I've crossed the finish line | FerrariChat

I've crossed the finish line

Discussion in 'Mondial' started by Journiacois, Jan 20, 2023.

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  1. Journiacois

    Journiacois Formula Junior

    Dec 28, 2013
    260
    Dordogne, France
    Full Name:
    Gerald
    After 9 years, 37,000 kilometers and 50,000 Euros or so in expenses, I have sold my beloved Dante. It was time. My tolerance for stress and aggravation in my aging life, had begun to exceed the joy I found in hearing the sound of the motor and being behind the wheel as I negotiated the wonderful roads of Europe. I truly never regret one day of ownership. Even just the anticipation of taking it out for a cars and coffee brought a smile and warm feeling. And on the extended trips to Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and all through France, there was never one time I did not feel like I was the luckiest guy on the road when I was sitting in that seat, feeling the response of the motor and the touch of the steering wheel. And in all those trips, Dante only failed to get me home once and that due to a totally defunct battery.

    A big part of the joy was being a member of this forum. Your words of advice, encouragement and support always gave me the feeling of being part of something special. And we Mondial owners are special. We have a love for an automobile that is misunderstood and maligned for what it isn't as opposed to cheered and appreciated for what it is. We are members of a unique brotherhood; the french term is a "Confrerie" which signifies group of people with a shared passion for something remarkable that needs to be celebrated and maintained. So I say to all you brothers (and the few sisters here as well), thank you all for your willingness to share your knowledge, skill and interest to enhance the Mondial experience for everyone.

    So here's my Toast to the Mondial and it's dedicated aficionados:

    >May your engine always start, even when hot
    >May your Major Service have been recently completed
    >May your tires have plenty of tread and your fuel tank always be full
    >May your windows and sunroof always close
    >May your AC blow cold in the summer and the heater warm you in winter
    >May your Mondial always bring you safely back home

    After all, Life is but the pursuit of smooth roads with a Mondial to straighten out all the curves ahead.

    Here's to all our Mondials and to those who care for them.

    With respect and regards,
    Gerald





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  2. theunissenguido

    theunissenguido Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jan 21, 2004
    2,371
    Argent/Brasil
    Full Name:
    Guido
    Gerald, it is a great honnor for me to know you in person. I'm glad you did enjoy in this ownership. You still have an other bijou (the fiat spider) for pleasure in the future.
    Keep in touch !! Guido
     
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  3. Journiacois

    Journiacois Formula Junior

    Dec 28, 2013
    260
    Dordogne, France
    Full Name:
    Gerald
    Thanks Guido. I do hope there are still many rendezvous in the future. And perhaps Tony might fit in with all his Fcar brothers! Gerald
     
  4. MvT

    MvT F1 Rookie

    May 25, 2013
    4,248
    The Netherlands - NH
    Full Name:
    Tijn
    Gerald it is with pain that I see Dante go, but we drove wonderfull km/miles together and that stays in our minds and hearts too! What a joy to visit the factory together, eat and drink. Conquer the Italian mountain roads and its autostrada! not to forget the unplanned off road sight seeings (Bergamo). ''

    I almost want to say it is a must to drive in Italy when you have a Mondial (or Ferrari). Such a different landscape and people that always have a smile when they hear the sound of an F. I guess the F also stands also for Fantastic

    Like Guido said same continent, same fuel, roads that lead us together to fantastic food. Cheers my friend! Life is not over when you still have a Fiat :) also an F :)
     
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  5. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 1, 2013
    15,983
    Menlo Park, CA
    Full Name:
    Paul Chua
    Thanks for a wonderful post. I wish you the very best!
     
  6. ronfrohock

    ronfrohock F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 16, 2004
    3,920
    MA
    Full Name:
    Ron Frohock
  7. milko1969

    milko1969 Formula 3

    Feb 21, 2012
    1,283
    Breda, Holland
    Full Name:
    Milko
    Hello Gerald,

    I also sold last year my Mondial after 8 years and 20 years of Ferrari Ownership. I wanted something more modern, with more comfort and power. That is why i switched to a Corvette C6 Z06 this Month. To find A Ferrari with similar performance means a minimum budget of 100-125k which for me is not reachable. I already drove a Corvette next to my Ferrari and I find it much more relaxing and thrill to drive the last years.
     
