| Author | Message | ||
| Michael C. Wilson (Wilsonm)
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I drove a 1990 Jaguar XJ-S V-12 everyday and loved it! I've always maintained the philosophy that "if you take care of a car, it will take care of you." Everyday after I drove it, I would pull it in the garage and raise the hood (on a Jaguar, this is a great way to dissipate the heat so it will not deteriorate your hoses, wires, etc..). I'd also take a minute or so to check the engine over (looking for any oil leaks, water leaks, frayed wires, etc..). In the 5 years I had it, I never had one thing go wrong with it. I plan on doing the same when I get my 400i or 412. Mike | ||
| thomas r mcbirney (Mcbirth)
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this is my first post in a chatroom, please excuse any errors... Regarding daily use of a Ferrari - In 1976 I bought a 1964 330GT2+2 and drove it every day for a week to work and back (1500 rpm, perfectly smooth, no missing), when the weekend came, my wife and I started out to visit a friend about 50 miles away. When I first got the engine above about 2500 rpm, it coughed and sputtered and put out a cloud of smoke I coldn't see through, I thought I broke my new car!!! I backed off and it was smooth again, I soon realized it needed an Italian tuneup. By the time we got to our destination, it was running strong and smooth to redline (6600 rpm). I came to understand that Ferrari engines did not have valve stem seals until, I think, 1968, so they burned oil. This is fine if you run them hard all the time, and keep the 12 qt sump full. BUT, I soon tired of screaming the engine ALL the time to keep it running smooth, also, it takes over 20 miles to just get the oil warm. I gradually drove the car less and less. I still have the car, and am finally getting to the point where I can afford to have it restored (body, paint, leather, VALVE STEM SEALS, etc.) I suspect the later cars are not as frenetic, high-strung, etc. as the older ones, so the idea of driving them every day is not as difficult as it once was. The 330GT is still a great car to open up. I have not run it hard for years, but I recall that it responds better the faster it goes; over 80 mph, it is great, and at 100 mph I am just getting into the higher gears. | ||
| Sandra Cairncross (Sandrac)
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Octavio, Thank you! Glad you liked the 308 photo. I plan to purchase another Alfa spider, this time a '72, much prettier bumpers, and I want to put those later 308 star type wheels on it. I like those! Mine was almost Ferrari yellow/black so my '72 will be that color combo too. Nice thing is in CA a pre '74 car doesnt have to pass smog so I can hotrod the thing and have some fun!  | ||
| Sam NYCFERRARIS (Sam)
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Jerry, I got the QV to give my XKE a break, thought the targa would be warmer than the ragtop ont eh roadster....I thought I was the only crazy one...I took my XKE skiing a few years back and it was fun...bundled up and took the top down ( Hey there is no heat in these british roadsters anyway (in winter that is)...until I was in Il Cervinia skiing in northern italy and I saw many Ferraris up there int eh skii areas (St moritz et al) with chains (required by law up there) and skii racks...I don't think I ever saw anything cooler!!! somewhere on the web I found a site by a guy that has a club sort of of ferriri drivers that drive in teh snow and they have some great pics.. one I will never forget (stillup there) is a ferrari parked outside completely covered by snow. p.s. I would never ( ok rather not ever) drive a porsche. most of my freinds have them and tell me how great they are...I will never capitulate..forza ferrari. | ||
| Octavio Mestre (Alfab4308)
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Hey Sandra, it was great to hear from you. I admired the pictures of your car that were posted earlier. My Alfa is an 84. Before this I had a 79 Spyder that I sold to get this one. The 79 ran great too during the 4 years I owned it. I would probably still have it except that my 84 has the 308 type rims which I like much better and has a/c, a must for Miami. Besides, the 84 is black and I love black cars. | ||
| Eric Hawley (Eric)
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Hey Bob, I think my 12 cylinder car(s) make great daily drivers. I have the hardest time deciding whether to go out with the old one or the new one. I put about 13,000 miles on my '95 456 last year, and have put 3,000 on my 330GTC in the 9 months I've owned it. The 330 is definitely the better behaved in the snow, while the 456 has better a/c and more luggage room for longer trips. Drive em. That's what they were built for! | ||
| Sandra Cairncross (Sandrac)
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Hi Octavio, What year Alfa spider? Had a '78 myself with no real problems in 5 years. Of course I drove it daily too. My 308's previous life consisted of being driven 5 days a week a total of 50 miles a week. Just enough to keep it in good running order. The first thing my mechanic told me was to drive it regularly and drive the tar out of it when I did. After warming up, shift to red line and get it over 100mph on the freeway...it'll have alot less problems than those garage queens! | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
