2002-2003 c2 cab or 1990-94 348 ferrari 3rd car

I love porsches but wanted some feed back.

OK, a few factors....... Do you need the back seat? 996 if so Are you OK with a 348 targa? You can't buy a decent Spider for '03 996 money Are you OK with $10,000+ repair bills? You'll see those with a 348. 348s are pretty basic, no power steering, no airbags, no psm.

OJ, just admit you killed Nicole and let's stop the charade...

I went thru a similar dilemma recently between an '03 C4S and a '97 F355. Ended up with the C4S. There was a $25k difference in price, which I would have been willing to deal with, but the main reason I didn't go with the Ferrari was that I knew I would be reluctant to drive it on longer trips, park it overnight anywhere outside, and grudge paying for the high maintenance costs. The Ferrari would have been essentially a show off car for me, and I don't buy high performance cars to impress anyone but for the driving experience. On the flipside though, the 355 may have been a better investment as it may hold its value better in the long run.

I don't know about that, unless you were to hold it for the truly "long run". If the 355s are anything like the 348s, their resale values are not long for this world!

I've read your past post where you were hesitantating on pulling the trigger on a $50,000 996 Cabriolet. I totally understand -- $50,000 is a lot of money -- but if that is the upper end of your budget then I would recommend you stay away from the Ferrari. Ferrari's cost of ownership will be significantly higher than the Porsche's. Plus, I don't know how old you are, how clean you driving record is or where you live but the Ferrari may cost a lot more to insure as well. I saw an excellent example of a Testarossa last year at Ferrari of Washington. Red with tan leather, low miles, recently completed major service at the dealer with just a couple of paint chips and a small scuff on the dash. Very nice for $75K (I could've probably talked them down a few thousand bucks). I was tempted to buy it as a fun weekend car -- it is too expensive to drive that thing daily -- but after I researched the service/repair costs and called my insurance company I said no way.

I'm personally waiting for an F355 Spyder to come into cost range, including all those unexpected expenses.

I don't see 355 Spiders EVER falling below $70k for good cars.

Hear is A pic of A red on red 328 60,000.

I am sorry 348 for sale up in portland asking 60,000.

A good friend of mine had a 1990 328GTS and a 1992 348 and he sold both of them. You better be prepared to spend a LOT of money for maintenance and repairs. These cars are NOT everyday drivers like a 2002-2003 996. I've driven both of them and they're older cars, just not as modern as a newer Porsche. If you're interested I can get a list of the exact repairs and cost of everything he went through. Rob

Riad is right. I love f-cars but be ready for the pinch. Also, these cars aren't worth anything unless serviced like airplanes. Buy the right car, don't settle for any body damage unless you're stealing it. Resale is awesome when the car is right. IMO, not comparable the 911, the 911 is an everyday driver and a wonderful car but very different. I like both! Also, the more comparable would be the 355. It's a far better car than the 348 in every way. The 360 is even better and will cost you less maintenance dollars.

It also depends on when your next class reunion is, pulling up in a 996 is great, but a Ferrari.....oh the look on faces.

The key is to buy the right Ferrari. Buy one that has been well taken care of and make sure to do your homework. The cost of maintenance is not as huge as most people say. The major belt change is the biggest cost, done every 5-7 years at a cost of $4-$7k depending on what is being done and by who is doing it. Now don't get me wrong, if things go wrong the cost can be huge. This is why it is so important to get a good one. You do not want to be the one that is paying to sort out a bad car. As my Ferrari mechanic told me once, �a cheap Ferrari looks better in someone else�s driveway.� So if I was looking for a 3rd car to have fun with. The Ferrari hands down. But, if it was going to be a daily driver then the Porsche is the one.

Timing belt change is every 4 yrs. If you change it less often than 5 years, be prepared to have a blown engine w bent valves.

your wrong....

