brandsb

Fellow E60'ers:
Thanks to all for the great insight, support and collaboration during my 545i ownership. This is a truly great Forum and has been unbelievably helpful to me over the years. I've saved a lot of money with the tips and guidance here (and of course have spent 10X that on mods I'd never have known existed ).

I've truly battled the daily driver vs. sports car syndrome over the past year and finally decided to sell the 545i and replace it with an M5 for the ultimate in performance. I was fortunate to sell the 545 fairly quickly here locally (Detroit) this spring. I was, of course, parallel shopping for M5's and ended up within minutes of buying two of them. One was literally sold out of my grasp and the other one ended up having a late-breaking story that scared me away. Thanks to EuroCarFan, Tony, for helping guide me during my M5 searches, another example of the E60 brotherhood at work.

To make a long story short, I segued over to Ferraris after a few conversations with my wife. At 47, in an incredibly bad economy and one of the worst industries in the world (automotive), I decided it was time to take the leap over to a true long-term dream before it completely slipped away. I started looking at 328's and F355's and ended up with this this one, shipped in from southern California:




It's a 1995 F355 with 21k miles on it. It has been a true leap of faith because, as many of you know, Ferraris are extremely temperamental and the slightest issue can require thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars to repair. Interestingly, the price of the 355's has dropped dramatically in the past year and this one was right in the middle of the used M5 market, truly quite affordable by Ferrari standards. Of course, if a belt breaks or the water pump needs replacing, then I'm beginning to approach mid-four figure repairs at a minimum. No CPO plans in the Ferrari world!

The Ferrari Forums are also an interesting switch for me. At a high level, they are extremely receptive and cordial to all members, regardless of ownership status (many don't even own Ferraris). However, the modding and hands-on technical feedback that I'm used to with this forum is not even close. Obviously, many cars are professionally maintained, frequently flat-bedded from the owner's house (collection) to the dealer and back. Not all fall into that arena but many do.

The car itself has been an absolute throwback for me to drive, especially after my 545i Sport with Steptronic. It's a manual six-speed, which I love and of course the styling speaks for itself. The ride and handling is much more engaging i.e. rougher more like a traditional sports car. Interestingly with less than 300 ft lbs of torque, it doesn't feel any faster than my 545i, even with 380 hp. Oh yeah, it has an aftermarket Tubi exhaust and Hyperflow cats.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you've got any interest or are in a similar position regarding the Ferrari world. It's truly an orange compared to the BMW world of apples, both truly spectacular experiences....I'll be back for that M5 in the future!

Thanks again to all for your comradeship and all the best in this wild world!

Steve B.

v_therussian

Congratulations! Like I've said before, I personally consider the F355 to be the pinacle of the 20th century Ferraris, so I absolutely love the car! (could use some more pics, but... ).

I hope she serves you well and would be glad to see your reports on the Ferrari ownership on this forum - if you have the time.

Again, Congrats and God Speed!

V//

brandsb

Thanks V, awesome note. Yes, pride of ownership aside, I agree that the F355 peaked on my scale as well. May also have something to do with $200k 430's (and lord knows what the new 458 Italia will cost) but there's something very progressive yet very traditional about the design that works.

I'll take a few more shots and will drop them in later on....

Thx, Steve B.

C's Bimmer

What's your first mod going to be?

poleposition

Great move. Bet you feel like a kid again. Enjoy in good health. You dont necessarily have to leave us.

All the best

EuroCarFan

Yeah don't leave us Steve. Lots of people here have moved on to other cars but it's still a brotherhood here.

The 355 is gorgeous and I'm sure you'll love every minute of ownership in that beauty. Congrats!!!

wannatesdr

congrats !!! shes a beauty

brandsb

What horrible influences you are...well, in the true E60 spirit, I immediately ordered 15mm H&R spacers with extended lug bolts. The spacers were o.k. $$ but the lug bolts are......$25 per bolt! Now, in my new, trying to look cool under pressure mode, I'm frantically trying to find an alternate source. Unfortunately the Ferrari forumers aren't too sympathetic

Welcome to the F-world reality

brandsb

Thanks Tony, I'll be here at least until I (SHAMELESS PLUG) sell all my old 545i parts currently advertised in the Private Classifieds

Seriously, thanks again for all your help and all the best to you out there in sunny Mountain View......any and all get in touch any time you're in the Detroit area!

I will make one comment regarding those of you in the warm weather regions....you have NO IDEA how good you have it compared to those of us in the snowbelt regions. We live vicariously through your modded daily drivers while we're holed up for 5 months a year.....rock on!

Steve

flyingpuck

Congrats on the new car and enjoy driving it!