| Author | Message | ||
| J. Peter Martin (Jpeter)
New member Username: Jpeter Post Number: 1 Registered: 1-2003 |
Matt, I owned a 275 GTS for 16 years, and strongly recommend the model for the very reasons you mention. But remember that a �65 Corvette could beat the Ferrari from 0-60, and the styling can cause some to mistake the car for a Fiat 124 spyder! Bill Gammon�s post is right on�don�t buy one unless you have hooked up with a good mechanic locally who has lots of experience with these older cars. Talk to FCA or FOC club members in your area who own 275�s or 330�s to learn who works on them. Then interview these mechanics yourself, face to face, to see if you can relate comfortably, and to learn about their labor rates and their parts sources. Also, they may know of a good car that is available locally. Have any car you�re about to buy examined thoroughly by a competent Ferrari mechanic�especially the motori, transaxle and electrics. Whatever the cost of the exam, it will be worth it in the long run. Early on I fitted electronic ignition that we discreetly hid, which improved performance between tune-ups dramatically, and made the car easier to start. Fresh plug wiring and stout, replacement battery cables were also helpful. When the old Dunlop brake booster failed, we fitted one from a 330 that worked fine for more than 15 years and 30,000 miles. Oil leaking past the valve guides can result in a smoky exhaust, but the alternative of a top-end rebuild could break one�s budget. I never minded a little oil consumption, but other drivers will be annoyed at the smoke you make, and you�ll have to clean the exhaust residue from the plated bits at the rear of the car after a trip, or they will soon corrode. My car was a great driver, though it had a seating position that was a bit cramped on long trips (and I�m only 5�9�). Routine valve adjustments, and costly replacement of valve lifters was a periodic big expense. After a valve adjustment, the engine would be peaky crisp out of the shop, and the car would go like hell, but the engine would soon lose its edge if burbled along in traffic. I�m in Florida, and our weather may have contributed to my car�s tendency to overheat right up to 225 degrees F and above if stuck in traffic for 5 minutes or more. I always ran the best coolant and changed it frequently, and the puny electric fan always worked, but the quick runup in temperature could get scary. I was told that some owners fitted a larger radiator core which solved the overheating problem�I never took that step. The car has a bypass valve that directs hot coolant to a finned heat exchanger under the dash. Soon after I bought my car, the heater corroded and required a complete replacement. This was in the 70�s and parts were easy to find back then. Look carefully at the condition of the heater coils, the attendant plumbing and the heater fan. The later 275�s have a constant velocity joint style of driveshaft, which I was always told is more trouble-free than the solid coupled drive on the earlier cars. My car was straight-coupled, and I gave it lots of track time at meets at Moroso, Sebring, Daytona, etc. and never had a driveshaft problem. I attribute this to the first rate shop care that I had access to, where my cars�s driveshaft alignment was always monitored. The transmission was sometimes a problem. There is a small nylon bushing at the base of the shift lever that can fail and make shifting impossible, though the fix is easy and cheap. Not so cheap was the replacement of syncros on 2nd gear at about 35,000 miles�perhaps a result of my overenthusiastic use. An experienced mechanic should be able to �hear� that the gears and synchros are behaving themselves. I had a hard time finding correct replacement rubber parts, notably the seals around the doors, the headlight and taillight rubber seals, the trunk seal, and especially the seal between the convertible top and the top of the windshield surround. Think hard before you buy a car with old, hardened or missing rubber parts. Beware of a car whose finish has experienced the bane of the power buffer and/or abrasive polishes. There are relatively sharp edges to the styling on certain of the painted surfaces where inattentive polishing can buff right through to the primer. Look closely at the depth of the paint finish along the very top of the center seam that runs the length of the engine hood, as well as the edges and sides of the hood and especially check the paint along the rear lip of the trunk lid and the edges of the doors and door jambs. There is nothing more frustrating than spending big bucks on what you believe to have been a strong repaint, only to see primer begin to appear after a few gentle hand polishings. If originality is a goal, beware of the status of the canvas top. The original top on my car had a soft padded area that formed somewhat of a seal along roughly 2 inches of the top and rear of the side window glasses. This padding snugged up next to the top and rear of the inside of the glass when the top and windows were both up. Many replacement tops discarded this padding. Also, the soft fabric headliner located beneath the canvas outer liner is a fabric with a very distinctive pattern that only a trim shop familiar with the convertible tops on older Italian cars will have available. There were a few cars delivered with removable hard tops, in addition to the soft top, but these are quite rare. There is a comprehensive article on the 275 GTS in Cavallino No. 13 by well-known