WTB: 355 or Modded 996 TT

Good luck with your search make sure you check out Ferraiads.com at the top of the page...

 

I don't think this is the car for you. You could be hit with a 5 figure repair bill at any time. Plus there's no practical way to get more performance out of it.

If you are REALLY trying to compare this 375 hp car vs. a 500+ hp 996TT......they are just too different.

I have a 996TT and they are awesome sledgehammers..........the 355 is a scalpel.

 

Rad, I happen to have a 996TT for sale - 2001 Lapis blue and nearly perfect with 15, 200 miles. The only mod is lowered suspension with adjustable coil over shocks. You can do the rest. It won't cost $70K either. PM me if interested.

Vince

 

Repair bills can hit any car at any time--you never know, so please don't let that scare you off...If you are interested in a 355--there are plenty of Spiders out there for the pickings....

 

Have you considered an NSX??? .................... j/k!!!

 

I have gone through the same dilemma while back; and the F355 prevailed. Yeah, 996TT is pretty much bullet prove, and much much faster. But it is just that... not a true exotic car IMHO. Best of luck! Buy what makes you happy, if you worry about repair bill, any Italian is gonna be not your type of ride.

 

I would first think about what you want out of the car. If it is tons of torque and 0 to 60, you need to buy the Porsche. The 355 will be a very different experience overall. They are reliable for the most part, but if you own the car for a period of time you will be hit with a major and things do happen, so the repairs will likely be more over your ownership. I know an owner of a 355 spider that did not have a proper PPI done and bought a cheap car, his repair bill was almost $20k and he still has a cheap/rough car. Everything was wrong with the car, just be careful, Ferrari ownership is wonderful, just do it right.

 

After 5 years of 355 ownership I am still quite happy. But let's call it what it is: It is not just the "major stuff". The F Car compared to a Porsche will nickel and dime you to death. How is it that people spend thousands to get their tops to function correctly. Do a search and you will see the countless number of people who have went to put the top down on their Spideer, just to have the seats get stuck in the forward position. Here is the bottom line:

Pros: "Affordable", "reliable" exotic car.
Incredible sound.
Incredible looks.

Cons:
Air conditoning sucks.
Windows rattle.
Top design is horrible and costly to repair.
Leather on the dash shrinks.
Headers, cats=$10K
5year service =$8K
Interior parts get gummy.

There, that is it.

I do love the car though.

 

Have you driven both yet? I think you need to put in some seat time in both first which I did before my purchase. Two different animal. 996TT is a speed machine and can take on anything on the street, and everybody wants to race him (996TT). F355 is a super model wherever she goes, and everybody wants to own her (F355, especially when she screams above 6,000 rpm) my $.02

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ferrari-355-Berlinetta-1999-Ferrari-355-F1-Berlinetta-Low-Miles-Clean-LowRsr_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6212QQihZ008QQitemZ180209839179QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

This seems to be a good buy, but not my color and no indication of timing belt replacement from the description.

 

If you intend on driving it to work, I'd vote for the Porsche. Regardless of price being equal, with an F-Car you are perceived as rich, while a porsche is almost expected for a physician.

 

Point well taken. Did not think of that one, but good one at that.

 

I daily drive my F355 8 months out of the year, as long as you get a car that was driven and keep up with maintenance you should be fine minus occasional problems like Manifolds, Valve Guides ( should already be taken care of on the car you buy though), F1 pump ( if applicable usually it is just the relays), and a few other minor inconveniences like sticky dash.

Don't let maintenance cost scare you from driving one, however you will be perceived as having too much money you will get ALOT of attention both positive and negative.

 

i traded out of a 996tt into a 355 sp. while i certainly miss the get up and go of the porsche, the spider just wins hands down. just so much more involving and inspirational, and what kind of price tag can you put on that?
as far as being a physician and worrying what patients will say, dont sweat it, i'm a dentist and my patients just want to know about it and look at it, yet to have negative feedback from a patient. oh yeah, i drive mine to work every chance i get(no rain)and park it right out front with everybody else.

