Ferrai 348 ts . . .reliable or piece of junk? - GT-R Register - Official Nissan Skyline and GTR Owners Club forum

gtrlux · 8th February 2008, 08:29 AM

A japanese friend of mine has sold his Alpha recently , and now wants to buy one of theses, I heared horror stories about them, and knowing that my mate drives allways , with one foot in gail, around town, . . . a not healthy one will go up in flames soon after . . . .

Someone had one, I think they are bargains now, I mean a Full opition 350Z cost more here in japan.

and bythe way it`s a FERRARI not a Datsun , after all . .

paul creed · 8th February 2008, 01:24 PM

I've driven a 348 and found it great fun. Dog leg gearbox was different to get used to. Response was smooth and had a fair bit of poke. Just a less advanced and less refined 355. Can't say i've heard of any probs with the 348.

kismetcapitan · 8th February 2008, 02:03 PM

hopefully it's not a USDM 348 - those had ridiculous seatbelts.

It's definitely pretty (if I had to rate the V8 Ferraris in styling, it'd be 1)288GTO, 2)348, 3)F430, 4)F355, 5)328, last)360 Amoeba, I mean, Modena), but I cannot cite a single Ferrari that I would consider reliable, and a fair number I'd call "junk".

mava_rules · 8th February 2008, 02:38 PM

£20k, looking on ebay.
Thanks mate think im intrested now! lol

Shakey Finch · 8th February 2008, 02:38 PM

The 348 was probably the worst modern day Ferrari ever made....mechanically speaking.

The engines are a nightmare to work on and the car just falls apart, that's why they are cheap.

Yes, any Ferrari will cost a packet to run, but with a 348 you are asking for trouble!

Shakey Finch · 8th February 2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shakey Finch

The 348 was probably the worst modern day Ferrari ever made....mechanically speaking.

The engines are a nightmare to work on and the car just falls apart, that's why they are cheap.

Yes, any Ferrari will cost a packet to run, but with a 348 you are asking for trouble!

355 FI is the one to buy, but look at the price for a good RHD version, 50k...

xaero1 · 8th February 2008, 03:09 PM

I've driven one too and as Paul Creed says it was fairly pokey and the dog-leg gearbox was strange to use.

I'd never consider buying one though. You're better off saving for a couple of years and getting a well looked after 355.

mifn21 · 8th February 2008, 03:28 PM

Wasn't the 348 meant to have "interesting" handling?

Nick MW · 8th February 2008, 09:43 PM

I had one for about a year - 348 TB and actually hated it.

Hated the image and found the running cost rediculous. It broke down on me regularly (mainly electrical) and everyone relished the sight of a broken down Ferrari.

On song through, 8,000 rpm + from that V8 and you would forgive it a lot. I actually found the handling very good and fairly progressive on the limit for a rear engined car....

turboslippers · 8th February 2008, 10:25 PM

Obviously never driven one but grew up following the 3** ferrari. From what I understand 308/328 is a classic and can be viewed as such. The F355 was/is a stunning car and, at the time, was a turning point for ferrari.
The 348 sits in that middle doldrum period with a reputation for being a bit of a handful and not that well built. I remember when it came out and even the enthusiastic press were 'diplomatic' in it's opinion. It's got the strakes down the side, it makes the right noise but I think it's viewed as a bit of a bad egg as ferrari's go. If I had the choice (which I don't) and wanted to enter the wallet emptying world of ferrari ownership I would pick a LHD 355 over a similar priced mint RHD 348. From what I understand there is a huge leap of advancement between one car to the other...

gtrlux · 9th February 2008, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shakey Finch

The 348 was probably the worst modern day Ferrari ever made....mechanically speaking.

The engines are a nightmare to work on and the car just falls apart, that's why they are cheap.

Yes, any Ferrari will cost a packet to run, but with a 348 you are asking for trouble!

Thanks for the replies guys, also thought the 355 F1 would be the obvious (still cheapest possible) choice to get a Ferrari that isn`t build with caveman technology . . .!
The problem with the 355 is the price differences on this model, I can`t figure out for how much they are really going, the spider being sometimes more expensive then a Modena . .(lol who would?).

At the end I think that a 456GT is the best bargain on the Ferrari market, as long as you consider the car as GranTurismo, rather then mental track beast.
Also for looks the 456GT with some nice body parts and 19" BBS wheels is pretty cool, . . . my mate really knows a shit about cars, he allways drives non japanese cars , like Alphas, Camaros, or Passat W8s , when he killed one, then moves on with two brain cells of choice . . . . I told him do buy a 350Z, which is in any case a brilliant car, but well who doesn`t want to own a Ferrari at least once in a life?

kismetcapitan · 9th February 2008, 06:38 AM

you don't want the first generation F1 transmission. It's garbage, only really works well when you're driving insanely, and breaks. a LOT.

They've sorted it out on the F430, but they had a lot of gremlins to fix between the first F1 and the current semi-autos. It's the auto part that really strains the clutch and mechanism. An old guy, late 50s or early 60s, had his transmission fail at 900km on his brand new 612 Scaglietti. The best we could figure was that he was tottering about in the car as if it were a Mercedes and the transmission gave up - the old man certainly was not a flogger of cars!

gavman · 11th February 2008, 04:42 PM

sod the paddleshift, the biggest draw for me on a ferrari is the open gate

but the 355 seems to be the model to have....in black

my understanding is that their engines are actually very reliable, having been refined during the one-make race series?

i actually like the 612 the most....just the classiest car ferrari make by far imho

sky 1t · 12th February 2008, 12:09 AM

I agree the Gearbox lets the car down, difficult to get used to & car needs warming up before it feels slick to engage into gears.

