25 year old from Massachusettes. Future 360 owner?

I just discovered this section of the forum so I suppose ill make an introduction of sorts.

Im 25 years old, I currently work at a new car dealership ( family owned small dealership) as a service advisor. I make decent pay, nothing to be too excited about though. Average at best and not what most would expect a Ferrari owner to make. I also own a small ebay business which generates $500-$1000 a month in profits. The catch is, i'm a loser looking in from the outside. I live at my moms house still! ( I know right?! ) The other side of that story is I have been asked many times by her and other family to stay living at home for a while to tend to the house, help with finances etc. So I happily agreed to do so since well, I am comfortable there and don't have to pay rent or a mortgage. I plan to purchase a 360 outright, or at least the majority, financing maybe around 10k. This way in a few years when I decide to shop for a home, Im not tied down by a huge car loan.

I own a 600ish horsepower Toyota Supra, and quite a few other cheap cars. Im big into fixing and flipping cars for extra money. I find that I am driven by money, almost to the point that its a flaw in my personality. About 4-5 months ago I was dead set on buying a Nissan GTR. Then about a month ago it dawned on me that I could be a Ferrari owner for the same price as the GTR. So thats why I am here, looking for information on purchasing a 360. I plan to liquidate most of what I own for cars to purchase the 360.

So here I am to make fun of or say what you wish!

 

learn to spell Massachusetts first

what dealer? I used to live in Wellesley, I know most of the MetroWest dealers well.

at any rate, welcome to Fchat! good luck on the search for a 360.

 

oops! That's embarassing haha. Volkswagen is where I work. Id rather not say which one over the internet for all to see.

Thanks for the wishes. This seems to be a very nice forum compared to some others out there. There are quite a few 360's out there for sale which is nice. Im really looking to buy on the lower end of the spectrum. Id like to find a car for around 70.

 

Good luck. I would move out of my mom's house first and start life. Maybe that means no 360 this year or the next, but freedom has no price.

 

With my income, once I purchase a home Ill have to call it quits for good on sports cars I would never be able to afford an expensive car and a mortgage. I want to live while I can. Plus I do have all the freedom I need, its quite a nice living situation to be honest

 

Hopefully it is not a MKIV-TT because they are not cheap by any standards

Hp is not cheap, it is just less expensive too achieve than some other makes and models. The members here are a wealth of knowledge based upon their personal experience and you will be wiser if you just listen and learn as you may change your mind once you realize what Ferrari ownership entails.


I hope your goal and dream of Ferrari owner status reaches fruition.

 

It is an MKIV original TT 6 spd car. Heres a picture of it for anyone who cares. This car has totally burned me out of "modifying cars" which is why im looking for a car I can be truly impressed with and "leave alone". I meant my other cars are "cheap" cars. I have a couple older Hondas, and a couple broken VW's. I also daily drive a 2002 base model Boxster. The Supra, and all my cars with the exception of probobly one Honda for daily driver duty would be sold off.

 

As someone who drove nothing but Toy's for almost 22yrs and as the past owner of an SC300 w/2JZGTTE/T78 swap with with a reliable 400+rwhp on a stock fuel system I tend to disagree with the "tired of modifying" cars statement but that is neither here nor there because we want to help you acquire your first Ferrari.

Are you dead set on the 360 model and if so why? I love all Ferrari's and the performance aspect would be the last of my concerns. I feel safe in saying that you need to find a model that appeals to you but one that you know you can afford the maintenance/upkeep on, perfect records of scheduled maintenance will be a huge asset for you.

If you have patience along with a set budget that includes unforseen issues, $10K seem's to be the norm, you will be one happy camper and will be sharing your joy of ownership for along time. A good place for you to start would be the FS section of this forum:
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/vbclassified.php?do=category&categoryid=6

 

This. Hey babe do you want to come over? Ill call mom and ask her first.

This is an excellent time to make a housing purchase, place your focus on focally responsible decisions, and the rest will come.

 

I chose to consider the 360 for a few reasons. Mostly because I simply cannot afford a 430, and the 355 is too dated looking on the inside for my taste. The outside isn't bad, but stepping down in performance and looks just isn't going to satisfy me when a 360 is within my reach. I also absolutely love how the 360 looks inside and out. I dont have a taste for the older stuff either, and the 456 and 550 just isn't an attractive car in my eyes

 

So WHY do you want a Ferrari? A GTR is reliable and will have some semblance of a warranty.. and have higher performance in magnitude.

Is it the feel? The horsepower? The appearance?

Or is it BECAUSE it's a Ferrari? The status? If this is the reason you want the car... get the house and get your life in order. Invest the money, become the person that can afford the car. I'm sorry but some guy that lives with his parents and drives a Ferrari is kinda seriously posing.

You're 25. Get the house or INVEST your money for a few years and then get the house or the Ferrari. If you decide to get the car then enjoy it. Just be careful as I'm sure you're aware, buying a Ferrari and OWNING a ferrari are two different things. Anyone can buy one, but it will take some $$$ and/or ingenuity to own it. Good luck.

 

Good luck.

 

This is why I'm here. Research on the car before I buy. I feel comfortable in the car after researching on here whereas looking at the GTR's I felt uncomfortable in the high failure rate on the transmission.

And to answer your WHY question, its because the car is a performance "package" with the looks to boot. I have fast in a straight line already, its gotten old quick. Im looking for a more complete driving experience, But at the same time, a car that can keep my itch to modify cars at bay. Theres only a few cars out there that fit that bill, and the 360 is one of them.

 

This is a very fair response.
As I'm sure you've heard elsewhere, the clutch and the service every 3 years are expensive. Same for parts and maintenance in general very spensive'. Luckily the cars are relatively reliable. The harder you drive them like any car the more intensive your maintenance will be. The 360 is a very nicely balanced car. It's not the fastest or the best handling (at the limit mind you), but it does all these things sooo well as a car.
Sorry to be blunt but.. It can be challenging to own an expensive car with limited means. One repair can set you back a few grand. If you're able to do work on the car you'll have some cost savings, but the parts are still very very pricey. This is why the $10,000 number is thrown around. If anything happens bad with the engine, you're going to need it. Personally I think this number is a nice recommendation to have "available" if needed. You probably never will, but it should be on hand IMHO. I had a 79 928 when I was in college and grad school. It was rock solid and I was able to pull ownership off with my own repair work and the cars reliability. I'll warn you that Ferrari's are different. They don't go well with limited means. Most owners are nicely settled in the upper income brackets. This is for a reason.

I'm not going to go into personal life philosophy beyond my prior post. Owners here have been where you are and they have lessons they like to share with people who were in their shoes. Best of luck in your journey.