I have a dream...

Thanks Martin! I do hope it does make the truck tommorrow. Hopefully will find out today. And yep it was JetBlue.

Todd appreciate it man! The M is staying around for the foreseeable future. I may need to enlist your services to get some of the swirl marks out of the car if not give it your professional personal touch. Can you drop me a mail / phone when you think you might be down next time?

Thanks Max!

Will definately try Ken. It still hasn't really sunk in yet...

To you sir, I owe a HUGE thank you. Could not have done it without your help.

Hopefully it is less maintenace than my ex.

Ah yes the F-Car bling. If I can, I plan on taking a ride to Shelton or The Collection and grabbing a hat or shirt or something soon after the arrival. Thanks Robert. Maybe between you, Fred and I we can take turns bringing cones and ropes?

Well that is part of the story. Which, by the way, I started to type out while I was sitting at the airport. Stupid back button on my touchpad wrecked that idea after I was almost an hour into it. But let's say it involved someone's M.E.K.S.S. Or as we like to say in Canada, Madly Enhanced Karma Search Skills.

Thanks Tarek. I was blown away by not just the type and quality of the cars they had. But also the number and range. It was incredible.

Well that isn't exactly how it happened... hehe...

Mr. Dave. Thanks bud. I actually tried to call you, but got some weird answering thing.

Dave! Thanks appreciate it. Still sucks that you moved. You organized a couple of great meets. From what I can tell you are getting things going on the west coast too. I might have to pop out there one of these days.

Thanks Mike. Will try to do just that.

Thank you Damian!

Thanks Charles! I have actually debated that. Though not sure what the policy is... If nothing else I'm cool with it.

 

Fred man thanks bro. Seriously. Means a lot.

Lucky thanks! Their shop is in California near Long Beach.

Duane thanks! Definately going to keep it black. I was never a fan of it, but with the black interior it actually shows well.

Andy! Thanks bud. Appreciate the compliment.

The shop's name is Tillack and Co. which is for their car sales (dealer's license). Fast Cars Ltd. is their restoration. Same owners, same building, same people.

Craig from Tillack and Co. arranged my PPI. I am extremely happy with both him and the company. I definately trust him and the company completely. I would not hesitate buying a car from him sight unseen in the future.

Their contact info:

630 Mary Ann Drive
Redondo Beach, CA 90278

Phone: 310-937-6700
Fax: 310-376-3392

Thanks Chris. As soon as the car is delivered I will do just that.

 

Found out yesterday the car will in fact be on the truck today. Intercity says 8 - 10 days. In a couple of days the drivers will give me a ring and let me know more info.

 

And now the story... warning... this could have been done in volumes.

Last year I was on track to pick up a 355. Originally I was set on a 99 Triple Black Fiorano. Unfortunately the seller was not willing to budge on the 130K price. In addition, shortly thereafter, the car was sold, at about 30K less than asking I might add. Figure that one out...

About 8 months later, came 95 355 that Martin had, but that too was sold. At that time prices were pretty high on the 355s. There were not many decent examples on the market even at higher prices.

Another 9 months pass...

Now enter the SSF Rally to the Keys. What a fantastic time. It was at this time Bill mentioned that he was thinking about picking up a 512TR. And what of the 348? He thought this might be a great car for me. While it wasn't the first time we discussed it, it was the first time I think either of us gave it serious consideration. We talked about over the weekend and agreed that we would re-visit the subject when B.T. was considering his next purchase.

About 2 weeks ago I get an email from Bill. This was getting real. I visited on a Saturday and we went for a drive. Bill gave me the tour of 348 so as I understood some of the gremlins and details of this machine. Over lunch we talked. It was at this point we decided that Bill would help me look for a 348 or a 355.

It is about a 30 minute drive back to my place from Bill's. Within that time frame Bill had sent me multiple listings from multiple sources. This continued through the weekend, and so it became apparent that Bill takes "help" to the next level.

The following week I had a class in Miami. It was pretty brutal leaving at 6 AM and getting home around 8 PM. I really didn't have any time to look at anything. This however didn't stop Bill. He pressed on! During lunch almost every day I was on the phone with Martin, Bill or Scott, asking them various archaic questions which only a select few would know as the original volumes are held by an unknown sect at Ferrari by which manuals are translated from Sanskrit. Every day I was asking questions (read this as harassed). I was back on track! In the end we were all keeping our eyes open for the "right" 348 or 355. I wasn't about paying the Ferrari premium on mileage nor did I want a "fixer-upper". This was a “buyers market” at this point.

At the end of the week my class was over and I had some time to concentrate. I made a spreadsheet of every listing Bill sent me and every 348 or 355 I could find on the market. (Yes I know "spidering" auto sites is not a "nice" thing to do)

Slowly (actually it was pretty quick) I started calling and emailing; inquiring which cars were available. Quickly (actually it was pretty slow) many cars were eliminated. We went from about a list of 30+ down to 5. All the while I continued to call (harass) these keepers of knowledge. There were some good candidates but nothing was perfect. It amazed me how poorly some of these ads were written. For I believe was the Egyptians who, through hieroglyphics, invented a little thing called punctuation.

