andrew911

I posted this in the 964 forum as well....someone suggested I post it here too:

Guess you wouldn't be on this board if you had sold the Porsche, but has anyone done this? I sold my '87 911 to get a corvette (wanted a change after 10 years of having a 78 then 87 911)- the vette was fun the first year or so, but then I really had to get back into a 911. Searched all over, and after 6 months found my ’93 1,200 miles from where I live- the perfect 964 for me- mint, all stock, triple black, 13K miles when I bought it a few years ago (still under 20K miles now). Man, it felt so good to get back into a 911, and so good to find the right car for me after all that searching.

But, I tend to think and plan things in advance, and I’m toying with selling the 911 to get a 355 in the next year or so- I know there is no substitute for a 911, but there is no substitute for a Ferrari either. I’ve read this forum as well as the Ferrari forums for years now and know the increased maintenance etc of a Ferrari, as well as the nuances of the 355, and have been giving this a lot of thought. I tried to think of a way to keep my 911 and get a 355 or maybe a 348, but it would be just too much money for me to have tied up in cars.

My question is, has anyone here left the Porsche world for the Ferrari world? Or know of anyone who has? Have they regretted it? Did they sell the Ferrari and get back into Porsche after getting a repair bill or two? This is strictly a weekend/good weather car for me, so the rawness of a Ferrari and fact that people only tend to drive them a couple thousand miles a year doesn’t detract from anything for me. I rented a 348 spider on our honeymoon 3 years ago, and this is what started this disease I have

The 911 is so solid, I love the inside and outside design, and the bullet proof build quality and reliability. But the Ferrari is to me a work of art with an engine note even better then our 911 and the cars have a character that give a driving experience unlike other cars- even Porsches. Cars are my main hobby (don’t really follow sports, not big into travel, etc), and so for me I don’t want to live my life without ever having a Ferrari- am I nuts? I don’t want that feeling again I had with the corvette however, especially given how much I love my 964- I don’t want to regret selling it- yes it can be replaced, but I haven’t run into another 964 I would want as much since buying it, so I know a replacement would be hard to find. I either need a lot of money, or a psychiatrist…or both Anyway, my request for your thoughts goes out to all you fellow car nuts out there- especially those who have been down the Porsche/Ferrari path before….

Thanks! - Andrew

Woodster

why not try a ferrari, as long as your expectations are in the right place.
don't expect a bullet proof daily driver from a "older" (355) ferrari, and you will
not be able to go out and thrash it without expensive repercussions...but man
do they look and sound great at 7000 rpm!
Good luck with your decision, and I too expect (hope) to own a ferrari someday but
will always have a "911" as well.
Marty

Denstoyz

Andrew,

It seems to me that some people pick up a Ferrari and keep the Porsche so they don't have that dilemma. However, for those who have to make a choice.... I know of 2 people in town here who got rid of their 996tt for a 360. Though they seemed to really like the Ferrari the common feeling was that they missed the PERFORMANCE of the Porsche!

Also, if you go to the CGT posts and look up the one that says "The CGT question us mere mortals need answered... " you will see comments in there from a guy named Nick who got into his 430 and considers it one of the best he's had!

I personally would love to get my hands on a 430 - though I wouldn't want to part with my 996tt. But IMO the 355 or 360 would not be a car of choce for me after having the 996tt and from hearing feedback from others regarding that particular move.

Hope that helps.....

wross996tt

I had a 1980 911SC WB Slant cab...got a 348 for a while (kept the 911)...now back to 996TT. There is no comparison IMHO. The sound of the F-car was great, but the performance...average. Its P-car for me!

andrew911

I appreciate all this insight. For me, the performance of my 964 is fine (0-60 about 5.5 sec). The 348 is about as fast, and felt about the same when driving it, the 355 would be faster with 375hp (with no low end torque, so not like a 964 turbo or 993/996 twin turbo). While most of the 996 turbo guys are all for performance, the 964 has "enough" for me, and the 355 would be a step up from that. In other words, the absolute speed and performance isn't necessary, so from a performance perspective the 355 is "good enough"

I don't track the car or race it...just a few quick jaunts up to the low triple digets every now and then

frisbee54

I sold my 96 TT and bought a 98 355 Ferrari in fly yellow while it was a beautiful looking car I found the performance and relability to not be on the same level as my 96 TT so I sold it and bought another 96 TT. Doug

andrew911

I knew there must be people that did this on the board that had or have both! The performance wouldn't be the problem- the maintence really sucks though. Every 5 years, it's time to drop the engine and re-do the timing belts, plus anything else you can find that looks shaky after 5 years- water pump, clutch- etc etc. By they time they're done with the major service, your looking at $5K plus!!! (on what car but a Ferrari are clutches replaced as preventative maint. with 20K miles on the car?)

The most I ever had to spend on my 911's was a tranny rebuild in my '78 which MAYBE was $2K all in. Maintenance would definitely be something I'd have to adjust to and budget for- the $5K+ major is only the "scheduled" service- I have to include things breaking (power top on the 355 spider), switches or electronics going, plus the usual tires, brakes etc. The initial cost is just the beginnig, unlike my experience with low mileage 911's that I've used as weekend cars which have been very reliable and cheap to own. I'm thinking more of the "soul" of the car- the sound, feel, look...that's what I'm attracted to about the Ferraris, for all their faults (and there are many). I wish I could keep my 911 and do it- even if I had to get my second choice of a 348 spider, but it's just too much money.

