Anybody bidding on this car should contact me for more info. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6212&item=2457194656 As some of you know I own a dealership. This 355 went through the auction last month here in California and has many issues that the pictures and description don't mention. To say the least, the only thing clean on this car were the wheels. Multiple body panels repainted, leather dash board shrinkage, just one well used F-Car. Mario P.S. No I did not try to buy this car, although I wouldn't mind the wheels for my car!
Add states "TUBIE" exhaust. Add states 1997 car. Information plate on photo states 1996. I dont feel good about seller. Alex
By the way no secrets needed, The dealer paid $67,750 for this car. Way Way Too Much for what this car needs to make it right. Unfortunatley the driver who brought it up on the block roasted the clutch and it sat at the end of the auction block with smoke pouring out of it. Most Ferrari dealers that were there including myself sat in amazement that any dealer paid that much for this car. Mario
Isn't that a pretty good price for the car? I don't know how much work it needs but it sounds cheap. Maybe what they say is true "you get what you pay for". Do you remember what it needed to make it right? can you estimate the cost of repairs off the top of your head? A friend of mine was actually looking at it but I just called him and told him not to rush into anything. Thanks in advance.
My recollection was that the car needed the following: Engine out 30K (No records were with the car and the oil was black as black could be) 2 body panels needed to be re-painted (Major Orange peel) New Clutch (It let lose on the auction block) Front Nose Re-paint (Major Curb rash) Skip Plates missing 1 of the exhaust manifolds were cracked (The car had the famous exhaust leak when it fired up) Engine Compartment had a few parts rusted (typical of car that was left outside near ocean climate) All in all I figured it needed at least $10,000 to get into shape. The dealer paid $67,750 for the car + buy fee + shipping to the store + minimum of $10K for reconditioning.....what more needs to be said... With this said I or any other dealer who wants their inventory to be straight would be in this car $80K when said and done now try to sell it to some savy F-Chat guy for $85.... see my point! Mario
So do you think he repaired all this or is simply hoping for someone to buy it thinking the car is in "awesome" condition? By the way what are skip plates?
hmmm... I live in Arlington, think I'll give him a call and see what it drives like. Even the pictures show the interior is in pretty bad shape.
I know hindsight is 20/20, but generally I would avoid any car that is not all stock. And with a reserve, all that is needed is for one person to bid up the car instead of two.
I don't know if he fixed these issues? I doubt it since the car sold on Jan 8, 2004. Skip Plate.... Bad spelling. There are 2 skid plates on the bottom of the front bumper to prevent scraping on the nose. Mario
I just went to the site and it is now "sale ended: Feb-02-04 09:18:34 PST ". Guess that you busted them and they pulled it
I just hope whoever buys it does their PPI and looks at the car. I don't want to hurt the guy for doing business. But there is some loyalty to fellow Ferrari people. Mario
I did sell this car a few years ago; it was a trade in on a new Maserati. The color is Rosso Barchetta - dark red. At the time we did a 30K service as well as all the underbody panels were replaced due to some cracks. At that time it had 28,400 miles. We also replaced the catalytic converters. Condition wise it seems to have gone down hill quite a bit. The client we sold it to had the car repossessed last summer and that is why it ended up at the auction. It must have sat outside down at the auction for several months. Prior to all of that is was a decent car.
Sharris, Isn't funny how cars like this seemingly pop back up after you sell them. It happens to me a few times every now and then. Funny though, this car was owned by BMW FS... and was a roach by my standards. Although I still would like those wheels. Mario
The wheels were very nice, but they were 19" and would make contact with the front fenders and cut the tires as well as kink the fenders. You had to be very careful. I have seen cars left sitting at the auction go downhill very quickly, not to mention you don't know who has been driving the car around. I always cringe when I see a regular car hauler with a 350lb driver wedge himself in a Ferrari and then proceed to melt the clutch going up the ramps, dragging the bottom all the way up. Then once at the auction they are left to sit and bake in the sun and the battery has to be jumped and they remove the panels trying to find it and never put them back on.