| Author |
Message |
Skip Williamson (Darolls)
New member
Username: Darolls
Post Number: 38
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 10:35 pm: | |
Henry-
Do you apply that same reasoning to the purchase of a 308GT4, or should I say Fiat? :-) |
Henryk (Henryk)
Intermediate Member
Username: Henryk
Post Number: 1176
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 9:48 pm: | |
If a guy buys a Ferrari in the mid $20s, it is because THAT is ALL he can afford......if he had more, he would buy a BETTER, and more expensive Ferrari.
To me, a Ferrari bought in the $20s, is one that will NOT be properly maintained.
This is a simple economic fact!!!!!!!!!! |
Ken (Allyn)
Intermediate Member
Username: Allyn
Post Number: 1152
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 9:40 pm: | |
With the cost of Ferrari services being what they are, there's a case to be made for doing nothing other than oil, filters etc. and just sell the car before it self destructs. Seen any 400i's lately for sale in the low/mid 20's? Any bets on what the condition of the engine is? I'm not condoning this at all; I've spent twice what my Lotus is worth in maintainence and upgrades; but I know a lot of people buy a Ferrari cheap only to realize they can't afford to keep it up proporly. |
David Moore (Speedmoore)
Junior Member
Username: Speedmoore
Post Number: 93
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 4:47 pm: | |
"Why are some F-car owners ignorant to service"
Simple question, but should read:
Why are some CAR owners ignorant to service?
Simple, but true answer:
Because some people are just ignorant.
|
PSk (Psk)
Member
Username: Psk
Post Number: 926
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 6:17 pm: | |
quote:How can some F-car owners be so Ignorant.
Ownership of a Ferrari simply means you have heaps of money and a little good taste ... it does not imply that you are intelligent, or mechanically simpathetic.
Many still buy Ferraris for the poser, 'I own a Ferrari' attitude not to actually drive and experience the whole thing.
Pete |
Fred (I Luv 4REs) (Iluv4res)
Member
Username: Iluv4res
Post Number: 475
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 1:58 pm: | |
I think it's the 'lease'/payment mentality:
It used to be people had one job, one house and one car that they kept for long periods of time. Today, it seems people switch jobs frequently and only care about their payments on their house & car, knowing that they will trade it within a few years. I think that's why 'new' car owners are sometimes less likely to worry about servicing than 'used' car owners.
With the 'short-term' mentality, why spend all that $$ to service a car???
|
philip (Fanatic1)
Member
Username: Fanatic1
Post Number: 397
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 11:39 am: | |
DGS,
That's amazing you have a Celica that old with only 90,000 miles........that's only 6000 per year............daily driver? |
dave handa (Davehanda)
Intermediate Member
Username: Davehanda
Post Number: 1794
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 10:11 am: | |
Kds,
Interesting....perhaps we can talk more "off line" later in the week...seems it truly is a "buyers market" these days... |
Kds (Kds)
Junior Member
Username: Kds
Post Number: 152
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 7:45 am: | |
Dave...
I have a 99 fly yellow on navy blue 355 F-1 Spider, 13km, it's been for sale for over a year....there's no interest. Calgary, 900K people and the most millionaires in Canada.
(BTW this is not an offer to solicit your business, I am here to learn about TR's...not sell to you guys.)
There is also a 95 355 coupe with 35km here in town for sale for $110K USD equivalent......it's ridiculious !!!
I just appraised a 97 355 F-1 Spider and could only get the guy about $90K USD from a wholesaler. He walked. The car has 23km and needs a major and 4 tires, plus a bumper cover respray. It's also available now. He should have taken the money.
It's really a case of how many cars does a buyer want to see basically.
The wholesale cheque writers for these cars have gone somewhat cold as well, with no one wanting to carry inventory unless they buy it 25% back of an obtainable retail price, and of course, no one is selling at that number......so it's a dead market for the most part. You can't be assured that a car will move in 60 days anymore.
I personally don't know Vancouver's F car market that well as I do business in Calgary, with mainly German stuff, but I do know London Motorcars, Weissach, Urban Garage, etc, and have done business with them in the past that was satisfactory.
Ferrari action here is very slow right now......all high end pricing on used is down 15-20% in the last 18 months I figure, especially on the Ferrari 355 series cars with 360's off by about 10%.
