This is a somewhat better than average review. Greg Ferrari 400: Affordable Exotics : Twelve cars you should buy because life is too short to drive a Camry - Ferrari 400
Manual or Auto, a 400 is an absolutley wicked car to bomb around in... and if it's a choice for someone whether to buy a V-12 Ferrari or not then, for Christ sake, do not let the gearbox or lack thereof, be the deciding factor. if you find a beautiful 400a and it's in your price range, then buy it and love it...I've had them all and trust me, it's not about the gearbox/tranny. If I had to put a percentage on how much more enjoyable a manual is over a auto on a 400, then I'd add 10%, max. whatever you do, don't let the opportunity to own a carbed V-12 pass you by...having said that, I do love the injected cars too...but, for me, carbs trumps gearbox.
Well, 25,000 dollars equates to about 17,000 pounds sterling UK, and all you are likely to get for that is a rust bucket, and in much need of tlc. I bought my '81 400i in the sure and certain knowledge that it had rust issues......its 33 years old, and Italian....go figure. Yes, V12 engines are an expensive fix.....manual gearboxes too, but it is the tin-worm that is the expensive fix. Mine was 'fixed' by a Ferrari main agent some years ago...and having just stripped it down to bare metal..the least said of them, the better. The lower rear screen aperture was totally rotted out, and the rust had also gone down through the parcel shelf.......not helped by bodged repairs. Front screen lower aperture isn't that good either. The rest of the bodyshell is pretty good, thankfully. It needs to be. Bonding a fibreglass floorpan and bulkheads into steel work doesn't make it nice for welding. (BTW...does anyone else have door hinges bolted AND welded to the doors ?) To date, my workshop time is 430 hrs...and there is a long long long way to go yet....and that accounts for bodywork only to date. This car was never intended to last 30 years, and here we are trying to make them last another 100 ! I'll not say mine is a typical example of the 400 marque, but if others are decomposing at a similar rate year by year, then the purchase and correct maintenance of these beautiful cars is about to get a whole lot more expensive. As the last of the big V12's, with the engine where it should be, and such a usable car to boot, I'm sure they are very worthwhile throwing time and money at. Any prospective buyer of these cars really needs to know what he/she is doing.......the same mine-field applies to all classics, of course......but do people read or listen...nope.....but it keeps me busy 6 days a week.
yup, that's how I feel about it Brian...but my Auto has a shift kit, which certainly minimizes what I'm 'missing' without a gearbox.
yes, certainly, only take the plunge with eyes wide open...and it goes without saying that these cars can't be run on a 'budget...as you say though, people like to ignore that part. however, for the guys out there that aren't millionaires, this series represents an unparalleled opportunity to live the dream. good luck with your project !
