| Author | Message | ||
| Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Member Username: 4re_gt4 Post Number: 977 Registered: 4-2002 |
Biggest surprise: It hasn't left me stranded. I'm not inferring that Ferraris are unreliable per se, but I've got a car that is nearly 30 years old, and 30 year old cars can and will break. So far just little things, the biggest of which was a fuse box melt down that left me w/o A/C until I got it fixed. The other surprise is how you have to remove 20 things to get access to repair something that is in plain sight. A mechanic once told me that Ferrari starts with a crankshaft and keeps adding parts to it until they have a completed car. | ||
| Terry (Dogue)
Member Username: Dogue Post Number: 278 Registered: 9-2001 |
Ken, I think he (frank/kaz) is talking about moving from a 996 P-car to a 1997 Ferrari F355 Spider in his list. | ||
| Ken A (Zff)
New member Username: Zff Post Number: 22 Registered: 12-2002 |
I thought he was talking about his F-car. In #2 he mentions a gated shifter. Does the 996 have a gated shifter? | ||
| Dean (Deanger)
New member Username: Deanger Post Number: 13 Registered: 2-2003 |
The "Bark" he was referring to (I assume) were the Diverter Valves. All 996 TT (and all GT2) were shipped with relatively poor diverter valves which often failed very quickly. Once they were shot, the slight vibration when opening/closing resulted in a slight resonany moaning. Porsche replaced these under warrantly, but a pain in the a** none the less. a lot of people don't even realize they have bad DV's | ||
| Ken A (Zff)
New member Username: Zff Post Number: 21 Registered: 12-2002 |
Frank L, What 4000RPM "bark" sound? | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 1456 Registered: 7-2001 |
I found the remnants of a car tracking system in my car. A large dead battery, an antenna, and a few boxes of electronic gear. I guess I need to rip it out someday. | ||
| Tillman Strahan (Tillman)
Member Username: Tillman Post Number: 458 Registered: 11-2001 |
I bought a 328 in October. Biggest surprise: how usable the car is. It can trundle around at 20 MPH in 5th and pull from there. It's at least as comfortable as my truck on the road, and thus far has never left me stranded. 4000 miles and still happy. | ||
| Ronald Vallejo (Ron328)
New member Username: Ron328 Post Number: 15 Registered: 3-2003 |
I am very happy to own one. Now I'm thinking I'll be happier if I get a second one...a 12-cylinder maybe. Told my wife..."really, it's going to be the last one." She didn't seem to believe me. | ||
| Frank K Lipinski (Kaz)
Junior Member Username: Kaz Post Number: 155 Registered: 11-2002 |
Moving up from a P-Turbo, first surprises: 1. How �balanced� the car is. Handling is absolutely incredible and the active suspension works very well, particularly at higher speeds. 2. I did not think I would like a gated shifter. Acclimated very quickly and love the �click � click� sound. Very precise - anything else feels �sloppy� by comparison. 3. Top End performance � from 70 mph up - these ponies like wide & open spaces. 4. Quality of rag top � quiet on freeway and no leaks during washing. 5. Reliability � Daily driver and extremely dependable � knock on aluminum. 6. No leaks under car! Pet peeve of mine. 7. The �bark� sound when the by pass opens after 4K � priceless  | ||
| Dean (Deanger)
New member Username: Deanger Post Number: 12 Registered: 2-2003 |
So far -- 1) How NOT difficult the car is in any way 2) How MANY excuses I can come up with to drive it And the one all of you knew but I wasn't prepared for -- how many freaking people stare. And I have a subtle one! | ||
| Modified348ts (Modman)
Member Username: Modman Post Number: 507 Registered: 11-2001 |
Here's another one.... used condoms & worn stained panties and seats, even funny was that my co worker put the used panty to his face to sniff it and it was stained! yukkk! hilarious when he later saw the stains.... | ||
| Modified348ts (Modman)
Member Username: Modman Post Number: 506 Registered: 11-2001 |
A person I knew years back picked up a 911 turbo at an auction and found a paper wrapped envelope with mostly hundred dollar bills behind the floorboard while we were doing a stereo install and we both counted it totalling almost 20K and he was saying "Damn what a bargain" And I was thinking "Damn if I would have found it first" I used to work on cars years back for a company doing installs and the things we found was unreal from guns, drugs, and tons of big cash and I stayed away from touching the car due to what might be a probable cause for an early retirement so I ended up quiting. Oh, this shop which I found out months later was a front, I had to leave quickly owner ended up in prison, nuff said.... | ||
