envy on everyones face and you realise just how lucky you are.

 

Well, sort of. The factory was pretty automated by the time the 348 was launched - mostly robots, IIRC, although the interiors were/are still done by hand. Still, the 996 feels mass-produced, whereas the 355 doesn't.

That's the problem with selling one of these cars after you've owned it a while. Once you know you've got all the bugs worked out and it's running perfectly, you know it's worth more than the market value... whereas most of the crap on eBay you know is going to need a major cash infusion.

 

you are one of the truly nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to go out with in a 355CH for the day Tony and you have the BEST attitude to Ferrari ownership I have ever seen ..... plus I totally agree on all points bar 4, for me it happens at 100mph changing up at full tilt

we ARE so lucky to be able to go for a drive in these cars whenever we want, the tactile experience is something few other cars can deliver

 

Thank you JM.

 

Most of the fellas on F-chat here have said it best. I looked for a while and found my perfect vehicle. I have owned 98 355 F1 Spider.....and IMO it is a " ****** on Wheels" Its the only Italian mistress that my wife approves of. It is a weekend driver for me and then there is the occasional time during the week I feel the need to enjoy some fresh air with my "Italian Symphony" screaming in the rear (Capristo Exhaust was the best choice for me) As they say "You cant take it with you or spend it from the grave" Find the right car for your need, do research and pull the trigger !!

Cheers.......Jeremy

 

I had a similar progression as you. I went from Boxster, to 996 C2, to 355. I never seriously considered a 996TT as I'm not fond of the heavy AWD feeling of that car.

Here are some reasons not to get a 355:

1. The car is a pain in the ass to drive around town. The car is so low that you cannot avoid scraping the front bumper in certain circumstances. It is extremely harsh over rough roads. I get a high pucker factor every time I see a pothole or manhole cover because I know that I'm only inches away from a bent rim or cracked bumper. The 996 wasn't the most convenient, but the PITA factor of the 355 is much much higher.

2. Draws way too much attention. I'm nervous as hell to park it anywhere because of the crowd it draws. It is extremely common for random people on the road to tailgate, cut you off, and try to strike up conversations. Two or three times a week someone will yell "hey want to trade?!!" at me at a stoplight. Several times I have come out of a restaurant, store, etc., to find people posing for pictures, or filiming movies of themselves in front of the car. I'm flattered and enjoy seeing others' enthusiasm, but I'm worried for the car with people always congregating around it.

3. Repairs are expensive. I bought a fully serviced PPI'd car that had a major engine out 30k only a year before, and I still dropped 4 g's in service/maintenance within the first few months of ownership. Things on these old hand-made cars need replacing/repairing from time to time, and when they do, it's expensive. I knew it was inevitable, but by comparison, I have spent more on repairing the 355 in 6 months than I had on all my Porsches over the last 6 years in the aggregate. And I did track days in the Porsches. That's a little crazy.

I really think the 355 and 996TT are apples and oranges. Coming out of a 355, the 996TT is going to feel like a big heavy GT car. It's fast as balls, no doubt, but the thrill of driving it is nothing compared to the 355.

 

Yep,

Good points but I'd say it all goes with the territory...

IMO-If you drive a 911 in the midwest your gonna get attention, if you drive a 355 around a city like Chicago nobody will really care....Depends on the atmosphere.

I agree it can be annoying, I personally got over the whole picture, envy thing, a long time ago (trust me, it bothered me too)....I decided that I work long hours and weekends to afford nice toys and if somebody wants to drool, fine...If they scratch it, big deal. I'll call the insurance people that take my money on a regular basis and let them deal with it...One more thing I noticed is that the people that drool are usually driving beside you in a new Toyota, or Denali or some other car that they paid 30, 40, or 50 K for wishing they had the taste or savvy to spend it on something that isn't dropping like a rock. Or, it can be the other type that was like me 15 years ago that just wanted to be near one and dream a little in hopes that the owner would talk to me or be willing to let me look at it...
It's just material, they build more every day in Italy...Actually, now I talk to people about the car, let them sit in it, and even let my good customers drive it. I've found that now I am having more fun watching people obtain that *grin from ear to ear* knowing that they'll never forget that car for the rest of there life.....It really is fun and I enjoy sharing the Ferrari

I agree it does sit low, and yes it does scrape. But I'll take all that before working my brains out to pay big money for something that doesn't have any unique qualities, no mystique, and NO value....I proudly drive my 355 EVERY day it's nice, to and from the hangar.

When I walk out at night to leave work and I see it on the ramp, I say to myself......Man, I love that car and I never even for a second think about what I spend! It just doesn't matter


Keep in mind- I bought this last year and spent 25K on an engine overhaul and tons of other things to make it perfect. If it were a Porsche I'd have dumped it as fast as possible!!!!!!
After spending all that on what we all fear, I still love it!!!!!!!!