  8. Journiacois

    Journiacois Formula Junior

    Dec 28, 2013
    260
    Dordogne, France
    Full Name:
    Gerald
    Interesting question. I still have my beloved 1982 Fiat Spider 2000 which I bought in 2002 and plan to keep to the end...whatever that means. It is perfect for day trips around our area of france, hilly, curvey roads, beautiful countryside. I also have a basic 4 cylinder 1980 Porsche 924. So while those could be considered sports cars and are fun cars to drive, they are not really in the Mondial class. As I've gotten older, I want to find something just a bit more modern and more comfortable, ie. AC PS, Auto. And as eye problems limit my night time driving I need something the wife can also drive and she doesn't do stick shift. My plan is to sell the porsche and look for a Mercedes R129 SL roadster from the early 90s. So I want to stay a sporty guy but maybe with a less sporty car.

    Here's a pic of Tony. So, sporty or not sporty?

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  9. ronfrohock

    ronfrohock F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 16, 2004
    3,920
    MA
    Full Name:
    Ron Frohock
    Funny, while I’m not interested in parting with my Mondial, I too want something a bit more civilized, like a Bentley.
    I also have an 82 Fiat Spider, red over tan. I’ve had it forever. Last year I did a total restoration. Everything got renewed. I love that car and drive it often. They are great cars and easy to live with. I love the color of your car.
    Keep us posted.


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  10. theunissenguido

    theunissenguido Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jan 21, 2004
    2,371
    Argent/Brasil
    Full Name:
    Guido
    We will all suffer that "pxnxs pause" moment. :rolleyes: I hope I can enjoy it at that age like you are doing Gerald.
     
  11. James in Denver

    James in Denver Formula 3

    May 23, 2006
    2,136
    Centennial Colorado
    Full Name:
    James in Denver
    >>> May your windows and sunroof always close and may your top close and latches not break :)

    Great post BTW!

    >>> My plan is to sell the porsche and look for a Mercedes R129 SL roadster from the early 90s.

    Be mindful that on the Mercedes R129 SL models, the "micro-switches" (whatever they are) on the convertible tops are finicky and the top open/close mechanisms can be finicky as well. Unlike "older" cars, the R129s have fully automatic tops, so if one of those switches fails, the top will not latch down. I think there are like 20+ of those switches. The servo-pumps can also fail, meaning the top won't go up and down at all. I wonder if there is a way to easily convert to a manual top... given the complexity, I don't think there is.

    I think Hoovie or Mr. Wizard (of YouTube) have discussed this before. I had an early R129 in the late 90s and it was giving me problems with the top even back then.

    Side note: The best years for the R129s are 1996+. If made in 1995 or before, the transmission would force you to start in 2nd gear from a stop which meant slower then expected acceleration. I once saw an article for a work-around that added a switch to the floorboard (like an old "high beam" switch) to "bypass" that 2nd gear start and force the transmission to 1st.
     
  12. ronfrohock

    ronfrohock F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 16, 2004
    3,920
    MA
    Full Name:
    Ron Frohock
    I think there is a manual on BAT right now.


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  13. James in Denver

    James in Denver Formula 3

    May 23, 2006
    2,136
    Centennial Colorado
    Full Name:
    James in Denver
    Manual transmission or manual top?

    I looked on BAT, I see 2 R129s, a 1998 and a 2001. Both have auto trans. The 2001 states: "Recent service included replacing the soft-top hydraulic cylinders...". Even with low miles (22k original), the top mechanism is causing issues. The 1998 states: "The soft-top hydraulic cylinders were replaced with rebuilt units in September 2017". So both are auto-tops.

    I loved my R129s, I actually had 2, a 300SL (1991 - early model) and a SL500 (1996 - mid model). The 1991 was slow, but cool to drive. The 1996 was pretty dang quick with the 300HP v8.

    Most of the time, I just left the soft top down and enjoyed the ride/drive. If I needed the top, I'll pop on the hard top. It actually wasn't that hard to put the hard top on with only 1 person, just had to be careful. If my memory is correct, I think there is a special wrench in the toolkit that allows you to manually latch the top on the windshield once it got close enough, so even if the microswitches were failing, you could get the top closed "in an emergency". I think I had to do that with my car a few times.

    BTW, there are a limited number of 5 speed manual transmission R129s. To my knowledge, they were ALL 300/320s. Supposedly, the 5 speed would not handle the HP/Torque of the V8.
     
