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Shopping questions...

Discussion in '360/430' started by Corsair66, Jun 25, 2017.

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  1. Corsair66

    Corsair66 Formula Junior

    Mar 14, 2016
    337
    Clermont, FL
    Full Name:
    Ken
    #1 Corsair66, Jun 25, 2017
    So, being newly in the market for a 430 (glad to have finally sold my Ultima!), I think I've looked at the ads for many (most?) of the currently available F1 cars. Some questions:

    Given the obvious advice of buying the best car one can afford, the chief issue is simply one of what constitutes "best"? I know that I want Rosso Corsa over beige and Daytona seats (preferably all beige), a carbon driving zone, and up-to-date service records including having had the stock manifolds replaced and plenty of life remaining in the clutch (80%+?). Everything else (yellow tach, bluetooth, SS brakes, etc.) is strictly a matter of preference.

    Would I be better off buying a car from a Ferrari dealer (I visited my local one yesterday), even at a slightly greater upfront cost, rather than a third-party dealer or an individual?

    I suppose that my biggest question relates to mileage - specifically, how much weight should I give to lower mileage cars vs. price? All else being equal (which it never is, of course), would a car with, say 12-15K miles be worth $10K more than a car with ~25K miles? More? Less? Regularly driven cars with higher miles should be worth more (from the reliability and likelihood of prospective maintenance issues perspective) than garage queens with lower miles, right?

    Anyway, perhaps I'm overthinking this whole thing, but that's what I do. :)

    All help/tips/pointers/assistance/therapy gratefully accepted!

    Ken
     
  2. Mikael-F360

    Mikael-F360 Formula Junior

    Apr 3, 2017
    751
    Finland
    Full Name:
    Mikael E.
    #2 Mikael-F360, Jun 25, 2017
    I see you have done your homework quite well already. Buying from a dealer is more safe as there is some sort of guarantee.

    Also note that market might be a bit dry of the specimens you described. You are looking for the most wanted combination. So there are less cars to select from...
     
  3. ttforcefed

    ttforcefed F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 22, 2002
    18,876
    #3 ttforcefed, Jun 25, 2017
    what do you want to do with the car? if you want to drive it i wld not hesitate buying a car with 15k to 20k miles. You will see great bang for you buck. If you dont plan on driving it much and you want to retain value then buy a very low mile car. Dealer vs private makes me laugh. Dealers get their cars from private people. Unless there is a warranty or something its silly to conclude a dealer car is a better than a private car. a 15k and 25k mile car is going be priced pretty close to each other. If you find a clean 25k mile car id go for it. A car driven 15k mile is in no way more reliable that a car driven 3k. Whichever car has been serviced and attended to will be the more reliable car. Just use some common sense. its a car.
     
  4. Corsair66

    Corsair66 Formula Junior

    Mar 14, 2016
    337
    Clermont, FL
    Full Name:
    Ken
    #4 Corsair66, Jun 25, 2017
    I'm definitely planning to drive the car - if not everyday, then certainly multiple times per week. I don't believe in garage/hangar queens.

    Of course, dealers get their cars from individuals. The only reason I mentioned it was because of the warranty that would be included with the car. Agreed that a 15k mile driven car is not more reliable than a 3k mile driven car, but I'd bet on it being more reliable than a 3k mile garage queen, despite the latter being more expensive.

    As I said, I'm quite possibly overthinking this. :)

    Ken
     
  5. Mickster

    Mickster Formula Junior

    Oct 24, 2015
    608
    Sweden
    Full Name:
    Mikael Andersson
    #5 Mickster, Jun 25, 2017
    Go get the best car you can afford and drive it like a maniac!
    Then the warranty really makes sense...
     
  6. ShadowF430

    ShadowF430 Formula Junior

    Mar 29, 2017
    270
    Portland
    Full Name:
    Jason
    #6 ShadowF430, Jun 25, 2017
    I think it's all about getting a clean, well maintained one. I looked at 5 over the past 2 months before I purchased mine last week. No joke, it came with a 2 inch folder with EVERYTHING that has ever been done to the car. I've never seen record keeping like this. Both keys, almost no scratches or chips. My car has 29k miles. On the flip side I looked at a black 05 that had 19k miles:....... front all chipped, drivers door panel not on correct, door seal ripped, clutch who knows what it was, headlights need work. Point is, a clean one I feel will always be better than just lower millage.
     
  7. Corsair66

    Corsair66 Formula Junior

    Mar 14, 2016
    337
    Clermont, FL
    Full Name:
    Ken
    #7 Corsair66, Jun 25, 2017
    Sounds as though you've had quite the adventure. Did you see all five cars in person or arrange for multiple remote PPIs?