Ferrari expert, Dyke Ridgley, and which lists known serial numbers, etc. of the approximately 200 built. It happened that my car (S/N 6805) was selected for the photos. That article recommends that you check the upper shock-spring mounts in the rear suspension. Apparently the eyes that mount the upper bolt of the rear shocks to the frame tend to tear free from the frame. Fortunately, I never experienced this problem. Another good source book on the 275�s was authored by Ian Webb, but is now out of print and hard to find. Most 275 GTS�s were driven hard and put up wet in their early years, and there aren�t many good ones left. There was only one example on display at Saturday�s Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach�a near perfect (restored) specimen (red with tan leather) from California. My only other advice is that a properly restored car, with good documentation and enough miles to sort out the bugs, can probably be bought for not many percentage points above the cost of a �project car.� Even a car that has had a good restoration will require periodic and costly maintenance, so don�t take on someone else�s problems if you can avoid it by spending a few more bucks up front. | ||
| Bill Gammon (Bill_gammon)
New member Username: Bill_gammon Post Number: 33 Registered: 9-2002 |
Matt, I have a 275GTB I am working on selling and I came here first for advice. You came to a good place (even if they all thought I was a scam artist at first  ) Regardless, you asked about maintenance and, as I am sure many will tell you, that angle is the most critical to consider when thinking about a car such as a 60's V12 Ferrari. The price of entry is usually negligible when compared to maintenance, parts and insurance on a 60's Ferrari. For anything nearing daily use you would most certainly require "agreed value" insurance. That sort of insurance almost always has huge restrictions on usage. Parts are tricky to find and on top of that you will need to have a mechanic you can trust (and that others will recognise as a talent, in the event you ever want to sell the car) Regular services and small wear parts can run into the many thousands of dollars for each encounter you have with a mechanic. It isn't always that way, but you should be prepared for it. As for my knowledge, minimal compared to others on here but the costs associated with the ownership and usage of these cars is enough to intimidate me (well, right up to the point where I get a book published or win the lottery. If that happens then the 275 will never change hands) | ||
| Matthew F (Mateotnt)
New member Username: Mateotnt Post Number: 10 Registered: 7-2002 |
Thanks for your advice, everyone. What kind of service and maintanence would a 275 2-cam require? How difficult are valve adjustments and other routine care? | ||
| Bill Steele (Glassman)
Junior Member Username: Glassman Post Number: 149 Registered: 4-2002 |
Matt, If you have the money I think your biggest obstacle is the " It won't depreciate", who knows. You have to buy a vintage Ferrari because you want it. It's not about investment money. The 275GTS is about as hot as it gets. I would be as proud having one as I would a Cal Spyder. Of course I love all Ferrari cars. | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Member Username: Whart Post Number: 675 Registered: 12-2001 |
There are a few around, and i would only buy one that had already been the subject of a first rate restoration, full rebuild on engine, complete mechanical overhaul,etc., back when ferrari values were stratospheric, perhaps settling for an "original" interior and top if in good shape, since the cost of bringing the car into tiptop shape won't be worth what it sells for today. I seem to recall that there was an accessory hardtop, but that won't be easy to find. I find the interior a little bland, and uninspired, but agree that the car looks better in person than in the photos. I just don't find it to be an exciting ferrari, and you will probably spend over 160 to find a really nice one. For that money, why not hunt down a series 2 PF cabrio. Talk about looking like a California spyder. I shopped 330 gts for a while, and the good ones are pretty expensive. Note the one recently acquired and just as quickly sold by autosport design. Pretty big money. | ||
| Dan (Bobafett)
Junior Member Username: Bobafett Post Number: 198 Registered: 9-2002 |
One car for sale: http://www.carclassic.com/html/CW67.htm --Dan | ||
| Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator Username: Rob328gts Post Number: 3213 Registered: 12-2000 |
This is quite a hot car right now. FOD had one restored very well by Bob Smith and they had 3 buyers before a price was even put on it. Beautiful car, especially in person, kinda the same impact as seeing a Lusso in person. I even mistoke it for a California at first. Later model version for a fraction of the price. | ||
| Matthew F (Mateotnt)
New member Username: Mateotnt Post Number: 9 Registered: 7-2002 |
I'm getting settled on the idea of purchasing a 275 GTS. Here's why: I really like its looks It's a nice blend between antique and modern It has usable space It's a convertible It won't depreciate I expect it to be fairly straightforward to work on Decent supply of spare and replacement parts I did a search and couldn't find out a lot of information on 275 GTS cars. What should I know before going to look at some cars for sale? Are my expectations for this car realistic? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Matt |