Is the journey better than the destination?

Once you achieve that dream, I would assume you have another one to chase. I think the chase of the perfect car while car shopping is just fun in genera and once that excitement is over is what you are experiencing. The car you bought hopefully should fulfill you with the sounds and experience a Ferrari gives a person.

 

There are many things where I know "wanting" is more fun than "owning". I "want" a 1957 Testa Rossa but I know the reality of driving such a tiny, fragile and precious vehicle would not be pleasurable for me. For most things, it is not the material ownership that I want but rather the experiences that ownership provides.

The Ferrari I do own provides those experiences. I take it on wonderful drives, enjoy tinkering on the car, like showing it off at Cars and Coffee, and I love my cadre of likeminded friends that the Ferrari has attracted to me. The Testa Rossa would provide some of those things too, but it would also need too many things that I don't like, such as stewardship responsibilities of a historical vehicle. I want cars that I can drive carefree.

To me, a car that just sits in a garage is more a liability than an asset.

 

Ferrari ownership has its pros and cons. The pros are driving your car whenever you want. The Cons are paying for the repairs.

 

It's a well-known thing. Achieving a goal is often more fulfilling than the goal itself. It happens to me all the time. I love my car, but as soon as I bought it I started hunting for another one.

 

I had 3 of these goals early on in my life.

1 - For the Green Bay Packers to get to the superbowl. They did and won and I sat there like, now what.
2 - To be able to attend the Masters. Got practice round tickets in the lottery, enjoyed every minute of it, but realized it was just another golf course.
3 - To someday own a Ferrari. Have had a F12 for 10 months now as I wait for my F8 Spider, and am happy to say I am loving every minute of the experience.

 

It is the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.
Op-
Remember that feeling when you got the f12? Now it has become when Is the F8 spider coming?


Experience your life with things. Don’t get into the situation where the things own you. That’s another way of what you are saying.

My boss said to me as my success and income was rising, that the only thing that will change is the price of the cars I would buy. He was right. .


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It’s true. There’s usually the nagging thought that you don’t yet have the perfect car. But…

In my case, the cars have been rare color combinations that I liked - black metallic 328, slate grey 911/964 - so finding the cars was fun but driving/owning has been equally enjoyable because your car is a unique statement. There was serendipity, not just check writing.

Now, if the car had been something dirt common like a newer white BMW 3/4 series, then there’s really nothing achieved and the car could be replaced the next day.

Of course I have a bias toward classic cars, so this is all my perspective.

If you like special cars, the Right Car will find you and you’ll feel a rush of satisfaction every time you head out to the garage. My 328 was irreplaceable, and my 964 is also scarce - 460 U.S. coupes in ‘93, and not many in slate grey with factory Cup 1 wheels, so for all intents and purposes it’s irreplaceable. The hunt was fun, but the trophy is pretty awesome. A forever celebration.



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I like the journey leading up to the decision. I have to save up for YEARS to buy these hobby cars (9 years the first time, and 6 years the second). I like the budgeting, exploring getting alternative income streams, evaluating different cars in my small noggin.

But when I actually make the decision what car I want and assure myself that I have the funds in place.....then the worst part comes, the actual shopping. I hate the pretentious lying dealers, the unmotivated private sellers, having deals fall through, each time, at least 6 fell through....and the list of how they failed is staggering, here are some lowlights:

1. Made a deal, a guy from Japan suddenly calls and offers full ask plus 20%
2. A real SOB offers to help me as an expert, bad mouths a car, then buys it himself to flip it
3. Owner passes away during a negotiation, and his widow needed to take a step back.....understandable considering
4. Missed out on buying a local car by 30 minutes on the day the ad posted
5. Lying about the car not being in 3 undocumented accidents, after I paid for a PPI
6. This was a good one.......had a deal pending a PPI, but instead of driving it to the shop, the owner decided to have a tow service he didn’t know take it there.....ruined the clutch because he didn’t have a winch and just kept trying to drive up the ramp over and over.

Thank goodness the actual ownership experiences have been good.

 

For me the con is downtime and not using the car when you want to.

 

this is why you have 2 or more Ferrari's. At least this is what I tell the wife.
[wink]

 

Agree. I’ve got more than a few too, but when you have it in your mind you’d like to drive a specific one and it’s not available or cooperating, it’s pretty annoying. Good problems to have, but still…

 

God no. I hate waiting. I have had a 458 for 6 years and don't ever want to go through a chase again.
Same thing with women.

 

It happens. When it has for me, the car didn’t become a long term keeper. Such cars were gone by year 1 if not sooner.

Having said this, I’ve had many cars in which the drives were better than the chase. So have fun with the journey in finding the car with enduring ownership fun.

 

This. Make memories with your car. That should be the next leg of the journey.

Otherwise you’re just running a storage facility for the next owner.


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Yes, a lot of people have desires for things they don’t really need and in many cases, understand or even want, but are driven by the allure of perceptions associated by them and if the allure/desire dissipate once the item is obtained, it just means they never truly wanted it in the first place.

As for things like collectible exotic, etc vehicles, it is a well established fact that many who acquire them often end up being owned by them, instead of other way around.
They become consumed by fears and worries of the vehicle's perceived future resale value/worth, repair/service costs and other clear indications they really can’t afford to own it.

Well, that doesn’t make sense.
I would’ve thought any common sense car owner, especially one considering his-/herself a car enthusiast, knows that “paying for (mechanical*) repairs” applies to ANY used car out of warranty** and is (or should be) considered just inevitable part of cost of ownership.


* Most collision damage related repairs are usually covered by insurance policy.
** On cars under warranty, cost of repairs, should any be needed, is just paid upfront as a part of MSRP.

 

I love daydreaming about what the next car will be, but when it really comes down to pulling the trigger, I hate it. It’s such a stressful time full of second guessing, whether I’m getting a fair deal, was my research into the car enough, what if I get a lemon, will the car be damaged on transport…

It’s only after owning them for more than 2-3 years that I have then confidence that I got a solid car, and/or have gotten used to the high maintenance costs that I’m not bothered by it anymore.

For me this acts as a deterrent to cycling cars. If I got a good one, I’m reluctant to let it go, since I may not be so lucky with the next.

 

My Maranello cost me $60,000 for 20,000 miles. That's just the big stuff.

 

I most definitely agree. The only cons of F car ownership are the costs and down time from waiting for parts/repairs.

There are not many cars that are worth sinking 60k into maintenance. I got rid of my bmws and Audi really quick once I started to get 1-2k repair bills. For my f cars I wouldnt even blink.

 

Buy the Ferrari, having the car and driving is more fun than looking for one.
I bought a 2006 f430 used from Ferrari of Ontario had it for 7 years, I have maintenance done
and no surprises so far. Had normal items change battery, tires, will probably need brakes soon, still love the car.
Just get a car that has been properly taken care of and you should be good.

 

And your point is ???

 

Love the journey, love the prize! …..start again! Cars and watches are my hobbies/passion

 

Maybe you find paying $2 a mile trivial. I didn't, that's why I sold the damn thing. It is doubtful I'll ever buy another Ferrari.

 

Pens, watches, cars. Pens are my gateway drug.

My wife says if I would stay with pens I’d be better off. I tell her if I stay with pens, I would have $500,000 pens![emoji12]

And I drive all my cars and I use all my pens.


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