My car is here! Finally

That's the 7am Sunday morning thing, right. Maybe I'll do it without Sylvia. I can make it back to the hotel by checkout.
Bee Jay

 

After fixing the alternator today, Sylvia and I took to cruising slo-poke Lompoc and got some barbeque. I let her drive it home. She hadn't driven a stick in years, but after getting the hang again, she did alright. Of course, I had already warmed up the tranny so the 1-2 shift was pretty smooth. She loved it. But unlike the hats and jackets, I'm keeping the car!!! Please ma'am?
Bee Jay

 

That is some trophy. Congrats. They had a car show here in Lompoc Saturday. They asked me to put my car in it, but I had things to do Saturday, like go get my daughter and spend some time with her. I used to do the car show thing with my Corvette when it was brand spanking new. I'm too restless to sit with my car all day asking people not to touch it or get in it. Now that I know my hero Pappy does car shows, maybe I'll try one agian. It forces you to spend a few hours detailing the car, and I enjoy talking to people about the car. But driving it is my favorit. It's 6:53am and I'm off today. When I finish my coffee, I'm gonna take it for a spin up my favorite mountain pass. Back in about 45 minutes.
Bee Jay

 

I took a ride this morning on my favorite road. It was hard, but I managed to force myself to pull over and take a few pictures. You can see why I love this road, switchbacks thru the mountains. The penalty for failure to negotiate a turn is pretty steep however. Lots of crosses up on Harris Grade.
Bee Jay
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Great handling, actually it's fantastic. The 348 takes the handling of my 914 and the power of my Corvette. I need more time in the Ferrari to drive it at it's maximum but my skills might not be up to it. The Porsche and the Corvette will let you know when you are pushing just a little too hard, and you might go off if you don't back off. Every corner I take in the Ferrari, it says I coulda done that a little faster or you could have gone in a little deeper before braking. Oh, that's another thing, I didn't think anything could brake like my 914 with BMW 320i brakes, but this big Ferrari stops right now. Right now. Great power, great handling, great brakesand great sound. And with the top off, it's twice the fun. I gotta get Pap and Chris in it with the top out. We should pay extra for targas.
Bee Jay

 

Well, deep subject, I know. I've owned my Ferrari for two months and 2,000 miles now. I thought I'd give some thoughts and observations.

Negatives:
*The shifter sucks, big time. I've been driving sports cars for over 30 years and this is almost the worst. The 914 before the short shift kit and bushing replacement was the worse, but even it's better than this piece of crap now. Down shifting and up shifting in anger on my favorite curvy road should be a joy. I will try the shockproof lube, so maybe I won't crunch so much. At least the shift pattern is the same as my Porsche which is a plus. But I see why so many 355 owners opted for the F1 tranny.
*I could really use another inch of leg room. The spacer for the steering wheel helped tremendously, but for the longer trips, I could use more leg room. Why is it so tight? The only thing in front of me is the trunk. The pedal box could have easily been designed and inch or two forward of where it is. The lack of leg room also eliminates the possibility of removing the targa top away from home.
*The Ferrari exudes wealth. I've been hit up three times in the last two months for large loans. Two of them I know will not be paid back. But hey, you can't say no to family, or ex-wives if they are raising your kids.
*I think I need wider rubber up front. On really tight corners, the front pushes, unless I happen to be in the right gear, then I give it gas to bring the rear around a bit. If I'm in the wrong gear, I don't bother shifting because the corner will be gone before I get into the right gear. I need 355 wheels honey.
*I know sound systems in exotics are not necessary, but if you bother to put one in, make it a good one. Everyone go down to the Mercedes Benz dealer, sit in the SLK, and crank up the sound system. That's what can be done in a even smaller two seater. This Alpine reciever/ door dash speaker system is not worth turning on. I will be building a speaker box for the rear shelf.
*This car needs an ammeter or volt meter. The dummy light doesn't even tell you when you have a problem. I need to find a neat place to mount one, and check it before cranking every time.
* You can't creep in this car, everyone knows there is a Ferrari in town, and Bee Jay owns it. Everyone has a cell phone camera, and they want to take a picture. The scariest was when a crotch rocket motorcyle rider was behind me on the Pacific Coast Hiway trying to take a picture of the car. Crazy.

Pluses:
*I love this car. It looks good, goes good, sounds good, and puts a big grin on my face.
*The sound with the tubi was good, but now with the gutted cats, you know something exotic is coming down the street. At red line it's wonderful. I wish I trusted someone enough to redline the car for me, while I follow in another car. That would be something.
*The Targa top. I am so glad I got the leaking and squeaking targa top. (it doesn't really) Taking it off transforms the car. What a blast to drive this car with the top off.
*Visibility is surprisingly really good. Hardly any blind spots. When I look around, I see pretty much everything. I wish the right mirror was concave though.
*Something I learned from Pappy, give a kid a ride in this, and he's your friend for life. I still remember my first Ferrari ride/drive. Don't give them candy, give them a ride, or just let them sit in the car, take their picture, and print it out for 12 cents. SEMA is right at Holloween this year, so I can't test this. I'll be in Las Vegas.
*It's fairly easy to work on. I pulled and replace the alternator in a few hours. I pulled and replaced the catalytic converters in an evening.
* Good luggage space. I feel sorry for MR2 owners. I can get two roller bags up front. My wife and I love weekend get aways. We used to do it on the Harley a lot. This is a great getaway for the weekend car.
* The ride is good. It's not stiff and bone jarring. A very pleasant surprise. I could drive this car every day.
*Value: The price was good too. What else can you buy for $60k? Boxster, Vette, BMW Z4, loaded 350Z, M3, Mustang GT500? What can you sell them for five years from now? None of them get the number of thumbs up on the freeway this car gets.
*Gas mileage: I'm getting 20mpg. Gas guzzler?
*Low end grunt: I expected a low torque Honda S2000 type motor. This engine pulls even down low. A definite plus when the shifter sucks.
*Handling: Don't brake for curves, just turn.
* Fantastic brakes. Stops on a dime, chips change. Go deep into the corner before braking.
*The Brotherhood is strong. If I have a problem and post it, I get help on the forum, and even more in my PM box. It amazes me that there are so many good people and they want to be anomonous about it. When I do a good deed or help someone out, I want everyone to know about it. I need the brownie points. But thanks to those who have helped me in my search and in working out the bugs. You know who you are.

The bottom line, if something terrible happened, and I had to get rid of this car, I am so thankful I got to enjoy it for two months. It was definitely worth the 30 year wait. I'll try to give another update in a couple of months. Did I mention, I love this car. If you are even thinking about it, go buy one.
Bee Jay