308 cars are dead...dead...dead....everyone wants $40K+ CAD and no one is buying....I have been offered about 6 of these in the last year.
328's are pretty rare actually, and can be sold in the 65 range at retail on occasion. You have a nice car there BTW.
|
DGS (Dgs)
Member
Username: Dgs
Post Number: 308
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 6:08 am: | |
Hey, nobody ever services a Toyota, right?
When I took my '88 Celica in for the 90K service, last year, the mechanic asked me, "Why bother? It's old." I waited for him to crack a smile, but he was serious. I then informed him that it was the newest car I owned. (It's three months younger than the 328.) I had to replace the stock Celica suspension with DMS coil-overs to get the alignment right.
Japanese, American, and modern European cars (what's the difference, these days?) are not designed to be kept. They have "adjustments" that aren't adjustable -- like camber, caster, etc.
Properly maintained, an older Italian car can be kept until the frame rusts away, but newer "corporate designed" cars are designed to wear out and be replaced. The '99 Audi A4 I looked at had a plastic cover over the engine compartment, with openings for the dipstick and for adding oil. Period. No other access to the engine for us poor dumb owners.
I suppose I was lucky, as I switched from Mopars to Italian cars before the American cars became Japanese, so I've always maintained cars.
But get someone who "grew up" on disposable bic-mobiles, and they're going to think a Ferrari is just another car -- you add oil when the warning light comes on, you add gas when the warning light comes on, and you take it to the shop when it won't run anymore.
And people wonder why there are no American F1 drivers.
At this rate, I wonder how long before there aren't any European F1 drivers, either. |
dave handa (Davehanda)
Intermediate Member
Username: Davehanda
Post Number: 1791
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2003 - 10:02 pm: | |
Kds,
What is the market like presently on 355's for sale in Vancouver? And where does one look for them listed? I saw that london motorcars has one yellow 95 355B, but that is all I have seen...
Dave
|
Kds (Kds)
Junior Member
Username: Kds
Post Number: 151
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2003 - 9:50 pm: | |
There's a guy in Vancouver, BC that was recently trying to sell his 88 Testarossa for about the equivalent of $80K USD....LOL !!! Red on black with red carpets, 20KM....original owner.....original timing belts.....he has some small garage service it....and it hasnt seen the dealer in 10 years he said.
Yikes !!! |
Ken Thomas (Future328driver)
Member
Username: Future328driver
Post Number: 559
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2003 - 8:15 pm: | |
More money than brains.... |
Ryan Alexander (Ryalex)
Junior Member
Username: Ryalex
Post Number: 78
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2003 - 7:19 pm: | |
Some people have no concept of preventative maintenance - "if it breaks, fix it" - meaning nothing is changed until it craps out.
These people tend to buy American cars and run them into the ground (can anything really save a Chevy though??), but some of them end up having money to buy nice cars... doesn't mean they'll care for them. |
N'din (Abangdin)
Junior Member
Username: Abangdin
Post Number: 57
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2003 - 6:10 pm: | |
They don't read the manual. Perhaps it's in Italian. LOL. |
Jeff Green (Carguy)
Member
Username: Carguy
Post Number: 502
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2003 - 6:07 pm: | |
Ignorant - and lucky that nothing has happened as a result. What's almost as bad is service that is substandard, where money is spent and the work is a bit shoddy. I'm currently repairing this kind of "service" on my TR. I'm sure most non-mechanical type owners don't understand the consequences of deferred maintenance. They see service as oil and filter changes, and maybe a grease job. They have no idea of what would happen if a cam belt snapped or valve clearances gone awry. I would say IMHO that some of the service items are not absolutely necessary for a healthy car, but the belts, hoses, and valves are absolutely required. But it takes all kinds to make up this crazy world of ours. |
G. Green (Mr_green)
Member
Username: Mr_green
Post Number: 255
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2003 - 5:44 pm: | |
I talked to a gentleman yesterday about his 308 that he had advertised in a written publication.
The ad stated that he was the original owner and it had 17K miles. I asked him if he had service records. He said the car has never been serviced since it only has 17K. I told him that F-cars need to be serviced whether they are driven or not. He said he has owned 2 F-cars and has not serviced either one. How can some F-car owners be so Ignorant. |