| Author | Message | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 804 Registered: 2-2002 |
BobD: I'd have to say that experience had a lot to do with me graduating as well. I also worked at the Chrysler Huber Avenue Foundry. My job was to lift heads or crankshafts--depending what was running that day--and lift them onto a conveyor hook. These things were heavy! and I had to lift one every 15 seconds. You learn a lot about life in the factory. | ||
| Craig A (Milo)
Junior Member Username: Milo Post Number: 60 Registered: 4-2003 |
Frank, Thanks. I'll look into this. | ||
| Frank K Lipinski (Kaz)
Junior Member Username: Kaz Post Number: 242 Registered: 11-2002 |
Sorry Craig...out working in garage.. Certain dealers can run a FNA computer print out. F of SFO did it for me on my car when I bought it and it's rather interesting. At this dealer only the GM could run it, not the svc mgr because it requires a high level security code - you can follow the car from production, has all serial numbers and vehicle codes including Key Ignition Number and Key Door Numbers, etc. The only reason I mentioned it and the car-fax was to get a history on how the car was intitally registered...could be a mistate - although unlikely..anyway the report would trace all activity on the car and every time an F dealer worked on it.. Hard to believe a car built in Dec 90 would be a 90 model...But who know?? William made a good point. FL Frank | ||
| BobD (Bobd)
Intermediate Member Username: Bobd Post Number: 1162 Registered: 3-2001 |
Bill Sawyer, I also worked at a Ford Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights in the 70s during one college summer. I built rocker panels for Ford Granada's and Mercury Marqui's. What a job, huh? I remember wearing 2 pairs of heavy-duty terrycloth gloves and headgear to kill the sheet metal sound when the factory was about 100 degrees. They hired about 20 college kids at once... 10 of them didn't make it through the first day. I lasted all summer. Probably the reason I finished college. | ||
| william speer (Wspeer)
Junior Member Username: Wspeer Post Number: 240 Registered: 8-2002 |
ferrari has never used tradional "year of manufacture" dates. they simply adhere to their own system was seems to be made up as they go. for instance, all f50's are considered to be 1995 models even though many were delivered well after 1995. the 355 came out as 1995 model in 1994, which usually doesn't happen, the model year is normally the year the car was made. i don't think it matters too much as to what day the car was made as it wasn't made in one day and i haven't yet seen a car that specifies the day it was made, just month and year. (yes, i know that heritage certificates exist that give the day, but ferrari has never been good at keeping records and it amazes me that everyone gets so excited that these records suddenly appear after they have been unable to laocate them sinc ferrari was created.) often the serial number is the best gauge for the changes that take place. if your car was made after a significant change for the better, than often the better for you. sure, 1995 355 had minor valve problems, but they also had one o2 sensor that could be by-passed with strightpipes for more power. so it is a trade off. everyone loves to create more value for their car than they originally put into it. i think we get carried away trying to determine if we can squeeze more value out of the car. the big disparity between the 90 and late 91 348's had nothing to do with year of manufacture, but rather the change in the ignition system. does your car have the update, if not, then it doesn't matter when the car was made value wise. | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 803 Registered: 2-2002 |
When I was in college my brother and I worked at the Ford Woodhaven Stamping Plant on Monday and Fridays only. Absenteeism was so bad on those days that they hired college kids to fill in for all the guys who didn't show up. It was hard on us because our bodies never adjusted to the job because there were so many days off in between, and I doubt that our productivity was as good as that of the daily workers either, but it paid well--a whopping $4.56/hour in the early Seventies. | ||
| Chris K. (Ck1)
New member Username: Ck1 Post Number: 12 Registered: 3-2002 |
On a side note. I was at a Mercedes Credit sale yesterday and saw a 2000 S500 with a production date as 11/98! I guess it was one of those launch edition cars. | ||
| Craig A (Milo)
Junior Member Username: Milo Post Number: 58 Registered: 4-2003 |
