1995 Ferrari 355 GTB

[nthfinity]

just got back from driving a 95 355 GTB a few hours ago ... I can't help but love the car... the way it sounded, craved to be 5000+ rpm... the way the exhaust changed sounds from 4500-5300 or so before becoming a higher pitched scream... very easy to drive, very comfortable (except for where the clutch is... the effort is fine, but its at an awkward angle, and i was unfortunatley wearing my normal tenis shoes... which after a few hours behind the wheel on the loop in Hell, my knee was a little sore when moving it normally again. It was an absolute pleasure to drive, and rip through the gears... but really is not much of a comparison against modern sports cars, even in the drivers seat.

oddities i noticed.... no gas cap holder, lock, and unlock buttons are separate, I NEED DRIVING SHOES!, for being as tall as I am, I have enough head room, and leg room, but the location of the clutch is odd , and I have to cock my left leg slightly odd to depress it. After a few hours of driving, I had a slight limp, but not due to muscle strain, just odd angled use. I'm told the pedals can be ajusted per driver... the shoes would help a lot.

the sound! oh god, the sound! This 355 was fitted with Tubi exhaust, and isn't quiet even when cruising at 60 mph at roughtly 3000 rpm... but thats alright Get on the gas, and she goes... not like a C6 Z... but it moves great, and is very responsive. Each gear is intuitively spaced... It's like I never had to think twice about where to rev-match, where the Cayman S was quite confusing ratios. The Ferrari really makes use of each of its ratios to the max for the most driving pleasure!

Firm up the suspension, and you feel even more confident through the bends... but watch out, there is a marathon running in the woods, just over a blind corner or few.... phew! Keep a mindful eye on the cyclists...

Overtaking is a sinch, and driving through a small tunnel.... oh the glory! I need to arrange to drive this under Lathrup Villiage

Somehow, I have managed to take zero photos of me behind the wheel, and no video LOL... odd, but well.... thats ok. I have photos of the car online, the red 355 GTB in the events pages for some of the drives I've been on.

In conclusion.

It's not a new car, but who cares!?! It sounds great, feels almost very comfortable. I find myself wondering if a Vette really will come first in the garage, or the 355... I've fallen head over heals long before I drove it; and every suspicion has been confirmed. A hell of a car I tell you.. it looks phenomenal... I'd go so far as to recomend finding one with low miles, and no stories... even a dealer authorized sale, as i've heard some poor stories about the 355 valvetrain... but curiously enough, nobody I have met who has a 355 has had any real issues. What an amazing car

[yg60m]

Thanks for the report nth :good:
It's indeed always one of the best sounding car in the world and seing one in the street has a strong impact on people, one of the last (really) good looking Ferrari ??

[Erez]

mmmmm 355..
nice read nth.. :good:
as for issues, the only one that comes to my mind is with Jabba's.. the wheel.. hu.. come to think of it, I dont remember what they said about it.. all I can recall is it was under investigation :bah:

you just gotta love the 355.. your not human if you dont..

[Chaos in 1983!]

great story nth! you have fulfilled one of the things on my "do before I die" list....driving a 355...my all time favorite Ferrari...

[nthfinity]

at some point this summer, I'll be getting a lot of photos and video of this car should make for a good in-depth Zero to 100 article (god, i hope there is enough time to make it work once again)

[sameerrao]

The 355 is an intoxicating car no doubt.

I bought a new set of driving shoes soon after I got my 348 - racing Sparco shoes actually. It makes a huge improvement when driving and prevents snagging two pedals simultaneously. Narrow shoes are a must - don't bother with the normal driving shoes like Piloti - they are too wide.

As to the maintenance issues I know of two people who had bad experiences, one has spent $23000 in total for various fixes over the last 2 1/2 years. Yet there are 3 more people I know who never had a problem. Buying a car with a tubi and replaced headers and valve guides should take care of the biggest expenses.

The 355 is about 30-40% more expensive to service than a 348 - $$$$

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by sameerrao The 355 is an intoxicating car no doubt. I bought a new set of driving shoes soon after I got my 348 - racing Sparco shoes actually. It makes a huge improvement when driving and prevents snagging two pedals simultaneously. Narrow shoes are a must - don't bother with the normal driving shoes like Piloti - they are too wide. As to the maintenance issues I know of two people who had bad experiences, one has spent $23000 in total for various fixes over the last 2 1/2 years. Yet there are 3 more people I know who never had a problem. Buying a car with a tubi and replaced headers and valve guides should take care of the biggest expenses. The 355 is about 30-40% more expensive to service than a 348 - $$$$

I've been thinking about what shoes, and I've found some pumas on thier website that look like they'll do the job perfectly w/out the expense of the sparco's.

My issue wasn't hitting two pedals at the same time, it was having the rubber of my shoe stop on the "dead pedal" rather then the clutch... gas and break foot was fine in the 355.

and... when I was talking to a friend about driving Nat's 355, he suddenly said "well, we'll have to get you behind the wheel of my 348 Spyder then! I have to warn you, it isn't as easy to drive..."

thanks for the input Sameer I still can't get over the fact one of my long term dreams has come true!