Why no bids on this 348?

I have a few thoughts...

1. I like the color, but its not "resale red." That could cause slow bid action.

2. Also... When eBay sellers put a straight up price ($39,995 in this case) and no reserve, I find that people just dont "sport bid" near as much. There is just a general lack of commitment.

Now I like that, because it weeds out the eBay dorks, but it sure slows down the bid counter.

3. Miles may be considered too high by some.

4. Next is the sellers lack of a rating. Smart buyers watch for that. This seller is not even "registered." Just another few reasons not to bid.

I would guess that this auction is just being used as a cheap ad to gather interest in the car. They will most likely sell the car off of a phone call from the auction. Not a bad way to do it.

BTW, the car looks like a fair enough buy to me.

 

Hey Matt,

Whatever happened to the 348 with those 19 inch wheels from Illinois you were thinking about anyhow?

Did you call that number I gave you. I found out the owners name was actually Al. Just wondered if that # worked for you & what you found out.

 

Three reasons:

1. Color. Stupid, but resale red probably matters. My 348 is black/tan, and personally, I think white is not the most favorable color for the body shape. Interior appears blue.

2. Miles. 49K isn't a big deal -- in fact, it might be an asset to an educated buyer. But, see #3.


3. Service records! If this baby is due for a 30K, and there's no paperwork for the first 49,000 miles, it's a safe bet we're looking at 5K to get it done. Still, at 45K it's not a bad deal --- just a slow mover.

My 13 pennies...

-Daniel

 

Probably the biggest reason is the way the auction is set up. Bid means buy, so people think there is no deal to be had.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the color, but a white 348 in person does not look bad IMO, I just like the black ones better. The car most likely needs a service. At 40k plus the 5k you'll end up with a good car at a fair price if it is as nice as it seems in the pictures.

I would not be afraid of the miles, I had a 348 with 80k miles when I sold and it ran great, tracked straight, and handled awesome! The 348 have a very good and durable drivetrain. For mid fifties you can buy a garage queen, but it will probably cost you more than 5k in the first year as you have to go everything that has dried out.

 

1990 was the first year for the 348, and I've heard of horror stories with the early 348s. On the other hand, after 14 years and 49,000 miles I would think that most of the problems (if any) will have been taken care of by now. But the model's reputation may precede it.......

 

Huh? I thought the first year was 1989 -- and those are the cars to avoid (at least "they" say so) because of the 2.5 motronic.

I'm learning there sure is a lotta crap involved in Ferrari world. These things must have been touched by the hand of God, because rational car buyers wouldn't stand a chance in these waters. Pundits everywhere, drivers are scarce.


-Daniel

 

Most of the problems taken care of by now? That is a huge "IF"....I certainly would not count on it. There are plenty of crappy, unsorted examples of Ferraris out there...even for the good years....there is no way, with any certainty, that the owner did anything than drive it...I think the operative phrase is "I would HOPE the most of the problems (if any) will have been taken care of by now."

Bottom line, 348's are definitely one of the best performing bargains in the Ferrari world, if chosen and purchased prudently. I personally don't care for the look that strongly, or I would have one. I do like the look of a red/tan ts with 355 wheels though....but then I figure I might as well get a 355GTS.

 

"89" was the first year. They were made from 89 to 93. As cheap as this car is what does it matter how much the service costs. Even if you had to spend $10K sorting it out, it would still be a good buy. That is the beauty of the 348, they are so cheap you can afford to drive it every day and not worry about it. I've put almost 40K miles on mine in 2 years and have loved every minute of it. It has not been the problem everyone said it would be either. In fact, it has been as dependable as my last car which was new.

 

Read the feedback in the ebay ad - the seller refused to complete the deal on a Mercedes listed earlier. Not a good recommendation. And I hate it when the description isn't accurate, as in saying the 348 has driver and passenger airbags, which it don't.

Otherwise, the car looks fine, although the blue interior makes me cringe.

 

Actually, it might be the color combo. Not so much that it's white, but that the interior is blue, and doesn't look that great.
That's what would get me. I like this car, but the interior color sucks for this car.
I also agree with Jack Russell, drive these damn cars! 49k miles is nothing if it still runs good! If anything I would think the mileage shows that this is a reliable car. It's probably just broken in.

 

Some people think that "high" miles is anywhere from 2000 to 3000 a tear on a Ferrari with less than 1000 miles per year being preffered. I think that for these modern cars your best bet is a car that has been driven in the high mile category and been faithfully serviced. So the mileage is not too high given the year and total mileage, it seems to have been a driver.

 

AHHHHHRRG, DAVE! TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK!

 

Is it just me, or in white it looks like a Toyota??

 

sometimes, for whatever reason, no one bids. As was the case on the 308 I eventually acquired.