I assume it is the completed date as well. I have ran a CarFax on it and if I remember correctly (don't have it here in front of me) the car is listed as a 1990 just as the VIN suggests. What is an FNA computer? | ||
| Frank K Lipinski (Kaz)
Junior Member Username: Kaz Post Number: 241 Registered: 11-2002 |
Craig brings up an interesting question.. My stamp date is Nov 96 .. but the car is a 97 model... because of valve issues in 95 I steered clear of any car with a stamp date prior to June 96 to ensure the softer guides were not used in the assembly. I assume the stamp date is when complted. BTW Craig - you do have a US car, the 8th digit A is us...B is Euro... Agree with Bob D - Very surpised not a 91 if stamped in Dec...ever do a CarFax for the heck of it or run it through the FNA computer? Whart - Funny. Remember an old psych class where they did in fact determine productivty is lower on Mon & Fri...best on Wed. But as Ken points out, this is not GM and it takes time...so let me see... Mon - Electronic Assy Tue - Running Gear Assy Wed - Engine Assy Thur - Running Gear Assy Fri - Electronic Assy Makes sense now...  | ||
| Ken (Allyn)
Member Username: Allyn Post Number: 853 Registered: 10-2001 |
Don't these cars take weeks/months to build? We're not talking Detroit assembly line cars you know. Is the date stamped when the car is completed or what? | ||
| Craig A (Milo)
Junior Member Username: Milo Post Number: 57 Registered: 4-2003 |
So besides having hungover Italians build your car are there any other reasons? | ||
| BobD (Bobd)
Intermediate Member Username: Bobd Post Number: 1156 Registered: 3-2001 |
And don't buy a car built on a Monday because they've had way too much chianti all weekend. And don't buy one built on a Friday because they want to get home for the weekend (chianti thing again) and don't give a sh!t. That leaves approximately 11 safe days per year to buy a Ferrari. | ||
| Craig Dewey (Craigfl)
Member Username: Craigfl Post Number: 577 Registered: 1-2001 |
Whart... Is there any caveats about buying cars in winning F1 years--- probably way too much celebrating. Watch out for those 2002/early 2003 models! | ||
| Craig A (Milo)
Junior Member Username: Milo Post Number: 52 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hmmm... further reading reveals my 10th digit is an L which signifies a 1990 model. | ||
| Craig A (Milo)
Junior Member Username: Milo Post Number: 51 Registered: 4-2003 |
My 4th digit is an 'F' which corresponds to an Engine type of "348 USA/Japan". My 8th is an 'A' which corresponds to "Left-Hand drive vehicle for the U.S.A. market." So it is safe to say I have a US model. Thanks for the link. | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Member Username: Whart Post Number: 997 Registered: 12-2001 |
As a follow-up to Frank's posting about the August holiday, it also makes sense to avoid any cars built on the days immediately following any religious or secular holiday in Italy which involves the consumption of large amounts of vino. | ||
| BobD (Bobd)
Intermediate Member Username: Bobd Post Number: 1155 Registered: 3-2001 |
Here's the secret code... the 4th digit in your VIN should be "F" if it's a 348 US car: http://www.ferrariclub.com/faq/vin.html Does your car's title say '90 or '91? | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Intermediate Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 2220 Registered: 9-2001 |
Since the Ferrari factory closes for the month of August each year I have heard that you don't want a late July or early September built car. | ||
| Craig A (Milo)
New member Username: Milo Post Number: 50 Registered: 4-2003 |
The plate on the door say December 1990. That is all I have to go by. Is there a way to determine if the car was indeed built for the US? I know that the car was bought new here in the southeast. | ||
| BobD (Bobd)
Intermediate Member Username: Bobd Post Number: 1154 Registered: 3-2001 |
Craig, if it's got a December '90 build date, I'm surprised it's not titled as a model-year '91 (if it's a US car). | ||
| Craig A (Milo)
New member Username: Milo Post Number: 49 Registered: 4-2003 |
1990 348s tend to get lumped into the so called trouble child 1989 group. I have a December 1990 348 and I like to think that this late model 1990 is a little better car then say a January 1990 becuase it was made later in the year. I say this because my understanding is that Ferrari constantly makes improvements to the car as it goes through its production cycle. Is there that much difference between a December 1990 and a January 1991 to warrant a $5K-$10K differnce in price? |