Daily Driving questions for TR

Do you mean to drive it EVERY DAY like Napolis did his? I take it that this would be a pretty expensive proposition; mine makes it about once every 1-2 weeks, and I budget about 2K miles per year.

I do notice that I am driving it a little more often now as I get used to it. They are a pretty well engineered car as far as starting up, holding their temperatures on hot days in traffic, decent air conditioning by sports car standards, even the defrost and wipers work about as well as any other sports car. Downsides (until you get acclimated) are the stiff steering, waiting for the gears to warm up for second, you can lock up and smoke the front tires on heavy braking pretty easily, and just seeing out for some people is an issue. I am scared to use the electric windows much, they are sooo slooowwww...

And, get ready to spend some money on 93 octane - I have yet to break more than 11 mpg.

As for the spoiler, the problem as I see it is the great distance from the front wheel contact patch to the spoiler underside. The very worst for me is not so much general inclines, but rather dugout trenches across the road (like for drainage). Then you can scrape it bad when the front wheels suddenly drop down into the trench. I have whanged mine 3 times so far - once pulling into Norwoods with none other than James Patterson riding with me (they have a sign, but we were talking about my shifter bushings), once on a public street in Muenster, Tx. during a club drive, and once more just pulling into a different entrance at a shopping mall that I visit often. Simple slope angles can usually be handled by coming in at an angle. Bump strips of not more than 2 1/2 inches or so can be negotiated by going slow.

If you have access to a C4 or C5 Corvette, take it down your ramp and see how close it's spoiler comes. You will need at least 3/4" MORE than the Vette.

Don't let any of this stop you; if you really want this bad enough - there is always a way eventually.

James 1986 Single Mirror.

 

I love my TR, but would never tolerate it as a daily driver. If you ever hit traffic, you will be cussing up a storm. Not to mention that your left leg will go into cramps. And, if you ever have to parrallel park...it will not be fun. At zero speed, it takes an amazing amount of force to turn the wheels, but it feels just right at speed.

In terms of making it into a parking garage...its iffy. Speed bumps are also a challenge.

If you want a daily driver, get a 308 or mondial...much more realistic.

PS. I also get about 10-14 mpg. It seems like I am filling up all of the time, and the car is rarely driven.

Also, the doors are long and heavy. You had better hope no one parks next to you, because you aren't getting in or out easily...

Other than that, sounds like a great idea .

 

I think the 512 TR's are actually nice cars to drive on a regular basis. Just stay away from salt though. Aluminum and salt do not mix well and once they get together...it's like cancer.

Over all the 512 TR is more comfortible to drive on highway and light traffic. Heavy traffic it can be a little bit of a chore. I found these cars to be pretty reliable as long as they are taken care of. Visability is great in this and hands down beats my Diablo in comparison for visabilty.

The 512 TR is not a in your face kind of car like the Diablo is which I like because it doesn't attract a ton of attention. Sometimes you want to be subtle when going out and not having a crowd follow you.

 

John, I said C4 or C5 because I happen to have both (ZR1 and 04 Z06) and know where to watch for scrapes. Both are quite a bit more tolerant than the Ferrari. I have not tried the new C6 Z06, so cannot comment there - but that is not a bad idea; make them fix the bad spot if it proves to be a problem.

BPU makes a valid point on traffic and tight parking, too - I happen to have little traffic to work & back, and it is of course NOT downtown Dallas!

The practical thing is to look for selected weekend driving and enjoy it for what it was made for.

 

be very careful in the rain, dont go over 60 mph if the road is very wet

 

Dont use it as a daily driver.............drive it............ but for daily chores just get yourself a Vette or something like that, you will be much happier to pamper your TR and let the Vette do the grunt work. Buy both!

 

I am 6'3" also, no problem, but I am used to a tight fit. If you have not driven one before it is kinda small.

 

I'm 6'1" and have had sports cars all my life. I am used to the routine. I will say as you get older it becomes less fun getting in and out. Once in you will have to play with the seat to find that spot you can tolerate. To get head room you lose leg room, to get leg room you lose head room.

Be prepared to do something about your incline. I have to use blocks just to get the arms to my lift under the car.

John

 

i bought my 1990 testarossa to use as a daily commuter, but haven't gotten the commute i wanted so instead i drive the car about 4 days/wk, ~150 miles/wk in pleasure driving. i have driven in washington DC, parallel parked, driven on the highway, back roads, whatever. the biggest downside to regular use is that the car is old. if you get a 512TR you probably won't get that feeling. but for an original, it feels a little dated in the way it drives/feels. however, visibility is great, power is good, AC and other amenities are good too. sure steering is a little heavy, but not when used as intended. this is a high speed cruiser, so if you insist on using it in the city or low speeds, you will have to put up with some inconvenience. it is a great car, very cool to drive, huge attention getter.

john

 

You sound like you are just about where I was the year before last...and, as it happens, the first car I looked at was an '87 in Lake Forest, just north of Chicago up on the lake. Private owner, I had Lake Forest Sportscars do the PPI, and it had some issues. The owner knocked out his first gear about 2 weeks after I looked at it, and it is still apart after all this time (running on 18 months now). Found mine here locally about a year later.

