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im shopping for my first ferra

im shopping for my first ferrari and im stuck on which one to chose from, im looking at either a 1993 512tr or a 1996-98 355, id like to get some feed back to see pro's and con's for both. they are in the same price range so money is not the issue. i love the look of both ferrari's but just want to know which one id be better off in.

 

[Guest]

Why is the 95 F355 left off th

Why is the 95 F355 left off this list? It has the ODBIO 1 ECU and a little more poke than the later F355s.

Any of the F355s will be less expensive than any of the TRs over any period of time that includes a major.

The F355s are high RPM rockets, the TRs are TQ monsters, so the deciding factor is what you want out of the car.

 

[Guest]

Relative to the 1995 vs. 1996

Relative to the 1995 vs. 1996 and later F355s, here are the pros and cons as I understand them:

1) Valve guides: It is my understanding that a certain number of 1995s had bad valve guide material from the factory that caused them to wear out very early. It is likely that all of these cars have had the guides go bad in them by now. All of the F355s from 1995 to mid-1998 (through engine assembly no. 27688, per Tony Palladino) had bronze valve guides installed by the factory. History has shown that these bronze guides have a tendecy to wear prematurely. Engines with assembly nos. greater than 27688 were fitted with sintered steel guides that wear much better. A leak-down test is imperative before you buy.

2) Cats and headers: The stock cats and headers appear to wear out fairly quickly. However, my Ferrari dealers' service manager (Continental Autosports in the Chicago area) has told me that they have never seen a premature failure of a cat or header on a 1995 due to what they believe is the richer mixture (and consequent lower exhaust temperatures) allowed by the Bosch 2.7 M fuel injection system on these cars.

3) Performance: I have owned 2 1995s and one 1998. It is my belief that the 1995s either have a bit more power (especially in the mid-range) or they at least have a better throttle response. They also sound different.

After owning first a 1995 and then a 1998 I have now gone back to a 1995 (with perfect 2% leak-down results). I prefer the 1995s.

 

[Guest]

1) valve guide issue runs

1) valve guide issue runs clear into mid-1998, so the only way to totally avoid this issue it to buy a car that has been fixed or to buy a 1999. I have a late 95 F355 with the bronze guides. This car has 50K miles and 4,200 miles of this have taken place on race tracks with about 10 minutes spend above redline. My car has <3% leak down numbers at its last major 43K miles, 3,500 race miles. It is important to not rev these cars (or any cars for that mater) hard until the oil gets up into the 160dF+ range.

2) Cats and headers, I have eaten a cat, and have had both headres replaced (under warentee). the replacement headers do not sound as sweet as the original headers. Since the header replacement I have put 27K miles on my car and 3,900 race miles. My car run better when I dial the mixture leaner than what the ECU wants to run the car at (excepting race track use). I have a friend who replaced his headers with Tubi headers. These look pretty good and sound better than the 95 replacement headers.

 

[Guest]

Hello, New guy here... I have

Hello, New guy here... I have had porsches (911's, 930 and my crown jewel 993 twin turbo) continuously for over 18 years. I love them my heart is with them BUT I always wanted a Ferrari!!!

I just bought a nice 1997 F355 spider and can honestly say it stirs the spirit more than all my pcars, even though it is not as fast. Now how much do like the F355?? I chose it over a 1993 512 TR that had more power! I like the drivetrain of the 512 but the look is very dated and not a spider.

My F355 Has had the 30k service that included: valve guides, seals, belts, clutch and hyper-flow cats.

The car runs fabulous, though I would not mind a bit more power. I am looking to the headers that I understand have a reputation for failing. Can these be upgraded or replaced and get some more power too?? Which headers are the best? Are the factory co sensor ports mandatory for smog?? (I am in California) Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Guest]

The headers on the 96-99 are n

The headers on the 96-99 are not as prone to failure as the original headers on the 95. On my 95, I had the headers replaced, and since then have put 25K miles and 3,400 race miles on the car and the headers remain just fine. The sound quality of the replacement headers is not as good as the original.

I have a friend with a 95 F355 who put on the Tubi headers. These things sound fine (to the extent I can tell with the Capristo exhaust installed and to the extend I can tell the difference between the sound of the headers and the sound of the mufler).

There is very little power to be found in headers and/or exhaust systems. Ferrari did not leave that much on the table. You change these components for sound not for power.

Although I am not familiar with Ca smog requirements (other than being more stringent than Federal); I believe: California smog requirements will center mainly around the Cat and the ports on the cat that feed back to the ECU. Certainly the post-cat exhaust system is open.

 

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Wanted: Ferrari seats in good

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