Beware of this car - #112520

Currently for sale at the Sports Car Company---Has had some major damage to under carriage, wheels, body panels, etc. Confirmed by the previous owner, who still has the receipts for all the work performed. Work done by the Auto Gallery and Fusion Motorsports.

http://www.sportscarcompany.com/detail-1998-ferrari-f355-spider-used-5980657.html

No mention of this in he ad--I personally called about this car and was told by Jim Lyons it had hit a pothole. The wheel/tire was replaced as well as some minor dings/dents in the fender. That is not the case, the damage extends well beyond something that simple and from what I was told, Jim knows that.

I had heard alot of good things about this dealer and the cars he sells. I guess in this tough economy even the good dealers are bending the truth about their inventory to move cars...

Be careful, do your research and check the registry before making a purchase....

 

Maybe I'm loosing what little mind I have left, but isn't this the car that just sold on eBay for $27,000?

Guess not...I checked VIN # and they are different.

 

It's a shame that someone would be willing the risk to ruin their reputation when times are tough. It takes years and years to earn a reputation of integrity, yet one deliberate mishap to ruin it all.

 

Clearly not just a pothole hit with a fender rub.....This is the car in question after the crash
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I marvel at how tightly knit the Ferrari community is. I'm inspired to start a thread asking about a particular car's history... someone here might know it!

 

Where is the "registry?

Regards,

Randy

 

www.ferrari355registry.com

 

Wow, shocking...

 

Thank you......

Randy

 

Some pothole!

 

+1. This is a very tight-knit brotherhood, and we all have each other's backs' where possible

Lol, I was gonna say the same - more like the Grand Canyon!!

 

I am not defending or implying anything here.....BUT

In my experience, I have seen NUMEROUS cases where an individual will trade a car in, and "stick the dealer" with a story car, and then warn all their friends and post on the forum about the history of a car, but not tell the dealer the whole story.

The case ALSO could be that they traded the car at a different dealership, it went through auction/wholesalers, and Sports Car Company did not get the full story on the car when they purchased it.

Does Jim in fact have all the records that the previous owner has? If so, that's one thing. If not, you can't really throw any stones. Or, if you can, it would be at the customer for keeping the records.

Just playing devil's advocate here, based on experience.

 

Maybe he was driving at 11/10ths when he hit a pothole, then flew off the road....

Seller probably mumbled the 2nd part of that under his breath.

Thanks for the community warning Robbie!

John

 

Good for you Robbie for keepin em honest

 

According to the previous owner--Jim does in fact 100% know the story behind this car.

 

I am fairly new to Ferrari Chat and am dreaming to own a Ferrari one day. From what I have read the last couple of months is that anyone buying an expensive car will get the VIN number and do their own homework. Am I wrong? In my opinion, a dealer should do all their research as they are a buyer also.
-Josh

 

It would be interesting to know what undercarriage damage was done to the car. The repairs were carried out by one factory authorized dealer and another highly respected shop here in the LA area. From what I can see in the pics, it's a bumper and some suspension, all easily repairable. So I wonder....did the frame sustain damage? Was the damage beyond just some broken underbody aero?

 

hello. i am a F355 owner new this year. i bought my 355 over the internet without doing a whole lot of research other than talking with the shop that did the 30k. just to make it clear i have worked in the Auto business for 20 yrs working with used cars so maybe i have more faith in cars than most. i have bought a lot of cars over the years wholesale hoping for the best. i bought this car and i am having fun driving it. the motor runs fine and any issues it has can be fixed. why is it that if a car has a minor accident or repair needed it is junk. cars can be fixed. it seems like everyone wants to help but why scare some people out of owning a Ferrari? if i would have taken my car and had it inspected by a mechanic i would bet any money that the mechanic would have put the fear in me. about this and that and all the common problems a 355 has. i deal all day long with mechanics that think used cars should be new. just because a part shows some wear does not mean it is worn out. if i listened to all the crap i hear all day about cars i would be out of business. i think these cars could be worth more if people would understand these are used cars not new. BTW i love this site and the trouble shooting section is top notch . Helping each other find better ways to fix our USED CARS for less money will make them worth more in the long run. if everyone told people how easy it was to fix our cars guess what? maybe they would own one like I / WE do. and they would be worth more. i still want to be part of this family this is just what i see after a short time of owning my car.

 

Very interesting. When I was selling my '98 F1 Spider, an interested party from L.A. was also looking at this thread subject car. He (the interested party) had been told by the selling dealer the same story about it only being a pothole and dinged rim.

 

I think you are missing Robbie's point. It isn't the damage or the repair. It is the misleading information that makes his efforts to keep the truth known that makes the registry inportant. Robbie is just doing everyone a favor by making us all better informed buyers. Anyone who finds a problem with that would sure make me suspicious that they have a reason to want things to stay in the dark. No one says the car is not worth buying or is junk. The fact is it maybe a great car but the truth should be told anytime repairs have been done. Thats why most buyers want records and when they exist it helps increase the value a lot more than uninformed buyers who may pay a premium for a questionable car.

 

Wow, I'm really surprised to hear that about Jim Lyons. When I was looking I contacted him a few times on some cars that he had and I ALWAYS felt he was straight up. Like someone mentioned, with times being as hard as they are I guess it brings out the worst in people. Then again as they say " when the stakes are high the lies are big".

 

WOW ! I am really surprised, this guy is well known as a "good guy" ....

 

Doh! Nice work Robbie! Fellow CS buyer apparently had similar run-in with SCC and Jim Lyons here:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=139793869#post139793869

 

Congrats on your purchase, FWIW I agree that's "not much damage"...but then I have exited upside down vehicles by kicking out the glass, as raw gasoline poured all over me!!!

Welcome!

Drive safely!

 

+1