shmark

The guy I bought my 308 from is 6'3" and while I won't say he fit well, he owned it for twelve years and did put a few miles on it. I'm 6'1" and it fits me like a fine Italian glove. 348/355 has more room, but again it's really the 360 when Ferrari really got it together. Very high performance, good use of technology, reasonable service costs (for a Ferrari) and plenty of room. 550 also has a ton of room inside -buddy of mine is 6'7" and a 550 is what he wants more than anything.

mj1pate

I don't think its been mentioned yet; I would recommend the "T" model Mondial, made from 1989 until the end of the series. This was the most powerful, practical and mechanically/electrically modernized version and the convertible looks contemporary today. So much is different between this series and the earlier Mondials that they are totally different vehicles. The longitudinally mounted engine on its own subframe eliminates the onerous nature of periodic maintenance. The convertible just look damn good and you can drive with your sweetheart, luggage and munchkins (if you have them) on a day drive without aches. Good luck in your search.....

Oh.....and the most pristine example fits your budget

Ispeed

F40

shmark

A Mondial will be more 928-like because of the tiny back seats, and they are available in a convertible. But there are differing opinions on the model. A Mondial t is basically the same car as a 348 and will have similar maintenance schedules. A Mondial 3.2 is like a 328 and will be much cheaper to maintain for the same style as the t. Either way, you'd better buy it very well because you will own it a long time. Great cars, but very hard to sell.

VehiGAZ

Oh, so I'm the bad guy again?? Well, say goodnight to the bad guy!

Blame my wife - she started it when we saw a 308 recently and she asked, "Do you think you would ever want to own a Ferrari?" Heh-heh... well since you asked, honey...

tv

a beautiful car - https://rennlist.com/forums/6324638-post23.html




and a good laugh - https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...ng-at-s4s.html

VehiGAZ

Thanks to everyone for all the great feedback! I especially appreciate the input from the current and former f-car owners.

I am a perfectly-average 5'9" so I'll fit into all of them.

Nix on the Mondial - not my cup of tea, especially considering the resale problem. And I want to be able to get OUT of it!

Looks like I should focus on 308/328, 348, and 355 models.

Mixster - that's a fine one you found there!! Too bad I'm not ready to pounce. I'd be happy getting a deal on a car with a paperwork blemish or non-dealer servicing, as long as I can find a buyer down the road that feels the same way.

atb

I'd vote for the 400i in a five speed.
My only experience with F-cars is the 355. I've got to be honest, the biggest thrill was knowing I was driving a Ferrari, but if I had been blind folded and dropped in the car and asked to evaluate it to a 928, I would have given the 928 the nod as being a more visceral driving experience.
Compared to a 928 the 355:
Had very slow steering, and the wheel angled back so I felt like I was driving a bus.
Brakes had very little assist compared to the 928, I almost rolled passed the first stop sign I came to.
All the pedals were bunched up and mounted off to the right.
Really the first time that I've been in a V8 car that bogged like a 2 stroke when not on the pipe. The motor doesn't dig very deep, but there is something to be said for shifting at 8Krpms.
From the inside, it didn't have a great sounding engine.

Sorry for the sacrilegious statements to all the 355 fans out there, I know they are a well respected machine, but I guess that's why I own a 928.

James Bailey

V-8 Ferraris run and sound like two angry little 4 cylinder engines which of course is what they are.....Drove/ worked on son in laws 308 ....did not bother to drive his TR . Drove daughters Pantera it got a $7,500 engine rebuild doing a 351C "right" can take a lot of parts. They recently bought another Pantera hopefully it runs well I did not ask them to start it.

polecat702

My 928 is about as exotic as I wanna get. IMHO, the only Ferrari that does anything for me other than a 246 Dino GT, is the 612. Beautiful car, long, low, and elegant.

Andre Hedrick

Nice 308 or 328gt!

However, the 246 Dino makes a monster woody!

William A

I think it is hard for a 928 enthusiast used to the grunt of its V8 to understand the otherworldly howl at high RPM and the serious lack of torque under 3k RPM of the Ferrari V8's. You just drive the cars differently and they offer vastly different experiences. the 348/355 are the last of the "small" body Ferraris. I personally love the 355 for all its reputed issues, and aesthetically I find it the best looking Ferrari in the last 20 years until the new 458 Italia.

Our German engineers emphasized comfort at any speed, and Ferrari on the most viscerally stirring experience from the driver's seat as well as from the curb. Lots more compromises with the FCars, but the experience is pithy and unforgetable.

Come on, this photo isn't even from the best angle of this car! No, it's not mine. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to own it.

Drive some models that interest you, talk to owners, mechanics, and buy what moves you and fits your budget. Remember the expense of almost any Ferrari isn't the purchase price... not to terribly different than a 928 but with an "upshift".
W

tmpusfugit

I realize this does not play to the original question, but to the point of soft market and sports car pricing;

There are some buys even in Ferrari's these days. An aquaintance here in Houston recently picked up a 1999 fly yellow 355 convt (Spyder) with 7000 miles for under $30k. The car is perfect inside and out. However, his first official service after he bought it included a required timing belt change, it evidently requires dropping the entire engine/transaxle module to do the belt change. The belt was $86 and the R&R was just under $9800.

And as others have suggested the 355 is entirely different beast from a 928. It's 3.5 liter V8 engine with 5 valves per cylinder sounds a bit strange to me, and it is certainly low on torque at lower RPM's. It starts to wake up at about 4k rpm's. I don't think I would like to use it as a DD in traffic, not fun stop and go.....

Oh by the way, the original owner of the 355 was trying to pawn it....the pawn shop owner called my aquaintance and linked them up....the pawn shop doesn't take cars....

shmark

Very true, the 928 is much more American V8 in its delivery with plenty of torque down low and that deep 8-cylinder thrum. My car is loud enough that I've had people ask me if I had a 350 in it. Ouch. If you're used to that lazy pull from nothing, and that means "performance" to you, then you might not get Ferraris. James is right, a flat-crank Ferrari engine is two small 4-cylinders engaged in a fight, and when pushed they create a howl like nothing else. The 355 is probably the pinnacle of that sound, this side of an F1 car, with a small size and 5 valves per cylinder. The 360/430/458 have larger engines, fewer valves and sound different. You have to push a Ferrari engine over four grand before it wakes up and then it's like nothing else on the planet. Incredible. It's also incredible that they are still so docile to drive in traffic. I drove my 308 over 850 miles and while the 4k rpm cruise at 75mph can be a little droning, you get used to it. And it was completely easy to drive as a highway car.

Marine Blue

So I took the 928 out last night since they're forecasting rain for the entire weekend. The combination of cooler air and humidity really helped spotlight how Porsche has massaged the GT engines. The GT has its first burst of torque around 3000 RPM and it winds up to quickly to about 4000 RPM and then somewhat backs off. THen at 4500 its like a turbo kicks in and it pushes you back in the seat a second time. It keeps pulling and pulling to redline. The beauty of it is the chassis handles the power so easily and you really only appreciate this car when you're hammering on it.

I've gone for rides in 308's and I am convinced that part of the beauty of of the older Ferrari's is the crazy sound they make and the attack on the senses. The 928 is an opposite, you really have to push it to get the adrenaline pumping.