What do you guys think of this F355 (ZFFXR48A8V0107475) on eBay?

looks a little rough
service records would be a good starting point

 

A cheap 355 can become an expensive 355. I give the seller credit for taking a lot of pictures of the problems and being open about them but IMO, $35K (current bid) is already too much...

You are better off finding a clean, well maintained car IMO.

 

Almost doesn't look like it was fixed lol.

For the right price i would buy a salvage 355, ive seen several for sale in the past years that looked imaculate for around the price of yours. The one you listed need so much work you might as well buy good titled car.

-The bumper has holes in it,
-the right door was definitely repainted (indicating both more damage then he is saying and the repairs were 2nd rate quality)
-missing parts like the front fog lights, i would imagine the lower plastics are gone too.
- if he hasn't fixed simple things like the lights, he probably hasn't fixed.... well anything, including the more expensive parts.
-its missing the OEM wheels ($4,000 to replace) and instead has IMO the ugliest wheels ive ever seen on a ferrari. Were all 4 wheels damaged in the crash?


Run...

 

For a little more in price, you will get a lot more in car .... also from what I understand .. rebuilt or salvage titles are difficult to get 'fully' insured if at all ... so if you get in an accident where the car is 'totaled' ... you will not be reimbursed .... however you may be reimbursed if you are hit by another vehicle (if the other driver is at fault and they have insurance), but I am not certain to what degree or how that exactly would work out .....

Save your dough and get one with a good title .... hell, I may be parting with my nero spider in the not too distant future ....

 

Branded for life. Parts car at best...Pass.

 

Beyond the branded title this is an abused rough car....factor in the cost of restoring "everything" and yet still having tainted title......simply not worth the current asking price.
This is a parts car at best.

 

Pass...

 

I wouldn't put the money needed into this car with its salvage history.

If it was just a car that had been fixed its one thing. This car has been abused because its had a salvage title.

What do you think it costs for new leather and a new top? If thats all thats wrong with it


I'm not afraid of salvage cars especially if I do the work but this car is a pile.

 

Even if you know what you are doing, this car will cost you minimum $15K in parts alone to put right. There are better sorted cars out there for less with a clean title and sure service trail. This 355 is worth $30K MAX to a DIY buyer. So evaluate based on that.

 

this board is sooo fickle. In another thread people urge someone to buy back and repair/invest in a recently wrecked car (which will end up with a salvage title) and in another say run for the hills about another salvage titled car....

That being said and I'm fond of building equity into orphan/project cars but this one is a pass! There is too much paint work, upholstery and tons of little items not to mention service to nickle and dime this thing into "massively upside" down territory.

Only thing that would make sense for this car is buy it no more than $30k, DONT fix a thing and collect the insurance when it burns to the ground... If you are ok with that plan (driving as is) then have fun. This car can easily eat up $20k-$30k on top of the purchase price and for that money you can find a good title car in much better condition and long term value.

IMO there are cheap ferraris worth the risk and others that are not... this one is a not

 

You say were fickle but you agree? maybe we all are ha


Erics car was pristine, this one is literally trashed
erics car was ultra rare, this one although a ferrari, is run-of-the-mill spider
Erics car just needed the crash damage fixed, this one is still damaged, and quite frankly every aspect of the car needs serious attention


I think thats why insurance wont cover salvage cars in most cases, other wise yes, go crash it.

 

Too rough for me too !!

 

Car is not an F1 so I would pass.

 

New leather throughout - $8K min
Windshield (+ trim) - $3K min
Front valence (fiber repair and paint) - $5K min (to have it done well)

These three things are ones I have personal experience with.

So you're already over $15K before you touch the side rocker and top.
The hood also needs work.

And all this before you even have a look at the powerplant, which as others have said, if the rest of the car got treated this badly, I highly doubt the engine is trouble free. I wouldn't be surprised if another $15-$20K is found necessary there. That would bring the car into the $65K range. Not too bad for a sorted spider... BUT... you still have a salvage title and those numbers above might be conservative. There's a reason someone is trying to dump this off "on the cheap"... so it will be someone else's problem. If you have money to burn and for some reason *really* want a not-super-rare black/tan spider as a project then I can see the appeal. If you want an enjoyable Ferrari right off the truck... no F'ing way.

 

There is a difference in a 355 that is salvaged and a 355 that has been raped. Salvage or not. This one, even with a clear title, has been molested by a sex offender of third degree. I have had salvage cars that were in better shape than most clean title 355s. The title and the condition of this vehicle are two independent factors to be considered.

 

I saw this car on eBay earlier today and actually got in touch with the guy. His name is Nick. He is a super nice guy, seems rather clueless (has no idea what a CarFax is, and doesn't even know how to take pictures on his cell). The car was originally purchased 2/10/97 in PA with 78 miles, next item in the history is 3/31/00 in VA with 5825 miles, then 12/26/00 in MD with 6802 miles, then it went to CA with 12570 miles some time before December 2005. in September 2012 something happened (likely a major accident), as the mileage went "exempt". The next item shows it at at Copart auction in April of 2013. Six months for insurance to determine what to do with the carcass and assume ownership is accurate from my experience. Somebody did some work on it in OK for three years, then Nick got it. I ran the NICB check today, no theft...but salvage, salvage, salvage.

I have to give the guy credit for being upfront with the car. It does have lots and lots of problems. I've restored several cars so the cosmetics aren't an issue (salvage title really frees you from trying to make things super correct), but someone in this thread mentioned the possibility of the car being "raped" mechanically since it has a salvage title. I know some bonehead somewhere has been screwing around since it has some ridiculous looking pinstriping on the intakes, and hoses have been routed incorrectly and attached with cheap parts store worm gear clamps. I anticipated doing a major then just driving as is, then parting out when something major ate itself. This car is a true parts car.

However, due to the sage advice contained in this thread, I believe I will hold out for a better example even at twice the price. Thanks all

 

I was wondering the same thing.

I've had the desire for years to set up high value italian auto salvage...there were a few parts on that car that could have made the purchase price plus a few dollars at a $25K buy-in. If I had that car, I'd be desperate to sell...if somebody waved $25K in my face cash I'd nearly break my arm trying to grab it.

There's no record of it in the F355 Registry, most of the discussion has been post-crash and only when searching by VIN.

 

How about the spider currently on BAT? It looks a a really nice car without a lot interest. Or maybe some folks are holding back until the last minute?

12k-Mile 1997 Ferrari F355 Spider 6-Speed | Bring a Trailer