Hello,
I am new here to the forum and currently looking at a couple of 348's. As I have never owned one of these cars, I have very little knowlege of what I am looking for in a used car.

In a recent magazine issue where they are recognizing the 60 year's of Ferrari, they made the comment that the 355 was born of the 348 and that proved that you could make a silk purse from a sow's ear. In this case the 348 being the sow. Are the 348's really that bad? I agree that the 355 is the better car, but the it seems hard to imagine the 348 being so far behind.

In my case, price dictates the car. I would love to own a 360, but I need to be in that mid $40's. So this has me looking at the 348's (which I have always liked). What of handling issues? Are the cars squirrely? Do all 348's have the annoying motorized seat belts? Are later years significantly better than the early models? What should I expect to spend on the belt service?

Don't feel that you need to answer all that to reply. I have a thousand questions that I would like to ask. Any advice greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Steve

Steve,

First off, I would recommend subscribing to the forum as this will enable you to view the buyers guide for 348. The 348 is not perfect but it’s not a bad car. Most problems should be sorted by now and the rest are problems due to age and not necessarily model specific. Now some cars do have some issues that have to be looked at or careful about but that’s it.

Not all seatbelts are motorized, handling, well for regular people; it’s a really good car. If your going to track it and really know how to drive a car and push it to the limits, you have to be careful not to release the throttle in a curve or she will spin out on you. But you don’t need me to tell you this if you know how to take a street corner at 45mph

This is what happens when you dont know how to drive a rear engine car...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrH4KDKmFCE

A view from inside the car. You can tell he had her in the high revs and then let go the gas and voila...recipe for a spin out, a big no-no...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6oIgmksnVo

You can also check this site as well.

http://www.club348.com/

Good luck…

I have a detailed document on the 348 which is about 3MB in size (to large to post). PM me your email address and I will send it across.

Hi Steve, when I first started seriously looking for a Ferrari I also decided I would buy a 348 as they were better value for money than a 355 and very similar looking cars.
In the end I bought a 328 because everyone 'in the know' kept telling me how great they were. Not that there's anything wrong with a 348 in my opinion, and as Magnum said, most of the issues should have been sorted years ago.

All I would say is, don't disregard the 328. They are similarly priced to 348's but cheaper to maintain, and widely regarded as one of the most reliable Ferrari's there is. Yes, I am biased, but mine really is a fantastic car to drive and so far has been a joy to own. If this is a consideration, go for a late 88 or 89 model which will have ABS fitted.

Whichever model you go for, very best of luck, and keep us informed of your progress.

This is how it breaks down for me

I am in love with the 348. The subtle body that mimick the lines of the finest of supermodels along with the passive aggresion of the Ferrari drive train make it the supreme ride. The 355, while being of very similar lines, is far to common. Not only were many more built, but the marketing of the 355 through video games, the wider market audience afforded by the F1 tranny, and the wall street tech bubble putting a 355 in the garage of every tech weeney searching for his measure of cool, made the car widely recognizable to people that have no idea what a Ferrari is. The 328 is also a beautiful car but more dated in the appearance catagory as it draws more heavily from the 308 dating to the late 70's.

The decisions you must make start with what you expect to get from the car, how much to spend in aquisition, maintenance and operational costs, availalbility of a high quality specimen, and what your heart tells you.

Steve, You have mail.

I couldnt have said it better myself! all you hear is 355 this, 355 that.. blah blah blah... granted there are some differences (and not ALL of them good), but to my eyes, they're essentially the same car. And as I must mention the F1 tranny... I wouldnt own one, call me old school, but I like a console mounted stick shifter.
Some people say that the 348 was not well received by the Ferrari enthusiast masses, I guess I live outside that box too, I got a chubby the 1st time I saw it!! and if all that is true, why do they like the 355 so much?

Anyway, from 1 Steve to another... buy the 348 if thats what you like! who cares about what others think, the 348 is absolutely 100% Ferrari and you will enjoy it as such! I LOVE mine, and you'll love yours too!

Well, looking hard at a 90 348 ts. It set to go in for the PPI on Thursday.

I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I really do hope it passes the inspection without complication. The colors and $$ are right for me.

Guess I'll know soon....

Be sure and tell us how the PPI works out, and what you decide to do!

Well, got the results of the PPI. Unfortunately it didn't pass without complication.

