Hi All, Before I get into the reason for my post I did want to take a moment to compliment all involved here for being such an amazing, helpful and knowledgeable group. I'm in the market (as the title indicates) for my first Ferrari and I feel my acumen regarding these cars has increased exponentially from Fchat and its great community of members, not to mention the staggering compendium of information you've all managed to compile here. They are such specific cars, with their own set of peccadilloes (which vary from model to model even!) that buying a Ferrari without the sagacity contained herein would be a much greater challenge indeed. So, thanks for the posts and keep the good info coming! Once I break my proverbial Ferrari cherry, I hope to contribute my experiences as accrued to the site. All gratuitous flattery aside, I think I've settled on a 599 as my inaugural prancing pony purchase. Currently, I'm a Maserati 2007 Quattroporte Sport GT owner. Love the car, but its always been a goal of mine to own a Ferrari. Side note: I so want to post a pic of my QP because its an amazing looker but I'll respect the sanctity of the thread...Nevertheless, I've went through different stages of desire - the 612, the California (very briefly) the 430, but ultimately kept coming back to the 599. It ticks all the boxes for me personally, starting with the fact I'm 6"4". And so we get to the heart of the matter. I've bought plenty of nice cars in my life, but never one of these. To that end, what questions/should I look for in regards to a) Ferraris in general and b) this model/specific years of this model? My price range probably puts me in a 2008/9 vintage with around 15-20K miles. So far, these are the questions I've gleaned from my time on the site, am I missing any critical ones? (I'll omit the obvious that apply to any higher end vehicle like tires & rim rash, etc., etc.) Do you have a copy of the original sticker? Has the major service been completed? If so, by whom? Clutch % remaining? When was it tested? Any infamous button stickiness? Do you have all service records? Does it have any clear bra coatings on front or rear? How is the dash leather situation? I guess the last thing that I have is if that if you're buying from a very reputable dealer, can one eschew the PPI? I've even read some threads where some dealers won't allow PPIs because they don't want non-dealer computers on the cars due the sensitive electronics. Thanks for reading my post and thanks in advance for your replies.
Good luck with the search! The 599 is amazing. Ping some of the Ferrari dealers in your area as well as the ones that are active on fchat for leads. PPI's are great, but nothing beats you personally looking over the car for a few hours. I got lucky when searching for a 430 manual, Boardwalk Ferrari out of Dallas reached out from my WTB ad. Gave them a deposit over the phone, flew up from Houston the next day and bought it. Didn't do PPI, but the car had all maintenance from new as this same dealer sold it new. Regardless I spent about an hour nit picking it. Regardless, good luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I bought my '09 599 from a dealer. Had a PPI done by an independent. The PPI uncovered several problems that were caused by service performed by the dealer. This information allowed me to negotiate a bit more. Getting a PPI is no guarantee that any or all issues will be uncovered, but in my case it was well worth it.
Dear Mpersico, I am a 599 owner and am currently putting together an article as a buyers guide/market & technical analysis. The draft is complete and if the editor of the publication approves I will forward you the draft or the Official article will be published later this month and has both US & UK owner perspectives etc. What I have seen it looks fantastic and well worth waiting for especially if this is your first Ferrari. PM me with your details and I will ask the Magazine editor on your behalf . Your choice of Prancing Horse is spot on, now just the correct example needs to be found... Regards Amit
Great intel so far. Good to hear the story about a PPI picking up items the dealer had done incorrectly.
OP Funny, I just flew to your neck of the woods for a 599 I found out there. OP, I found that it was hard to find a properly equipped dealer who was willing to do a full ppi on a car from another seller. I was finally able to get a good look through the computer but it really wasn't an exhaustive ppi either. My car still has Ferrari warranty so I felt pretty comfortable just knowing that I had twice been through the process to certify it and getting cluth and brake rotor readings. Good luck in your search, they are certainy impressive cars.
Riverflyer, Even funnier is that I am set to travel to your neck of the woods to see a 599 out there! Thanks for the response - the last dealer I talked to said no problem on an external PI so it seems their position is a bit all over the board.
Also, the car I'm looking at has CCBs. Dealer told me they won't need replacing until 60K miles. Is that generally accurate?
I think under normal driving that is true, with the exception being a car that was tracked a lot. Good luck with your search.
That's about right. If you're looking at 08+ they were standard then. Since you're near by if you'd like to view/take out my 599 you're welcome to. Feel free to PM.
FWIW you may want to ping a moderator to move the thread to the 599 section. I suspect you would get additional responses to your questions than from the Classifieds area.
I have a 2010 599 GTB HGTE with 16875miles (27K km's). The car was and is very well kept. All original. CCM brakes and clutch have 70% of life left. I have tracked the car twice but for spirited driving only, no racing. It's two owner car. PM me if you wish to discuss further. Car is located in Montreal.
Although it has been a couple of months since your post I wish to know if you found a 599. I am in Oklahoma City with a 2007 599 on the market. Call me if interested 405-642-4867
