Ferrari Life Forum banner

One Month In

3K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  GPGardin 
#1 ·
Tomorrow I celebrate having possession of my baby for one month.

The info I have read about the 348 has been remarkably accurate ( Almost gives me faith to believe what I read again! ).

The car does NOT want to shift into 2nd when cold.
While the acceleration is a far cry slower than my 600 cc sport bike ( as I knew ) , it gets better as you rev her higher and the more I drive it, the better the snappier the engine seems to get.

I have seen a few electrical gremlins ( clock/ ac etc kicks out occasionally, top bar on one LED of cockpit temperature usually disappears when the car cools down )

Met with some Porsche owners and they were very complimentary. Nice guys - car owners and drivers.

Stares on the road,I thought were less than I expected as I ALWAYS rubberneck when a cool car is nearby ( Can't help myself ). However, we were stuck in stop and go traffic and my wife said I was going to cause an accident. I told her I was driving fine but she said it was due to the people staring at the car and not watching the cars ahead - I was too busy driving to notice.

One thing I have noticed is the reaction of family and friends. I understand wanting pictures next to it -but they are surprised when I tell them to sit in it. ( Not sure now how many facebook photos will be posted of friends and relatives sitting in it and really do not care - I know who owns her.)

My brother who has thrown me the keys to every motorcycle he has owned did not want to take out his son to in it until I insisted.

I try to tell people my view - it is not a common car but it is still just a car.

Thrilled with the first 500 miles and looking forward to many, many more.

Greg
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Well Greg, congrats you are officially an experienced Ferrari owner now. What you have described will be your experience from here on out. Enjoy the car and share it.

Acceleration - stay in one gear lower than you think you should be in. Keep the revs up above 5,000 and it is fantastic. It takes some getting used to because you are not used to such a high revving engine but the Ferrari engine really doesn't start to make a lot of power until it hits 5,000. Switch the gear oil to Redline synthetic oil and that will help the second gear issue.
 
#3 ·
Acceleration - stay in one gear lower than you think you should be in. Keep the revs up above 5,000 and it is fantastic. It takes some getting used to because you are not used to such a high revving engine but the Ferrari engine really doesn't start to make a lot of power until it hits 5,000. Switch the gear oil to Redline synthetic oil and that will help the second gear issue.
+1 to Petes post and congrats Greg

It takes a while to get use to and be comfortable in driving it that hard but once you achieve it look out..:cool:
 
#6 ·
Stuff I forgot

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.
I knew I was not stating anything that the experienced folk did not know rather just agreeing with all I have read to date.
I agree about the comfort factor - I am amazed :eek: at the cornering ability of the car. I took it on a twisty road that I strafe on the bike. What a thrill - I think in some ways it was more fun in the Ferrari- less nervous about gravel and a real cool feeling in the cornering forces.

The shifting technique is touchier than previous cars. I will do the Redline gearbox change and see how the tranny feels after that.

I have a long list on really minor stuff - the kind of thing that would not bother me on any other car - I guess I am doing the one thing that others have advised against - worrying about the little things. I figure that if I do not do them now, the little things may grow? Thoughts?

I did venture into the local dealership ( mail order from US was okay but spending 50% more just to ship across the border ( plus Fed Ex will tack on more... ) and was pleasantly surprised at the parts counter. A few parts I was told to just get them at a hardware store that the size was not uncommon crush washers etc ). Pricing was as good or better than mail order - then they gave me a discount. Not sure if this is a "first order" thing but I appreciated it.

Greg
 
#7 ·
I have a long list on really minor stuff - the kind of thing that would not bother me on any other car - I guess I am doing the one thing that others have advised against - worrying about the little things. I figure that if I do not do them now, the little things may grow? Thoughts?
Greg, go ahead and take care of all those little things that bug you. You will get a lot of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment of actually working on your new pride and joy and the satisfaction of knowing that it is as perfect as you can make it. Also as you take care of these little things you will get better familiar with the car overall and your confidence in the car will build. Later on when you have issues you will be able to better prioritize them. This is your dream so enjoy it while the feeling lasts. The "newness" will wear off eventually and the sense of awe when you see it in your garage will fade. The feeling never goes away completely but it does become less intense and eventually you will look at it simply as a car.

I think it took about 3 years for me. The big turning point for me was when I was still obsessing about the car and not really driving it that much, actually I think I spent more time polishing it than driving it. Steve on here (enjoythemusic) said, "Look, it is not a museum piece you've got there. It is a car, they made thousands of them. Drive it!" Before that I wouldn't even drive the car in the rain, now I've even driven it in the snow. I just one day came to the realization that the car is not made out of a water soluble material, it is made out of the same stuff my truck is made of.

So yeah, do go ahead and fix all those little things now while your enthusiasm is high. If you don't do it now you never will. My tachometer hasn't worked for 2 years. It's on the list.
 
#8 ·
Thanks Capt. Pete.
Thought that I was on the right track but good to hear from a vet.

I have not had to worry about rain - it was delivered i the rain and every drive, I have come across some water even though when I left it was dry.

As for snow - what do they look like with snow tires???

I know that the newness does go but for cool toys it takes a long time. Bought my bike new in 2000 and while I don't wash it as often as i should, I have not grown tired of riding it ( Hitting 180 km/h at 14 000 rpm in 3rd is always cool ).

The sense of awe for the Ferrari will take a long time. I never thought that this would ever be possible - I still giggle when I look in the garage - as if I will wake up from a really good dream.

So good, I do not yet mind adding thing to the list - that I know will never be complete!

Greg
 
#10 ·
+1 very good read, and yes it is still a car, but to many people like me or alot of us on here, its a god lol i can totally understand why everyone thinks its amazing when they even get to sit in it, even a 348 which is atleast 10 years old. its because they only get to sit in ford taurus's and pt cruisers, a ferrari is like heavin to even the most ignorant people when it comes to cars.:)
 
#11 ·
because they only get to sit in ford taurus's and pt cruisers, a ferrari is like heavin to even the most ignorant people when it comes to cars.:)
I actually like the Ford Taurus, a great car for the money. I've driven many a rental Taurus and I thought they were fine. I have also driven a PT Cruiser and I have never been in a worse car in all my life. It was like driving in my Dad's 1947 Crosley station wagon. But I will agree wtih you in that a 15 year old 348 or even a 29 year old 308 with the leather seats that fit you like a glove is heaven compared to almost anything offered today. And that go-cart handling is a definate plus. These are cars that you drive, not cars that you ride in.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top