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I've recently became infatuated with the Ferrari 348 Spider. Current stable is a stock 78 911 Turbo and modified 996TT. The 996 turbo is a 2001 example with what I believe to be tasteful upgrades (turbos, injectors, exhaust, cobb tune, suspension, 997 wheels, brakes, sport seats etc). My question is what is everyone's experience with the Ferrari 348? Living in the south, an open top is appealing. I never track the cars, so while performance is nice, it's more about cruising and ownership experience. I'm not looking for an investment, rather an enjoyable ownership experience. Thoughts on trading out the 996tt?

I was offered a 348 a couple of years ago when they were much cheaper. Good looking and sounding car. Problems were they aren't as user friendly as the Porsche. They are not diy maintenance friendly. They are not reliable. A 928 would be better in almost every measure.
I also have a 81-930, 02-996tt, 86-951 and 89-928.
You just can't jump into the 348 in dirty clothes a dog or kids the way you can with the P cars. That's my opinion.

I agree with rufrob, Ferrari's of that vintage are a constant headache. There is really no comparison between a Porsche Turbo and a Ferrari. Very different animals. I would go for a newer model, 360 and up. Much more reliable cars but considered not as good looking by some.

As a data point I just sold my 348 and kept the 996tt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlo_Carrera (Post 15483229)

I would go for a newer model, 360 and up. Much more reliable cars but considered not as good looking by some.

Correct, if by some you mean almost everybody. This is how it works:

Quote:

A sidewalk observer's guide to the mid-engined V8 Ferraris:

308 GTS/S: Could only be a Ferrari.

308 GT4: I hear those handle really well.

Mondial: Isn't that the Ferrari that Gary drove in Weird Science?

GTO: OMG, that Ferrari is the business.

328: Yep, that's a Ferrari.

348: Mmm, well...it is a Ferrari.

355: Ferrari is BACK!

360: Uh, is that the new Celica? (CS excepted)

430: Pretty sure that's a Ferrari, but what's the story with the front bumper again? (Scud excepted)

458: Ferrari is BACK!

488: Yep.

the 348 actually requires much less maintenence than the newer models that arent astronomical pricing. its a great sounding car and prices are on the uptick.

Thanks for all of the replies. I realize that I may be in the minority, but I actually like the styling of the 348 over the 328, 308. I also have a 70 corvette and a 67 chevelle, so outside of the 930, my vintage scratch has been itched. It would be great to just add another toy, but I'm out of room. Every time I drive the 996TT I leave with a smile, but I'm finding it spends most of it's time tucked away on the lift. I'm thinking it may be time for a cab/spider/convertible. I think I need to go drive a 348.

i think you need to put the 930 on the lift and drive the 996 more...

Be sure you fit the seats that are designed for 34" waists.

I considered a 355 instead of the 996 and recently have been looking at 348s. Not in the cards right now but I really love the styling, rear tail lights with the slats especially. Its no v12 blah blah blah I'm sure the prices will go up if they aren't already.

Mortgage your house and buy one of these?

Indeed, drive the 348 and see how you like it for your purposes. I’ve had good experiences with Ferraris - 3x8s and 355s. After several years, I still have a 355 Challenge street-registered race car, which I envision only to be replaced by another Ferrari that is valued above $50M if it ever becomes available. No Porsche street car has made me giggle like cars from the other marque. Closest one was my 69 911S with 2.7RS spec engine, dual street/race car. Porsche factory race cars OTOH are another story. And the 9000 rpm street GT3s are getting more Ferrari-like.

Funny thing, the car that pushed me over the edge to test drive and ultimately purchase a Ferrari was a laggy, understeering 930 - an ultimate dream car of mine or so I thought until ownership.

Having said this, I thoroughly enjoy my 996TT as a street driver and mountain biking/snowboard hauler. Equipped with a roof rack, lights and slightly raised suspension, I’m turning it into a rallycross car in stock class. The 996TT is really a great all-rounder. I’d keep my 6TT for my “practical” street duty use unless I can get over the 991.2 GT3’s size and I can retrofit back seats.

For your purposes, you may enjoy the 348 for street speed fun. Relative to today’s electronics-filled cars, it’s a very analog experience and I think fairly simple (no PS, no ABS, manual roof). I have a good friend who bought a 94 348 spider brand-new. He still has it and claims he’ll never sell it. Its stablemates are other more expensive Ferraris and a mid-engine Porsche.

One thing I didn’t prefer in the 348 is its gated shifter which felt more vague (not as vague/notchy as stock early 911 or G-code 911 shifters) relative to other Ferrari models before and after the 348. I then learned that the shifter is cable-actuated which I understand is not the case with the 308/328 and 355 models.

A drive will help you make a decision.

Appreciate all of the feedback, and I guess the best answer is to get some seat time. I've looked at newer Ferrari's, but there is something that keeps taking me back to the 348 spider. I actually prefer the analog experience of the 930, so I'm confident that I'll appreciate the dated technology. If anyone has a line on one for sale, I'd appreciate the PM. Hagerty needs to calm down until I get something bought!

That resto mod Dino is really sweet. The owner has many hundreds of thousands into it, maybe a million.