    I'm with you on finding a clean one. Should I give any weight to, say, '07 over '05 cars, or doesn't it matter in any substantive way?

    I'm all about thorough record keeping and am perhaps a little obsessive on that score; my receipts and logbooks are always detailed and complete.
     
  8. ShadowF430

    ShadowF430 Formula Junior

    Mar 29, 2017
    270
    Portland
    Full Name:
    Jason
    #8 ShadowF430, Jun 26, 2017
    Well if you find a well taken care of one, year won't matter. For example, my 06 was built in April. The f1 pump failed at 2k miles and was replaced under warranty. The clutch is brand new with 300 miles on it, new power steering pump, new trans and motor mounts, oil done every year, tpms replaced last year, new battery in 2014, CCB at 6mm. It has literally 3 rock chips on the front and that's it. After looking at the headers, there is a blanket.... they might be aftermarket, capristo exhaust brackets, akprovic on/off valve for exhaust. The list goes on. I wanted an 07 personally, mainly since getting financing was easier on a 10 year or newer, but I recommend using LightStream loans. Made it all very easy. There is no perfect Ferrari. I am sure some owners will disagree, but they are very rare. Mine seems pretty legit, but I hear thumping/creaking going over whoops and the temp gauge fluctuates (which I might make a thread in). Your best bet is to get one with as much info as you can and fix what needs fixing and weigh out the cost of it all. I bought the 06 from Ferrari of San Francisco but almost bought the 07 from ferrari Oregon. CPO, very clean and has an exhaust plus they just dropped price to 98k ;)
     
  9. GG-33

    GG-33 Karting

    Apr 28, 2014
    76
    Farnham, UK
    Full Name:
    Greg
    #9 GG-33, Jun 26, 2017
    Why are you glad to be out of the Ultima? I would have though the performance would be better and the sense of occasion would also be quite spectacular? I have tentatively though about going the other way..so what is behind your reasoning?

    GG
     
  10. Corsair66

    Corsair66 Formula Junior

    Mar 14, 2016
    337
    Clermont, FL
    Full Name:
    Ken
    #10 Corsair66, Jun 26, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I'm something of a serial builder - I've done a homebuilt airplane (and part of another), restored a classic motorcycle, and worked on quite a few other projects. I wanted to build a car and the Ultima's performance and looks (an homage to the old Le Mans Group C cars) caught my attention.

    The performance was spectacular - my 700+HP LS7-powered GTR was the quickest-accelerating road car I've ever driven. That said, it was just never as reliable as I wanted, needed constant tweaking, and left me on the roadside twice. A mysterious issue with the car spontaneously quitting and unable to restart was finally traced (after I replaced every component of the fuel system and did some other work, as well) to a bad fuel selector valve, but I couldn't bring myself to trust the car again.

    Also, though we often hear the overused aphorism "a race car for the street", the Ultima really is. As such, it gives a very raw driving experience and my wife just wouldn't ride in it. I've promised her something a bit more comfortable the next time around.

    Try to get some time in the car before committing to flip your F430 for an Ultima; it's definitely not for everyone.

    Ken
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  11. GG-33

    GG-33 Karting

    Apr 28, 2014
    76
    Farnham, UK
    Full Name:
    Greg
    #11 GG-33, Jun 26, 2017
    Thanks for the reply......Ive had the 430 spider for 3 years now and have put 15000 miles on it including trips to Spain & Italy...I just have an itch which feels like an Ultima, but realise there is no practicality with the car....no room for any luggage :)

    Interestingly I almost decided to build an RV6 but decided it would take too long (I still work 5 days) so bought a Beech Bonanza instead....

    Cheers

    GG
     
  12. Corsair66

    Corsair66 Formula Junior

    Mar 14, 2016
    337
    Clermont, FL
    Full Name:
    Ken
    #12 Corsair66, Jun 26, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I hear you on the RV build time. I built an RV-8 from a standard (non-quickbuild) kit many years ago and still miss it. Lots of time flying most of the usual suspects and several less usual (including some T-6 instructor time teaching warbird aerobatics, formation flying, etc.). I've lately been giving serious thought to an L-39, but that will likely have to wait for another few years, as I'm electing to remain married! :)

    Ken
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  13. GG-33

    GG-33 Karting

    Apr 28, 2014
    76
    Farnham, UK
    Full Name:
    Greg
    #13 GG-33, Jun 27, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017

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