Which TR should i buy... | FerrariChat

Which TR should i buy...

Discussion in '308/328' started by Young, Sep 24, 2005.

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  1. Young

    Young Formula Junior

    Aug 24, 2005
    508
    Home Town Buffet
    Full Name:
    R U Mr Pininfarina?
    Hi, I am searching for Testarossa in So Cal and boy am I glad I found this site before spending my 60k!
    First I was just going to buy any red tr but realized I was asking for trouble soon after reading lot of the posts here about tr and other Fcars.
    I now narrowed my search for 88 & half or newer model with red/tan around here. I talked to about 12 diff offers ranging from 45k to 80k.
    The higher priced TR owners all claim that they don't need anything for long time, but when I asked Service Manager at Local Ferrari Dealer(who suppose to be the Best)he has seen many who buy those high priced TRs and spend just as much as the cheaper ones to make it run right.
    So, should I buy the cheaper one and put 20k into it to make it run right which calculates to be about 60 to 65k or find one that had everything done(after PPI) and spend60 to 65k? Which route sounds safer and better to you guys? All replies will be appreciated.
     
  2. M512

    M512 Formula Junior

    Sep 5, 2005
    635
    Earth
    Full Name:
    M512
    I've been researching this scenerio myself. Basically, you need to evaluate each TR or Fcar for that matter, based on it's individual merrits. Service history, carfax report are all good. If it's due for a major service (ie. 30K mile) figure that's going to run you $12K.

    If you find a car you like, have a PPI done. It will cost you a few hundred bucks, but that will tell you better what's going on with the car and you can negotiate the price down if warranted, walk away if there are too many costly problems, or buy it. You can research the cost of fixing the concers the PPI reveals and determine your course of action at that time.
     
  3. F1 MONZA

    F1 MONZA Formula Junior

    Sep 6, 2004
    483
    California
    Full Name:
    John
    Ferrari Testarossa
    Price guide
    A 1984 starts at $57,000 usd in todays market
    an later Ferrari Testarossa 1988-1990 $62,000 plus...

    Key areas before buying your dream car...
    service records..Ferrari Dealer serviced or non dealer service records. Also look for recalls passive restraint systems. replace seat belt assembly.

    Best advise is to take the car to a local ferrari dealer.. pay the $500.00 inpection fee.. or you can go with your gut feeling.. car fax is a great starter.

    Ask the seller for books, manuels, service records tools.. if its the right car with all history records,. no body work.. clean leather no crackes on the dash...
    pay the extra fee .. I have owned three testarossa 1990 , 1994 , 1995 f512m not one problem...
    Serviced all my cars at ferrari dealer... I paid 88,000 for my 1990... my 1994 i paid 130,000 and for my 1995 f512m i paid 177,000... which i will keep...
    hope this helps
    john
     
  4. WDR328

    WDR328 Formula 3

    Dec 11, 2003
    1,476
    The Bugscuffle Inn
    Full Name:
    D. Rose
    If you are looking for a Testarossa you probably had better look for an 88.5 or later because that gives you a wider selection of tires for the wheels which are 5 bolt and not knock off. If you want to move up in performance then consider a 91 to 94 TR. If you really want to step up then consider an M. But it takes considerably more money to play in the upper two than the first. As far as trouble is concerned I don't think one is more prone to trouble than the other. Remember the 180 degree V-12 has been around for a long time and it is a stout motor. Abusive behavior however, will yield huge repair bills.
     
  5. Boxer12

    Boxer12 Formula 3

    Jun 1, 2003
    1,672
    Its like any other car, if you buy a beater, you will pay an unknown amount for repairs and maintenance. If you buy a newer TR with low miles, you will probably have a known quantity of maintenance. You don't want to be surprised and have to dump $20K into an engine or tranny rebuild do you? I would (and did, happily) pay for the pristine car if you have the money. And who doesn't want a car with that new car smell, that gives you that pride of ownership every time you look at it?
     
  6. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
    35,532
    Victory Circle
    Full Name:
    HUBBSTER
    You have to get a PPI by an independant trustworthy mechanic

    You DONT want to pay to restore 1 of these, You could easily end up paying 100% over what you paid for it
     
  7. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Yes TRs can be costly if you get a bad one needing many repairs. I'm a financially-challenged guy who just had to have a TR. So after years of owning very nice musclecars and vettes (one at a time of course) I sold my pristine ZR-1 and bought a rough "beater" TR....it was all I could afford. I will confess it was an emotional buy and not what most would recommend. But I'm somewhat mechanically inclined so I've been able to do all of the work myself. I've done everything from rewiring the console/dash to 2 engine-out services, along with lots of cleaning and repainting odds and ends. I've found that the majority of the maintenance costs are labor and not parts themselves, though some parts can be very pricey. Also I've saved tons of money shopping around for parts rather than going through the dealer. For instance...fuel injectors for my TR are also common to a VW application, so my costs were $24 each rather than $121 from a dealer! I recently added up all the receipts, of which there are MANY, and the total costs so far for my TR are $5,500....and this includes any special tools like the older 4-Gas Analyzer I had to guy to set up the fuel mixture. My car is running great and has been totally reliable for 3 years now, and I can say with pride that I've done it myself. But I realize not many would want to start out their Ferrari experience like I did.

    From my experiences I recommend getting a car with the best cosmetics you can find, that may need a few minor mechanical repairs but doesn't need anything big like a clutch or belt service. That is what I'm going to do when I get my next TR. Or if these things are needed adjust the price accordingly. A clutch will be around $2,000, and a belt service around $6,000 to maybe $8,000. These costs should be less at a good independant shop. I'm lucky in that I am now very familiar with TRs and can do my own ppi....it's an education learned the hard way, but I don't regret it for a minute. There is nothing like owning a Ferrari...NOTHING !!
     
  8. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
    33,736
    Austin TX
    Full Name:
    Brian Crall
    The cheapest one to own is the best one you can find.

    In other words, purchase time is not the time to be thrifty.
     
  9. Prova85

    Prova85 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2003
    1,993
    So. Shore MA.
    Full Name:
    Kenny K
    Very well put.
     
  10. ferrari4evr1

    ferrari4evr1 Formula 3

    May 8, 2005
    1,249

    Agreed......
     
  11. Young

    Young Formula Junior

    Aug 24, 2005
    508
    Home Town Buffet
    Full Name:
    R U Mr Pininfarina?
    thank you for great replies, i just hope that when i purchase one for 60k
    that it will be reliable for at least 3years untill i myself personally have to pay for the major service. I will post my pics when i get it.
    thank you
     
  12. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 21, 2005
    15,291
    FL / GA
    Full Name:
    Bill Tracy
    You will probably spend $3-5k per yer in miscellaneous service not including the major service, to keep the car in top operating condition. Don't buy one with no money in reserve for repairs. If you do, you will resent buying the car. I would wait for a known car to come available on this site, that other Fchat users can vouch for. Enjoy the search, and don't do anything in a hurry (until after you get the Ferrari)!
    :)
    BT
     

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