In the US looking at a Euro Testarossa

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and I have been looking at getting a testarossa. I found a 1987 euro model. I was wondering what I should look out for with the car. I know that it is in kph vs mph, and it doesn't have the self buckling seat belts. The car doesn't have the same emission controls as the US cars. Since this car is over 25 years old, do I have to worry about any smog or legal issues with the car? Is a euro model in the US not desirable?
I may see the car saturday and I will get some pictures. Do all Euro models have the small side turn signals or did some have the larger US style? This one seems to have the US side turn signals, front euro fog lights and turn signals, euro rear bumper and a euro vin.
Thanks you everyone for your help
Michael

 

Im going to have someone take pictures of the car tomorrow(Saturday) and I will post pictures when I get them. I spoke with a friend who has a Testarossa and he brought up good points about this possibly being a grey market import. Ill get a full carfax once the pictures have been taken.

 

Michael, your profile says California. Any car with a build date or 1976 and newer has to have emissions equipment for that year of make model to be smogged in California. I just had my wifes jag smogged today and chatted with the tech.

I would consider a Euro car IF all the paperwork was in order and passed a smog check. The Smog Check is the sellers responsibility in California unless it is to be sold out of state only.

 

No Euro cars had OEM side markers. US OEM side markers lay flush to the body panels. But a converted grey market (Euro) car may have aftermarket side markers that protrude from body panels.

 

Hi I think this is an example of an early gray market car?

Bonhams : 1986 Ferrari Testarossa Coupé Chassis no. ZFFAA17B000062173

It says exported to the US without smog equipment - and you can see the extra side markers - the original euro repeater between the door and fender has been left in place.

Dom.

 

It certainly is. Can't believe what that car sold for with the mileage it has. Nice!

I've got 56221 it's a Euro. Great car. One of the first brought over back in June of '85.

 

Sadly I wasn't able to see the car this week. I am going to see it next Friday,black Friday sale? I was talking to a friend who works at a smog station and he said the same thing as Lear said. So when I go I will make sure that the car meets smog. Also is Rosso Dino a rare color?

 

kartboy1234, it would be god for you and all of us here if you would introduce yourself a little.
thank you for filling out your public profile

 

A little introduction then, I am a big fan of the Testarossa, I have loved it since I watched Miami Vice about 10 years ago. I am in Mechanical Engineering, and have had a passion for cars. I currently have a 2003 Porsche 911. I am looking at having a Testarossa as a fun car and project. If something broke on it, then I would fix it. Any help with the purchase and upkeep afterwards would be amazing from this forum. If anyone has any questions for me please ask. Would repainting the car lower the value? Is Rosso Dino rare?

 

Rosso Dino would be indeed very rare, as it wasn't an available colour for the testarossa! I wouldn't pick this color if value is important to you, not that it would ruin the car's value, but it would lower it a little.

You will find amazing support in this section, especially if you contribute yourself a little as well. I hope you find the right TR and join this group soon. It's hell of a ride, both the car and the forum.

 

Ahh maybe it was a special order color. I would be keeping the car for a long time, so doing a repaint is fine for me. I found a car in the proper exterior color but not interior color amd This car is the proper interior color and not a perfect exterior color. Im assuming its easier to repaint the car than reskin the interior. I will be posting a lot once I get a car. I have been reading a lot of the repair threads, and I am amazed by the amount of knowledge.

 

Scaledetails did a repaint to Bianco White. I inspected in in a Salvage lot lat spring and it looked factory after a couple of years.

To answer your question, I would think interior color change would be more cost effective than a quality paint job. But if the dash and headliner are of an acceptable color you could save on those items. The dash recovering is a big job.

 

What do you mean that it looked factory after a couple of years? Is it relatively easy to redo the seats and door panels? My problem is that I don't want a Rossa Corsa Testarossa, Id love a Grigio metallic, white or black. Id also prefer a black interior. I found a grigio metallic car but it needs some work and has a sketchy service history.

 

thanks for your short introduction michael

if you want to repaint your car in an other color you may completely dismantel the car so that all what has the original color may get the new color. this is much work if you do it right, but still less work than doing the complete interieur.
but if you like to keep the car you may repaint to an other color, but if you later like to sell the car it would be good to let it in the original color.

 

What I meant was that after a couple of years from the color change, it still looked great. Crappy paint jobs have a tendency to peel, crack etc. It was dirty but still looked great


Easy depends on your skill set. Leather work and interior stuff is easy for me. But I dont have a paint booth so I would have to sub out for that. Seats and door panels can be done in a day. But there are other interior pieces to consider like luggage belts, hand brake, trunk/bonnet surround, headliner visors etc. I still think it would be cheaper to change the leather color than paint the entire car.


Normally I would say wait for the right car to come along, but prices are rising monthly.

FYI my sister TR is up for sale again on ebay..A white 1990 TR with Tan interior, 17K miles

 

Thank you lear for the explination. I have done some paint work, so I would probably sand and tape the car off myself, and probably remove the engine so that the engine bay can be cleaned up. If I was to do all of that, expect a stream of posts and updates. I have been following testarossa prices for a few years now, and this is why I feel that I should get a car now. I can afford one now and I dont want to be locked out of the market by rising costs. I saw the white one on ebay, its a great color and seems very clean. But I really dislike the power seatbelts and it seems like it will sell above what I would want to pay. I wish that I could have a white car, then I could recreate "When the rain comes down- Andy Taylor" from Miami Vice. I know that I wouldn't be unhappy with any testarossa, so I need to find out if the exterior or the interior can be compromised on. What is the main thing to look out for on the testarossa?

 

There you go, I guess this is what a Rosso Dino Testarossa looks like

1987 Ferrari Testarossa Coupe For Sale on Car And Classic UK [C557512]

 

Actually that's the exact car I'm looking at. Weird how its on a UK website. I believe that is a reasonable price, id like it to be a little lower. I dont know how I feel about the black wheels, but they can be refinished.

 

Heres the exact posting 1987 Ferrari Testarossa Coupe notice the side turn signals, they just look off to me. Any insight would be amazing. Also does anyone know this specific car?

 

On the plus side, it is an F113B (KE-Jet without Lambda) engine, but the euro headers will make adding cats (if necessary) an even more costly and difficult project. Shame that someone took a hole saw to the front spoiler to make the tow hook fit -- the body colored spoiler doesn't help hide that hole...

 

So the F113B is preferred? Just because it doesnt have emission equipment? Yea I really would not want to have to add cats to the car. I was wondering if that hole was supposed to be there. I would probably make a little plastic cover for it and paint the lower valance and sides black. Im thinking another option instead of painting right now could be to vinyl wrap. It would cost a lot less for 3-5 years of looks.

 

Yes, IMO, over a F113A (K-Jet without Lambda) euro engine living in the US (but not over a F113A040 US engine living in the US). Unless you live in timbuktu CA, I don't see how you could live with a TR with no cats in CA.

 

Yea I need to check the car out. Since I couldnt have someone see it today I am going to see it on friday. If the car is great, then I will only get the car if it can pass smog. If it doesn't have cats then I walk away. Is the F113A that much different? I don't know anything about the specific engines. Is the F113A the early engines and then the F113B the later engine with more power?

 

Yes, the F113A is the early euro configuration, and the F113B is the later~mid euro configuration. But, it's not about the power, it's about the sophistication/stability of the injection system control: F113A uses thermo-mechanical WURs; F113B uses electro-mechanical EHAs.

 

Hmm sounds interesting. Im going to look up the engines and read more about them. Thanks for your help. I cant wait to see the car.