Ferrari Mailing List: Re: 355 Advice

(continued)

Actually, BMW extended the warranty on the affected cars to cover the  
engine for (I beleive) 100,000 miles. Not sure what the time period  
was though.
All moot now since they are all out of warranty, but all the cars out  
there now have either been fixed, junked, or are on the original  
engine and have never exhibited the problem.
Jeff
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 30, 2008, at 1:00 AM, Mike Fleischer <themightytoe [at] gmail.com>  
wrote:
I have to go with clyde on that, it was the higher sulfur content in  
US

gasoline that caused the BMW engine failures.  As I recall BMW  
replaced

the motors for cars that were still under warranty.  If you got one  
out

of warranty with the problem you were hosed.
Mike
clyderomero [at] worldnet.att.net wrote:

I remember the BMW issue
But I thought it was our fuel that was causing the issue
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: David Thursby <david [at] thethursbys.net>
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:52:05
To: <clyderomero [at] worldnet.att.net>
Cc: The FerrariList<ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] 355 Advice

355s only. They used a Nikasil coated liner by Mahle, but the Nikasil

coating was too thin. Do you remember in the early 90s a problem with

the then-new BMW 5 series V8s? Exact same manufacturer, exact same

problem. Only difference is most BMWs get to 50K miles in year 1 or  
2,

while still under warranty. 50K on a 10 year old Ferrari is still not

that common, so the problem is also just starting to appear. It's not

every engine - just some, but those that run rich (e.g. due to wiring

the EBV open) tend to suffer most due to cylinder washdown. Of  
course,

now that the car is WAY out of warranty, Ferrari's response is  
along the

lines of "new liners are in stock$$$$$".
Anecdotally, I think you'll find that more 355s have bad leakdown
numbers than most other Fcars.
As for belts, if your book does not have a time interval, then that  
is a

serious omission by FNA. Every other WSM and OM has 5 years, with the

service bulletin a few years go advising 3, but only for US cars.  
Read

into that whatever you want ($$$) :) Apparently global warning or

whatever else is the cause of belt failures is less of a problem in  
all

countries outside the area served by Ferrari North America.
Dave
clyderomero [at] worldnet.att.net wrote:
I had a 308 with over 100k on it with no liner problem
So this is the first time I have heard of this
And my 512 has 80k on it as well
Clyde
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: cdatte [at] spawar.navy.mil
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:59:39
To: clyde<clyderomero [at] worldnet.att.net>
Cc: The FerrariList<ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] 355 Advice

never seen 355's advertised with blown engines, where did you see  
them ?
At 11:32 AM 7/29/2008, David Thursby wrote:
In addition to what Charles says below, 355s with "high" mileage

(>80,000km) are showing a tendency for the rings to eat through  
the too

thin Nikasil coating on the liners, with a complete and very  
expensive

engine rebuild being required. This is brought on prematurely if  
some

clot has wired open the exhaust bypass valve. These valves also  
tend to

rattle as they wear. Not an issue other than it can get annoying.
The F1 hydraulic pumps were a bad design, and they tend to fail too

often for a $10,000 part. The 360 improved the design by  
separating the

pump from the control unit. If you do have an F1 car that blows the

pump, it is possible to retrofit a 360 pump unit. They're only  
$1000....
As someone in the Ferrari parts business I know that the average  
amount

spent by 355 owners is more than double that of any other model.  
Don't

get me wrong - I used to have a 355 (1995 Berlinetta, black/ 
black) and

it was the best car I have ever owned. I just know they are the  
most

expensive Ferrari to keep on the road.
If you can do mechanical work yourself, then get one with a blown

engine. You'll spend the same money getting it back together as  
you will

getting a going car "right" that hasn't had any of the engine  
issues

addressed. The difference is you'll know it's done right, and the  
car

will have cost you significantly less to buy in the first place.  
In the

US, 355s with blown engines are available for the high 20's and low

30's. Allow another 20K for the rebuild if you do most of the work

yourself, and you'll have a great 355 for ~50K.
Would I buy another one? Yes, but with a blown engine, and when  
family

finances permit.
Dave
Charles Perry wrote:
Pierre -
I have a 98 F355 spider which I've owned since 2002. I love the  
car, but

