need some "help" in south florida...

hey guys! my name is charles...i know this is my first post and that usually doesnt fair well on messageboards, however im a ferrari nut just like the rest of you guys. alittle introduction of myself and my love of f-cars before i ask for "help".

im 26 and my permanent home is in jackson, mississippi. i do not currently own an f-car although i plan to within the next 18 months...hopefully sooner than that but thats a good estimate. im currently living on hutchinson island which is off the coast of ft. pierce/port st lucie/stuart, fl for those of you that may not know. im here for work as i am a catastrophic insurance adjuster for allstate. i could potentially be here for up to 2 years with work. those of you familiar with my profession will know that it can be fairly lucrative...esp for a 26 year old with a bachelors and some graduate study. so after the remaining student loans and other things are paid and after some further investments i plan to pay myself a reward of an f-car.

my love of the ferrari started in 1986 when i was 9. i was a big miami vice fan as well as magnum pi. ive grown up in a car family so that didnt help my madness either at such a young age. my mom took my brother and i to ferrari of jackson (then became ferrari south and is now just open for service if im not mistaken) to look at the cars one afternoon after school. during that visit i picked up a poster of a 328gts (still one of my favorite f-cars) which i still have to this day rolled up in a mail tube. i was ruined from then on...

my dream would be to own a 360 CS in TDF blue with red interior...however 200k is not in the budget yet. i will either decide to save some money and buy a 328 which as i said is one of my favorites or go ahead and go for a F355 GTS which is my favorite. imo the car is just pure sex on wheels...i had the pleasure of doing a full detail on a black one when i was in college and worked for a car wash (i was the manager so i got to pick who touched it ))
the owner was so pleased with the job i did that he let me take her for a run around the block...i fell in love. to that point that is the only f-car i have ever driven. which max speed of 40 is not driving to me as im currently into mustangs and drag racing. the fact that a 355 is the only f-car i have ever driven may have something to do with my love for that car however as you all know it is just an amazing machine. so to my question...

im here tonight and have the bug to go look at cars...however the astros are coming on (i spent about 12 years in houston during high school and college) so that may keep me in tonight along with paperwork...but west palm beach is approx 40 miles...i know there are exotic dealerships all over south florida...do any of you guys recommend a place i could go look at cars? i do not currently need a salesman and would not want to waste his time other than to possibly chat ferrari's. as such i would also prefer somewhere some of you may have experience with and know the customer service would be there or more so the right "attitude." an example of this would be an experience i had at ferrari of houston one afternoon. i was stuck in traffic at 5pm on I-59 so i hoped off the exit and cruised into ferrari of houston under the guise of looking at a vespa! haha well i got lucky...i ran into jasper mason who was currently working there selling masers...he had sold my parents a car at bmw of houston north so we had a common ground. he is now back at bmw houston north however. well we got to chatting ferraris and he showed me the cars on the showroom and then treated me to something special...he gave me a "guided" tour of the service department as well as the warehouse. i saw 2 f-40s parked side by side, a yellow f-50 which i assume belonged to mr. jamal of burning enzo fame..along with many other special cars. was a real treat...

so...do you guys have any recommendations? i would also love...in time to meet some of you guys at shows etc as i love talking cars and ferraris...

sorry for my first post being so long...i just felt an introduction was in order. thanks for your help ahead of time...

charles

 

thanks jerry...your car is absolutely beautiful. for some reason i have a thing for blue ferraris...you cant hardly beat the red...but with your car and the tdf cars...just something different than the norm but still classy.

ive seen one other car like yours...it was at the concours at lakewood yacht club in houston a couple of years ago...it is not only a car show but an in-water wooden boat show as well...very nice event.

take care...

 

ill be counting on it...

now...anyone in south florida online tonight? heh

 

ira...thanks for the tips. now...how do i go about moving this over there? or should i just copy/paste into awhole new thread over there? i figured it would get more views here and didnt consider that thought...thanks again. also...as far as the track events...sounds great and i will plan to attend atleast the one in november. i "should" still be here in january and would love to attend the cavallino also. do you know the dates on the concours? i assume i could find that info in the florida section or online somewhere...

mike...your point is well recieved. i understand exactly what your saying and will definitely take that into consideration when the time gets closer to actually purchase. sounds great about you being from decatur...not too far at all. i hear you guys are starting to get alittle cooler weather now...not much of that goin on down here yet! should make for a nice drive on sunday...the car should just purr with the cooler air! youll have to post pictures when you pick it up! congratulations on your purchase! i look forward to meeting up sometime when im back that way and talking f-cars and going for a ride.

thanks for the opinions and info guys...i look forward to hearing from more of you...take care

charles