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I drive my 348 every day, at least if it is not raining already in the monring, then it stays indoor. That has more to do with me washing the car. I find that you can maintain a nice car even as your daily driver. Just have a personal mainenance record. Once a month leather conditioning, cleaning, check all systems and be aware of noises etc. I put 8K on my car every year and it has yet to have "typical Ferrari problems". I believe that the car runs better and uses less mainenance if it is driven. I don't care how many miles my car will have in a few years. I will keep it and it will become part of my collection. that should be ones goal in life. Why are we on earth? What is the meaning of life? "to collect Ferraries!" | ||
| James Pai (Jaymus)
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I drive mine everyday as well, it's my primary car basically. Get takeout, movies, etc. Maybe that's why it's got so much wear and tear. James | ||
| Steve Magnusson (91tr)
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Nsxnick -- seems only the general timeframe and "Italian stylist Michelotti" were the Bitter-400i "connection" (although PF is mentioned as well): http://www.bittercars.com/bitter/bitter.nsf/pages/sc Based on the Opel Senator | ||
| Mitchel DeFrancis (4re308)
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My friend Monty Meersma drives his gorgeous 83 400i 5speed everyday. It has a Tubi and sounds awesome. He loves it. Another friend Clyde who put 125,000 miles on his 308 before he sold it. He has a 512TR now with like 65-70,000 on it! He swears the more you drive them, the better they get! I believe him. I drive my 308 about 3 times a week, weather permitting. They absolutely LOVE to be driven! | ||
| nick l (Nsxnick)
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i havnt seen much talk of the 400i's in here. any owners? i think the size makes it a bit more practical as a daily driver. are they any more/less reliable than a typical ferrari? anyone remember a car called bitter? i believe it was powered by a buick 3.0 engine. looked very similar to the 400i. was there any connection between the two? | ||
| Jerry Wiersma (Tork1966)
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Sam, Sam, Sam...I agree with you that a car should be driven more than worshipped and I applaud you that you like to drive yours on a regular basis, but driving it in SNOW???!!! Come on man it's a Ferrari and it likes winter no more than the Heat Miser from that Christmas show. Buy a Porsche for the winter and give your poor Ferrari a much deserved hibernation! | ||
| Sam NYCFERRARIS (Sam)
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I use mine regularly, You have to make an early decision not to get upset at the wear and tear since these car's cosmetics / electrics wear out real fast and it is not practical to keep up with it and the car starts to look and even sound a little like a beater....then you have to deal with all the people that think that a Ferrari should not be kept in such a condition and they think you shouldn't be permitted to own a ferrari if you can't afford (their assumtion yet again)to keep it in pristine museam quality...I feel that you should not be permitted to own a ferrari if you are not going to drive it regularly! ...I can't understand how my friends keep their cars under glass in the garage after all it is only a car. This is where the Porsche guys have us beat -- they really use and enjoy their cars regulary and don't have these neurotic problems. Although I think that ferraris are much more special than porsche I think it makes more of a point to have a ferrari as your daily driver! The engine and drive train though are indestructible - the rest of the car... well... think of a Lotus and you are not far off. Also, still can't figure out how a non-british car can be so damn hot in the summer yet so damn cold in the winter... I find the ground clearence a problem in the snow up here in the north east. | ||
| Octavio Mestre (Alfab4308)
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I was wondering about that possibility myself. Though I don't have my 308 yet, I have driven my Alfa Syder everyday for the last 8 years without problem even though they have a bad repuation for reliability. I always thought that, in general, mechanical devises (cars, boats, etc.) are more reliable if used regularly. Does anyone use their 308 daily or have an opinion on whether that is a good or bad idea. | ||
| Bob Zambelli (Zam330)
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Am I the only one who uses an older Ferrari as an everyday driver? I have a 330 GTC that I use regularly to drive to work as well as general use. It has around 150,000 miles on it. It was rebuilt around 100,000 miles ago by ALGAR and outside of a little smoke and a few small leaks, runs like a charm. I've lived in S/E PA since 1989 and have seen a total of around 5 twelve cylinder cars on the road! Anyone out there drive thiers? |