Is Barrett Jackson Good place to buy ?

I am going to Barrett Jackson for the first time next month in Las Vegas !!!

I am a PCA member and own a 2006 997 911 coupe and love it ! However I have always dreamed of owning a Ferrari . The only Ferrari that I have driven was a 308 way back in 1988 !!

I wondered about buying a Ferrari at Barrett Jackson - any advice ?

Since I plan to keep my 911 I was thinking about a 360 430 or a pre turbo California to keep costs below 100K . I would like something more comfortable than the Porsche for trips so leaning toward the California
and I assume ?? that a California might be more affordable to service since its not mid engine ?
A friend in NYC owned a 348 and then a 355 his service bills scared me off of Ferraris' then !! ( early 2000's)

Thank you for any advice ! I have a friend with a 360 and hope to drive it before my trip however locating a California or a 430 though might be difficult where I live.

Russ DeJulio
Pittsburgh PA

 

Most of the people that show up at BJ are into pick up trucks and Camaros. Having said that, when Ferraris go through, there aren't many buyers. Therefore the opportunity to get a good deal exists. Unlike Gooding and RM where it's stuffed with Ferraris and buyers.

 

Thank you that sounds encouraging ! Best ! Russ

 

Thanks Rob I am keeping my fingers crossed for a deal I cannot pass up ! Thank you Russ

 

I would say that most of the run of the mill f cars at Barrett trade closer to wholesale due to the lack of a PPI or dealer representation, I would not hesitate to buy one just make sure you know what your looking at. As far as local cars/dealers I have the same problem in buffalo, this area is for the most part Ferrari delete .

 

Thank you that sounds good BTW since we are both in areas with limited ability to test drive the various models What do you think about the California have you driven one ?? I checked the B Jackson site so far only 3 F cars all Testarossa's I know its a great car but I would feel too conspicuous driving one !! My dream would be to find a Blue California we'll see ! Best ! Russ

 

PM sent

 

I just registered as a bidder for this auction. I'm a newbie to the world of auctions, so the experience will be fun. BTW, I just saw a 2005 F430 on the list with no reserve. Black with grey interior, but I don't see miles listed. FWIW, I have a 2007 F430 and just love it.

 

Check classifiedso here first. Hangle down to a mutually agreeable level. Beats auction where you cannot PPI, have no clue on provenance and deal with hassle of paperwork at event, fees, shipping to your place

 

I agree. If you are buying a car with a factory bumper to bumper warranty and a clean Carfax then an auction is probably ok and I have bought a number of cars on EBay that way. However if it doesn't have a warranty then I think an auction is too great a risk and I would only buy it with a solid PPI.

 

Before you raise your hand to bid on and buy any car at auction, remember this golden rule:

Auctions are for suckers.

If you have that in the back of your mind while examining, vetting, and bidding, you'll probably do fine.

 

I bought a '14 FF in February, my first Ferrari. I read over and over on this forum "buy from an authorized dealer, be sure to get a PPI" and "closely examine all service records".

I did all that. I actually walked from a car after seeing service records.

I bought from a Ferrari dealer, and negotiated as good, or better, a price than from an independent or a private seller.

I wouldn't even think about buying a Ferrari like a California at an auction. A million dollar, highly documented, rare investment quality car is very different.

More power to those that are comfortable buying that way, but I don't feel I am knowledgeable enough to take that risk.

You can use sites like cargurus.com and see virtually every Ferrari for sale nationwide, and even get notified when new ones hit the market.

If it was me, I'd find a couple nearby and take a road trip. Spend a lot of time looking at them, test driving, etc. When you decide which model is for you, do a nationwide search and proceed from there.

Just my two cents.

 

Thank you all very much for your valuable input !

I am also concerned about buying a non certified car and realize it would be a risk . If I see a great deal it might be TOO GOOD a deal for a problem car .
I will be VERY careful

I must mention this !

