[Miraculix]

Hello there Ferrari owners!

Can you give me some feedback about this?
The topic saids it all, right?

I'm currently a Porsche 993 owner but I'm having problems with it, big electrical problems I didn't think Porsche owners would experience.
My car stops all of a sudden and wont start for a couple of minutes

Before I bought it I asked myself the question I wrote as topic and came to the conclusion that, no I can't buy a Ferrari with only 295hp.
When I spoke to friends who are driving sportscars they all said:
"No don't buy a fiat Ferrari, the quality is shit"

Well, I bought a Porsche 993 and after 1 week I found myself with a problem that even Porsche can't figure out how to fix..

Did I make the wrong choice?
I want to drive the car everyday to and from work during the summer, then I have another car for winter season.

How is the 1990-1992 Ferrari 348 anyway?
Do I really need to do the maintenace every season? (Service)
And IS IT outrageously expencive as everyone saids? (Service)

 

[Bazil]

Did I make the wrong choice?

That's an impossible question to answer, given the information you've provided.

We each have our own reasons for choosing the car we drive. What are your criteria? What do you want? What were your main considerations when buying?

You've only really mentioned the following:

1) That you'd like to drive it every day in the summer.

Although you've also alluded to the following:

2) You don't want something outrageously expensive.
3) You don't want a Ferrari with "only 295hp" - which is odd as you're driving a 993 (unless you're current car is the turbo).

How about an Audi A3 Diesel? Or the new Mini Cooper? They both fit all those criteria, and are great cars.

Of course I'm kidding, but I'm also illustrating the point above. We all have loads of criteria which determine the car we choose, and I'm sure you're no different.

Personally, I've just bought a 1991 348ts - and yes, it's in the garage being fixed!! But it's not been used much over the last few years - hence the low mileage - and I'm bound to have a few problems related to that - e.g. perished rubber seals. I wouldn't take this as an indication of poor reliability - but I'm not yet in a position to comment with any authority.

Having driven a few Porsches in the past, it's a world apart. A completely different animal. I'm a big fan of Porsches, they're great cars, so I'm not going to say anything bad about them at all. BUT - in comparison, they're a bit sterile.

If you don't know what I mean - go and drive a 348.

Unlike the 993, in the 348 you feel like the grim reaper himself is sitting in the passenger seat, occasionally proding you with his scythe.

It's got a gearbox that would make a Porsche engineer weep with frustration, and an engine note that would make the same engineer weep with envy.

People will stare at you open mouthed all the time - instead of just thinking, "there's another Porsche - that's 4 I've seen this morning"

As I said - A completely different animal.

Having said all of the above - return to your criteria - if you know clearly what they are, and you do your research - they'll lead you in the right direction. A bad experience with a single car can put us off a brand for life - and it does sound like you've been unlucky. Porsche are rightfully legendary for their reliability, but don't discount the Ferrari until you've checked it out.

Bazil

 

[Miraculix]

And IS IT outrageously expencive as everyone saids? (Service)

By that I ment the service and the parts for the car..

 

[Bazil]

I can only give you figures for the UK - you'd need to look into servicing pricing in Sweden.

Here, you would expect to pay in the region of £800.00 for a minor service, and in the region of £2000+ for a major service including cambelt change.

Service intervals are 6250 miles, which I would assume is a little less than your 993.

Of course, "outrageously expensive" is a relative term, and only something you can determine. If you're a multi billionaire, used to the servicing cost of your Maybach, then no it's not expensive at all. If you're looking for something that costs the same to service/maintain as a Ford - then yes it's horrendously expensive!!

For me - of course I'd prefer it to be less - but it's not, so that's what I pay, and that's fine.

Hope this helps.

 

[Miraculix]

Alright!

Well, I have a 80000km service coming up on my Porsche and that's about 1300 Euro which I think is a fair price.

BTW, the 80000km service is a "big" service for a Porsche.

Bazil: May I ask why your 348 is in repair now?
After browsing this forum for a while I've found out the Ferraris do put some oil at the garagefloor from time to time.

If that is the case I don't think I could live with constantly having to worry about a major mailfunction.

I'm very picky with oil leeks and strange sounds I've never heard before.
Kind of a hypocrit when it comes to cars actually..

Even though I'm not so old I've owned several sportscars and the Porsche is the only "old" car I've owned so far.
It doesn't leek any oil but on the other hand, it doesn't start sometimes..

 

[Bazil]

Bazil: May I ask why your 348 is in repair now?

Of course - a little oil is leaking from one of the pipes which connects to the oil radiator.

This is almost certainly due to the fact that the car's not been used much over the last few years, and some of the rubber seals will have perished.

To be honest, I expected that I'd have a few problems like this - due to exactly this problem - as the car's going to get driven reasonably regularly, for possibly the first time in it's life.

Personally, I view this as the only downside to the upside of buying a low milage example.

If the car having been stored/seldom used for 10 years - and then me using it regularly - is going to uncover little gremlins like this, it's not the end of the world. The problems will hopefully make themselves known sooner rather than later, and that's exactly what the warranty is for!!

I wouldn't say it's something I worry about. It's a car - from time to time cars go wrong - it's a fact of life. As long as it's nothing serious, it can always be fixed.

I'm not sure you'd look at it like that if it were your daily transport though - although you've already mentioned a second car, so no reason why you shouldn't, if you're realistic about it.