Low Mileage Ferrari???!!?? | FerrariChat

Low Mileage Ferrari???!!??

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by LAfun2, Feb 7, 2004.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. LAfun2

    LAfun2 Three Time F1 World Champ

    Oct 31, 2003
    39,248
    California
    Full Name:
    Ryan
    #1 LAfun2, Feb 7, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I was just looking around and found this.

    Car was sold from Naples Motorsports in FL.

    " A Gentleman in Pennsylvania will be receiving his 89 Ferrari Testarossa with only 790 original miles"


    I have some cars that have rather low mileage, about 3-4K/year, but that is becuase I have a few cars and don't drive enough to accumulate more mileage. But what is the reason a person buys a Ferrari in 1989 and barely even drives it? I mean it is not about resale is it?

    I am stumped.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  2. Bryan

    Bryan Formula 3

    In the hopes that there is enough of a market out there (debatable) for extremely low mileage, essentially factory new condition cars.

    This doesn't appeal to me as a market niche, but that's just everyone's personal choice.
     
  3. LAfun2

    LAfun2 Three Time F1 World Champ

    Oct 31, 2003
    39,248
    California
    Full Name:
    Ryan
    Do you think there is enough of a price difference between a 89 Testarossa with 790 miles than say a Testarossa with 30K miles to justify not ever really driving it?
     
  4. Bryan

    Bryan Formula 3

    \

    Nope, that's why this approach doesn't appeal to me. But there was at least one person in the world that it did appeal to...the original owner sold the car!
     
  5. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,138
    Vt
    Boston sportscar has on their site a 328 with I believe 11 or 1200 miles on it. You do see very low mileage cars occasionally. I believe some people have very large collections of cars and they don't get to drive them all. In other cases people buy cars and put them in shrink wrap immediately hoping for a good investment.
     
  6. post some more pics, That car would look so awsome with 512TR wheels.
     
  7. sandersja

    sandersja Formula Junior

    Jan 16, 2003
    367
    Portland OR
    Full Name:
    John Sanders
    I don't think you should assume that a ultra-low-mileage car results from the owner preserving it as an investment. There are lots of people who are fortunate to have the money to buy a garage full of exotics but are unfortunate in not having time to drive them. I have known some people that consider the cars to be essentially like artwork and driving does not figure highly into it. In my experience, some people really seem to like the jaw-dropping impacts of showing visitors their collection.

    Also, I expect that there are lots of people who buy a Ferrari and then get too sick to drive them. Bad backs and exotics rarely mix well.
     
  8. LAfun2

    LAfun2 Three Time F1 World Champ

    Oct 31, 2003
    39,248
    California
    Full Name:
    Ryan

    Thank you, that is actually something I have not thought of before. :)
     
  9. M.James

    M.James F1 Rookie

    Jun 6, 2003
    2,721
    Worcester, MA
    Full Name:
    Michael.C.James
    I will tell you one thing about my personal experiences with buying a 'low-mileage car'....it's not all its cracked up to be. The cars will LEAK. I've had almost all of the hoses replaced on my 308 prior to purchase because of the age of the rubber, and the day I brought the car home it leaked pretty much every fluid available. Oil, Coolant, Gasoline.....purging all over my garage floor in some kind of horrific cry for attention. Two weeks later, I'm still tweaking a few last hoses/hose clamps and mopping up the floor.

    Gaskets dry out and seep the fluids they were originally installed to retain - hoses crack from dry-rot or old age, gasoline turns to varnish if it sits too long, gumming up the engine, radiators rust out and develop pinholes, belts become brittle, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. That stuff costs serious $$$$$ to replace - just from having the car SIT. The previous owner of my car spent $12,000 in engine repairs in 1997, then parked the car for seven years. He drove 600 miles since 1997. Why? The car represented little more than an investment to him, and he lost his ass. Oh well.

    Any car with rediculously low mileage is a nightmare to put back onto the road, since everything will need to be replaced or checked - cam seals, head gaskets, water/fuel pumps, etc. Might as well pull the engine, tear it down to the block, and rebuild.
     
  10. Meeyatch1

    Meeyatch1 Formula 3

    Dec 28, 2003
    1,343
    Low flying jet.
    Full Name:
    Mitch
    It seems pretty stupid to me, but that is because I like to drive my cars. The really sad thing is that the car getting pulled off of the truck is probably the most driving that car will see for a long time. That is, unless the new owner is ready to dump about $15,000 (at least) into getting it back in running order. Poor car... :(
     
  11. Gary(SF)

    Gary(SF) F1 Rookie

    Oct 13, 2003
    3,637
    Los Altos Hills, CA
    Full Name:
    Gary B.
    That's the BIGGEST problem with very low mileage cars, everything just dries up. Not pretty. Why ultra-low mileage cars command a premium price is beyond me.

    Gary
     
  12. dpardyferrari

    dpardyferrari Karting

    Aug 7, 2002
    115
    Brunswick Maine
    Full Name:
    Darrell Pardy
    I doubt Mr. Ferrari would appreciate seeing a 15 year old car with less than 10K miles. Ferrari's are meant to be driven, not collected...
     
  13. Greg G

    Greg G F1 Rookie

    Going slightly off track here... but that pic that Lafun posted of the pozzi blue TR is just so very pretty. I just hadda mention this!
     
  14. Glassman

    Glassman F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    How exactly do the seals and gaskets dry out?
    It seem's to me if you have oil and coolant and gas in areas that they are supposed to be in, how does anything dry out? How long does this process take anyway. Does the temperature of the storage have any effect. If the car is run lets say every month for a while do the seals and gaskets still dry out?
    I have a 66 Jaguar that I start and run about once every two or three years and I can't see any leaks from seals.
    Whats the deal?
     
  15. zsnnf

    zsnnf Formula 3

    Sep 11, 2003
    1,877
    This was a big part of why I bought my F40 with high mileage (that and I planned on driving it so why pay the extra $$)
    But get this...... The owner sold the car because he wasn't driving it much and he wanting something else and whatever......
    I checked his records and the car showed signs of useing oil. After checking the owners manual it seemed within reeason. The PPI and records also showed a leaking cam seal. But no big deal it needs belts so I figure I can do the cam seals then.
    So I put about 200 miles on the car and notice a few drops of oil on the garage floor. Then, after braking hard once I notice the oil light flashes. So I check the oil and it is real low. So fine. I wanted to change it anyway. I go to the dealer and pick up a filter and 9 Qts. of AGIP oil. It ends up a little over full. I figure the way it has been leaking that's fine.
    I try and drive it twice a week. I usually go to full boost at least once when I do.....
    Well, 1200 miles later and it is still full. There are no more drops on the garage floor.
    I'm not sure what oil was being put in before, but it was serviced at a Ferrari dealer.

    Go figure........
    Rick
     

Share This Page