| Henryk (Henryk)
Member Username: Henryk Post Number: 573 Registered: 8-2001 |
The biggest surprise was after I bought a Daytona, from a Ferrari dealer. Before buying it, I INSISTED that it be an American version, due to emission tests that I needed to take on a yearly basis. The sales manager, service manager,and mechanic verified that it was indeed an American version. While having the car for one month, I noticed things on it that caused me to suspect it was in fact a Euro version.......would not pass emissions. The dealer kept insisting it as an American version. I was getting more doubts. The mileage was supposed to be around 30,000, yet FML had it for sale at one time with 60,000 miles. The dealer didn't check....... because he probably didn't want to know. After one month of arguing, they FINALLY checked with Ferrari, and confirmed, it was for the Italian market.......so I was right. Why didn't they do this BEFORE they sold the car? Bottom line: They took the car back and refunded all my money. A few months later.....after selling the car to someone else......I saw it in the Ferrari service garage, with a note by the owner that stated "it didn't pass emissions......fix it". | ||
| BILL CHIUSANO (My355)
New member Username: My355 Post Number: 39 Registered: 3-2003 |
My EX left me and I finally got laid!! | ||
| michael dipple (Viking)
New member Username: Viking Post Number: 33 Registered: 8-2002 |
Hi guys,I just love the sound of the engine from my 89 Mondial 3.2 cabriolet,Mick.. | ||
| Schumi (Schumi)
Junior Member Username: Schumi Post Number: 97 Registered: 6-2002 |
I am amazed at how much I really like driving it. It's like nothing else. I like looking at it, talking about it, working on it, whatever. People who do not own a Ferrari do not understand, and will never understand. | ||
| Ed Christophersen (Dr_c)
New member Username: Dr_c Post Number: 11 Registered: 12-2002 |
This is more of a "surprise after I sold my F-car." I had driven my 308 GTSI QV many times around the same cloverleaf on the interstate near our home. I routinely went around at 40 mph and higher without giving much thought to it. After I sold it, I realized, from driving my Audi S4 and my BMW 325 around the same cloverleaf that it was much more of a challenge. The Ferrari really was 'user friendly.' And, the Verde Pino color was so unusual, even members of the local Ferrari Owner's Club would come over to look at it.  | ||
| Mitchel DeFrancis (4re308)
Member Username: 4re308 Post Number: 783 Registered: 6-2001 |
I'm totally used to all the attention I get when I take the car out. I pay no attention to gawkers anymore. My biggest surprise to date, is the car's reliability. Now that I have been driving the car for almost 2 years, I am still amazed at how good a car it is. It does everything well. | ||
| David Stoeppelwerth (Racerdj)
New member Username: Racerdj Post Number: 46 Registered: 1-2003 |
The biggest surprise that I've had is causing a traffic jam everytime I put gas into the tank at Shell. The 360 tank seems to fill slowly and this gives people time to come over to talk and look. | ||
| Jason Fraser (Jfraser)
Member Username: Jfraser Post Number: 265 Registered: 3-2001 |
That's easy....the cost of the repairs when something goes wrong, and the cars' out of warranty!!!! | ||
| robert biscan (Tn_ferrari_bob)
New member Username: Tn_ferrari_bob Post Number: 7 Registered: 1-2003 |
About 5 years ago I bought a 90 tr with 1600 miles. The previous owner hadn't driven it in a few years. I wanted a custom stereo and when we took out the rear shelf we found a squirel's nest in the car. The car was perfect except the brakes had to be redone due to rust and old brake fluid. | ||
| "The Don" (Mlemus)
Advanced Member Username: Mlemus Post Number: 3144 Registered: 8-2002 |
My suprise was that I was still married. Matt | ||
| TomD (Tifosi)
Advanced Member Username: Tifosi Post Number: 3004 Registered: 9-2001 |
when I got the car I found a small tear in the top - I was pissed but I had not sent the owner the final check so I made a slight deduction He blamed it on the PPI guys at FOA and threatened to sue me | ||
| Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator Username: Rob328gts Post Number: 4059 Registered: 12-2000 |
On the way home from picking up in OKC at 11pm was playing with the lights going 80 mph trying to find high beams. Well, instead I turned them off and those 2 seconds it takes to cycle the lights was the scariest pitch black 80 mph experience of my life. You realize how dark southern Oklahoma is? | ||
| Chuck Rine (Chuck348ts)
Junior Member Username: Chuck348ts Post Number: 138 Registered: 5-2001 |
