Planning to buy an 430f1 laid up for 9 years

I have the opportunity to buy a Ferrari 430 that was driven in and laid up for 9 years.for a third of the current market prevailing price. Its a F1 model. What are the possible thing that can go wrong in this car and is it worth the money and effort.

 

You are asking us to answer the impossible. None of us really knows what will happen once all fluids, filters and battery have been changed and you start the beast up. Will a gasket fail? Will all electronics work properly?

Will there be problems? Most likely! Hard to tell exactly which though...

Just be sure to have some ”cash in the kitten” if you know what I mean. You’ll need it.

Would I buy such a car? Defenitely! But that’s just me.
I love to tinker and fix things...

Edit: Oh and by the way - for that kind of money you could part it out if it shows to be a sour deal.

 

Be sure to change the oil and filter before you start it up, filters left that long can fall apart internally.
Combined oil and water pump might need a new one if the shaft seals have gone due to not running, very expensive. Change the gear box and f1 oils.
Check ac compressor is free to rotate. Tyres are going to no good. Brake calipers to overhaul to ensure they are not stuck. At 1/3 cost it is well worth a look as its not going to be full of rust etc. What miles does it have ?

 

Does laid up for 9 years means it hasn't been used/started for 9 years? I'm curious...why would the owner sell it at 1/3 the price instead of fixing any issues and selling it at market price? I'm a skeptic so I'd be cautious of maybe the repair bills might potentially cost more than the discount itself...

 

I wonder if it will start ?

 

I'll lay money on the rear man oil seal failing.

 

Old gas will also have taken it's toll on the entire system if it was not drained. Fuel pump, fuel sender, lines, injection unit, etc. could get expensive on that count alone.
Not to mention the other issues others here have raised regarding seals, belts, brake system, hydraulics, etc. Also any Electrical Engineer would tell you that the electronics sitting for that long--- not good either.

I agree with the idea that mileage, and when the last time it was run vs. driven is important but really, even still... worth that for parts? Not sure you want to start stripping it piece by piece to make your money back. Sometimes you end up with some real headaches dealing with that scenario.

But everything has it's price.

 

How was it stored ... Climate controlled garage? Damp Barn?

 

How is that? Electronics have no moving parts, fluids, or seals. How would they be affected by the car just sitting?

 

Electrical components age just like anything else, all components have a shelf life which depends on storage conditions, particulary in non-temperature and or humidity controlled environments. Components can oxidize for example or solder can fail to make a good contact. Oxidation, radiation and chemical degradation of the dielectric, and probably several other aspects, degrade IC's too. Ideally electronics are stored within +5C to +35C (and no more) with a maximum 60% relative humidity or they degrade faster. Quite what that would mean in 9 years depends on storage conditions...

 

For a third market price I'd be game. I do alot of the work on my car. There are different levels of ownership, pristine show examples to dented cars that barely run with a gold wrap on them and green aftermarket wheels. Each makes their owner happy. I wish the same happiness for you.

The adage that I like to use is a cars value will depreciate, parts prices do not. Ferrari parts prices are very expensive. You *could* be getting a deal. Or, you could be getting a car at 1/3 the market price that needs 2/3 market price in work to get it at market price value!

Things that I'd be suspect: needs a clutch and bearing and seals and all hardware. Electronics hardware, fuel pumps and associated hardware, fuel injectors, ignition coils, CV boots, wheel bearings and sensors, all the main seals on the engine and transmission... etc. etc. Good luck!

 

Heat and humidity. I live in Florida. Ask me how I know...

 

This.

 

Yeah, but that is somewhat unrelated to whether the car is being driven or mostly sitting in a garage. I doubt anyone would let an almost new (at the time) 430 sit outside for 9 year, but crazier things have happened. All things being equal, the electronics would likely age similarly whether car is driven or sitting in a garage.

 

Just wait.. next post coming.. "car has XXX lights on. Does anyone know how I can replace a clutch by myself.. and how much is an e-diff solenoid?"

 

Most likely, but I suspect those won't be core electronic failures (as in semi-conductor/IC failing), but hydraulic failures, seals, etc.

 

Bingo! "What's an Actuator seal?" followed by the usual:

"For a $200,000 car you'd think they could build it so it won't break!"

 

There might be an oxidation build-up on various connector contacts due to a lack of use. Contacts work better if they are allowed to occasionally carry the designed current. In electronics, this is called a cleaning, or wetting current. Without it, the contacts may suffer from a build-up of an oxide film which prevents good electrical contact.

 

A whetting current is the current it takes to "break through" a "contact", making the connection, and yes, it will increase with oxidation. I am not sure it does any "cleaning", and I am not sure that carrying current through a contact reduces oxidation, or cleans it as you suggest... have a reference? I think the environment (humidity, etc) is the key contributor to any oxidation of the contact, and not so much a lack of current passing through the various connectors in the car.

 

The car doesn't need to sit outside. Lack of use is an issue versus normal use. I'm just saying (as others have) with the amount of electrical components, PC boards, etc. to gloss over this issue as a non concern would be a mistake.
But as the old saying goes, "whatever helps you sleep at night". I almost never see this kind of scenario work out to a happy ending for the poor soul who dreamed of owning a Ferrari for a song.

 

No one is glossing over anything. A car not being used is detrimental to seals - that will dry up, and are then prone to start leaking when the car is put back to use. However, I am questioning that core electronic components degrade at an increased pace simply from the car sitting - I think that is a much smaller issue, all things being equal, i.e. sitting or running in the same environment. In fact the environment that the car has lived in, sitting or driving, would IMO be the main contributing factor to oxidation on contacts, etc.

 

Here is one reference:

"With all this discussion concerning the reduction of switch contact arcing, one might be led to think that less current is always better for a mechanical switch. This, however, is not necessarily so. It has been found that a small amount of periodic arcing can actually be good for the switch contacts, because it keeps the contact faces free from small amounts of dirt and corrosion. If a mechanical switch contact is operated with too little current, the contacts will tend to accumulate excessive resistance and may fail prematurely! This minimum amount of electric current necessary to keep a mechanical switch contact in good health is called the wetting current."

"Wetting current is the minimum amount of electric current necessary for a switch contact to carry in order for it to be self-cleaning. Normally this value is far below the switch’s maximum current rating."

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/digital/chpt-4/switch-contact-design/

 

Thanks for the link! Interesting. So, on a car like OP is looking at this would apply to switches like relays, and any electro-magnetic switches... What else?

 

Personally I don't think it will be that bad. 9 years is really not that long a time period, and the modern materials used in the 430 don't degrade nearly as badly as those used in the 80s. I would be very surprised if there is any issue with any of the electronics. The fluids will have to be changed and filters replaced, but I'd bet after that you won't have any issues.

Course it would still be prudent to anticipate a few big bills in the future, still, $40k for a 430 would be worth the risk to me.

 

I kinda agree. It depends on the environment for those 9 years. $40k would be worth it for me as well.