New Ferrari owner 1989 348ts Need words of Advice

Just bought my first Ferrari a 1989 348ts miles at 19,000. Want it to be the BEST experince not a nightmare. Had the major done right away, to be safe. What else? Any tips that I should check on the car or have done so that I will have no worries. Plan on driving about 1,000 to 1,500 miles a year.

Welcome!!!!

If you just had a major, the shop should have checked everything out. There isn't much you can't get to with the engine out.
My advice is to drive her often. I drive mine at least once a week. Not just around the corner either. Myself and a few other local guys drive 30-50 miles when we gather. Probably one of the reasons I have had virtually zero issues with the car. However, these toys are machines and are prone to breaking. What looks fine today may not be fine tomorrow.
One good thing to look for, and be aware of on the 348 is Electrolysis in the cooling system. Again, the shop should have noticed this condition if it existed on your car.

Check out the following link.


http://www.ferrari-talk.com/discus/m.../3111/791.html


Also, post a pic of your car in your profile.

BTW, Nip Tuck is awesome!!!

Congradulations on your 'new' Ferrari!

As you well know, Ferraris are desgined to be driven. I suggest you milage numbers are way too low. I have a 1995 F355 and I put 5,000 miles per year on the car per year with about 20% of these miles at a race track.

Anyway, I suggest you treat yourself to a driving vacation of at least 1,000 miles some time in the near future just to get all the oily and greased parts up to temperature long enough to fully outgass any accumulated water vapors.

Guys Thanks on the kind words. I had the major done by Jeff McCormick who works at Motor Cars Intl. in Springfield Missouri. Said the car was strong and tight and boy he was right. I owned a Lotus Turbo before the Ferrari and what a difference. I feel like this was a great decision.

Hey welcome to the 348 brotherhood. Since you had the major done you should be in pretty good shape. I'm with what the rest of the guys said. DRIVE THE CAR. The more you drive it the better it will run. Here is a tip, let the engine warm up for about 10 minutes before you take off down the road. A good clue is when the cooling fans kick on at least once. This gives the oil time to get to proper opperating temperature, and it also allows the gear box oil to warm up. If you try to drive the car without letting it get up to temperature you will find it hard to shift from 1st gear to 2nd gear. I put just over 6,000 mile on my 348 last year. Drive it, you bought it for you to enjoy not the next guy.

Ernie, I needed that tip the 1st night I got the car. I had some minor grinding and jamming getting the car into 1st and 2nd. The car came off the truck and I had to drive it. It was a ice cold night in PA that night. I thought the syncros were bad and was not told about it letting the car warm up. I'm in the car business and new something was wrong so I only tried a few times and maybe drove the car for 5 to 10 mins. I called Jeff McCormick and said the same thing you said. Four days later I had a 70 degree day and let the car warm up till the fans kicked on. I also drove it a few miles just using 1st and 3rd, after that 2nd was as smooth as it could be. Ernie, I want to put Test/Bypass pipes on the car 1st then put on a Tubi. Any thoughts?

I've put Stebro test pipes and a Stebro muffler on my '89 348. Love the sound. Check them out at www.stebro.net

You can put test pipes on the car. However I think that the Tubi's are WAY over priced. I am gonna have a local exhaust shop custom fit a Magnaflow muffler for my 348. The entire thing will cost me $400. That is the muffler, and install. You will be hard pressed to beat the performance of a Magnaflow muffler. But some like to spend money just to have the name.

Erine, let me know how the Magnaflow works for you. I'm going to buy test pipes at Hyper-Flow. Is there a oder type smell when you run test pipes instead of the cats? I really want to run test pipes on my 348!

Yeah you will have a richer exhaust smell, because the cats aren't pressent to burn off the the rest of the unburnt exhaust.