I'm in the market (kinda) for a Ferrari California... my wife would prefer it over the R8 Spyder she has now... so I've been down to the dealer here several times discussing various things --- like Euro delivery (out - Italy doesn't allow it).... and options and order lead times etc.

We've had that "car guy to car guy" discussion about the costs of the older Ferrari's vs the new ones.... I knew they were expensive - you hear the "stories", but I was blown away by the expenses he was telling me. It's cheaper to step up and buy a new one!

I'm with Greg, if you have to ask or work on it yourself......

That all depends! Depends on how many miles you're driving. But the older cars - there's ALWAYS something that needs service. They're not known as daily drivers.


Drop into a dealer and just have a frank discussion about this with them. These aren't your Ford and Chevy dealers - the sales guys are pretty sharp... and they're car guys! Go have a good old fashioned face to face with them and voice your concern. They'll be very honest with you.


These are like big ol' fish killer boats.... Like 70 foot Bertrams and Hatteras etc... They're running Twin 12 and 16 cylinder high strung diesels - they burn 90 gallons per hour - and an Ad for one always has the "SMOH"...... SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL... 'cause an in frame overhaul is measured in the 10's of thousands... :lol: But these boats cost 2 or 3 or 4 and 5 million... 50 grand is nothing. Fueling a 1000 gallons of diesel for a weekend of fishing or going to Bimini is something you don't even think about. Have another bottle of Cristal! :woot:

Go drive one for an hour or two.... and you'll just get a second job! Have your wife get a third full time job... if she already is working two...


HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

If you gotta have a high end Euro car, do yourself a favor and buy a Porsche. They outperform Ferrari and are a much better value if you buy used. And they can be damn reliable.

Hopefully you are not just looking for a Ferrari for the name or perceived exclusivity.

Not at all. Ive always wanted a black 360 and was curious so I made the post. Ive seen them used for 70-80K which is a lot less than I have into my camaro. Just didn't factor in the maintenance being 12k$.

Maybe Ill build one of these instead.... A lot less in maintenance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EM1LCrsVLY

^ Absolutely love those cars. :thumbsup: Not a Ferarri though. Hate the seats and not many options yet...

P.S. Skip the 360 and get a 430.

Yep --- solve all your problems - just do a 430....

The service cost is nominal compared to everything that came before 'em.


Great car - plenty of power... light and nimble - just a trip to drive.

The '94 thru '96 F355 are nice cars with low cost of entry. These still had the 6 speed manual without the F1 paddle shifters. A big advantage in transmission maintenance issues. The sensors on the transmission are extremely expensive and the first couple of years were prone to failure. Oil changes are expensive, but could be done at home, the main issue tends to be clutches. Depending on the mileage driven and how hard, they can last any where from 2k to 8k miles.