Stealth 993

I read through the whole thread. Yes, the F355 is a AWESOME car. But it's one of the most expensive F-cars to own. My friend has one, & just did a major service with a new clutch with other parts, the bill was almost $30k!!! However, he drives his quite a bit, it's got over 60kmi on it.

I love how the F-car guys say the Porsches are sterile, handle like trucks, & don't have any feedback or are fun to drive. It's also funny that they all bash the 993TT saying it's not worth $70k for a nice low mi car.

Some of the other guys say $5k service every couple of years is fine, & part of the experience. But what they don't say is how many miles do they put on the car in the few years? If I had a $5k service every couple of years, I would not own the 993. So far owning both, & doing all maintaince, + some, hasn't even been close.

Then they compare, the Boster, to 911, in terms of resale. Come on, we all know the Bosters are not worth $$.

justin993

agreed, $70k is just getting you in the door on a truly low mile, clean 993TT, with exceptions to the rule of course.

friar93

is there an F-car thats not expensive to own? Seriously, what would be considered a 'reasonable' Ferrari to own with limited service bills provided you drive limited miles?

Smiles

Older Ferraris are much cheaper to run. Old V-12s are very reliable, but are slightly expensive because of the cylinder count: 12 sparkplugs, for example. Most of the other stuff is familiar to some Porsche owners: two distributors, lots of oil, Weber carbs to tune.

The "modern" cars get more expensive to run. And here's the biggest reason: Ferrari dealers have made enormous money from having owners replace their cambelts FAR more often than they should be replaced.

My dad has a 1981 308 GTSi that he bought in the mid-1980s. He NEVER replaced the cambelts. (He's getting older, and it's been parked for the past three years or so, and the first thing I would do before starting it would be to replace the cambelts however.)

The dealers have been recommending changes more frequently than even the simple "inspect and replace if necessary" advice that's in the owner's manuals. And owners are so scared that they'll detonate a very expensive engine if they don't. And prospective owners steer clear of any car that doesn't have the belts done. It's a viscious circle, propelled by dealer greed.

A 328 is a quite good car. Earlier cars aren't properly glavanized, but other than that are also good. Later cars start having some problems, like the gumminess of interior controls that hit 355s or 456s. Even later cars like the 360/430 have their own problems (as Robin can comment on!) and they are more reliant on dealer support for fault codes and other computer related controls.

If you can push aside all of the mystique surrounding Ferraris, and look at it the same way you would a Porsche, there's not much to it. Get a good PPI done. Replace things according to the owner's manual. Have fun, and try a little DIY. Don't pay the dealer exorbinant rates, especially for things you don't need.

Matt

atan888

F430 Chain driven. No more of the expensive belt replacement.

tj90

Stealth, I guess you have been lucky. My DIY light engine R&R and clutch job cost me over $3k. When I factor in evaporator replace, etc, etc. Im close to the 5k number above. Lets not even talk about mods. Granted, I dont plan on doing this work every 2 years, but by no means are you driving a Ford. I laugh to myself inside when the parts counter guy apologizes that the top of line plug wires for my pickup are $60!! Hell at that price Ill take 3 sets! What a bargain!

Bergamasco

Well... as far as my $.02 is worth... I would take a 993TT anyday of the week over a 355. Although I haven't seen the actual figures I put money down that the 993TT would do the better job on the race track. and Who ever would say that a 993 is sterile has got to be stoned or drunk or both. Don't get me wrong I do believe that Ferraris are amazing cars but I have heard that the 355 had plenty of issues. If all I was looking for were the lines of the car, I would buy an '69 series 2 E type coupe (not the 2 +2) - after all Enzo said it was the most beautiful car ever made and it is in the musuem of modern art!

Stealth 993

Yea, I've been lucky. But part of that was getting 2 really, really nice 993'S!! Engine rebuilding is always expensive, it really doesn't matter much, what kind of engine. My 90k service on the C4 was the most expensive, that included all fluids, all filters, dist belt, cap & rotors, belts, plugs & the most expensive was the new plug wires. But I DIY with the help of Mike J, & it was well under $2k. But still a big service.

My 2 biggest issues have been on the C4, my AC needed a recharge, & the cold air servo motor went out.

Mods, YOU NEVER factor them in the price of the car, or the maintaince. You do them for fun, not for profit, or to really add resale to the car.

One other issue with a F-car, the dealer rapes you on service. But if you DIY or use a independent, the price of the car will GO DOWN. They all hate the dealer, but that's the only one they want touching the car.

Boston911fan

Met a guy who bought an F355 with a rare targa top (yes, F355 not 348GTS) for the same price I bought my 993. Although I love Ferraris, I didn't even consider one when I was looking for my 30th bday present. I am not too interested in the Ferraris that were in my price-range, which would include 308s and their descendents thru the F355. Well, okay I did consider for a second a Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet since I love speedy cabriolets. I would love to own a Ferrari in my life, but the ones I love are WAY out of my price range for now...275GTS, 250 GT SWB Cali Spider, 365 GT 2+2 (yeah even they are getting up there in price), 275GTS/4 NART Spider, 365GTS/4 Daytona Spider, etc. And I wouldn't want to deal with the scary maintenance costs either, although I guess 993s can be pretty costly to fix if something bad happens...

Smiles

As for maintenance, see my earlier post.

My 1967 330 2+2 wasn't that much more expensive than my C4S.

fiftyfive

Matt - I ran across the picture of your 330 2+2 a few months ago when I was lurking for Ferraris. It was my desktop pic for a good while. Guess what? It is again. Makes me imagine a silver haired Italian magnate in a Brioni suit tearing down the Autostrada with Sophia Loren at his side.

RS man

Had I the money to buy the 355 when I bought my RS, I would have done - in retrospect it was a blessing I couldn't really afford one then as the price of the RS has skyrocketed and 355s have depreciated. If I sell my RS now I think I can get a F430 or add a little money and by the 360 CS. One day....I will own a Ferrari (only got further when I had to buy my wife a Mini }. I don't think I can let the RS go as the performance is almost similar to 355 - my brother said that the RS felt the lighter of the two - he has the 355.

Harry

travanx

Awesome thread. Only since I recently saw a F355 a few weeks ago on my way home, and want one badly! That is my new target of a car to buy! Didn't know they were that expensive to maintain though.

2Many Cars

Exactly right, if looks is the sole factor the E-type coupe has to be at or near top of the list. Driving it is another story as it is a 40 year old car and even in it's day had ergonomic issues and the handling by today's standards can be a bit spooky. I also think the same also tends to appy to most 40+ year old Ferraris too, great to look at but disappointing to drive if you expect modern handling and acceleration.

By the way I think the non 2+2 E-type coupes were discontinued with the Series 1 in '67.

Bergamasco

2ManyCars - I agree with most of what you said. I like these cars just to cruise in and hope to buy one just for that purpose. Obviously alot of improvements have been made in the last 40 years in handling, ergonomics, reliability in most cases, corrosion protection and longevity of the body, and overall performance. But for the sheer beauty and the refinement of looks..... well that hasn't made much improvement in most cases in my opinion. BTW.. I have read about and seen examples for sale of non 2+2 versions of the Etype after the series one. Happy motoring and let us know your list of vehicle if you don't mind. Glenn