Mazinger · 15th February 2008, 04:27 PM

What about Testarossa's? Are they any better?

8th February 2008, 08:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
gtrlux Registered user Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: at jmotors or in heaven Posts: 5,054	Ferrai 348 ts . . .reliable or piece of junk? A japanese friend of mine has sold his Alpha recently , and now wants to buy one of theses, I heared horror stories about them, and knowing that my mate drives allways , with one foot in gail, around town, . . . a not healthy one will go up in flames soon after . . . . Someone had one, I think they are bargains now, I mean a Full opition 350Z cost more here in japan. and bythe way it`s a FERRARI not a Datsun , after all . .

8th February 2008, 01:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
paul creed Gone Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: In hell Posts: 4,612	I've driven a 348 and found it great fun. Dog leg gearbox was different to get used to. Response was smooth and had a fair bit of poke. Just a less advanced and less refined 355. Can't say i've heard of any probs with the 348. __________________ ( OO\ SKYLINE /OO) GTROC Artwork/Calendar Designer 2002-2008 CAPTAIN BLACK - LIFETIME MEMBER #070 The New Book is out :) http://www.gtr.co.uk/products-64-toV...g_marvel_.html

8th February 2008, 02:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
kismetcapitan GTR Register Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Seoul Korea Posts: 6,325	hopefully it's not a USDM 348 - those had ridiculous seatbelts. It's definitely pretty (if I had to rate the V8 Ferraris in styling, it'd be 1)288GTO, 2)348, 3)F430, 4)F355, 5)328, last)360 Amoeba, I mean, Modena), but I cannot cite a single Ferrari that I would consider reliable, and a fair number I'd call "junk". Last edited by kismetcapitan; 8th February 2008 at 02:06 PM.

8th February 2008, 10:25 PM	#10 (permalink)
turboslippers GTROC Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Essex Posts: 2,045	Obviously never driven one but grew up following the 3** ferrari. From what I understand 308/328 is a classic and can be viewed as such. The F355 was/is a stunning car and, at the time, was a turning point for ferrari. The 348 sits in that middle doldrum period with a reputation for being a bit of a handful and not that well built. I remember when it came out and even the enthusiastic press were 'diplomatic' in it's opinion. It's got the strakes down the side, it makes the right noise but I think it's viewed as a bit of a bad egg as ferrari's go. If I had the choice (which I don't) and wanted to enter the wallet emptying world of ferrari ownership I would pick a LHD 355 over a similar priced mint RHD 348. From what I understand there is a huge leap of advancement between one car to the other... __________________ regards Ben R32 GTR (very economical) Saab V6 convertible (75+ mpg on a run...) BMW 328i sport (runs on thin air)

9th February 2008, 06:38 AM	#12 (permalink)
kismetcapitan GTR Register Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Seoul Korea Posts: 6,325	you don't want the first generation F1 transmission. It's garbage, only really works well when you're driving insanely, and breaks. a LOT. They've sorted it out on the F430, but they had a lot of gremlins to fix between the first F1 and the current semi-autos. It's the auto part that really strains the clutch and mechanism. An old guy, late 50s or early 60s, had his transmission fail at 900km on his brand new 612 Scaglietti. The best we could figure was that he was tottering about in the car as if it were a Mercedes and the transmission gave up - the old man certainly was not a flogger of cars! Last edited by kismetcapitan; 9th February 2008 at 06:40 AM.

8th February 2008, 02:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
mava_rules New Users Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Tyne and Wear Posts: 1,013	£20k, looking on ebay. Thanks mate think im intrested now! lol

8th February 2008, 02:38 PM	#5 (permalink)
Shakey Finch New Users Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 405	The 348 was probably the worst modern day Ferrari ever made....mechanically speaking. The engines are a nightmare to work on and the car just falls apart, that's why they are cheap. Yes, any Ferrari will cost a packet to run, but with a 348 you are asking for trouble!

8th February 2008, 03:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
xaero1 New Users Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Cotswolds / California Posts: 3,349	I've driven one too and as Paul Creed says it was fairly pokey and the dog-leg gearbox was strange to use. I'd never consider buying one though. You're better off saving for a couple of years and getting a well looked after 355.

8th February 2008, 03:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
mifn21 GTROC Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: London Posts: 2,035	Wasn't the 348 meant to have "interesting" handling?

8th February 2008, 09:43 PM	#9 (permalink)
Nick MW GTR Register Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Beds Posts: 1,583	I had one for about a year - 348 TB and actually hated it. Hated the image and found the running cost rediculous. It broke down on me regularly (mainly electrical) and everyone relished the sight of a broken down Ferrari. On song through, 8,000 rpm + from that V8 and you would forgive it a lot. I actually found the handling very good and fairly progressive on the limit for a rear engined car....

11th February 2008, 04:42 PM	#13 (permalink)
gavman GTR Register Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: out there Posts: 1,990	sod the paddleshift, the biggest draw for me on a ferrari is the open gate but the 355 seems to be the model to have....in black my understanding is that their engines are actually very reliable, having been refined during the one-make race series? i actually like the 612 the most....just the classiest car ferrari make by far imho

12th February 2008, 12:09 AM	#14 (permalink)
sky 1t GTR Register Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Any! If she's willing? :) Posts: 1,139	I agree the Gearbox lets the car down, difficult to get used to & car needs warming up before it feels slick to engage into gears.

15th February 2008, 04:27 PM	#15 (permalink)
Mazinger GTR Register Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UAE Posts: 291	What about Testarossa's? Are they any better?

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