 

Sounds like you have owned a couple of pretty good Porsche's already like most of us here have. Time to step on up like we did.

ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF S ONE OF US

Never underestimate the power of the Dark side or forever will it dominate yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou..... cheers mate.

 

I think one of the things you’re leaving out in this equation is deprecation. I just went through the same argument myself but in my case it was 996 Turbo or 348 to replace my 993. Although the maintenance costs of the Ferrari are scary, it seems that Ferrari’s (even the lowly 348) are as depreciation proof cars as can be found. I look at it as higher maintenance costs than the Porsche but much less deprecation tipping the balance in favor of Ferrari in the long run.

 

For the past two years and I think for the next several, there is/will be more depreciation in latter year 355s ('98 & '99) than in early year 996TTs. The 997TT pushed 996TT prices down hard 3 years ago, and prices are now close to stabilized because they are bumping against lesser cars like the C4S (Turbo wannabe).

OTOH, the 360 prices falling like a rock right now is pushing 355 prices down with it. The same '99 355 spider that sold for $115k two years ago when I was looking to pull the trigger (I decided to shoot myself in the head instead) are now in the low $90s......ouch

 

Shark, I think you are talking about the Spyder market. There are plenty of Spyder to choose from for the last 6-12 months, and the GTB and GTS only has been 10-20% of the supply. I don't see much of the fall for couple of GTS anymore; as a matter of fact, the ferrarimarket indicate the coupes are actually rising in price in5-8% over the last couple years. Of course, there are the off color and no maint. record cars suffer further deprication. As far as mint condition coupe will slowly rise toward or surpass the lesser 360 price in a few years IMHO...

 

No, I'm talking about the coupe definately and POSSIBLY the GTS market as well. The 360 coupe will keep shoving the 355 coupe down, just like the 360 coupe is shoving the 355 spider down (there's too big a spread to the 360 spider to be in play). The GTS alone may be different, because they're not made anymore......but you won't see a 355 GTS sell for more than a 360 spider, ever I don't think, they're just too similar. Now I could see where you might want a 355 GTS than a 360 coupe.

Long term, I don't think any normal variant of the 355 is rare enough (special models excepted) to be a collectable more so than the other normal variants. Its not like the 360/360CS debate........where the 360CS will DEFINATELY outpace the 360 forever.

 

Let's be clear that I don't mean to suggest that any of the cars mentioned are collectable. Only that the Porsche has a steeper deprecation curve than the Ferrari. For example, I paid about $5,000 more for my 348 than I would have 6 years ago when I bought the Porsche while at the same time the Porsche deprecated about $9,000.

In the end it has to be personal preference. Personally, I found that although the 996 Turbo was a great car, I found myself wondering whether I was driving the car or whether the car was driving me. I also could not put up with the cheap plastic interior of the 996. The Ferrari on the other hand, at least in my view, offered a greater degree of driver involvement.

 

I'm thinking that both the 996TT and 355 are still depreciating, but it is getting to the point that either might stop soon. The Porsche is probably going to reduce more eventually, but how low can a supercar go?! The bang for the buck is quite substantial. 355's are pretty well down the curve and it is hard to believe they have much more to depreciate despite their greater maintenance demands and cost.

Ferrari's are truly engaging to drive and a whole lot more fun, although they lack the explosive acceleration of the Turbo. I prefer the Ferrari handling since I cannot get the hang of the proper cornering methodology for a rear heavy, high torque beast. You can do it with practice, but who wants to relearn how to drive?

To truly be happy with the Ferrari you need to have the bug and feel the siren's call. If you feel it is a mistress you are sneaking away with every time you drive her, then you may have it. If you want a hot performance car, then maybe the Turbo is better for you. It all depends on your persepctive.