Better-than-expected gas mileage. Anticipated about 15 mpg highway; actual is around 23 highway, 17 around town. | ||
| Dr Tommy Cosgrove (Vwalfa4re)
Member Username: Vwalfa4re Post Number: 779 Registered: 5-2001 |
I have a friend who loves MR2's. He has two and has put Ferrari emblems all over it. He even has Ferrari floormats in them. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 647 Registered: 10-2002 |
Yes Jay, I second that: Your car is one smooth ride. Comparison to a Jag is fair, but the Mondial handles a lot nicer (saying that after having driven yours and a friend's jag). | ||
| Jay S. Morris (J_saber)
Junior Member Username: J_saber Post Number: 76 Registered: 12-2002 |
Hell Andreas, I drive an MR2 on those not so Ferrari days and I get half the trouble from the F-car as I do the MR2. You're right though, she starts everytime! For me it was the smoothness of the ride. My car drives surprisingly smooth, much like the Jaguar XJS. I was expecting more instability but it handles very well. | ||
| Dr Tommy Cosgrove (Vwalfa4re)
Member Username: Vwalfa4re Post Number: 773 Registered: 5-2001 |
My biggest surprise was the blown water pump the next day. At least she made it home from Atlanta to Birmingham without puking coolant. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 643 Registered: 10-2002 |
Touch wood, but so far the fact, that it starts everytime I turn the key. Sometimes I wonder, whether I got a MR2 underneath it... | ||
| BobD (Bobd)
Intermediate Member Username: Bobd Post Number: 1085 Registered: 3-2001 |
For me it was the quality factor. The more I drove it, the more I appreciated the build quality of the car. I guess I was expecting Fiat-type problems all the time. None at all. | ||
| ross koller (Ross)
Member Username: Ross Post Number: 804 Registered: 3-2002 |
just how fast it really was. during test drives i had never really caned it; but once it was mine and i was on my way, i opened it up....wow! it was better than anything i had ever driven including a number of high spec porsches and the 348. | ||
| Steven R. Rochlin (Enjoythemusic)
Member Username: Enjoythemusic Post Number: 251 Registered: 4-2002 |
Jeff, My biggest surprise? Well, as a avid cigar smoker fell in love when realizing the 1985 308GTS QV had a proper cigar ashtray, and not another lame cigarette ashtray. Who "needs" cup holders when you can joyfully smoke a nicely aged cigar :-) Enjoy the Drive, Steven R. Rochlin | ||
| John Lee (Gjockey)
Junior Member Username: Gjockey Post Number: 55 Registered: 12-2002 |
Totally offtopic, but... Ken, is there a way I could copy that mouse animation ( gif? ) and later use it on another board? I'm always curious if I can store these neat animations I periodically see and later use them in a cut and paste manner on various message board postings. --- JOhn | ||
| 89TCab (Jmg)
Member Username: Jmg Post Number: 391 Registered: 9-2001 |
Mine came with a factory spare, kind of an unexpected surprise. But the biggest thing was the amp I discovered this weekend when I removed the passenger seat to treat it. (This more than a year after purchase...) Guess you can surmise I haven't listened to anything but the song of the engine since I picked it up... | ||
| Al LaPeter (Lapeter)
Junior Member Username: Lapeter Post Number: 96 Registered: 6-2002 |
My wife really liked the car!! | ||
| ken rentiers (Rentiers)
Junior Member Username: Rentiers Post Number: 166 Registered: 2-2003 |
Two very dead dessicated mice under the spare tire. (328)  | ||
| I can't drive 55 (Sparetireless)
New member Username: Sparetireless Post Number: 41 Registered: 1-2003 |
No spare tire. That's how they do it. They don't come with spares period. | ||
| Jeff Green (Carguy)
Junior Member Username: Carguy Post Number: 187 Registered: 10-2002 |
I have been converting my TR's seat belts, getting rid of the motorized units. And noticed some extra wires going to the dash. The more I looked, the more spagetti I found. I ended up tearing most of the interior panels off to find where everything goes. As it turns out my car at one time had: aftermarket alarm system tied into everything, big-time stereo system, built-in radar detector, and last - unbelievibly - those awful musical horns. When these systems were removed they simply cut and yanked wires from who-knows-where,leaving tons of splices, connectors, and even relays. And worse yet, they used tons of those splice-connectors that piggy-back other wires. It's amazing anything electric works at all!! I'll post a pic of all the miles of crap I'm pulling out - you will poop your pants when you see it! But it will take me a couple of days to do it right. What are some unexpected surprises you have found AFTER you bought your Ferrari? |