My childhood friend ( I am 64 we met when we were in 4th grade/ when he immigrated from Italy to NYC ) owned a Ferrari 348 and then a 355 in the 90's

The service issues on the 348 & 355( which you all are aware of ) prompted him to switch to 6 series BMW's.

Recently he purchased a pre owned ( 20K miles) highly depreciated Maserati Granturismo S certified from a Ferrari dealer its very pretty in the pics I've seen

My wife and I are going to visit him in NY the week before I travel to Las Vegas for the show during our visit I will drive his car.
Conveniently he lives near Miller Motorcars in Greenwich Conn. a Ferrari / Alfa/ Maserati /Aston dealer so I will look at their used Ferrari inventory and hopefully drive a 360 430 and California .

In my friends opinion the Maserati is as much fun as a Ferrari with the V8 Ferrari engine and much more affordable for parts service and with depreciation I can find many low mileage cars for 30-50% less than a Ferrari

I shudder to raise this on a Ferrari site but would gladly welcome any thoughts !!
Best ! Russ

 

Not sure Miller will let you drive 3 cars unless you know someone or can demonstrate serious interest in making a purchase. But good luck!

Maserati GT is a great car (I own one) but it's a GT. It's not a Ferrari. And the values are tanking so great when you buy, but not if you go to sell

 

Dave thank you

Since I plan to keep my 911 I am looking for something closer to a GT so perhaps I should focus on a California and the Maserati .

My 911 is a 2006 so I keep cars a long time and at 64 if I purchase an Italian car ownership will be until I cannot drive anymore and then give it to my son

Thanks again to all on the site who gave me input you guys are terrific and so nice to lend a hand to a neebie with a bunch of basic questions !

Best ! Russ

 

Dont forget about your 10% buyers fee.

 

Let me help you

This is the car you should be talking a hard look at: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/2009-maserati-granturismo-s-f-1.560174/

Only 300 F1 transmissions came to the US. Not sure I'd want a true F1 as a daily driver, but otherwise this is the best of both worlds

 

Be forewarned. A clean Car Fax guarantees you NOTHING.
I recently had a bank buy back my Maserati over a title issue. Went through Mannheim (biggest auction in the world) with presumably a "clean title".
Most certainly DID NOT have a clean title. Really long story... but just be aware.
Unless you have the nuts for it, I would not buy a Ferrari from an auction. Too much downside if you can't work on it yourself.

to the OP:
if you really want a Ferrari, take your time. You will find a great one. You will probably make some friends finding one too!

 

Thank you Ron !!

 

Ive been in the business for a while and I have bought many cars at auctions... I will sum up auctions for you:

Not all cars at auctions are bad cars...

but...

All bad cars go to auctions


Barrett can be a dumping ground. Please excercise caution. You have virtually ZERO rights in a transaction with Barrett and they don't really care to keep your business. You get treated well when you buy a 500k and up car... but... thats about it

 

+1

Not a fan of BJ, not at all. It's an interesting one time experience. I've only been there twice, but that was one time too many for me. Not a good place to buy what you are looking for, and as Justin wrote....."they don't really care to keep your business."

 

Thank you guys for your valuable input !

I agree I would only buy a car from a dealer unless something looks PERFECT at BJ and is a good price but that I am sure is a fantasy !

Best ! Russ

 

I honestly don't believe this is the right direction for you. You say you are unfamiliar with the brand, you could easily end up in a bad ownership situation without knowing what to look for.
For your first Ferrari, you may want to stick to the dealership or at least a very reputable high end independent. They won't take on crappy, accident or flood damaged cars....usually
I say pay the premium for the first ownership experience and get familiar with the brand. Build up your knowledge base then look for a deal.
I've owned Ferraris and Lamborghinis for the last 20 years....and all are daily driver concours winners.

Good luck in your search!

Shamile

Freeze. . . Miami Vice!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

Thank you Shamile

Best !

Russ