Thinking of getting into a 348, maintenance concerns

Check out some threads from the past that might help.

I'm moving your thread to the Classic section, where you're more likely to get help.

 

From the NSX to a 348 ? Not a good move ....if you can stretch to a 355 then the 'extra' maintenance issues for ANY Ferrari would be less of a bitter pill to swallow... JMO.

 

Having been a driver of 3 different NSXs and a 348 tb, I can tell you this:

-Nothing goes wrong with the NSX. It is utterly reliable.
-Little things will break on the 348 that will need fixing. (Remember, all Ferraris are expensive to maintain because of both faulty design and absurdity in the cost of parts.)

BUT:

-The 348 will put MUCH bigger smiles on your face than the NSX did: it's faster, and it's a better sports car. And it's a Ferrari

Why, you ask? Well, the NSX has NO POWER--neither by modern standards nor by the standards of the day. You will find that the engine and the gearing in the 348 will make for a much more lively driving experience. Ohhh, and the sound!

If maintenance bothers you, then the 348 is not for you. Little things will go wrong, but nothing major if you find a good one. If you are the kind of person who says to himself, "yea, there are little issues with the 348, but the reward I get from driving the car outweighs the inconvenience of having to fix them,"--if you are one of those people, then get the 348. It's a better sports car than the NSX. If you're not one of those people, and if you see fixing problems as a huge burden, then stick with the NSX. It's a great car also.

Oh and one more thing:

As for your inquiry about the 348 being a daily driver, remember that it doesn't have power steering. In my opinion, that makes the car great. You may or may not agree. But it might create a disincentive to take the car to the grocery store or other parking lots. I don't think the 348 is a good daily driver, but it's a good daily sports car, and could be driven all day (if that distinction makes sense).

I know when I want to run out to the store I leave the 348 behind because I don't see a reason to further expose it to morons in parking lots. The 348 is also very low in the front, so taking the time to be extra careful on aprons sometimes makes taking the car to the store not at all worth it.

 

Totally agree. I've never had an NSX so cannot compare, but I bought a Boxster S for my wife which has only slightly more soul than an NSX IMHO. Perfectly competent car, fast, handles great, looks pretty good now with the big wheels on it, but utterly boring.

I've had some non-trivial issues with my 348 spider, but that all fades away as soon as I take the cover off of it and fire it up. Best money I've ever spent on anything. But it ain't my daily driver, either...

Cheers
Kevin

 

I had a 348 TS and have driven/spent time with NSXs. There is no comparison. IMHO the 348 all the way. You should have seen the smile on my face the first few times I drove my 348. If you do your own work it isn't too bad. My 348 maintainence costs were fairly minimal. Most of my work was working on electrical issues which is all labor for the most part and since I do my own work well you know. IMHO the 348s are reliable. I would find one that has the usual updates, 2.7 motronic, Nippon Denso Alt., etc. My only real issue with the 348 is how low the front spoiler is. I would scrape it more often than I wanted to. You need to think about which way you are going to enter the parking lot or the like if there is any option of different entrances. (to minimize the risk of scraping it)
Now if you just like a car that requires minimal driver/owner involvement then I don't think any Ferrari is for you. Especially, a 348 requires you to get involved and know about your car. A honda IMO doesn't.
Sometimes I miss my 348. It is a great car.

 

After I worked out a couple of initial problems, my 348's been as reliable as any Honda on the road.

 

From Road & Track 1/91:

NSX 348
0-60 5.7 6.0
1/4 mile 14.0 14.3
80-0 220ft 250ft
slalom 64.8 62.8

I have run with NSX's on road courses. Given equal drivers, and 2 stock cars, my money is on the NSX.

Dave

PS: I believe NSX's also had manual steering, though with a lighter feel than a 348. Someone else should be able to settle that.

 

i have had over the last 15 years 2 bmw's, 4 porsches incl. 996 turbo and this 348 i own is , by far the most enjoyable car i ever owned....it will be a keeper until i give it to my son (he's 3 yr.s old)

 

If you plan on putting 130,000 miles on a 348, you can also plan on spending ALOT of money. Since you are a stickler for maintenance, according to the owners manual, the engine out major needs to be done every 52,500 miles. The dealers recomend every 30,000 miles, or three years. If you don't do your own work and plan on having a dealer do the work for you, they charge between $100 & $130 per hour, depending on who you go to. For the engine out major you will get quoted from $5,000 - $7,000 for the job. The tires on the 348 don't last any longer than on the NSX, because of the negative camber in the rear tires. So you won't save any money there. As others have said little things break all the time on the cars, so you will be forking out money just to keep the car up. Then there are the big things that break. One of the most common is the clutch and flywheel. Lets say it is the worst case and you have to buy a new flywheel. The flywheel, for only the part, will cost a minimum of $3,000, and the clutch is about $1,400. Again that is only for the parts. Basicly, it can get WAY EXPENSIVE to own a Ferrari.

It isn't hard to attain a Ferrari. The hard part is maintaing a Ferrari. So unless you have the money to spend, or can do your own work, stick with the NSX.

 

One thing not mentioned is TRAFFIC. If your going to be sitting in it allot the 348 will hate you for it and you won't like it either. But then I can't see driving any F car everyday anyway...Takes the special occasion out of it. Use an appliance for point A to point B, and the Ferrari to have fun in.

 

About the tires...

It's funny... I had expected my rear tires to last only about 7,000 miles because of the camber. I have put 8,000 miles on my tires and they look as if they are brand new. That probably has something to do with the fact that I drive like an old man Seriously, I do drive the speed limit most of the time since I seem to be the guy to whom cops love to give tickets.

So the tires will wear in accordance with the way you drive. I think my rear tires will last about 15,000-20,000 miles.

 

What he said.

Unfortunately I've had an easier time finding the appliance and the Ferrari has been elusive. But someone rear-ended my Jeep Appli -- er, Liberty -- up in LA last month. If they'd bumped my Benz, I would've burned a valve (or the coronary sort).

J

 

are you running the P-Zero's or the Bridgestones?

 

for a better sounding nsx add comptech headers and a tubi. that's what i did. i like to go for a ride just to listen to the car. you didn't say where you live and how important a/c is to you or how long your commute etc. 348 owners speak up about the a/c. that is the most critical thing for a daily driver/commuter. all i can say is my red/black nsx cools down nicely even after sitting outside for hours in the south florida sun. pre 95 nsx do have manual steering. the reason i got my nsx was so i could drive to work one day and to the track the next only having to switch tires. a stock nsx is an extremely competent track car. and it's japanese so it doesn't break. which is what i need for a daily driver. that said my fun car is a 1971 fiat dino spider 2400. so i can tell you all about vintage italian car ownership and parts made of unobtanium.

 

Factory-spec P-Zeros.

 

Buy the Ferrari-any one you can afford, or maybe almost afford. Drive it til it breaks. Fix it. Drive it til it breaks again. Fix it again. Life's too short and uncertain to "settle".
The guy that has dings and scratches is certainly enjoying his car more than the guy who keeps a car perfect for the next owner!