[KJ]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to this forum and this is my first post.

I was wondering how reliable the 360 Modena F1 was. I heard that Ferrari's used to be very unreliable, but the newer models are the opposite. I was wondering if that was true?

Also, I'm interested in a 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena F1 with around 13,000 miles on it. The price is pretty good, but since the car is out of warranty and it's a First year Model, I'm affraid that it could end up being a headache. Any thoughts or advice on this?

Thanks in advance for all your help!
- KJ

 

[360 Spyder]

First off...welcome aboard!

Second, someone will correct me if I am wrong but...I believe Ferrari has started a certified used Ferrari program which has a warranty as part of that.

Every thing I have heard about the 360's is that they are reliable. I do not yet own one, but will someday soon. Good luck with the purchase of one of your own!

 

[Enzo_Ferrari]

Welcome to this fantastic site!
I know a little about 360s but do not own one. I have read aboutt he new Ford GT Vs 360 Modena and I definatly pick the 360 because it is more reliable. Fords are never reliable and you think they would be compared to a Ferrari but it is not true. So yes it would be a very reliable car. And fun to drive :green:

 

[Dj Dirk]

The new Ford GT Vs 360 Modena and I definatly pick the 360 because it is more reliable. Fords are never reliable and you think they would be compared to a Ferrari but it is not true.

i seem to remember that somebody said that before wich eventually turned out in a "small" vendetta or war somewhere in the 1960ths :wink: :green:

 

[Enzo_Ferrari]

I don't care if it becomes a war. 360s are better and thats final!!!

 

[senna21]

Sorry to say, I'd go for the Ford GT. I have a friend who's got a Jag XJR, the engine that the GT's based on, and it's amazing. It also comes in at a lower sticker price than the 360. Which means you could get a GT and say a used 328 or 348 for the same price. :green:

I guess I should go hide now....

 

[Andrew]

Let's stay on topic and answer his questions.

KJ,

Welcome to the site. The car is as reliable as any car. The only thing that hurts the pocket book is the cost of service because parts are more and labor. The 360's engine is fairly easy to access so this helps reduce the cost from some of the other models. I know someone who recently had service on their 360 and will have him post the problem (if it was one).

If you drive the car regularly and pretty hard you will also go through tires quicker. You should have a soft compound tire, which is why this happens. Best of luck on your search.

 

[Andrew]

This sent to me via email:

The car has been very reliable ( never has let me down), I guess I have to give it a score of 5. I have spent quite a bit of money for regular service, clutch and brakes. There have been warranty issues with the car like tranny's bearing and seals upgrade (twice), shifter linkage pin replacement (once), alarm system software upgrade (once), tranny mounts (once), oil leak on left bank cam seals and cam cover, and gas gage not reading full tank. I think of reliability issue if I go to garage and try to start the car and lets me down. Or, when I brake doesn't brake properly, or when accelerating doesn't accelerate. The stuff that was done to the car although the service packages are very expensive are part of normal wear and tear of any car. The warranty issues are also part of learning curve any manufacturer goes through to perfect a model, even Toyota and Lexus sometimes miss a couple of things (I guess). I hope this helps to clarify what a reliability issue may be!

 

[morebhp]

I had one for a year and did about 3000 miles in it. It was a 2000, and failry new at the time so I covered from 2,000 up to 5,000 miles.

The only problem I incurred was a failed air sensor on one bank of cylinders which was repaired under warranty.

I think the 360 engine is pretty much the same unit as they put in the Maserati's at the time and they were trying to encourage Maser onwers to put average miles per year on these cars - 12k per annum.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

 

[adlinyusman]

the F1 gearbox eats through your clutch tho. so be prepared. some are luckier than others; the unfortunate ones go through a set every 3000 miles.

 

[Dermot]

I've owed 2 360's so far with absolutly no problems (Touch wood).. I also owned a 355 which was very reliable apart from a blown exhaust and a engine service light that kept comming on.

Buy from a Ferrari authorized dealer via www.ferrariusa.com, its worth the extra few $$ you may pay for the peace of mind..

Dermot

 

[Stradale]

Welcome KJ.

The 360 was launched in 1999. The 2000 therefore is not the first year model, unless you call the 3rd quarter 1999 model a year 2000 model. that you have to press the accelerator a little more to I had a 2000 model that I bought new. Contrary to the negative comments by other owners and readers, the car did not give me any problem. The complaint about the earlier model is centered on the gearbox. The 2nd generation gearbox ECU was not "refined". So to 'take-off' from standstill you have to to press the accelarator more than normal car and that will make the car "jump" and you have to back off immediately. So in a traffic jam this can be bothersome. But once you get the hang of it it's no problem at all. The other niggling thing is that when you stop for a long time and the gear is in 1st, this can cause overheating of the clutch and then the "alarm" will come on. So what I do is to disengage the gear and I do this everytime I stop at the traffic light. So I don't get that overheating. When I sold the car last July, the clutch was perfectly all right.

The troule with new owners is that they treat the F1 gearbox like an automatic, especially in traffic jam. This will cause the clutch to overheat and shorten it's life. I have very little problem with my 360. I had the "immobiliser" unit changed because it was draining my battery. I had 3 battery change since new until the mecahnics found the real problem.

When I heard that the 2001 models had a new gearbox ECU and it was better, I had mine changed. It cost me only about US750 and it worked well. Of course the ECU has the one on my Stradale and the one on the Enzo have been improved tremendously and it's almost perfect. But I don't know if you can buy those units now.

If you are thinking of the 'manual 6 speed' then you won't have to worry about the F1 gearbox, but to me that would be going back in time. All sports car manufacturers are now offering F1 type gearbox, so it must be the way of the future. But in any case make sure the cam belt has been changed.

I have had more problems with my F355 than I had with the 360. So don't be afraid to plunge into owning the 360, it's a beautiful car to drive. But make sure you have it checked by your mecahnics and most of ll make sure the cam belt is changed. Even better if the clutch is changed as well. The 360 was my third Ferrari after the 328GTS and the F355 GTB and it was the best of the three.