1984 400i Convertible offered at $22,500

Grimy interior, no engine pictures, no service history, no info on how many years it has been sitting, 3 wheels of one style, one of another, mess of wires out of console and dash, ripped leather on instrument binnacle, no center cavallino on steering wheel, oh, boy!

"Light" restoration, indeed!

 

Five pages of pictures and none of the running gear. Curious?

 

The only thing that will be "light" after this restoration will be your wallet!

 

Looks like its been looted,...? Why not invest in another rim? Would love to see the engine bay...

 

This car looks like Dan Haggarty's (Gentle Ben) car. He Owned it for at least 20 years ,tucking it away in his tiny garage in L.A. driving it once in a while. He was his usual snooty self when I talked to him in Studio City about the car. He seemed to have absolutely no interest in the 400 community, at least at that time. The dingy looking leather is perfectly typical of years of L.A. smog which the owner seemed to be too lazy to treat .. Leatherique would definitely work wonders. Jq.

 

I saw this car when it was for sale a few years ago in LA - It's much more of a mess than these photos indicate- Couple of crumpled up receipts from the local Mobil station in the glovebox- every surface of this car needs attention. The top is a bit ragged at the seams and does not fit terribly well at this point.

 

What does it mean when the car is in "N" in the for sale photos.

That's not anything like more money, is it?

Stupid question, right?



Well, I actually like that dealers site. It's like the Gullwing of he west. Also, lets not forget. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

 

Either consignor or the dealer aren't willing to invest any money so it looks like a turd.
The wheels look same only 3 are painted, I suspect it's wearing it's spare in the photos.
I'm sure there are no pictures of the engine because it is also a filthy mess but if it engine runs well and it's NOT rotten this could be a bargain for someone wanting a cut car willing to do some dirty work.
The interior isn't damaged beyond dirt from what I can see.
If "celebrity provenance" (Grizzly Adams, Jacques) that might be attractive for some.

 

Probably nothing, the transmission is the cheapest part of the car anyway.

 

Yeah, I know. just another place to put money.

This is a poor man's Ferrari.

The poor man is going to know it is a real Ferrari.



But actually, if it drives reliably, it could be a good one for an interior guy.

 

I did some research, there is a better description of the car at:1984 Ferrari 400i Spider Conversion
Quite extensive documentation. Still, no info about the condition yet.

 

OK, here are some pictures of the engine/undercarriage. Comments, observations? I'm not "head over heals" for the way 400i's look when converted, must be the top stacked on the boot. I could be interested in this car if the numbers were right. Right up front, I wouldn't own a car I couldn't fix myself. Now tell me what the downside is to this project?
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sold for $8,000, cleaned up nice for 100yd. photos. my estimate of repair cost? motor $20-25,000. dash ?. automatic top, I never even looked. complete major repaint(rust Rust RUST), u guess. all suspension, u guess. I have the tie rod,(it's worn plumb out) and will sent it. I still have the wheel it's new. not sold with car. there r no cheap, cheap Ferraris. there is water in the oil and oil in the water! no telling how much it was driven like that. That was a Gullwing Motor car. I learned on that one. had to call the New York Attorney General for title. only that got the title. COST ME $10,000. live and learn need to add, current E Bay item

 

Thanks for the info. It looked strangely familiar. Now it just looks strange.

 

The upshot is that 400/4001 convertible conversions have been missing from the auctions for some time, so maybe they will come back with a big sale North of $150,00 so whoever bought this car can make a profit if they decide to bail out. Or could this car soak up $50,000 without breaking a sweat and still look bad. I can't decide if this car is a barnfind at $8000 or a potential disaster. Where did it sell for $8000. Through a newspaper ad(what paper) or on Craigslist.com? Has Haggerty been in the industry all this time or did his career fade out after his first TV show (and complications from his beard catching fire--I'm not kidding!)

 

Am I the only one that has trouble figuring out what the heck bundas is trying to say in practically every post he makes? hahaha.

 

I will have my Dr.(head) post here

 

Should I be worried that I understand Mitchell perfectly? I think there's something about 365/400/412 ownership that knocks you a little sideways.

 

Do you still have the VIN Number? Would be helpful to post it here for anyone who considers this car in the future and searches on VIN.

 

I still have the tie rod. there r no spares that I know of.

 

I have another one coming this week.