curt_928

Get the FCar! I'm somewhat surprised to hear a 928 owner commenting how expensive Ferrari's are to own... coming from a 928 owner. Mine has been rock solid and easier to work on than my 79 928! The 308 is a cool car.. I'm entertaining one in the future to add to my stable. The only people that have the $10,000 repair bills are the guys that take the car to the stealership and let the stealership give it to them without vaseline. If you do most of the work on your car it will be fine. If you have owned a 928, you can manage anything.
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79 928 silver/blk 5sp
02 Boxster blk/blk/blk 5sp
99 360 Modena Rosso/Nero Gated 6sp

pcar928fan

^^^^^
You should check the prices at the local shop that works on many F-cars here in Austin... Holy crap!! He also works on P-car, but very few go there as the bill will cause a heart attack! He built my race car and he did it well and he did it fast, but every time he called he wanted $5k more and he called A LOT!!!

curt_928

It's interesting. After I have had my 928 for the past 13 years, fixing her with all the rusted bolts and complex german engineering turning a 10 minute job into a 2 hour job.. I find I can fix anything. The FCar is sooooo much easier to work on. Parts are more expensive by about 30 to 40 percent. Used not so much.

I find that since I fix my FCar, I can call out the BS that gets spewed. $10,000 clutches. BULL$%^t. Try 3500-4k depending on the work. I also find that my mechanic respects me more, and repairs on my 360 are about 30% above my Boxster. The ONLY reason it needs for most garage mechanics to go into the shop are work that needs the engine or tranny out, and belt changes. Everything else is garage bound. When you get that 360 Spyder you'll see. :-)

inactiveuser1

The Viper motor looks easier to get at to work on and makes good power.
That would be the choice off the ones on your list.
My choice not on the list would be 997TT

EspritS4s

Does your 360 does have the F1 transmission?

curt_928

Hell no. 3 Pedal Gated stick shift. The way it should be. :-)

Rob Edwards

I recall some crazy F-chat thread about a $16K pump for the F1 tranny, can't recall whether that was for the F355 or 360, or perhaps that was urban legend.

Here: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85500

I have been lusting over a '95 F355 6-speed for many years and could pull the trigger if I sold the GT but it would probably be best to actually sit in one first....

DougM

If you aren't scared to turn a wrench yourself, the old V8 Ferraris are really no big deal. Doing the belts requires a simple removal of the rear wheel and fender liner to access everything. Most parts costs new are not much different than a 928(belts, gaskets, bearings etc..), but there is definitely not as much available used as replacement for more expensive hard parts. Some parts cost are kind of ridiculous. My current '77 GTB is my fourth Fcar and I never been financially buried in one.

I had a '97 Viper GTS and sold it after a few months. Too many annoying questions every time I drove it. They attract a lot of attention even though they are not exactly rare. Great looking, powerful and fast as stink though.

I have been interested in Esprits a few times and once pulled the trigger, but the seller backed out. Having driven a few, I think it wouldn't last long with me because the glass bodies squeak and clunk too much for my liking. I do love the looks of them and now I am starting to look at the old series 1 cars. They are growing on me like the old 928's with funky retro interiors and a no nonsense body void of spoilers etc....

Over the years as I own or drive more cars, I keep coming back to more vintage, slower cars that I grew up reading about and dreaming of. It is a lot more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.

SMTCapeCod

Of the listed, I'd go Lotus.
But..

I was watching this for fun...pretty dated now, but still high novelty factor
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...54705470399530

For kits, wish I could remember the one that Jay Kempt and eye used to watch coming along. Evora-ish, but this is ten years ago. I thought moser, but they do diffs!

Another kit option that is held in high regard, : http://www.factoryfive.com/table/ffrkits/orderakit.html

Forty g's ...used to be able to score mediocre Panteras for that..

curt_928

$16k from the dealer I'm sure. Blessed by the pope himself. ;-) Part of the reason I chose a 3 pedal car. Some have retrofitted a cheaper maserati pump to the car, others simply get it rebuilt for a couple hundred of bucks. It's a crappy motor that has since been revised. The 355 I rode in had a nice tight feel, very sporting and direct, connected to the car. My 360 was the first Ferrari I sat in and drove. You know when it's meant to be... :-)

Jon B.

I agree here. Though I would go with a C6 Z06 if you were to look at those cars.

Of your list I would say pick between the kit and the viper.

On a side note, if you like "kit" cars Factory Five makes very good "cobra" and "shelby Daytona coupe" replicas.

Jon B.

Completely orgot to add that the only car I would REALLY be considering in that price range is a 996TT or the C6Z.

olmann

What he said. My 308 QV was pretty easy to work on but I didn't own it that long mainly because I didn't fit in it very well, 6' 1", 230ish. It is however one of my favorite Pininfarina designs. I got rid of it and bought a Testarossa which I fit into a lot better. The TR is a beast to drive and not much of an around the towner. I did a complete a motor/tranny out service for the belts and misc service items. It drops out the bottom and is not that hard to do. Like with the 928's and this forum, get the manuals and join the F-chat forum. They were lots of help like here.

The Ferraris are hard to beat on design and sound. The P-cars have them hands down on fit and finish. When comparing late 70's early 80's cars, the Ferrari seems a bit kit carish at times compared to the P-cars. As long as I'm keeping my GT, I would own a Ferrari again.

EspritS4s

Which is pretty funny, because Maserati owners are fitting an Alfa pump because the Maserati pump is so expensive.

SMTCapeCod

Wild guess, another ZF sourced piece of engineering?