R.I.P. s/n 5409

Sorry to hear. I hate to see a vintage car head to the scrap pile. But, the great news is you didn't go with it!

How about a compromise? Pick up a BMW M3 with the SMG tranny (You can stick it in auto mode when you need to, or slap the paddles if you want to) and a nice used Boxster S for the weekend run about.

My wife wanted a fun drop top for weekend jaunts to go with the Dino, so I'm spending all of $20K to get into a nice '01 Boxster S.

I understand the old car fear. I blink twice and say a little prayer every time I pass a truck in the Dino. My windows come to mid wheel on them.

Keep us up to date on the choice, and again, remember, cars can be replaced, you can not. (And your wife, like mine, cares enough to ask you not to drive a 60's suicide car again.)

DM

 

Certainly glad to hear you're ok, most importantly!

How about a Maser Gran Sport? Even a Ferrari 456 can be had "relatively inexpensively" and I hear they're great cars. The 456 would certainly be a solid replacement for the 330, V-12 grand touring layout and all.

Cheers,
Aaron
'82 GTSi
'83 400iA

 

Sad passing! but alas you will bless the day you bought a Cayman.

 

Aaron nailed it! Xlnt choices.....

james

 

I was looking for a late model car to drive daily and had some of the same conditions your wife imposed (safe, air bags, modern safety structures, reliable, etc.) I came to the conclusion that for the price of a BMW 5 series or so, I could own (with careful shopping and patience) a Ferrari 456 or a Maserati Coupe. I recently bought a 456. I don't think I could have gone wrong with either car.

I for one encourage you to explore this avenue, don't give up the dream.

All the best.
Alberto

 

Damn shame whenever a vintage V12 goes out. Driving mine in city traffic is so nerve-rattling I just don't do it any more........air conditioners on, watching the GPS or (holy crap!) DVD player, on the cell phone, texting, reading, applying makeup, can't read English road signs, whacking the kid in the back seat, driving with the dog in the lap,....hell, every car on the road seems to be a weapon cocked and pointed right at me.

Repalcement under the parameters you mentioned? Well, I don't know how much Haggerty gave you, but I really like the new Aston Martins.

Good luck!

Jack

 

Sorry for your loss.

I hate to see the car end up at one of the well known "chop shops". It probably could have been bought back pretty cheap. A complicated restoration no doubt but always possible.

 

Perhaps you should consider buying the wreck back from the insurance and storing it for the future rather than dismantling it. Who knows, quite possibly by 2020 or 2025 its value will be so high that the restoration costs will start to make sense again.

 

+1, and agree with 2NA.

I must say that the chassis and construction of these older Ferraris are tank like so myself I cannot think of a much safer car to be in ...

... but can understand not wanting to drive in modern day traffic.
Pete
ps: Glad you are okay .

 

Scott,

My condolences.

Regards,

Art S.

 

JSA330 Sad news, you should let Kerry Chesbro know so he can update the Registry. Good hunting, M

 

Scott,

If you are staying with Ferraris, get a 400 2+2 it's a little earlier than the 2000 cut off but a great car with an auto box and the best ones are in the $30K range. If you are moving on, a relatively new Maserati would be a great choice. I suspect that these choices will go over better with Mrs. jsa330 than an all out sportscar would.

Regards,

Art S.

 

Let's just cut to the chase:

Who will end up with the car? How much do they want for the engine, transmission, and frame? When will it be for sale?

 

Very sorry for your loss, Scott; glad you're ok. Do you have a picture of her in her prime?

 

in a manner of speaking, [before I give Hagerty a general question call], what does Hagerty do with these. Is there a clearing house?

 

I knew of a Corvette rebuilder who was under contract with an insurance company to buy ALL of their Corvette salvage cars, regardless of condition. No doubt somebody has a similar inside connection with Hagerty regarding Ferraris.

I think there is an unwritten law that such cars absolutely MUST pass through several wheeler dealers who add on additional layers of profit making before any actual enthusiast gets a chance to own the rebuildable project hulk.

 

that's what I was afraid of, that this is actually a more 'doable' fixer upper, and that now, it will be layered on, and parted out etc.

shame, but understand the original owners problem.

 

I have no problem with the original owner. One has to look at the best option. What gets my goat regarding salvage cars is the closed system,...or
"good ole boy" network that these cars go through. The owner settles with the insurance company who then send the car to a salvage auction. That is where the roadblock begins. The salvage auctions around here will NOT let anybody bid on the cars except licensed car dealers. Most won't even let you through the gate without a dealer's license. It all smells of price fixing that always benefits the good old boy system. Dealer #1 buys the car and sells it to dealer #2 who grows weary of his "get rich quick" pipe dream and then runs it back through the salvage auction where dealer #3 buys the car. And so it goes down the line.

I once offered a dealer $3200 for a theft recovered 75 Corvette convertible that was missing engine and transmission. He started stuttering and stammering about how he couldn't take the offer. I then "reminded" him that he had only paid $1700 for the car at the salvage auction because a friend of mine with a dealer's license watched it cross the auction block. The jig was up. He knew that I knew that he was just trying to get rich quick off one junky car. I said "thanks for the look" and drove off.

 

How about this for a suggestion? A new (not used) sports car with superb design and performance. Wonderful history and racing tradition. Four hundred horsepower; four hundred pound feet of torque. Zero to sixty in 4.3 seconds. One hundred and eighty-six MPH top end. Six-speed sequential automatic. Removable top. Room for two golf bags. Bullet-proof and serviced nationwide at non-stratospheric rates. Low fifties MSRP. Yes, of course, it's a Corvette.

My Dino 246GT has given me smiles for over 31 years. The Corvette is the perfect companion: astounding bang for the buck. And, unlike, the Porsches and BMWs, which are a pfennig-a-dozen here in L.A., it's a much less common sight (and genuinely appreciated by those who truly understand what a superb auomobile can do).

Try it; you'll like it.

And, congratulations on being alive.

 

How about a '94 Porsche 911 speedster or a '92-93 America Roadster (widebody)? They're both relatively modern with ABS and airbags and are done depreciating, but still lots of fun.

See: http://vista.pca.org/stl/94speed.htm

http://www.classicdreamcars.com/92porscheAM%20ROAD.html

http://www.carsearch.com/Porsche/1864.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-911-Speedster-1994-Porsche-911-Speedster-Cab-Black-Black-Yellow_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ10156QQihZ011QQitemZ320137876666QQrdZ1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-911-Cabriolet-1992-Porsche-911-America-Roadster_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ10156QQihZ007QQitemZ170130640879QQrdZ1