[fana348 France]

hello I erned a 348 TS 3 years, just sold it and I want a F355 GTS or spider.
could you tell me if therer are some differences between a 95 typ or a 1998 model, witch is better, are the 355 modified to be better again since the begining ? I red the article on this web site and any information would be welcome....
I saw that the 1995 dont have airgbags...
do the F355 spider have a good grip on the road ?
thank you bye
nico
fana348 France will become Fana355 France !

 

[Stradale]

The '95 car has no air bag as you've noticed. The ECU is different and the the air intake pipes are seperate, meaning it has 2 airflow meter. This set-up was changed from '96 where the air intake pipes is joined in the centre and metered with only one airflow meter. This is convenient for the workshop for tuning and maintainance. But the seperate airflow set-up is retained for the 355 Challenge cars right to the end of their production year. Is that a hint?

The '98 cars are at the end of the production line for F355 and are normally better cars simply because all the bugs would have been ironed out. End of '98 Ferrari started to introduce the F1 gearbox to the F255. From '97 the 355 are fitted with a storage box at the centre of the cabin and mounted on the firewall.

fana, there is a "Buyers' Guide" here for the F355, maybe it's best that you check it out.

 

[fana348 France]

F355

I red the buyer guide on the website ant there are some interesting information but it is interesting to have some more details like those you gave me..
thank you

 

[Stradale]

Re: F355

I red the buyer guide on the website ant there are some interesting information but it is interesting to have some more details like those you gave me..
thank you

The GTS roof tend to "squeak", you'll have to put silicone grease on the rubber seal to stop this. The spyder is a better option. One of my friend had owned both the GTS ans well as the spyder and he recommends the spyder.

 

[Italian Lover]

F355

I owned a 1997 F355 manual shift Berlinetta. This is the XR Type (single air flow, latter model). I was very happy with it but I sold it in order to move on to a 365GT4 BB Boxer (1973). Proabably, a spider is a better choice but that depends on the climate of where you live. Although I've never been to France, the southern Mediterranean climate would be great for the Spider. Where I live in Tokyo area, Spider is unrealistic (nice to own tho). Anyhow, F355 was great, realitvely low cost maintenance, very reliable if maintained well, exhilarating exhaust note when over 4,000rpm, simple but sensuous body lines, not excessive large like the 360 Modena. You would be satisfied no matter which one you acquire. Good search ! Jimmy

 

[fana348 France]

F355

I found a F355 gts 1995 very low km and I will go to have a look at it !
In fact I was wondering about the spider because I had a 348 GTS and had fun driving without the roof ! and I find the speed very nice too. But maybe you are right, aspider would be realy better than a GTS ? because the weather in center of france is not as nice as in Nice or St Tropez in south (our california)...
I will tell you when bought thanks !
And what do you know about clutch quality on F355 F1 ? how many km before rebuild ?

 

[Boxer]

I would recommend driving both a GTS and Spider and then seeing which you prefer. It is a very subjective decision. The GTS will be a bit stiffer and have less wind noise with the top off. If you are in an urban area the GTS is a bit more practical. That having been said, a Spider is a Spider...

In terms of the clutch, it all depends on if it has been treated with respect. Early F1 boxes do have some issues so check it out carefully.

Good luck.

 

[ze_shark]

Spider vs GTS is a matter of personal taste. To me, the GTS gets you the best of both worlds, open air enjoyment without the hassle of a soft top. The roof of the GTS may squeak, but at least it's reliable.

355F1 clutches are not to worry about if you understand the car and avoid excessive slippage. My car has 42000km and, based on SD2 readings, I expect the clutch to last another 10 to 20'000. Just avoid using reverse too much, uphill stop-and-go trafic, and stoplights drag races. If you plan to do a lot of heavy trafic, go with a 6-speed manual instead, a 355 F1 is simply a pain in such conditions (unless you don't mind paying for clutches).

As with any Ferrari, (some of) the design faults are corrected as production runs, so the later model year, the better.

 

[Andrew]

Good luck in your search for the F355. The car does have a strong grip on the road and I think you'll find it better than your previous 348.