430 Spyder - Which Year To Buy?

Hi Adam,

I went through the same process until buying my F430 Spider last August. I was keeping an eye out for the one I wanted for over 18 months - so that when I did finally find it I was completely in love with it! It's worth holding out for the "right" one for your tastes and budget - and until it comes along don't buy one you are unsure of! (of course, it will never be available at a price you like! the pain is part of the experience )

The advice I was given (which I followed) was to get the lowest mileage one I could afford - because, although these cars are relatively rare - there are enough out there that when it comes to selling at some point in the future the low mileage ones will always be more desirable (all other things being equal, of course). You can see this on Autotrader/ebay whereby there are plenty of 430's available with 20k on the clock - but they dont hold their value whereas the mint low mileage ones seem to depreciate much less. You put more money in initially, but you have a mint one and get it back when you trade-up to your next Ferrari - well, that was my logic!

I also stuck to my guns regarding the colour both of the paint and leather. The "options" don't seem to make a huge difference to desirability - and many can be retro fitted later if its important to the owner.

One change of note: for the 2008MY the CCM brakes became standard fit; before that it was a £10k option - and to some people this could be considered worth paying the extra for when buying - as retrofitting the carbon brakes is mega money and not generally considered money well invested. My car is a 2007, with steel discs (rotors) - for me, this was preferable as I had been told that typically the early CCM discs would last 20k miles then need replacing at a cost of circa £18k - whilst I dont intend to get to that mileage for a long long time, I didn't want to end up being in a position where it devalued the resale value because buyers were aware that there was a large cost around the corner. I also understand that for road use steel brakes are reckonned to offer better modulation/feel - whereas the CCMs are great on track once up to temperature and don't fade under repeated heavy braking, but don't work so well cold - and I won't be using the convertible on the racetrack.

Whether the car has the challenge grille, challenge wheels, CF interior, Hifi upgrade, racing seats etc really doesn't seem to make much of a difference to value - these are more perks I guess.... Low mileage with full dealer history, colour and condition are what seem to really dictate price - and ultimately that's what matters.

I'm sure there are plenty of guys on here with a lot more experience than me who can point you in the right direction!

Good luck with your search!

 

Not sure he story on the life or cost of repair of the CC brakes is true......I hav 20K miles on my 430 and brakes are like new. I think others will back me on this.

 

I'm pretty sure my thinking is wrong, but as I look for a F430 I keep telling myself to NOT go for a low mileage car because I will feel guilty driving it and I'll be the one causing the most depreciation. Whereas, if I buy one with ~20-25k mile, previous owners have taken the hit on it. I can drive it comfortably and not have to worry as much (for example, to a weekend getaway 120 miles away) about putting on too many miles. Wrong, right?

 

Not the wrong way of thinking IMOP. These cars are meant to be driven, it's just that some people choose to save them for the next owner. Not me. Not with a car like this. These cars are simply "used cars" that will continue to depreciate. These are not investment grade collectibles. That being said, don't buy an abused example, but there is nothing wrong with a cared for 20-30K mile example. I'd rather have a car that has been driven than one that sits for extended periods of time. I have both types of cars in my collection and each gives it's own enjoyment, but regardless, they all need to be driven.

 

That's actually a very well made and valid point!!

I'm away a lot so don't get the opportunity to use the car very often at all at the moment - but must admit that, when I do use it, I am conscious of trying to avoid putting unnecessary mileage on it, which kinda changes the experience and to an extent defeats the object of having it! For me, I also take pleasure in purely the ownership of it and treat myself to using it rarely but keeping it very special.

However, a few years back my brother had a 348TB which he used all the time - put about 30k miles on it in 18 months and even used to collect take-out curries in the car... he absolutely wore the car out and loved every minute of it with no regrets - but it cost him a fortune in servicing and depreciation!

I guess it's all down to how we each want to make the most of the ferrari ownership experience... and perhaps deciding how much use you intend to get out of the car will influence where to strike the balance between cost, mileage, condition etc etc....

 

IMO, 2008-9. Best of the bunch.

The only negative is the CCB's cost.

 

Honestly I have owned an 05 for about 2 years now there is no difference from an 05 to an 09 other than the different headers. As soon as I got the car I put the capristo brackets on and have never had any issues. I bought the car with 2200 miles and almost have 5k I am in the process of upgrading to a scud and am being offered pretty much what I paid for my car. I personally did my research and can to the conclusion that I wanted a 6 speed to avoid any of the f1 pump problems that people were always talking about and I also wanted a low mileage car just for the simple fact that if I am going to pay 6 figures for a car I want it to be like new!!!! The car that I am currently looking at has less than 2 k miles but that's just me.

 

Funny thing is, your F430 three pedal still has an F1 pump and it is used by the E-Diff. Early F430s use the same F1 pump as the 360. At Assembly Number 61589 for F1 and 61702 for three pedals, a new, upgraded pump was installed.

 

CCM rotors and pads should last a long, long time without any issues. Probably as long as you will own the car. This changes however, if the car is tracked. And they look better than steel brakes IMHO. And no brake dust!!

 

Taz, How can you cross-reference the build number with your car's VIN? Thanks, Fred

 

I have an 07 with 25K miles. I ordered this car with 6 speed and steel brakes. Saved over $25K by not having them. Since my car was built in Nov. 07 it has the changes made for 08 (trim and hood liner in front trunk, no key hole on passenger side). I think what you really want to look for is a one owner car that has all the service records, manuals, battery charger, two keys, etc.
I would also want it only serviced by an authorized dealer. They can put in your vin# and bring up all service the car has had.

 

Having had a 06 F1 for two years and a 08 F1 for five years I know that the biggest difference is that the later F1 system runs a higher pressure pump with different software resulting in a much better and faster system . The CCB brakes are not needed for road use but have been trouble fee show 6percent wear at 19K miles and look so much better than the small steel brakes .

 

I went for the newest one I can find (08 spider F1) with lowest miles (4,400) and clean record and no visible signs of wear and tear. The CCB brakes are great. I never need to change them and I am sure they help with resale. The car had everything I was looking for.

 

The 2008's have a faster shifting F1 transmission like wlracing mentioned. I think that adds great enjoyment to the car if you're buying one with paddles. The CCB brakes are great, but are outrageously expensive to replace if you ever had to in the future.

 

I think it's reasonable advice to buy the newest car that has what you want at a price you want. I started off looking for an 08, 1 owner, driven with miles, dealer maintained car but 08 did not come with racing seats so it was out. I also wanted red other then rosso corsa with tan interior which further limited my options. Finally wanted something different in the interior. The car I bought from a FChat member had almost everything I wanted except for carbon fiber steering wheel and was on 05.

In the end having rosso scuderia, racing seats, diamond stitched interior, challenge wheels, and full clear bra was more important than buying a newer car without these options - plus it was less expensive.

Ideally, if money and time were not an issue, I'd order a new car optioned exactly how I want. Alternatively, I have to 'settle' for what's available - just a matter of what's most important to you.