  14. Journiacois

    Journiacois Formula Junior

    Dec 28, 2013
    260
    Dordogne, France
    Full Name:
    Gerald
    Guys,
    Thank you both. This is just the sort of advice and support I have enjoyed over this last decade on Fchat: an interest in helping with any car guy issue. I am aware of the R129 servo and switch problems. There is also the major issue of the wiring harness from 92 to 96 made of biodegradable insulation doing what it was intended to be. Today I have expanded my research a bit to the later 90s and then into the S2 models after 04 as the first ones from the redesign seem to have all sorts of gremlins. As with everything, much depends on price, mileage, and documentation. of care. One 2003 model had already been through 5 owners. I dont want to be the 6th. There are nice options available in the Low Countries or Germany. But France is not happy when you try and bring in a car from another country and that adds additional costs of maybe up to 1000 Euros in registration fees depending on the engine, and several months of hassle. I've been down that road with my Jag XF.

    But, I have time and it is always fun to dream about finding that just right, next car.
     
  15. Mondi Cab

    Mondi Cab Karting

    Oct 9, 2019
    151
    EU
    Full Name:
    J.Schulz
    Bonjour Gerald, if I may join in,

    Reading your post, I dare even proposing something more classic: The R107 of Mercedes. This predecessor of your mentioned R129 was build during 18 (!) years so if you get a late 80's one, you can be sure that every single flaw that got known to the MB mechanics was solved by then. Airbag and ABS were also present in the later models. In my opinion it would suit that castle in your first post even better than the R129.
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    Regarding the gearbox starting in 2nd as mentioned by James in Denver, this is not really an issue. I have driven 280's and 300's inline 6 with that gearbox and the mentioned switch on the floor is standard. It is the "kick-down" switch forcing the box to reduce one gear for best acceleration. Also you can flip down the lever to "L" which also induces 1st gear for take-off. Other than trying to drag, taking of in 2nd is a rather comfortable experience and absolutely not slow in traffic.
    Get a V8 model and enjoy the low-end torque especially in a 500 or 560.
     
  16. James in Denver

    James in Denver Formula 3

    May 23, 2006
    2,136
    Centennial Colorado
    Full Name:
    James in Denver
    Agreed! R107s are more "classic" than the R129s.

    Although I did drive a 280SL (?) R107 and it was slow as molasses! I assume the 560 (US) has more "pep". I thought the 560 was US only and the Euro was the 500.

    There was a guy to took out the 500/560 engine and put in the 5.0 from the R129 to make the 107 "modern" and really responsive! Wasn't cheap though.

    James
     
  17. Journiacois

    Journiacois Formula Junior

    Dec 28, 2013
    260
    Dordogne, France
    Full Name:
    Gerald
    Thanks Mondi Cab for the perspective. I guess I have been thinking more about getting into a more modern in terms of comforts and things like speed control and a good AC and suspensions. But it is true that the R107s are a classic. It's just the question of things wearing out with age and I've been through that will all my 80s cars. That said, I will do some further research.
    Gerald
     
  18. ellum

    ellum Rookie

    Dec 8, 2020
    48
    Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Elvis
    ... and may your W connector is alive.

    Nice reading. Thanks Gerald and all the best.
     
  19. Subito Grigio

    Subito Grigio Formula Junior

    Jun 2, 2009
    327
    Best Wishes, Gerald.

    So what kind of sailboat are you ultimately going to get? [Haha]

    Your very positive experience with FChat community, as mentioned above, agrees with my FChat experience. Yes, extremely hard to find. My only other very similar experience was pre-cellphone and Internet. The early (1971-1976ish) local” chapters of BMWCCA was similar. I once hosted the local chapter at my home - where everyone was focused on doing whatever we could to fix, discuss, maintain the cars, and enjoy each other. At that time seeing another BMW was extremely rare - just as seeing another Mondial is a miracle!

    May you and may we continue to encounter wonderful experiences!

    SG


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  20. Jordi Colomer

    Jordi Colomer Rookie

    Feb 9, 2023
    1
    Valencia, Spain
    Full Name:
    JORDI COLOMER BALA
    Good night to everybody,

    I bought a Ferrari Mondial QV a few months ago but I’m having a lot of electric problems.
    I don’t Know if somebody can help me.

    Thanks.
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  21. Subito Grigio

    Subito Grigio Formula Junior

    Jun 2, 2009
    327
    Yes many of us have been where you are. Not fun.

    Hundreds of lines here in FChat Mondial and 308 sections about the electric issues. Search and you may find. If searching FChat is not “you” someone will engage and point in the right search direction.


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