have had all but one of the 355's famous issues and one that was  
my own

fault. Overall it is a great car, but like all Ferraris, some

development work was left to the owners. Knowing the issues will  
help

you see how much previous owners have done and how much you may  
have to

do.
1995 cars are slightly more powerful than newer units due to the  
change

in Bosch fuel injection systems that started in 1996. Some early  
cars

have had problems with valve guides wearing prematurely, which  
causes a

variety of problems. I don't think anyone has ever pinned down a  
year or

VIN range where this occurred, and there are some people with  
early cars

who have never had the problem and some people with later cars  
that had

it. We all strongly recommend a pre-purchase inspection (PPI),  
and it is

worth the extra money to pay for compression and leakdown tests  
to look

for this problem.
355s also have a habit of melting their exhaust manifolds. They  
are made

out of a cheap, thin steel and some have postulated that if the

catalytic converters get clogged, the additional heat burns the  
the

manifold. The manifolds can be replaced, rebuilt with better  
materials,

or upgraded to higher end versions like Tubi. I would recommend  
one of

the two later options if your car hasn't already had the issue  
fixed.

Fixing cost is $1500-$3000 depending on solution.
355s have the rubbery coating on many interior surfaces (door  
pulls,

switch trim, AC vent trim, steering console surround, emergency  
brake

surround, center console) which turns to a disgusting sticky goo  
over

time. No idea what triggers it - some have postulated sun  
exposure or

cleaning chemicals. Solutions are to replace the items ($$$), or  
to

chemically strip them down to plain plastic ($), or to upgrade  
them to

something like carbon fiber ($$$).
355s tend to have shrinkage in the dash leather over time, usually

starting with the airbag cover on the passenger side, and then the

instrument cluster. Leather wear on the driver's bolster is  
common, as

is road rash on the door intakes and behind the wheels where the  
body

work sticks out. This is cosmetic, so you may not care but it  
can be a

negotiating point if your car has the issue.
You mentioned a berlinetta, so I won't bore you with the  
convertible top

issues on a spider.
Routine maintenance isn't bad except for the 30k/5 year service  
where

the engine is pulled to do the timing belts. This is crucial and  
it is

urgent that you respect the time limit - not just the mileage  
limit like

all salesman will tell you is fine. I did drag my service out to 6

years, and I did break a timing belt, and I paid a painful engine

rebuild price as a result. My fault, but don't skimp on scheduled

maintenance as it only gets more expensive if you wait. This  
service

will run you anywhere from $3500 with a good independent  
mechanic and

minimal replacement to $8-10k from a dealer with "while we're in  
there"

stuff.
Transmission is a personal choice. This was the debut of the F1  
paddle

shift. Some love it, some don't. It is an early system, so  
certainly

slower and more clunky than current systems with potentially  
high repair

bills for things like the F1 hydraulic pump or actuators. I  
bought the

6-speed because I like the involvement and because I believe it  
will be

easier/cheaper to service over the long run, but try both if you  
can.
As Clyde says, prices are low on these. I see most Berlinetta's  
offered

in the $60k-$70k range and depending on the dealer or owner, it  
is not

unusual to get 10-30% off asking prices depending on how crazy the

offerer priced it to begin with. As a general rule, aftermarket

equipment devalues a Ferrari, so if your car has a big stereo or  
phat

chromed rims or some such thing, negotiate against that, even if  
you

like them.
My insurance in the states is about $800/year under a collector  
car

policy with generous useage limits.
I don't want to scare you off as these are really fun cars (any

Ferrari), but they are very much NOT Lexus/Toyota as far as build

quality and reliability, so the more you go in eyes open, the more

enjoyable your Ferrari experience will be. There are huge assets  
here

and at www.ferrarichat.com if you want to investigate further,  
or I

would be happy to talk to you further.
Most important shopping tip is what Clyde already told you - buy  
with

your head, not with your heart. It's easy to get carried away  
with a

gleaming Ferrari in front of you, but if the car doesn't have

maintenance records and obvious signs of previous care (original  
books,

tools, etc), then wait. There is always another car, especially  
with

modern Ferraris.
Good luck!
-- charles
-- 98 F355 Spider
-- 87 Testarossa
-- 99 Diablo

-----Original Message-----
From: bouaze pierre [mailto:pbouaze [at] hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 10:12 AM
To: Charles Perry
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Ferrari Digest, Vol 24, Issue 38

hello all,
I am looking to buy a ferrari 355 berlinetta, pref a 98 or 99 in  
the

next year. Can anyone help with general info (insurance, service

schedule, etc)  for a first time ferrari buyer??? just want to  
do some

research before i lose my virginity. Any info is appreciated
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Re: 355 Advice	<– Date –> <– Thread –>
From: Jeff Greenfield (coyoteacme-ltd.com)
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:46:21 -0700 (PDT)