It was a Monday when deep within the catacombs, Bill had finished sacrificing a virgin shift knob to the Ferrari deities when he had a vision. Bill had sent me THE listing for THE 348. After a couple of quick phone calls I realized this car was a diamond in the ruff. One problem: The car was on eBay. However Bill had consulted his sacred tomes written thousands of years ago on the inner workings of car selling on eBay. We watched in anticipation hoping this Holy Grail of 348s would not sell. All through the night Bill chanted and conducted his ritualistic dance to the eBay gods. (Actually I think he was messing around with a car in the garage, but he told me he was doing this dance thing so I don't know...)

The car did not sell. I called and told Craig, henceforth know as The Keeper of the Grail, I was interested. After much discussion (harassment) with him, I had more than sufficient information. The Keeper of the Grail was honest and a man of his word. (Those were the requirements on monster.com for the Keeper of the Grail in case you were wondering.) I had a PPI done and it was very favorable. I made arrangements to do a day trip out to Long Beach that Saturday.

Craig, picked me up from the airport and gave me a quick tour of the area and it was off to the castle! As soon as we pulled up I could see the car. My jaw dropped to the ground. The pictures really did not do it justice. It was incredible! I was in a bit of shock. The reality of owning a Ferrari was starting to hit me. But before The Keeper of the Grail would release said artifact to me I must pass the test! Into the office we went to sign the sales agreement. At this point Craig was already an incredible host. Again taking the time to answer my obscure questions; never once rushing me. He really made me feel at home. It was as if I was buying a million dollar car! "This is how we treat everyone and it doesn't matter if it is $10,000 or a million. Everyone gets treated this way", Craig corrected me. We both got in the car.

Craig has already picked out a very long tour of the area. I was soon to discover what 300 pissed off horses could do! I saw the beautiful coastline and these ridiculous sized houses. We went up and down huge freaking hills which looked to me like jump ramps for an Evil Knievel show. We hit multiple stop lights, elevation changes, on-ramps and freeways. This is when I explained to Craig that I like to think of my rev limiter as more of a "Shift Indicator". My cheeks actually were starting to hurt because I was smiling so much! The car was strong and true and was exactly how Craig represented it. What followed was a string of vulgarity so artistically crafted, it could only be rivaled Fred. There was not a thing wrong with this machine. Alas, after a journey of over an hour and about 50 miles our adventure was over or at least I thought it was.... Craig decided differently.

It was at this point word had reached Bill, Martin, Scott and Fred that I have indeed obtained the Grail! The townspeople rejoiced and it was good.

The Keeper of the Grail then took me on a vast tour of his lands. Many sorts of horseless carriages, both vintage and modern, occupied the stalls. Multiple mechanical contraptions of magic lived in many a bay that occupied the region. Each one of these occupied their own distinct room: body, electrical, engine building, painting, detail, racing equipment, chassis, engine dyno, machine shop. I have never witnessed such a thing. When inquiring about restoring a vintage Ferrari, Craig mentioned that really you need to go into it with an open coin purse, as either the parts are not available or they have to be made, and typically they are making them. In fact they will research and then restore to factory specifications using more modern metals and materials. I was euphoric. Alas the tour came to a close. As sadness came upon me, Craig stated that we must go feast at what of the local taverns.

We stopped by to pick up his triple black 348 spider and went on a cruise. Many onlookers watched in amazement has this black stallion (the car guys.. ok? don't be weird) roamed the streets. We tied it to a stall and proceeded to feast and spoke of times of yore while the bards sang Latin style music in the Mexican place we went to.

As we got back into the car there was couple of maidens (old cougars actually) making conversation with us. They were WAY past their expiration date. When they spoke all I heard was "Sadly, there is no Dana, only Zu'ul." What I wouldn't have given at that moment to have Adamantium claws embedded in my forearm. I can only imagine their children were the end result of a drunken back-seat grope-fest and a broken prophylactic.

Alas Craig dropped me back at the airport. We exchanged greetings and gifts of our lands and I was on my way. I was simply elated by Craig's generosity.

It is odd though. I still was in a state of disbelief. What had just happened? It was when I was on my 5 and a half hour, 9PM flight back to Florida I realized that when, at the dying of the sun, High Priestess Xanthorg remarks upon mankind's most lasting achievements before all known existence is extinguished in a celestial furnace, surely she will speak of the time Michael purchased THIS Ferrari.

There were 2 things I discovered about taking a "day trip" to California:

1) Bad posture and poor circulation in my hands contributing to the phalangeal equivalent of skipping barelegged through a stretch of frosty thistles every time I took a step.

2) A kind of neurological solar eclipse that occurs at the apex of the ante meridiem, restricting my movements to those of a drunkard negotiating the slippery deck of a sea bound dinghy in a gale under attack from a biblical leviathan.


In the end I am not here for a long time, I am here for a good time.


And it is here my story is over….

 

Um.. I just called you. Put down the pipe... step away from the keyboard nice and slow.

 

Ah thanks for cutting me out a set! Much appreciated.