95_993

Some great points. I posted the question out of sincere interest and got some great feedback. This thread got me to really think about HOW I use my 993. I think nothing of waking up at a moments notice, jumping in my 993 and doing a 700+ mile spirited drive (often with other RL's). It's hard to beat the 993 for that, but had to see what others thought.

tcsracing1

OT, how does the 348 compare to the 355 in terms of ownership?

David993S

I get a kick out of the Ferrari-envy comments such as "Italian trash". etc.

Mr.Woolery

I'd keep the 993, as it's more practical and easier to maintain for my DIY tendencies. I wouldn't want to associated with the stigma of Ferrari ownership anyway.

Donster

I liked the Jalopnik article written by a 360 owner that described the Ferrari as a "point A to point A" car. As in, you wait for a nice sunny day, get in your Ferrari and drive around for a while, maybe have lunch or something, and then return home. You don't drive it to work, run out to the grocery store, park it downtown or go on long road trips. You don't actually go anywhere or take it out for any purpose except to drive your Ferrari.

Kika

Trade, absolutely not.

Trading implies some equality in that what I am giving up I am getting in return.

I love the looks of the F355, especially the Spyder, but it would serve an entirely different role for me. The 993 is an anytime kind of car that I can drive to work or take on a road trip. The F355 would be a rare weekend, special event kind of car, at least given my particular tax bracket, don't think I could swing the maintenance to drive a Ferrari regularly.

Someday I would love to have one, but not at the expense of my 993.

Kika

Ferrari owners are particular about the model they own, seemingly having to justify why they chose that particular model, at least in my very limited discussions. I love both models you mention, the 348 and the 355 and have spoken to owners of both. Each believes their model is better than the other for any number of reasons.

Which actually could be true, not in that the model is better over the other, but in that each did their due diligence and found a specific car that was well cared for and free of issues.


Sort of like, is a 964 better than a 993?

Well, generally the newer model should have improvements, but that doesn't preclude the fact that you might find a great 964 that has been well maintained vs a 993 that has been trashed or vice versa.

At some point I would love to have either a 348 or 355 Spyder, as I think both are sexy as all he//. It will likely come down to condition, records and $. In fact I wouldn't mind a 328GTS as a start.

I believe both 348 and 355 require engine drops for timing belt maintenance and thus both somewhat high.

x50type

Suppose i could have tried the goo-be-gone and fine sand paper on my radio ***** [not in my 993] but ended up buying 4 new ones [I only needed 2] for $3.50 from Radio Shack [anyone remember Radio Shack?].

But as far as having much more to de-stickyfy - not for me!

sand_man

This past summer, I nearly did just that; trade my ’95 993 for a ’98 F355. I have ALWAYS wanted an F-car. A local dealer that I do business with got one on consignment. Had all of the desirable mods/upgrades (valve guides, headers, exhaust, etc). It was being offered at a good price because it needed the engine out service for the timing belts, within the next six months; something that I am capable of doing myself. All other service was up to date and well documented. The car was a Spider, something I’m not at all fond of…I prefer coupes (Berlinetta). But we took it out for a nice drive and I fell in love! The sound alone made me a believer!!! And the handling was fantastic. Loved the gated shifter!!!! To shorten a long story, we were planning to leave for a family trip to CA. I was getting very emotional about the purchase; a bad position to be in as a buyer. So I left it in fate’s hands and took a step back; I told them if it’s still here when I get back from CA, I will buy it. Another buyer came along and the rest is history. However, as I began to evaluate how I use my 993 as a daily driver (both short and long trips) I really had my doubts that the Ferrari would have been up to the same challenge. I’m not calling it an unreliable car, by any means, but I think it would have been better suited for long trips and/or weekend duty. My 993 has been one of the most reliable cars I have ever put a key in! I wouldn’t hesitate to leave for a cross-country trip right now!

One day, the right car will come along, and it won’t be a Spider. Perhaps even 360 or 430 prices will come down to a level that I can afford…

Rdelvalle

http://jalopnik.com/here-s-why-you-s...355-1706976075

sand_man

Amongst the F-chat crowd, the guy who wrote that is a known jack-hole! And that's being polite!

David993S

Denatured alcohol, some Q-Tips or a cloth, and a little elbow grease. That's all it takes. I thought I had avoided the sticky's on my 360 as it went nearly 14 years without getting sticky.....then it happened. Probably the most annoying inconvenience of late model Ferrari ownership. As trouble-free and reliable as my 360 has been (has over 51,000 miles), that's the one thing I find unacceptable. Anyhoo......a few hours with alcohol, Q-tips and some rubbing took care of it.

Madturk

The question that was never asked is will this be your only car? If it is and you are planning to use it as a daily driver I too would keep the Porsche. If not don't be afraid to take the Ferrari on long road trips or stop by at the grocery store on the way back home and even if it rains. It won't melt.
BTW, the 360 prices are already lower than the 355 in most cases.

David993S

I owned a 328 for a few years and it was a wonderful little car. Not fast compared to a 355 or 360, but one of the last analog Ferraris, easy to work on, and beautiful styling. If you're going to buy one, you'd better hurry - prices for really nice 328's are heading toward six figures. Maybe the bubble will burst.

sand_man

That's a good point. That's something else I had to factor in with my decision, is that I needed a "beater". So there were a lot of moving pieces and timing was just wrong.