For your information, all 8-cylinder Ferrari models, independent of the Model Year, must have the timing belts replaced every 30,000 miles or every 3 years, whichever comes first.

Would it be the case that F-cars would appreciate being driven much more often and that part of the problem is that they sit in the garage unused for far too long?

It's my understanding that the new Ferrari's can be driven more like a Porsche, and the 360 or the 430 are less expensive to maintain due to the fact that the engine does not need to be removed for the major maintenance.

That is what the dealers want you to believe. I'll take the advice from the 3 Ferrari mechanics that I know. Two having over 30+ years experience each on Ferraris and the advice of the head Ferrari Factory mechanic.

Friend of mine has had 2 360's driven every day. Over the last 1� years he has put almost 20k miles on them - not a SINGLE problem. He firmly believes (and he is a luxury car dealer seeing lots of these cars) that a Ferrari needs to be driven at least every other day. Put it in the garage for 2 weeks and they start falling apart slowly.

OK.....let me be the first to put his hat in the ring to volunteer to drive anybodies Ferrari as needed....

I owned a 348, the comments above are right on. It's just not a "modern" car, if that makes sense....and I did'nt like the poser factor. Most P car guys are car guys....most F car guys are posers, just my experience. You have to spend BIG bucks to get a "real" Ferarri, IMO. And, yes, the maint will absolutely astound you. I can afford it, and it still pisses me off.. At the time I had the 348, a Carerra and an Acura NSX. The 348 stayed in the garage mostly until I sold it. Not impressed.

I had A 512tr red on tan about ten or so years ago.It was one of those things if you had to ask how much it was not the car for you.nice car seating position was bad. real fast 12 cin.had to let it go to pay off some bills.

I have no reason to doubt that.

Perhaps this is also true for our brand.

Depends really what you want out of the car. I had a 1988 328GTS and it was a great car for cruising and looking good in. Sure the maintance is expensive and the car was no faster nor modern then my 84 911, but owning a F-car is an experience in itself that you can't put a price on. If you were to really want to use the car as a driver or weekend track car you would be better off with a 996 as it is more reliable and faster. If your goal is for the looks and a true week end driver then the F car has that more wow factor. Just think of what you want out of this 3rd car. For me a 3rd car is something I won't use much and want to have some bragging rights so a F-car would be the ticket.

Spot on, Rob. Indeed, it's true of most mechanical engines. Keeping the car running efficiently and well lubricated on a very regular basis is a lot better (though perhaps not more fuel efficient) than letting the engine sit, get creaky, allowing the oil to ooze out of the engine and down to the oil pan, grow cobwebs, and then start that naked metal engine with much aplomb every month or two or three. It's just good common sense to drive your car. If you just wanted to look at it, I guess you really don't need the engine.

Tell that to this guy who just lost his engine. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthr...hlight=tmobile

That moron went SIX YEARS without a belt change.....what an idiot

And I know of two different Fcars that are going on 13 and 14 years with out the belt change. Not something I would do. My guess is if the belts failed after 6 years, I have to wonder if anyone checks the date on the new belts before they were used. They do have a shelf life and you better check to make sure it is not past that life. Chances are that the belts did not fail. The main cause is due to a bearing failure which in turn caused the belts to fail. So when I ask about the last belt change was done. I also ask if the bearing and water pump was also done at that time. Many times people will not do that to keep cost down. Again I would take a well cared for car with miles on it and follow the advice of my mechanic.

I guess even reliable cars can go bad if they just sit. My NSX (a reliable Honda!) needed cam end seal and gallery plugs replaced, im pretty sure because i didnt get to drive it for months on end. I guess they dry out and start to leak if not run ? I feel much better driving the 996 every day

I think that's very accurate. I've used my 2001 C4 and my 2004 C4S as daily drivers and the longest either have ever sat was about a week. This past winter I had 3 weeks off (which I haven't had for 7 years) and didn't drive the car at all and found a nice RMS leak.

let me know next time you take off.....