So, I am sure you know this already, but most of us would tell you that a PPI really is essential with any of the Testarossa family.

BTW, I concur with WILLIAM H; these are heavy rear engine cars and can get loose very quickly if it is raining. It has way more torque than a regular 911, and the limited slip is very positive - which means you can get wheelspin and sideways even on an onramp or pulling away from a light if you are not careful. You have had a 911, so this is probably something you have learned to take into account, of course.

 

Check griotsgarage.com for tiles.

I have the vinyl flooring in my garage (no tiles) and it's great for the occasional oil or coolant leak.

 

for sure taking care of it. i haven't had an engine out bill yet (yaay!) but i just replaced my stock cats/precats with aftermarket units, so that was a pretty big bill. will get the car back on saturday, can't wait.

also, the original testarossas seems to fall out of tune regularly, like every 6 months. and there is a big difference between in and out of tune. something to check before you buy one. these cars don't like to sit around much either. they will develop fuel leaks. driving them regularly is the only way to keep them running smoothly. the 512TRs are probably less finicky.

john

 

Glad to know someone else felt this way. Drove it in the rain once on the way to Richmond for a show, and it was not what I would call secure in the rain.

I think it will depend on your seating position. You will have to recline a bit I think. There is less headroom than in a 360. The rest of the cabin is quite nice. (I am 5'10")

As a shameless plug, I am selling my 512TR, which is a "high mileage" car (31k) and thus a great bargain in a great condition car. PM me if you are interested.

Best,

-J.

 

i guess i drive like a granny. i've driven in the rain a couple of times on rear tires with almost no tread and had no problems with traction. maybe i should use the accelerator more...

 

The guys are spot on. I have done 10 000 kms in mine in just under 12 months. On a highway trip at 110km/ph it gets great mileage at 21 MPG on the old scale. Remember that I'm in imperial gallons which is a bit more than USA gallons. So probably more like 19 USA MPG?

Yep, it's heavy at slow speeds but the clutch isn't all that bad. I hate parallel parking it though due to the extra rear width its a real PITA to park without touching the kerb. I always spend a bit of extra time and tile the LHS mirror right down so I can see the rear wheel, then slot it in just fine.

I drive a Lexus SC400 coupe and an old 1995 Range Rover as daily drivers, but take the Testa out at least twice a week if the weather is conducive.

 

Dear Ferraristi,

I'm reposting this from another thread. It saves me typing it all over again. The excitement is the same though.

Well....am I the person to ask or what ! I am a "dyed in the wool" Testarossa guy. I drive a 91 Testarossa and a 97.5 Lamborghini Diablo Roadster as daily drivers. As far as Ferrari goes, I really have no interest in driving any other Fcar.

I don't care what anyone says, the TR is a great car to drive everyday. I don't have any other cars so these are the ones I use everyday. I drive it to work, walmart, home depot and even through the Wendy's drive thru. The car is very good in the rain ( heavy FL rain ) , stable and wipers work well. The trunk is large (for Fcars ) and will hold a fair amount of stuff.

The car is fine in summer...summer in FL that is. The temps never rise, no cranky warm starts or over heating. .....just great running !

I will say, the car is expensive to maintain. We are talking about a 12 Cyl. Ferrari. You have the typical belt service and all the other stuff that pays for the Ferrari race teams. I service mine to death, don't spare any expences and have it Ferrari serviced. It would be better to have a TR Ferrari serviced as I've had no luck with independents. They just don't get the car running perfectly. I'm not a fan of dealers but mine, Central Florida Ferrari in Orlando does a really good job of making the car run very well even though they are premium priced.

Compared to my Diablo Roadster (costs more than a new F430 ) the TR is well, not out completely of the league. I was surprised on how well the TR holds its own. It does have a feel on to it's own and is fun to drive in it's own right. The TR is about 100hp down on my Diablo but the power is smooth and continous. ..running through the gears just puts a smile on my face.

About running through the gears, I don't baby the car either. I like to run high revs and run it to redline in every gear comming up to speed. Of course, you have to let the clutch out completely, no speed shifting and have the car good and toasty before you run high revs.

If I did sell my TR, I wouldn't buy another Ferrari but add another Diablo.

So.....BUY a TR, you wont' regret it.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to post, I will answer what I can.


Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice !

 

I used my 88TR as a daily driver for three years, and loved every km of it, and the car proves to be very reliable. Now after i bought a Maranello I am not using the TR as often as before, trying to divide the drivingtime between the two. But I still managed to put on some 8.000 km on it in 2007. My minor problems with the car has been after it has not been used for a while, so now I have learned, and start the engine more often during winter storage (and if the road is dry I take a quick drive even in wintertime when the temperature is well below 0 degrees celcius.

I am of the opinion that you will love using the TR as a daily driver as much as I do. I take it regularly to the mall for groceries, as well as for longer trips. Some have issues with 2nd gear being difficult to engage when cold, I have never experienced that.

And Shamile, you comment on the trunk which is big for a Ferrari, I totally agree. I have actually managed to load three sacks of concrete (120kilos), as well as 20 m of strenghtening iron, and other stuff to take home from the shop (had to cut the iron in smaller pieces at the shop though)...
LVG