Here is the deal, compression is good, between 190 and 180 lbs. Now the bad news is that it failed the leak down test. Two cylinders at 22 & 24 lbs, and one at nearly 40! Talking with the shop, they said that they were confident that the problem is in the heads. Most likely a guide issue. The additional cost of repair (during major) is $4,000.

When I hung up the phone, I had figured that this deal was dead. After talking with the seller, and stating the problems found in the PPI, I was surprised that he offered to absorb (discount) the cost of additional repairs. So I am planning to go ahead with the purchase of the car. The rest of the PPI was fine with only some small issues.

Am I making a mistake? I know that the shop is reputable, but I am worried that when the engine is out and the heads come off, what if we find lower end issues? (rings/pistons)

In getting a second opinion, a second independent shop stated that often just driving the car can sometimes clear up a leak down issue in cases where the car has not been driven regularly. This particular 348 has 43K on the odometer. It has seen less than 2300 miles in the past 3 years. Is that just a pipe dream?

I had gone into this expecting to perform the major ($6500). Just hope it doesn't get ugly!

Steve

Steve,

It is a difficult question. If you have been search for sometime and haven't come across the right car maybe this is the one since the seller is willing to discount it in order for you to get it in shape.

One way to spin this positively is that you will be more confident in knowing the cars condition after the service as something that detail will likely reveal any other problems. So after the service you should have a good handle on the car.

If there are no other major issues with the car, and the seller is willing to absorb the full cost on fixing it, then I would likely go ahead with the purchase.

Better to have a car that you know is properly sorted, then one wiht hidden issues.

If the seller was trying to hide problems and get rid of the car, he wouldn’t have offered to absorb the repairs. Because of this, to me it means the seller did take care of the car and is serious about selling the car and not just getting rid of it. Most people would say “well with cars like this you have to expect some repairs and bla, bla, bla….” Yes you do have to expect them but not moving from your place to his with a hefty bill on top of the regular purchase price.

I say go for it, it seems to be a good buy from an honest seller and like Andrew and Boxer said, you will have a freshly serviced car as well as know everything about it because the mechanic will tell you how it looked when he took it apart. Personally, I would rather buy a car in need of a major (included in the cost) or one very recently done with documents than one that was done a year or two ago. There is nothing like a fresh major....



~

Well, this past weekend I picked up my first Ferrari. A 90 348ts. Rossa Corsa with tan/black interior. 42K miles and all stock.

I was able to put 84 miles on in the drive back from Redondo Beach to Tustin. Car drives like a dream. It's a strange feeling driving a car like this for the first time. I spent hundreds of hours over the past 20 plus years reading magazines & books and attending countless car shows studying Ferrari's.

Doesn't seem real to me yet. I was always the guy on the outside looking in, whereas now I'm the guy driving the Ferrari.

The major is due on the car, and will soon undergo the work needed. The first step is to pick up some different wheels. I really don't care for the 348's stock wheels. Also, in time I would like to upgrade the exhaust and remove the cats.

Steve

Congratulations !

Have you considered F355 wheels ? I have seen a few 348s with the F355 wheels and overall they do look good.

Congratulations......

Good for you, now enjoy looking from the inside and have fun, drive the car, and make it scream like Enzo was sitting next to you saying, show me how my car should be driven…

Post pictures…


Here is some info for your tire and rim questions

http://www.ferrarilife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6921


~

Fantastic dude! Congratulations! Hope you have much enjoyment with your new toy!!

Does this mean you have made the transition to 'Gandalf The White'? or should that be 'Gandalf the Rosso Corsa'?

Welcome to the 348, the most magnificent car ever made (IMHO). As per the above, pictures are required. Lets see that beauty.

Congratulations on being an owner of one of the elite cars in the world, if ever the best.

Drive it like you mean it.

Hey Steve, glad to hear that picking up your car went well... I went thru the same thing, trying to get my head around the fact that i'm actually DRIVING a Ferrari! Anyway, good luck finding the right wheels, and hopefully I talked you out of dealing with that scumbag at Highline... my saga continues.
I have a new suggestion, go for a set of 430 modulars.., in my opinion the best looking wheels Ferrari ever used on a car, and they'll bolt right onto your 348!
Even if I ever DO finally receive my wheels from Highline, i'm gonna start saving for a set of those 430 wheels, and i'll easily unload the Highline's on someone else.