Frisbee- what was it like in terms of pure soul or personality vs. the 993 turbo? Do you ever miss the 355?

RWO

First, most of the stuff I read on this board about the costs of owning a Ferrari are BS from people who have never owned one. I have owned three, my total costs to own them, outside oil changes, was zero.

That being said, I guess some cars "stick" and some don't. I liked my Ferrari's; they were beautiful cars, however, I'm a Porsche guy. I'll take my 430 when it comes in (I had a 360 spider last), but I may or may not keep it. I just like driving a Porsche...

I would not hesitate to buy one but you may end up back with a "P" car

Good luck.
Roy

Bill S.

I have a Ferrari CS and a Ruf Turbo R. In a straight line, the Turbo R is much faster. On a mountain road or other road with curves, the CS is much faster. The CS is just easier to drive fast when the roads have tighter turns. I do find myself driving the CS more because it is more fun with the better visibility, very light feel, instant response and great sound. Also, with a 0-150 around 23 seconds, it's not slow.

andrew911

RWO- were those new Ferrari's or used? If used, how old were they?

Thanks

nicholasgillis

What are the good Ferrari forums on the internet? I have tried looking before and haven't had much luck.

andrew911

ferrarichat.com- it's the one I have used for a couple of years now. It's the "rennlist" of Ferrari!

jrotsaert

What a great question... I have a 2001 360 Modena f1, a 2003 996 and a 1994 964RSR track car and I like them all for different reasons...
The 360 is simply beautiful, has incredible sound when you open it but all in all is a big, heavy, lazy poseur's car. In one year I've had the alternator go bad, needed to change a clucth after 8000 miles (it's an F1 so it's not like I'm slipping the clutch or anything) and had to change all 4 disks and 8 pads after 1 "light" track day. Total cost of 4 or 5,000 miles a year, excluding insurance, fuel, capital cost and depreciation is about £4,000 which comes to $7500 or near enough it... Depreciation is horrible. Very few people (including me) will buy a Ferrari anywhere other than a F dealership and they know that. There's £10,000 to £15,000 ($17,000 to $28,000) difference between trade in and selling price for pristine cars... Ouch, that's a nice 964 every year in depreciation. Would I do it again? Probably not... Looks great but that's about it... And I must say that the F people have I met are very different to the P crowd (generalizations are always wrong of course). I think that for the same money I could have had a 997S for everyday and a 993 RS/CS (race car) for the track and enough money to play with tyres, pads, maintenance etc for 5 years! Actually, I'll probably end up selling the F360 as soon as I can and trading in the 997 for the wide body C4 version...

Having said all that, if you can afford it, owning one once is a good experience... Don't count on Ferrari though! I thought that I could visit the factory with them - sure, $1,500 and it must be part of a tour. I thought that I might be able to see cars practice at the F1 tracks (I'm 1 hr from Silverstone), sure, become a member of the Ferrari club and you can come to a race week-end for $10,000 per person... Just a rip-off.

Good luck in your choices
JM

andrew911

What great insight jrotsaert! I'd be looking at a car that would probably be 10 years old or almost 10 years old, so the depreciation thing wouldn't hurt as much. I'd prefer to get a car through a private owner as I have all my 911s, but there just don't seem to be as many for sale by owner as with Porsches. The dealers are stealers on what they ask for used ones, at least out by me (NY/NJ/PA/CT area). Even calculating in any recent service and 30 day warranty or whatever they throw in- seems better to find one from someone who took care of it and had a full major 15k or 30K mile service done within the past year or two.

I will say, if it takes me a year or two to save to get the car and be ready, I'm not doing that bad with the 964 in the mean time. And if it turns out I can't swing it comfortibly, at least I'll have tried- and I'll still love my porsche.

As far as the 360 being heavy or a "poser" car, I guess my 964 is one too being as it's a cabriolet. I knew people on this forum (the 996 turbo forum that is) would be more concerned about absolute performance than me, but I certainly appreciate all the insight- and people's honest opinions good or bad! Hopefully other F-owners will chime in if they see this post- I need to learn what I'd be getting into as much as I can!

1AS

andrew,
It seems that you drive the car only 2000 miles a year, so get whatever makes you feel good. If you drove more, you'd want a tt.
I drove each model Ferrari before buying my X50. The 355 isn't even close. Sounds great, looks good (pales next to a 360), steering is just fair, and acceleration is nothing to write home about. The 550 Maranello is another story.

The problem with Ferrari is POTENTIAL high service costs. I just couldn't see pulling the engine of a perfectly fine car at 15K miles. Way too much hassle and way too much that can go wrong. While some report good experience, I have spoken to others who have paid for their passion.

Sounds like you are working for every dollar. Therefore, one expensive event would be your last with the car. Therefore, it's not for you....if you want to drive it. AS