WHAT A DILEMMA

Until you drive them, don't be so quick to pass judgement. I think they're perfect candidates for your situation...

 

based only on what you said, i would advise you to not buy one. no sense buying one and worrying all the time. but, the 355 isn't that bad if you buy one that has been well maintained throughout its life. before i looked more closely at testarossas, i thought they were the least reliable ferraris out there. did some reading here and it turned out they aren't bad--if they've been maintained. same goes for the 355. your buddy may have gotten stuck with a bad apple. don't let it discourage you. i was just saying today to my mom, if i sold the TR and bought a jag e-type, i would miss the sturdy ferrari reliabilty!

john

 

Buying a Ferrari should be a luxury item, not something to spend your entire savings on. As hard as it might be, I would advise you to only buy one if you have a least an equal amount or more saved.

Just my opinion.

 

Forget spending the whole 80K on it. You'll resent it. Get an early B that has been sorted and serviced for 65K and play the odds.

 

355's can quickly go bad to the tune of $10,000-25,000 in repairs. Not my personal experience, but that of many friends here who have dealt with cracked headers, valve guides, F1 transmission issues, etc

If you have $80k, there are other options like Testarossas, the aforementioned 328/348's, maybe even a 330 or a 365GTC/4 if you look hard. But if your breaking point is $80k, I'd be weary to get a 355, because a $75k 355 can become a $90k car PDQ.

I'd say get a nice TR in the mid-$60's and save the other $15k for repairs and maintenance over 2-3 years.

 

That car is clean and the miles are low (the red/tan) but remember, even if they are ok now, those manifolds tend to crack! It needs a challenge grill 1K so keep that in mind. They are reputable so you can trust them. Work the R&R into the deal and let them do it. I'd still try to pay in the mid to high 60's for that car.....SORTED.

 

Perforated rear grill to aid in engine compartment ventilation (from challenge race car). It also looks better IMO.
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The 365GT4 2+2's and successor 400 Series cars are screaming 4-cam V12 beasts, in a luxurious package. You can get a very nice one for around or under $40K, a fixer-upper (expect to spend near the purchase price again) in the mid-low 20's. Either way, you've got a kick-ass classic road Ferrari, $10K in your car fund, and $30K leftover in savings.

 

Bought a 355 about 6 months and 4000 miles ago. After 3000 miles the oil got dirty and I had to change it... no other problems!

Research your purchase, then spend good money to get a good car - one that's already been sorted out.

 

A HA!!!! So THAT'S where you got the username!!! :

 

If you really want a Ferrari bad enough - buy the best one you can find for 60k and keep the 20k in reserve for problems that may arise- You really should consider a 328 though because they have got to be one of the least painful Ferraris to own and give a lot of bang for the buck. I would deal with that for a few years and graduate to a newer model. Remember, newer models dont mean less maintainence or mor trouble free. In fact some of the older models have less costly gadgetry to go wrong with.

 

Sounds like you're just SOL

 

328 is about the only Ferrari I know of that will be cheap to run, in 4 years of ownership of mine other than a belt change all I have had to do is charge the a/c and change a tensioner pulley for the water pump aside from oil changes, you wont find a cheaper more reliable Ferari period.

The 355 I am buying I anticipate some expensive things happening to it, its okay because I'll do the labor myself but its still gonna cost as they have known issues and parts aren't cheap.

 

These are the very reasons I preach learning mechanics and doing your own service. I grew up in a poor community, and learned early on how to take care of things. Handing over hard earned money for someone else to do something you can do yourself is kind of rediculous when you have to put food on the table. I know some people claim to have no mechanical aptitude, but there are plenty of people who learned it anyway. And just because someone has mechanical aptitude does not guarantee they make a better mechanic. Many times just the oposite is more true. But all the guys I knew growing up who had the nicest and hottest cars, did thier own work. And I see the exact same thing is true here in Ferrari land.

With $80K at your disposal, you could have a $65K 355, a nice hoist, a very extensive compliment of "decent" tools, including a big air compressor, parts washer, etc... And still have money left over to buy parts you may need. Educate yourself and the process becomes much much simpler. Most of the big money being spent on these cars simply involves a lot of labor. Maybe as little as 10-25% of the cost involves actual parts. I have seen people learn aircraft and auto mechanics that had virtually no mechanical aptitude at all, and most made damn good mechanics. Just dont forget to keep opening a manual instead of bulldogging your way through, and most everybody will be just fine.

 

I think changing oil is okay for non mechanical types or possibly plugs provided they don't strip the plug holes from overtightening them or starting the plugs sideways but I think any major work on a Ferrari requires mechanical skill and experience, everything needs to be perfect on them or you will end up causing $1000s in damage, I recall reading a few threads on guys attempting cam belt changes themselves and had catastrophic results, one titled" Forgive Me Enzo For I Have Sinned " comes to mind never to be heard from again after he crashed a few pistons. Ferraris are not easy cars to work on and even the experts mess up.